OK, so I’ll be picking up a new car in less than two hours, one that does not have a cassette tape player (while I like that my 2002 Jetta still had a tape player, how 1984 is that?). Which means my cassette adapter is useless and I can’t play my iPod in the car without some new gadget.
So who has advice on the best way to do it? FM transmitters? Seems like they have questionable quality and are pricey for what you get. iPod car stereo adapters? Even pricier (I could buy a new iPod for that!?) and the installation could be a nightmare.
I’d love to hear how you do it. And no, my fancy new car doesn’t have a stereo input, as much as I wish it did. One of these days car manufacturers will learn (some already have), just not soon enough for me.
I picked up a DLO Transpod radio transmitter for my 5G iPod (video). It plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and charges the iPod while it plays.
It works well. I really like it, despite some…
Downsides:
Can’t adjust volume via iPod–turning soft songs louder on the radio amplifies FM static.
Can’t charge the cell phone while playing the iPod –see my recent blog post for more on this.
Because of my gearshift/cig-outlet configuration I have to use the “extension” unit that props the iPod up on about a 5-inch arm–tight corners cause the unit to tip over (the attachment port is quite secure, the iPod hasn’t fallen out)
I tried one of the dongles that plugs into the headphone jack and it was useless. Despite the minor inconveniences I really like the Transpod.
Unfortunately I’m one of those guys with an Aux direct input to my stereo. It was probably the #1 reason I chose my car, and I love it. So… I’ve got nothing. I’ve tried FM transmitters and they all suck, honestly. There’s no “CD adapter” in existence, of course, and the other solutions are pretty pricey.
Unfortunately, it looks like it’s FM or nothing, so… if you read these iLounge FM Transmitter Reviews, you’ll see that there’s only one reasonably-priced transmitter that gets above a B+ rating. That one looks promising.
I also have the Transpod. The inability to adjust the volume is immensely irritating, but otherwise, I’ve been happy. I’ve found that if you are traveling around town, you can stick to one free signal, but when traveling over a distance you might have to switch stations a couple times.
tpy: I tried this tonight to gain some control of the Transpod volume through the clickwheel and it mostly worked. Connect a cable that has headphone jacks on each end from the iPod headphone port to the Transpod line-in port. You still have to futz with the radio volume now and then, but you can spin down the volume most of the way with the clickwheel. I bought a 6-foot cable (the shortest the store had in the iPod dept.); hopefully you can find something a bit more manageable.
ipod or any mp3 hookup
i have a 18 year old son who uses my car alot 2000 chev camaro was told same old same old you cant tie in a mp3 without changing the whole factory stereo system want to bet!!!! i did and it works great. i also installed a sub woofer my car has an upgraded factory system called a monsoon with a factory amp. using the factory wiring harness i picked up a 10 pack cd player for 50.00 on ebay i pluged it into the factory wiring and it worked great. my 10 pack cd unit has 6 wires batt+, batt-, buss, spk-L, spk-R, spk-com cut into the spk wires with a 1/4″ stereo headphone plug. plug in your ipod,mp3 or any device with a headphone jack and it will play thru your car stereo system. as far as the car knows its playing cds i used a relay and a switch my son uses the mp3 and i use the 10 pack cd player it sounds great i even plug in my computer and play the songs i have on it
for more detailed info email me. mrjohnx5@patmedia.net