Help me pick out an FM Transmitter?

[Ziggy]

Maybe I'll make this a tradition, every December I'll post for help picking out a present for my mom!


My pops is getting my mother an iPod for Christmas. The factory deck in her car doesn't have an auxiliary input, and it doesn't have a tape deck. So excluding magic, an FM transmitter is the only hope of using the iPod in the car. Right?

Does any one use one that they would recommend? I haven't looked for one extensively yet, but I figured I'd ask you guys. My mom's been listening to music her whole life, often loud, and while she's not an audiophile she can tell the difference between decent quality and garbage. I just don't wanna get her one that's gonna have a lot of white noise or something like that.

[ninjainspandex]

Oh boy fm transmitters are horrible unless you live in rural idaho lol with no radio traffic. Honestly just get a new radio that has a ipod jack imo.

[vlame]

Oh boy fm transmitters are horrible unless you live in rural idaho lol with no radio traffic. Honestly just get a new radio that has a ipod jack imo.

[Ziggy]

Unfortunately, switching out the deck in the car is not an option.

[Hobie-wan]

Unfortunately, switching out the deck in the car is not an option.

Not even if it were liberated by a crackhead?

[vlame]

Do it.

[Bikeage]

I have bought two in the past several years, one very cheap one that only had 4 tuning options, and it sucked 90% of the time. The second one was $25, and could digitally tune any FM channel, and worked well most of the time, long distance travel required re-tuning once in a while, but just around town set at 103.7 or 88.5 was fine.

Now while I use a Zune, by buddy bought one for his Ipod that connects flush with it and looks like a small extension, while the ones I own have a short cord, like a dongle. He paid $25-30+ a few years ago for it, and says it works great.

[dsheinem]

I have this and it works great....but I live in a rural area. I wouldn't overpay for these, as for the most part you can find cheap ones online that work as well or better than pricey ones you'll find in a store.

[CRTGAMER]

Get ready for static
Both in comments and the transmitter. I got two different types and they are passable though sometimes you hear the fuzz. Most have something like four frequency settings. Since you are short on time might be better to get one local and test it so you could possibly find a decent one. Set it to a channel that does not a nearby radio station frequency in your parents location.

[Ziggy]

Thanks every one for the input thus far.

I was reading a review on this one on Amazon. A reviewer gave a tip that you can put the transmitter into "international mode" which will give you the ability to use it on 87.9 FM. Apparently, by law in the USA, radio stations can't broadcast on that frequency. You just have to make sure that your car's radio can tune to that frequency.

I'm considering the following right now:





The first one is the one I read that review for, about the 87.9 frequency. You can set it to ANY frequency, not just a few preset frequencies. It also got over 1,000 reviews with an almost 4 star rating. The second one only has 15 reviews, but looked like one of the better low priced ones (on Amazon).

Unfortunately, switching out the deck in the car is not an option.

Not even if it were liberated by a crackhead?

There's a couple of reasons why it's not an option. If it were my car, the first thing I'd probably do is get a new deck in there. But then again, if it WAS my car, I'd sell it!