Log in

View Full Version : Play PPC Music Through Car CD?


Oreocat
05-10-2004, 12:37 PM
Is there an adapter, converter or anything that will allow me to connect either of our ppc's to the car cd player (no tape player, just a radio and cd) and play the music stored on our Axim and/or Asus through it?

We're going on vacation soon, and I'd rather not have to make and carry several cd's when all our favorites are *already* on our ppc's :roll:

surur
05-10-2004, 01:16 PM
You need something like thishttp://images.belkin.com/F8V367-APL/FUL1_F8V367-APL.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/B00008SB1D/0/101/1/ce/session/ref=pd_sexpl_x_e_ss/002-1373563-4708862) which takes any audio source and transmits it to FM locally, so you can tune your car radio into it. Not brilliant sound quality apparently, but better than nothing.

Surur

Oreocat
05-10-2004, 01:59 PM
Hmmm, I checked this out, and you're right, it seems like most of the reviews do say the quality isn't that great, plus you apparently need a working radio frequency, which we won't have on several areas of the trip.

*However* this does give me a starting place to search from, so thank you! :D

hoffm11
05-10-2004, 02:12 PM
I actually bought the Sound Feeder 121 ( http://www.vistek.ca/details/detail_over.asp?eCode=212587&Specs=N&Box=N ) and have had good experience with it.

There are also newer versions of this that might be even better ( http://www.semsons.com/arsounfeedii.html ) and ( http://www.semsons.com/arsounfeedii1.html ).

Oreocat
05-10-2004, 02:26 PM
*snickers* Oddly enough, I was just looking at those! :lol:

Thanks for the recommendation, the Sound Feeder II Digital looks pretty decent....it's definitely going to the head of the list :)

Steven Cedrone
05-10-2004, 03:08 PM
Hmmm, I checked this out, and you're right, it seems like most of the reviews do say the quality isn't that great, plus you apparently need a working radio frequency, which we won't have on several areas of the trip.

*However* this does give me a starting place to search from, so thank you! :D

AFAIK, you don't need a working frequency! As a matter of fact, I would think clear channels would work better. The belkin I have works well enough, I am no audiophile though!

Steve

Kati Compton
05-10-2004, 03:21 PM
AFAIK, you don't need a working frequency! As a matter of fact, I would think clear channels would work better. The belkin I have works well enough, I am no audiophile though!
I don't use that particular device, but I use an FM transmitter. It can sound a little muddy when there's "competition" on the frequency, and you need to make sure that your source device isn't at too high of a volume (it can distort, depending on the device). But I like it quite a bit.

Yesterday my husband and I had a 2hr-each-way drive for Mother's Day. We were in a car that had a removable antenna, so we took that off. It helped quite a bit as we drove into the Chicagoland area where the frequency we use is actually used by a radio station.

Oreocat
05-10-2004, 03:41 PM
I would think empty channels would work better too, but I guess I'm either misreading information, or confusing it between different products :oops:

I thought one adapter was saying you need an actual radio station and that you "cover" that station with the output from the adapter (which would allow for bleedover, to me), although another adapter seemed to say you just needed empty channels...?

I think I'm just going to hit the local RadioShack and see what they have and try it out :) While I'm no audiophile either, as long as it works and sounds semi-decent, that's all I need for the 8 or so hours we'll be driving :D

Kati Compton
05-10-2004, 04:05 PM
I thought one adapter was saying you need an actual radio station and that you "cover" that station with the output from the adapter (which would allow for bleedover, to me), although another adapter seemed to say you just needed empty channels...?

You cover the FREQUENCY. If a station is not broadcasting on that frequency, it's easier. If one is, and your car is sitting next to their antenna, you won't get very good results overriding that signal.

Oreocat
05-10-2004, 04:31 PM
You cover the FREQUENCY. If a station is not broadcasting on that frequency, it's easier. If one is, and your car is sitting next to their antenna, you won't get very good results overriding that signal.

Ok, that makes a little more sense. Since we're going to be in the desert, I don't think we'll have too much trouble with being too close to signals-that's the main reason I'm checking into this. Last vacation there was really bad reception in certain areas and we went several hours without a good signal.

I believe most of the units come with either 4 or 8 presets, so it's mainly a matter of finding the best one.

Thanks Kati, I think I understand now.

(And woohoo, I finally figured out how to post with highlighted text included! Ahem, sorry. Personal hurdle there :))

axe
05-10-2004, 07:23 PM
Hi all.
I bought an FM broadcaster from Radio Shack about 2 years ago for use with my iPaq3630 & portable CD Player. I never really used it much, but it was handy to have.

This past March I drove from Florida to Ontario using the FM broadcaster and while it worked pretty well, the previous threads where right; you cannot have a station in contention with the one you are using the broadcaster on. Which means that during my trip I, changed the station that the radio was on, and the broadcaster was using a little less than every two hours.
When a local signal took over my frequency or was too close and was overpowering, I would use the Radio and tune to a frequency within the broadcaster's range (88.3-91.3MHz in my device's case) that had no 'real' station, then tune the device until my radio played my MP3s. The device was an analogue dial to tune and the Car stereo was digital, but that shouldn't make a difference, aside from making it easier to work with.

