Griffin iFM Radio, Remote, and Recorder for iPod Review

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(More customer reviews)The iFM remote worked great for about 4-5 days then the cord that connects to the ipod broke just like another customer reported. The thing now only plays the radio and thats it. No remote functions or recording. The cord seems to be made of really chep plastic. Then another thing is the iFM is just plain ugly to have attached to my jacket, because it has these two cords coming out one end of the controller looking like a jungle has attacked my ipod. Basically I wouldn't buy it again. Nice concept poor materials.

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Belkin TuneCast Auto with ClearScan for iPod, iPhone 1G, 3G Review

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(More customer reviews)After reading lots of reviews on this, I had expected a good product. It was awful. When I pressed the autoscan button, it would scan to stations that were already in use, or partially in use. It rarely scanned to empty stations. I used to have a Kensington digital FM transmitter, and when I tuned to my go-to station, it would work no problem, no static at all. When I tried that same station with the Belkin, I heard static non-stop, along with my music. The only time I heard no static was when I went through a tunnel (obviously, since there's no radio station to interfere). I'm going back to my Kensington - very disappointed with this Belkin model. Note: I live in Fairfield County, and used this on the way to NYC. Maybe it would work better in other areas, but around here, it was terrible.

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The Belkin TuneCast Auto lets you listen to your iPhone or iPod through the radio in your car, while it charges.

Cut through the static with ClearScan--your TuneCast will automatically (and quickly) scan the FM spectrum to find a clear frequency at the push of a button. Avoid the frustration of manually finding a clear FM station. When find a couple of favorites, store them with the two programmable preset buttons.
The TuneCast's high-contrast backlit display provides high visibility, and its small size offers flexibility in placement. The device is powered by your car's cigarette lighter/power outlet, and it charges your iPod while you enjoy your music.
The included PRO setting can make your music sound louder and fuller by decreasing the amount of attenuation in the audio signal. Professional FM stations use dynamic compression to make music louder and fuller while limiting distortion. You can use the three PRO settings on your TuneCast Auto to add dynamic compression to your audio, thereby optimizing audio and boosting volume.
The TuneCast Auto is compatible with iPod 4G, 5G, 6G; iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod touch; and iPhone.What's in the Box TuneCast Auto with ClearScan for iPhone and iPod

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Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This thing has a range of about a foot, with really poor quality sound. It may be as good or better than other transmitters that are available, but it's still pretty lousy. Not really as good as standard FM, probably halfway between AM and FM, and interrupted by the occasional static. I modified it as described in the websites that describe how to do such things, but the sound is so crappy, that it's hardly worth the price. The modified range is about 50 feet.
I realize that it solves a problem of allowing an MP3 player to work in your car, and there aren't any good alternatives, but but this isn't going to make anyone really happy. It's just a barely passable solution. It does what it's supposed to, and if you modify it, it has much better range, but it's really not a great result.
UPDATE: I really wanted a product like this, so I bought the "whole house transmitter" right on Amazon and it works. Near FM quality sound, decent range (about 40 feet). It only broadcasts on one of 6 channels, but at least the quality is acceptable if you can find an open one, and it punches through weak stations so the channel doesn't really have to be completely clear. It's 3X the price, but that seems to be what it takes to get decent quality sound.

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With this handy device you can listen to your favorite tunes through any FM stereo receiver with your iPod, PDA, PC, or laptop, even an MP3, CD, or cassette player from up to 30 feet away. The Belkin TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter makes it easy to wirelessly connect portable music players to your car or home stereo FM radio. Simply plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your player or connect it to your PC or laptop computer, then tune your car stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency.
There's also an auto on/off function that lets the device simply power on whenever an audio signal is detected. If there is no signal, the TuneCast II switches off after 60 seconds, helping to preserve battery life. There's also four programmable memory slots that let you save the clearest station wherever you go. The device comes with a DC cable for optional battery-free operation, but it only works with the Belkin Mobile Power Cord for 3G iPod. Batteries are included.
iPod Compatibility iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 4G (Clickwheel), iPod Color, iPod 5G/5.5G Video, iPod Shuffle 1G, iPod Shuffle 2G

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Belkin F8Z498 Tunecast Auto Live FM Transmitter and Charger for iPod/iPhone Review

