TiVo Community Forums Archives - Using your iPod in the Car

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Using your iPod in the Car
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Posted by: Regor

I'm looking to purchase an iPod soon but want to be able to use it in the car as well. I've seen this Belkin device. Does anyone know if it's any good or if there are better products anywhere ?

Posted by: manolan

There's a brand new device from apple that works in BMWs and Minis to allow you to control your iPod from the steering wheel controls.

Posted by: iankb

Nice idea. But is it worth upgrading both my BMW (2001 model) or my iPod (5GB original)? Let me think ...

Posted by: Regor

Unfortunately, I do not have a BMW or Mini!

Posted by: TivoTown

I remember someone recommending this: http://www.everythingipod.com/TFM.t...dbs/products.db

Posted by: Major dude

I`ve used both an FM transmitter & iTrip. Both have major quality/interference problems compared with hard wired options such as plugging direct to an AUX input or say the Dension adaption kits (very expensive). So the Belkin may be a reasonable compromise at the price. I think I paid Ł20 just for a cup holder mounting kit. I have used cassette adaptors in the past and at the time they did not provide a reliable way of connecting a source to the car stereo but maybe they have improved.

Posted by: Regor

How do cassette adapters work ?

The belkin quotes 'The Mobile Cassette Adapter from Belkin easily connects your iPod™ device, portable MP3, CD, cassette player, PC, or laptop to your car stereo, through your car's in-dash cassette player.'

How does it connect ? Is it a wire which plugs into something on the car stereo ?

Posted by: drjlb

Yes, it looks like a cassette but has a wire coming out of it. You plug the other end of the wire into the headphone jack of the iPod. I have a Sony adapter that works quite well. I also have the iTrip (for the car without the tape player) which I am not as pleased with. I have a friend that has the transpod someone else posted about, and he loves it. Seems a little pricey for an interface solution. I just insert the adapter into the tape deck, plug it into iPod and go.

Posted by: iankb

The cassette adaptor has an electro-magnetic interface that simulates the passing of the tape over the tape-head. Some cassette players didn't like them because, like static tape cleaners, the drive transport can think that the lack of resistance indicates that the tape has broken.

I used to use one, but my BMW has a minidisc player, a CD jukebox, and no input socket. There is no way of connecting my iPod with the audio system.

I think that BMW should have created a hard-drive cassette that fits in the CD jukebox. That would be much more practical.

Posted by: sjp

quote:
Originally posted by Regor
How do cassette adapters work ?

The belkin quotes 'The Mobile Cassette Adapter from Belkin easily connects your iPod™ device, portable MP3, CD, cassette player, PC, or laptop to your car stereo, through your car's in-dash cassette player.'

How does it connect ? Is it a wire which plugs into something on the car stereo ?

fwiw, i used one of these a few years back on at least 2 vauxhalls, 1 ford and a US toyota and a Geo Metro (think Suzuki Swift) with no trouble whatsoever.

i think you can get them from argos, why not try one - at least they have a real esy returns policy.

stuart

Posted by: Regor

I think I will try one then if they are not too pricey. First thing - Must buy the iPod though!!

Thanks everyone. :)

Posted by: Major dude

When you do it is well worthwhile taking out the extra years applecare warranty which you can only do in the first year. Otherwise repair costs for ipods are Ł193 minimum when out of warranty.

Posted by: Regor

How much is the extra warranty ?

Posted by: Major dude

Ł59
I do not want to put you off ...iPods are a great product. However if it does go wrong outside the warranty period and they do ...just look at the Apple support discussion page packed with iPod owners whose iPods have crashed and do not respond to reboots/resets...you are well and trully stuffed.
At least with the extended warranty you are guaranteed two years worry free use.
To be honest Apple have developed the perfect money making consumer product other than TiVo of course. Once you have an iPod you cannot do without it and because it has a hard drive it can fail due to corruption problems and then you are driven to buy another one.

So beware you have been warned.

Posted by: Regor

So it works out about Ł30 a year for 2 years cover. Thats not too bad, hope to get my iPod in the next few weeks. Think I'm going to go for the 20Gb version.

Posted by: iankb

However, I have a Mk1 5GB iPod. If it failed, I would probably prefer the excuse to change to a later, larger model, than stretch the life of a low-capacity model that is incompatible with all of the latest add-ons and software upgrades. They change so quickly that replacing it with one of the same capacity would be considerable cheaper than the original cost.

Posted by: sanderton

I have the DLO TransPod FM.

On the whole I'm happy with it. You can permanently mount the cradle on the dashboard, it charges the iPod from the lighter socket, and doesn't look as bodged together as the cassetter adapter route. You can plug a cassette adapter into it and just use it as a charger.

