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General discussion

FM Transmitter ideas....suggestions...?

Aug 1, 2007 10:13PM PDT

From what I read most FM transmitters are anywhere from "poor to occasionally acceptable" . This has an impact on what Mp3 I buy; so any good ideas for a transmitter choice ?? CNET reviews appear to have nothing but horror stories..

My 3 player choices to mate to : Zune, Creative M, or Gigabeat S.

Discussion is locked

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I use one.
Aug 2, 2007 1:11AM PDT

It was some 20 buck device that plugs into the headphone jack. I'm unsure why there are horror stories but think it could be expectations were too high. That is they expected it to work more than a few feet from the antenna. My 20 buck wonder with a fresh AAA battery is just fine but I have to keep it inside the car and to the side of the car with the antenna to get acceptable clarity.

I'll get an iPod next time since I can get a nice keyfob remote control as well.

Bob

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I use the DLO Transpod
Aug 2, 2007 2:18AM PDT

It works with docking iPods, but can be used with other players through the headphone jack (but doesn't sound as good). I think fm transmitters can be hit or miss and how well they work depends on several things. Among them are where your car antenna is and how crowded the airwaves are in your area. What works well for some doesn't work at all for others. I've tried several, including a cheap one and a mid-priced one from Belkin. They didn't work for me. All I got was static mixed in with a little music. But you may get lucky with a cheap one, so you may not want to rule it out.

Since the iPod isn't among your choices, you probably don't want to buy this one. You'll probably get better sound from something that connects through the bottom connector port rather than the headphone jack. Most of these ports are proprietary so you'll need to get something specifically made for the player. You'll probably have better luck finding something for the Zune or the Creative Zen Vision M. I know DLO does make something for the Zune - the Transdock Micro.

Good luck!

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Kensington
Aug 3, 2007 12:39PM PDT

I have a Kensington transmitter which sounds very clean connected to an iPod. Unfortunately, all of their dedicated transmitters are only for iPods, but they do have one universal transmitter that will connect to any player's headphone jack. They are worth checking out:

http://www.kensington.com/

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While They Last Part 2
Apr 11, 2011 3:50AM PDT

I forgot to mention, the FM transmitter with the blue light is white. Due to the cord being short, if you need a longer cord, get the cord extender at Walmart, selling for $4.50.It has a female end and a male end.A 6 foot extension for just a little money. Good Luck!!!! I know how it is. Radio Shack used to sell a horrrible transmitter that didn't have an antenna, its antenna was a thin rubber cord about 18 guage!!! I could hardly get a signal. Buy the Isenntials, you wont be sorry!!! I wish they had made this one long ago!!

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While They Last
Apr 11, 2011 3:46AM PDT

I say go to your local Rite Aid, and get the Iessentials brand transmitter. It works so well, it wanted to work in another room!!!Get them while they last, and get an extra one in case one stops working. It has a blue light, which indicates battery strength, a good set of rechargeables is recommended, though the grace period you can use the device while on empty is a lot shorter with NIMH battery than with alkaline due to the different discharge curves.I got this after my Otomek that I loved quit working.