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(More customer reviews)The Belkin Tunecast Auto Live is different from other FM Transmitters on the market because, through a special iPhone app, it can use GPS to determine the best frequency for you to use. After testing this transmitter with the app on my iPhone 3GS, I have the following opinions:
-You can only use the GPS function when the App is open, which means you can't run other apps when using the Belkin app. So if you're listening to Pandora when you suddenly need to change the frequency, you'll have to close Pandora in order to open the Belkin app. (EDIT: Apple's iOS 4 now allows for multi-tasking, so this particular point of mine is no longer valid, although you still have to go through the hassle of changing apps to change a frequency)
-The GPS function is useless. It kept telling me to use a particular frequency which did not work well. I could press the button on the iPhone app to cycle through frequencies, but the same useless frequencies would keep repeating.
-The Clearscan function (the button on the transmitter itself) is also useless, for pretty much the same reasons as above.
-Try to use the app to change the frequency of the Belkin transmitter while in rush-hour traffic. Yup, another driving distraction. (Memo to Belkin's lawyers: sooner or later, you'll need a warning in the manual along the lines of "do not use the app while driving")
-If I listened to Heavy Metal or loud Hip-Hop music, I might be ok with the sound quality from this transmitter. But since I listen to softer music, I find the constant background hissing and static to be very very annoying.
-I do LIKE the display though, the amber color is very pleasing and is easily visible both day and night. (hey, I'm trying hard to find some positives too!)
Overall, I don't recommend this transmitter. In fact, I've gone through many of the different transmitters from the different brands and the only one that worked perfectly and which I recommend is Griffin's iTrip. The reason is that the Griffins all have a hidden feature called "International" mode which allow the use of the 87.7 and 87.9 frequencies, as they are open frequencies in the United States (meaning there isn't a single U.S. radio station on those frequencies). But only the Griffins can use those frequencies, all other transmitters (including this very Belkin model) can go as low as 88.1 only. The Griffins also have a feature to boost transmitting power by setting the output to Mono, rather than the default Stereo which seems to produce a weaker signal. For more details on these functions, see the reviews for the Griffin iTrip products.

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Belkin Tunecast Auto Live FM Transmitter and Charger for iPod/iPhone (F8Z498)

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Belkin Car Stereo Kit for iPod or iPhone in the Car with Tune Cast Auto, RockStar, and Dual USB Power Adapter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my second Belkin Radio Adapter, the first being with a hard mount. While I enjoy it's mobility, the signal strength is painful, and driving through the city I have to search for the perfect channel or deal with dull, ambient static. The Clearscan feature is awful, and always reverts to the same station which is worse than the one I am using.
For the price, this is a decent adapter, but I would suggest spending a bit more money for a nicer one.

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Belkin F8Z343 TuneCast Auto 4 for iPod and iPhone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was looking for an FM transmitter which charges my iPod Touch and broadcasts over FM in a convenient, usable way. Many don't transmit well, or limit you to a range of the FM spectrum which may not work for your area.
This item is the best I've found, but still not perfect.
For my Video Ipod, I used a Kensington FM transmitter (white one), which was the best. Strong transmitter, easy to use, could dial in any frequency. The only reason I stopped using it was because it doesn't charge the iPod Touch, which is a pain for long drives and days where I commute in and then listen to music at work. The battery gets low and the commute is too long to go without.
Pros:
The scan feature lets you find an empty station quickly. It discovered a new empty station for me, after a lame music station took over my old favorite freqency...jerks.
The display is nice, and there are two preset buttons, so you can set presets you like.
It charges all Ipod Touch/IPhones. My iPod Touch was bought in Jan, 2009.
Cons:
The FM transmitter isn't very strong. Its usable most of the time, but I get interference sometimes, which is annoying, but fairly rare.
I could quickly find a different station if I needed to with the search button. The transmitter is not as strong as my Kensington, but if it gets too bad, I can search for another frequency.The button you press to search for other stations is rather large. I've had that part of the controller swing over to the driver's side and hit it with my leg a few times, which changes the frequency. It probably more how my car is set up, but its still annoying. You have to have the thing somewhere and there is only so much room in a car. I should probably get some tape and mount it somewhere on the dash.
One thing to look out for with the search button is that when you hold the unit, you are acting as part of the antenna and affecting the reception, which messes up its ability to find a clean station. You need to leave the unit where it is and just press the button and take your hand away. Not a big deal, just a heads-up.
Otherwise, its a good transmitter. Not the greatest possible, but I haven't seen anything better from Kensington. The Kensington RDS FM Transmitter does charge the ipod touch as well, but I tried it and its got some quirks that made it too annoying to use. It does seem to transmit stronger, but it doesn't have a display, so you don't know which frequency it is tuned to. On the older ipods, the freq showed on the Ipod screen, but with the Touch, it doesn't show. This makes it unusable.


