Car FM Transmitter

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Hey all, I have been looking for a FM Transmitter to use in my car with my iPhone 4. I have tried several ones and I have not been able to find one with decent quality. The ones I have tried are always full of static and you have to maneuver the phone in some strange way so they half-work. I have been using a corded one for the past 5 years and it just broke making me a very sad panda. I don't have an AUX input in my car stereo but something that plugs into the lighter thingy would be good. I have also read about some bluetooth receivers but they can get pricey too. Anyone suggestions on good transmitters? Thanks!
 
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I think a lot depends on your area. I have a Griffin iTrip (the auto tune model), which works fine, but you will always get a little static, and sometimes a lot, because FM bandwidth is so packed with signals. Does your car stereo have a tape deck?
The tape based systems work ok .
 

cwa107


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What kind of vehicle is it? (Make, model and year would be helpful). FM modulators pretty much all suck. If your vehicle was made in the last 10-15 years, chances are it has some kind of input at the rear of the stereo (usually for a satellite radio or a CD changer). In many cases, you can get a hard-wire adapter that allows you to control the iPod from the factory stereo and safely hide the iPod out of sight, and also charge it.

I've purchased iPod integration systems for my last few vehicles, and they're usually well worth the money (about $100) and fairly easy to install - but they are vehicle-specific and you will have varying degrees of success based on the options afforded by your factory stereo.

A good place to look for these things is LOGJAM ELECTRONICS.COM - iPod Car Adapters & iPhone Car Adapters for your Vehicle
 
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This is the one I have. $27 USD including shipping on Amazon. Amazon.com: Grantwood Technology's FM Transmitter and Car Charger for iPhone 4, Including NEW Verizon iPhone 4, and iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod nano, iPod Classic, and iPod touch (Including NEWEST), and iPad and NEW iPad 2, includes Grantwood Technology&
It's been a few months and it works just fine. As with any FM transmitter, you will experience interference and have to change the channel occasionally - especially on road trips driving through different towns.
 
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I also decided to skip the FM Transmitters because if you live in or near a city or large population then you will get a lot of static since most of the radio stations will be used. I decided to upgrade my car's audio unit instead.

If a person just wants to connect their iPhone/iPods without all the fancy features then they can get the cheapest audio unit which is relatively affordable at under $100. Professional installation prices can also be reasonable at places like Best Buy. The music sound quality will be so much better than an FM transmitter so I think it's worth it.
 
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The best of the FM modulators is terrible

Just connect it via a cable to the earphone outlet. If you don't have an "aux"input on your car radio, Best Buy will put one in for you. Or they will put in an iPod controller so you can actually view and control your tunes from the car radio and charge the iPhone/iPod at the same time.
 

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