You should be able to get a cheap FM Broadcaster for at most $25USD, since mine was $40 CDN back then. While I would recommend them if I had nothing more and because it was cheap, but I wouldn't use it given a choice or either. It was a short term solution to not having bought the right car-stereo.

my $.02
AXE

Kati Compton
05-10-2004, 08:09 PM
Hi all.
I bought an FM broadcaster from Radio Shack about 2 years ago for use with my iPaq3630 & portable CD Player. I never really used it much, but it was handy to have.

This past March I drove from Florida to Ontario using the FM broadcaster and while it worked pretty well, the previous threads where right; you cannot have a station in contention with the one you are using the broadcaster on. Which means that during my trip I, changed the station that the radio was on, and the broadcaster was using a little less than every two hours.
When a local signal took over my frequency or was too close and was overpowering, I would use the Radio and tune to a frequency within the broadcaster's range (88.3-91.3MHz in my device's case) that had no 'real' station, then tune the device until my radio played my MP3s. The device was an analogue dial to tune and the Car stereo was digital, but that shouldn't make a difference, aside from making it easier to work with.

You should be able to get a cheap FM Broadcaster for at most $25USD, since mine was $40 CDN back then. While I would recommend them if I had nothing more and because it was cheap, but I wouldn't use it given a choice or either. It was a short term solution to not having bought the right car-stereo.

my $.02
AXE
Yeah - mine was about $15, and has 4 dipswitches (best to have a passenger flip them...)

But I found that 88.1 works pretty well for just about all non-metro areas I've tried it in. It also worked in San Francisco, though not Oakland.

apanther28
06-04-2004, 09:32 PM
I am an audiophile, so i bought a car head unit that had an aux (RCA) input. I have a cable - RCA to mini (headphone jack) that I use to plug my MP3 player into my car stereo. The quality is far superior to the FM modulated ones. I have a 98 Nissan Pathfinder and I ran the RCA cable under the carpet into the console. So I just plug my Archos Jukebox (10 Gig) into the cable and ride for hours on shuffle. I use rechargeable NIMH batteries or I can plug it into the cig lighter.

So if you dont have a head unit that has an aux input, think about it if you have to replace yours anytime soon, or have the extra $$$. My head unit also plays MP3s on CD, which is becoming a standard feature now. I only paid 250.00 for it. Pioneer 7400MP.

I can't drive without music, and I listen to a wide variety from the Beatles to Jay-Z. So these things to me are a necessity

felixdd
06-06-2004, 03:35 PM
I am an audiophile, so i bought a car head unit that had an aux (RCA) input. I have a cable - RCA to mini (headphone jack) that I use to plug my MP3 player into my car stereo. The quality is far superior to the FM modulated ones. I have a 98 Nissan Pathfinder and I ran the RCA cable under the carpet into the console. So I just plug my Archos Jukebox (10 Gig) into the cable and ride for hours on shuffle. I use rechargeable NIMH batteries or I can plug it into the cig lighter.

So if you dont have a head unit that has an aux input, think about it if you have to replace yours anytime soon, or have the extra $$$. My head unit also plays MP3s on CD, which is becoming a standard feature now. I only paid 250.00 for it. Pioneer 7400MP.

I can't drive without music, and I listen to a wide variety from the Beatles to Jay-Z. So these things to me are a necessity

Yeah or go to your local junkyard and rip an old tapedeck off of a car and stick it into your own. Then buy one of those tape adapters that plugs into your tape deck and has a mini-plug cord that plugs into a miniplug audio source (headphone of PPC/MP3/CD/MD players). In total it shouldn't cost you over $50 USD and a bit of time.

ctmagnus
06-06-2004, 09:19 PM
Personally, I'd go for a Belkin TuneCast II (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201670&pcount=&Product_Id=166903) for this purpose.

Kacey Green
06-07-2004, 12:32 AM
http://images.belkin.com/F8V3080/FUL1_F8V3080.jpg
Mine looks like this, I'd reccommend it, it even comes with batteries and an DC car adapter

use the link that magnus posted

johnm
06-10-2004, 05:19 AM
Actually if you car stereo supports a CD changer there is a better way. You can buy a CD Changer AUX cable that will give you a true direct connection into your stereo. Just plug from your headphone jack into the aux input. There are several out there, you need to search for CD Change Aux or similar. They need to fake out the CD changer logic so they will cost a bit. I think around $65.00 Here is a link to one maker that I know of:

http://www.installer.com/aux/

felixdd
06-10-2004, 08:16 PM
Actually -- I was just thinking about this but, would a Soundbug work well in a car?

http://www.soundbug.biz/

ctmagnus
06-10-2004, 11:23 PM
Probably, but if everything I've heard about the soundbug is correct then better sound quality would be achieved through a cheap FM transmitter.

Kati Compton
06-11-2004, 01:02 AM
Yeah - soundbugs seem better for the "neat" factor than anything else.

Darius Wey
06-13-2004, 07:22 AM
I use the Belkin TuneCast II with my PPC and it has worked very well on all occassions. However, as a tip, try to use a frequency that is not even remotely close to any regional radio stations in your area. The larger the gap between the frequency set on your FM transmitter and the radio station, the better chances of a clearer signal.

Alternatively, some car stacks include a line-in port on the front panel. If you're lucky enough to have one of these, all you need is a cable from your PPC to the stack. :D