Sound quality is pretty good, but there are a few downsides:

* You need to find a "blank" bit of airspace to tune it in to as otherwise you get interference. That's no problem in rural Somerset, but I struggled a bit to find one while using it in London. If you're on a long journey it means you have to occasionally pull over and retune as the blank bit of spectrum has gets filled with a local station.
* There's a slight RF interference when the iPod loads the next track from its HD, lasting a second or two.
* It takes its feed from the line out at the bottom of the iPod, not the headphone socket - as a result the volume level equaliser doesn't work (the tone controls do) and you find yourself adjusting the volume manually quite a lot.

On balance I'd recommend it, but I'd rather have a charging cradle feeding a line out directly into the head unit (not possible with my car which has a manufacture specific audio system).

Posted by: KR

quote:
Originally posted by Regor
I think I will try one then if they are not too pricey. .....

Quick search on argos: 534/2488 = Ł9.99
Argos

Posted by: Regor

Fantastic !:) :) :)

Thanks very much.

Posted by: HowardTiVo

I've used both the Belkin TuneCastII FM transmitter, and their cassette adapter with my iPod. The cassette adapter works very well...the FM transmitter is not worth it, period!

Posted by: cyril

6 years ago I tried an FM transmitter, but gave up as it was a bit too fiddly having to re-tune it in London.

So I have been using a cassette adapter for the last 10 years! Sound quality is quite good, but at some time I should build a custom dashboard with a TiVo, GPS, mp3 and phone unit and heads up display.

I dont drive much (5k/yr) so I havent bothered to do this yet.

Posted by: Regor

OK, so FM transmitters are a no go then.

Here's hoping that one day more car manufacturers or car stereo makers will incorporate an easy facility for listning to mp3 players or equivalents.

Posted by: Ashley

quote:
Originally posted by Regor
OK, so FM transmitters are a no go then.

Here's hoping that one day more car manufacturers or car stereo makers will incorporate an easy facility for listning to mp3 players or equivalents.

Yep!

All car stereos should have a 3.5mm stereo jack socket on the front that mutes the radio.

Posted by: pgogborn

quote:
Originally posted by manolan
There's a brand new device from apple that works in BMWs and Minis to allow you to control your iPod from the steering wheel controls.

http://www.ipodyourbmw.com/

Posted by: sanderton

There is a company which will fit a cradle and set it up with a line-in to your head unit. I forget them name but i'm sure Google will find it.

Posted by: Regor

Is this link similar to what you mean Sanderton ?

Quote from website 'iPod routes iPod audio through the CD changer port and translates head unit key presses into remote control commands for the iPod giving access to FF/RW as if the iPod was an integrated component of your car stereo.'

The Carphone Warehouse provide a service to fit this.

Posted by: sanderton

That's the one.

Posted by: Sneals2000

Not sure if this has been mentioned before - but Dension make an iPod interface for Car audio systems that support external CD/MD multichangers - hopefully including my Sony MD unit.

It seems that there is quite a degree of control between the two - with the iPod being passed forward/reverse requests from the radio, and the ipod only being powered when it is selected as a source.

More details from Dension IceLink

Posted by: HowardTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by Ashley
Yep!

All car stereos should have a 3.5mm stereo jack socket on the front that mutes the radio.

AIWA makes several units like this. I am thinking about buying one.

Posted by: pauljs

quote:
Originally posted by HowardTiVo
I've used both the Belkin TuneCastII FM transmitter, and their cassette adapter with my iPod. The cassette adapter works very well...the FM transmitter is not worth it, period!

I agree, I think the UK FM band is too crowded for fm transmitters to work effectively, you just spend lots of time searching for a clearer channel, especially when driving

Posted by: misterbleepy

quote:
Originally posted by pauljs
I agree, I think the UK FM band is too crowded for fm transmitters to work effectively, you just spend lots of time searching for a clearer channel, especially when driving

I find 87.5 is normally empty, as BBC & Commercial stations start at 88.0

(iTrip & Old School iPod)

There are places who sell CD changer adapters, so if your car stereo can hook up to a CD changer, then it may be possible to hook your iPod into it using an adapter (or two...)

Try here:

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/help/ipodfriendly.html

Posted by: sjp

ALDI are knocking out a personal CD player for Ł18 starting July 1st... it comes with a car kit.

buy this, swipe the car kit and cables and you're left with somebodies christmas present.

aldi are also doing a 160gb samsung for Ł70 starting the same day.

Posted by: AMc

I've been using a cassette adapter with the line out of a portable CD player for years. It works very well but now and again you get a CD with the levels set too high and it distorts on loud bits, not enough to put you off but you do hear it.
I guess the effectiveness of the adapter will vary according to the output power of the Ipod line out, the level you've encoded your files at and the individual cassette player's sensitivity?

My new car has a CD player, so I won't be needing it any more.
Mine is the same as the Argos link on the previous page, but minus the 'bass boost' (treble cut :) ) bit.
If anyone wants to try a cassette adapter they can have mine for a donation of a couple of quid to Oxfam http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_ca...ashdonation.htm
PM me a postal address, I'll find it :) drop it in the post and PM you to send a donation.