FM Transmitters & iPods

K

kellyj

Registered User
Messages
51
Wondering if anyone has any experience of using FM Transmitters in the car with an MP3 player. See plenty of these devices for sale on eBay which when connected up to a MP3 player will broadcast a signal which is then picked up by the car radio.

Do the work and how well? In addition are they legal to use.
 
There are a few threads on this issue already which you should be able to locate by searching/browsing this forum.
 
kellyj said:
Wondering if anyone has any experience of using FM Transmitters in the car with an MP3 player. See plenty of these devices for sale on eBay which when connected up to a MP3 player will broadcast a signal which is then picked up by the car radio.

Do the work and how well? In addition are they legal to use.
Click to expand...
The short answer is they are not very good - too much interference on the crowded FM band in the city/cities. You are better off with a cassette adaptor like http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005T39Y/103-8005082-1454211?v=glance&n=172282 (this one) which I have and am happy with. Works with all MP3 players not just Sony kit or iPods.

Of course if you have a CD player with an auxiliary input, you're laughing.
 
I recently bought a fm transmitter for my mp3 player on ebay, paid roughly €10 including postage and it works great. It works from 2 aaa batteries or from a car plug and allows you to select from 4 frequencies. The one I use is 107.5 and there's no interference at all, working from the batteries allows it to be used other than in the car plus the car plug actually recharges rechargeable batteries as well. Bottom line is that I liked it so much I bought my mother one for her plam zire.
 
icantbelieve said:
I recently bought a fm transmitter for my mp3 player on ebay, paid roughly €10 including postage and it works great. It works from 2 aaa batteries or from a car plug and allows you to select from 4 frequencies. The one I use is 107.5 and there's no interference at all, working from the batteries allows it to be used other than in the car plus the car plug actually recharges rechargeable batteries as well. Bottom line is that I liked it so much I bought my mother one for her plam zire.
Click to expand...

What make / model is it ?
 
Decani said:
Was in Power City at the weekend and they had them for €25.
Click to expand...

Take care. A colleague of mine bought one there and the 4 preset frequencies cluster around the RTE Radio 1 FM transmission which make that one unsuitable for use in Dublin.
 
As far as I recall they aren't legal to use in Ireland, something to do with needing a broadcasting license. Wouldn't imagine its likely anyone would be caught though.
 
TarfHead said:
Take care. A colleague of mine bought one there and the 4 preset frequencies cluster around the RTE Radio 1 FM transmission which make that one unsuitable for use in Dublin.
Click to expand...


Which is why you need to get one with variable frequencies. The latest Griffin i-trip lets you select anywhere between 88 and 107 fm, thus ensuring you will be able to find a vacant frequency.
 
Here's the one I have

[broken link removed]

this guy has loads of them, delivery time first off was ages but the second one only took a week.
 
icantbelieve said:
Here's the one I have

[broken link removed]

this guy has loads of them, delivery time first off was ages but the second one only took a week.
Click to expand...

Does that one work around dublin city. It looks kike good value.
 
I assume it does as although I'm rarely in the actual city centre I live well within the broadcast zone for all the Dublin stations.
 
There's a shop on Bachelor's Walk (near Zanzibar down from the Bachelor Inn) which sells such transmitters for about €20. Just saw them behind the counter yesterday.
 
Bought a Itrip with Digital Display on Ebay yesterday (from a seller with 100% and over 300 items sold) for €23 (12 for Item 11 for Delivery). Will revert back when I get it with Info and Compatibility/Problems!!!
 
they are not legal in Ireland. The chances of being prosecuted for having one must be well over a million to one I'd guess.
 
legend99 said:
they are not legal in Ireland. The chances of being prosecuted for having one must be well over a million to one I'd guess.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can't imagine a copper saying to someone at a checkpoint 'whats that little do dah sticking out of your ipod, i hereby charge you with intervening the broadcasting laws of Ireland'
 
Thanks to all of you for your contributions, especially 'icantbelieve'. I purchased the model as advised for the princley sum of 1p GBP. With packing in the region of £5.50 GBP I ended up paying around €9 for the thing. Now for the MP3 player. I will be back for more advise on that subject.
 
There's a 128MB Alba MP3 player in Argos for €30. It can take SD cards too. Shop4Memory.com in Celbridge have a 1GB SD card for €60. However, I don't know what capacity limitation there is on the Alba WRT SD cards (if any).
 
Many of the cheaper SD card MP3 players have a 1GB limit. There's a discount store on Bachelor's Walk selling SD cards and cheap MP3 players among other bits and pieces They are selling one very similar to the 7dayshop model with a 256MB card for c. €35 if I recall correctly. They also stock FM transmitters but I didn't check the price today. The other place that I mentioned earlier further down the quays from O'Connell Bridge is actually charging €25 for the transmitters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top