Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black)
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 programmable 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).
The Belkin Portable Music TuneCast II FM Transmitter puts music from your portable music player, CD player, or PC through you FM car or home stereo. All you have to do is plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your player or computer, tune your stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency, then enjoy your music experience with more sound and fewer wires. An automatic on/off function turns the TuneCast II on when an audio signal is detected. If no signal is detected for a period of 60 seconds, your TuneCast II switches off, lengthening battery life while simplifying your life. The system features four programmable memory slots and a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter to provide power for the transmitter. Two AAA batteries are included, and an LED light comes on to show you when the TuneCast II is running low on power.
Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black) Accessories
Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black) Reviews
After reading many of the reviews I decided to purchase this transmitter. I planned to use it in a particular car. No matter what I did, even to adding an 8 ft headphone extension cable for a bigger/longer antenna, it did not work IN THAT CAR.
I tried it in a different car .. and IT WORKED FINE.
WHY?
Car #1 had the FM antenna on the ROOF. In addition the FM radio could NOT be manually tuned to a particular station. It could ONLY be "scanned" This (and all similar) transmitters, by law, are very low powered (to avoid interference with 'real' radio stations) Even with the added 'antenna' on the transmitter the signal was not strong enough to penetrate the metal roof to get to the receiving antenna. And the signal was also not strong enough for the radio (in scan mode) to stop on the transmitter freq.
Car #2 had the FM antenna on the front fender. Also the FM radio could be manually tuned to *any* freq. Penetrating the windshield is a *lot* easier for the weak signal to get to the receiving antenna.
Understand the above when making the decision to purchase this, or any, transmitter unit for your vehicle.
Although this is one of the most commonly sold FM Transmitters in places like Best Buy etc. I would not buy again, primarily because it is not easy to use and marginally functional under normal driving conditions and locations.
First of all, although it memorizes up to 4 FM frequencies, it is almost impossible to change options while driving. And it will shut off automatically just as you get everything set up. The LCD is not easy to see in many common lighting conditions, it requires batteries (or your cigarette lighter which hopefully you don't need for your MP3 player), and worst of all, did I mention that it annoyingly turns on and off automatically, usually before you get your MP3 player cued up and playing the right podcast.
I subsequently purchased a similar but in my opinion superior product, the Monster Radio Play MBL-FM XMTR300 (got mine at the Shack but Amazon has too). The Monster brand has stronger signal, cleaner sound, highly visible LED's, and is as easy to reach over and change stations as it is to change stations on your radio because very large easy to feel buttons. The TuneCast II on the other hand requires nearly your full attention to get going, along with tuning your car radio etc. I never seemed to have 3 AAA batteries handy either, so a cigarette lighter "Y" was necessary when using my after-market GPS or phone charger at the same time as the MP3 player.
I also purchased an off-brand Cigarette-lighter mounted FM Transmitter that plugs directly into my Sansa Fuze. The form factor is pure genius. The off-brand's electronics are superior to the Belkin of this review, but not quite up to the convenience of the Monster RadioPlay (for example, I get a little alternator noise in my car which isn't present in the Monster, and also the off-brand does not remember to come back on when you start the car again, so you get a blast of loud hiss or worse if you left the radio on). I also have some issues with the direct digital Sansa connection that requires disconnecting the Fuze and reconnecting it each time I shut off the power.
I would recommend this FM Tuner. The design is very solid with the tuner being on long cables from the car's power socket allowing you to put it on the dash next to the car's antenna.
The tuner does as good of a job as any tuner that I've run across but is still limited by the limitations placed on them by the Government (transmission power caps, frequency range limits, etc). So if you are driving through a busy city then you will struggle to find any clear frequency.
As soon as you can find a clear station (with nothing +- 1 either) the signal is as clear as a radio station and does better than either an iRiver or Griffin tuner that I have also tried.
I would recommend it. But I would recommend either a Cassette Tape adapter or a new stereo with an aux/audio jack first.
Found the product simple and easy to use. However here in the So Cal area the radio stations are too strong for this device. If you live in an area where the stations signal are weak and far between you might have better luck. If you live in a metro area with lots of stations taking up the airwaves I would recommend a different type of product. For me this product will be going into the trash.
poor, distorted sound quality. i bought this based on the belkin name and should have checked the reviews first!! sorry belkin!! this one just doesn't cut it!!
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