IPOD FM Transmitter Problem

[ChuckC]

I have just purchased one of those FM transmitters that attaches to your IPOD for broadcasting your IPOD in your car or over your home stereo. It doesn't seem to be working; in fact, I can't even get it to power on.

Does anyone have any suggestions (I already changed the batteries, BTW)? The brand name I purchased is Belkin; is there a more trouble-free brand?

Thanks for any help. BTW, Preiffer, great idea for this Forum!

Chuck-

[Nottingham Nick]

Chuck

They aren't officially sold in the UK, as technically - being transmitters - they come under the 'pirate radio' legisilation and are illegal.

Full details of the awful crimes that UK users commit can be found here

I have a mate who uses the Griffin version (in the US;) ) , and swears by it.

Sorry, can't help you with the Belkin model.

Nick

[HighFlyer]

Chuck, I bought one too and its utterly useless!

By the time I managed to tune it in to a radio station and have it halfway listenable, ten more blocks down the road and the interference gets you!

I'll check what brand i bought, i know its not Belkin but i had it shipped from the US a while back. I don't think it matters, they all seem to be a bit rubbish [:(][:(]

[Decker]

Well people I know who have the Belkin ([}:)]) say that they just plug it into the cigarette lighter, set one of three frequencies and tune their car radio ot that frequency and that it works out of the box. Of course they'd never dream of using them in the UK, no more than English cyclists would dream of ignoring traffic lights or cycling on pavements.

Speaking of which I was driving through Richmond Park yesterday with my cruise control set at the legal limit of 20 mph or thereabouts when a cyclist overtook me. [:(!]

[preiffer]

I have an iTrip, and although the "frequency playlists" are a bit of a pain to select the broadcast frequency, I don't have any problem with using it.

I second Paul's comment about the iTrip. Once the playlists are sorted out it is a great bit of kit and has worked trouble free for me and friends.

[mitchja]

Good topic as I was thinking about getting one of these for my car as I'd fed up of having to burn CD's all the time to play in the car.....I dont think I'll bother now!!!

I was looking at this web site. I guess it's one of those 'not illegal to buy only illegal to use' situations.

Regards

[ChuckC]

Thanks, everyone. I've e-mailed Belkin and will report what I hear. I may just break down and go to an Apple retail store, and buy the real thing (will also check out Best Buy and your other recommendations first, however!).

Chuck-

Originally posted by ChuckC
Thanks, everyone. I've e-mailed Belkin and will report what I hear.

Not to be too negative Chuck, but good luck with that - I opened a support case with Belkin a few weeks back (after filling in countless web support forms with no response) - granted, it was for a different product (one of their KVM switches), but the "customer service" was appalling on its own, let alone the technical content! If I ever treated one of our customers the same way I was, I'd expect to be fired immediately. [:(!]

Cheers

Michael

We had terrible problems with a Belkin wireless router, which was compounded by dealing with a call centre based abroad.

Eventually after hours spent on their freephone line, i received a call from their UK based support informing me that we had received terrible support and as a result a new tested router would arrive tomorrow - which it did.

A follow up call was received in the afternoon to check that everything was in working order - which it was.

After that we kinda went out our way to stick with Belkin for all the wireless cards, access points etc so they did extremely well eventually and continue to do so. (the fact that they have lifetime support also helps !)

Kinda rings true with the many call centres we seem to get involved in these days that it depends who picks up your call.

regards

David

I have the itrip, and have found it such a pain I have given up using it! - I'm back to burning CD's!

around London/South East England there seem to be so many pirate stations / local stations, that finding a clear frequency for the whole jorney is a complete PITA

The other annoying thing I find is that, when listening on Random, the player often picks up one of the "frequency" tracks which are loud electronic noise - not very nice [:(]

Get a new car in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to "hard wire" it in....

Originally posted by David
After that we kinda went out our way to stick with Belkin for all the wireless cards, access points etc so they did extremely well eventually and continue to do so. (the fact that they have lifetime support also helps !)

Now, see, I also have a Belkin wireless router (that I bought some 2 years ago) and I'd swear by it - especially since I've never had to call support for it

Cheers

Michael

[Decker]

Ahh my Belkin Wireless Router went t/u within minutes of installation. Went through 3 routers in as many days. Am now on a Netgear DG summat.

In our company 4 people allegedly use the Belkin Ipod Radio thingy and love it. Love their KVMs too... it's all sooooo subjective

[ChuckC]

I've now heard from a mate who bought his Belkin FM transmitter at the same time as I did, and his works fine. BTW no response so far from Belkin. After reading the "horror stories" here I'm returning the package and starting over!

Chuck-

To those of you with the Griffin i-Trip, get the latest one they have launched as those PITA playlist tuning problems have gone. Just tune the unit from a rotary tuning knob on the i-Trip itself. Seems to work OK though doesn't handle audio peaks as well as the original.

I've a PodGear car dock v2 fm which works fine but you lose quite a bit of the quality.
Also, had probs with the battery on my mini ipod but managed to find the receipt 3 weeks before the year was up and have just received a free replacement. Close thing as I bought it in HK and thought I had thrown away the receipt.

Hi
On the recommendation of the Apple store in San Francisco I bought the XtremeMac AirPlay FM Transmitter and have found it extremely easy to use and with a good signal. The Frequency can switched from 88.1 to 107.9 FM with buttons on the plug-in unit, and doesn't take too much out of the battery.

[ChuckC]

Thanks, Mark and BTW welcome to VFlyer!

[ChuckC]

Just an update on my transmitter issue: saw a really cool wireless transmitter from Maxell and picked it up for US26. Works like a charm in both my car and home stereo; plugs into the earphone jack of my IPod so has no battery to mess with. And it has an earphone jack of its own so I can use my IPod phones or my Bose QC2 phones with it.

Ah, relief!:D:D

Chuck-