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TuneCast Auto lets you listen to your iPhone or iPod in the car, while it charges. Cut through the static with ClearScan. Avoid the frustration of manually finding a clear FM station. ClearScan technology quickly scans and finds the best FM frequency - all with one push of a button.

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Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all, all FM transmitters cause noise on the receiving end, if you turn volume up enough. And don't expect the sound quality to be better than your FM radio itself. It will be worse. If possible, use a wired option such as a "cassette connector" for car. That said, wireless transmitters do offer convenience, and some are better, while others are worse, depend mostly on unit's output power, range, and station selections. After trying out 4 of them personally, I found station selections to be the most important in getting good quality sound on your radio. Hence, the Belkin TuneCast II is the best out there. As far as I know (in the price range I search), it is the only one on the market that offers full frequency digital tuning (Arkon offers transmitters with full frequency analog tuning - SoundFeeder 150x).
Here is a summary of my review on the four transmitters I tried.
Belkin TuneCast II:
+ full frequency digital tuning with 0.05 stepping
+ 4-station memory
+ dual power (battery and DC)
+ auto on/off
+ good output and range
+ LCD display
+ cord storage on unit
- USB power will be nicer, as I have my own USB2DC adapter
- LCD not lighted
iRock 400FM
+ dual power (battery and DC)
+ good output and range
- only 4 preset stations
- dangling cord
- kind of ugly
Arkon SoundFeeder 250
+ good output and range
+ cord storage on unit
- only 8 preset stations
- battery power only (spec claimes 60hr, but I seriously doubt it as others with similar battery could only last 10-13hr)
SIIG Music Adapter Pro
+ dual power (battery and USB, could be tripple if you have your own USB2DC adapter)
+ ok output and range (volume is kind of low)
+ lighted LCD
+ cord storage on unit
- claimed to have 9 preset stations with autoscan, but it was so hard to operate that I could only verify 5 stations through manual stepping, and autoscan does NOT pick up the best station
- battery compartment very hard to open
- DO NOT BUY THIS, even though it looks good, and has good spec
Here are some personal tips on any FM transmitter setup:
1) If your radio and transmitter allows 0.1 stepping, choose an even frequency station such as 88.40, since very very few stations broadcast on even frequecies.
2) Make sure your MP3 files have loud enough volume, so you don't have to boost your MP3 unit or radio's volume too much. High volume magnifies noise. There are many software out there that fine tunes MP3, including volume.
3) If you have to boost volume, boost MP3 unit's volume instead of radio's. High radio volume causes more noise.
4) Always make sure you have new battery or are using DC adapter. Low power forces you to turn up volume, and it in turn causes noise.
5) In general, songs fair better with these transmitters than solo instruments, as noise could become more obvious on the later.


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Now you can use your iPod PDA MP3 CD cassette player PC or laptop to listen to your favorite tunes through any FM stereo receiver. The Belkin TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter connects portable music players to your car or home stereo quickly and easily using FM radio waves. Just plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your iPod PDA MP3 CD or cassette player; or connect it to your PC or laptop computer. Tune your car stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency and enjoy your iPod music experience with more sound and fewer wires. Belkin adds a great convenience feature with its unique Auto ON/OFF function. It frees you from having to manually toggle your TuneCast II's ON/OFF switch by simply powering on when an audio signal is detected. If no signal is detected for a period of 60 seconds your TuneCast II switches off. This innovation preserves battery life while making your outstanding mobile audio experience simpler to enjoy. TuneCast II also features 4 programable memory slots allowing you to save the clearest station wherever you go. TuneCast II includes a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter-so you can preserve your batteries as you play your tunes on the road (will not charge the TuneCast II). Primary InformationFeaturesCar power adapter AAA battery FM transmitterUNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code52161600

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