Belkin's TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobileplanet.com/private/pocketpcthoughts/product.asp?dept_id=4791&pf_id=MP600765&listing=1' target='_blank'>http://www.mobileplanet.com/private...00765&listing=1</a><br /><br /></div><i>"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."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.mobileplanet.com/assets/product_images/MP600765.gif" /><br /><br />Using a device such as this, if allowed in your area, is the easiest way to get audio from your Pocket PC into your car stereo. [Affiliate]

[Tye]

On long drives I use a device like that with Fonix iSpeak and uBook to read ebooks through my car stereo. Once you get used to the mechanical voice the system actually works pretty good.

[ctmagnus]

Personally, I'd go for the Dell model as its colour scheme matches the typical Pocket PC a bit better.

[egads]

I live in the Chicago area, and these things are junk, a waste of money. Out of the city they are fine, but not in...

I've tried just about every FM TX out there and the one below worked the best:

http://www.myfmstation.com/html/audiax.html

I still sent it back because while it worked better than the others it still crapped out every time I turned. Had to pick up the device and move it around till it worked again...

[dean_shan]

I love those things. Where I live they work perfect. Every frequency is open. Such as the advantages of a small town.

[Sven Johannsen]

I got the Seidio one http://www.seidioonline.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SFTF1 for my wife to use on a family trip with her Dell Jukebox. On occasion I was able to pick it up in my car behind her. Yes at a safe distance. Didn't work all the time, and I wouldn't expect that, but it was a surprise.

[CoreyJF]

I have tried a couple different types as well. Living int he Washignton DC area you get a lot of interferance. Driving on the beltway, I constantly have to adjust the channel to hear my audible brodcast.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I would love to get one of these but in the UK you need a licence to broadcast, so these things are effectually illegal and you are not allowed to use them.

[Steven Cedrone]

Personally, I'd go for the Dell model as its colour scheme matches the typical Pocket PC a bit better.

You run into problems when you have both: a Pocket PC and an iPod... :wink:

I would love to get one of these but in the UK you need a licence to broadcast, so these things are effectually illegal and you are not allowed to use them.

It's a shame you can't use one of these in the U.K. I take it there is a very high fine if caught??? :roll:

Steve

[jeffdanger]

I've tried these in the central NJ area and unfortunately they don't work well--too much drifting as the amount of FM stations is too great. May be good in rural areas.

[sundown]

I have not tried this particular device but the FM transmitter that came with my XM Roady (satellite radio) works perfectly in my car and my Jeep. And I live in Phoenix, population 3 million. The station I have it set to has a faint Mexican radio station before I turn my Roady on but with the Roady on it works perfectly. I think one needs to try it for themselves to see how well it works because experiences vary dramatically.

[dean_shan]

I would love to get one of these but in the UK you need a licence to broadcast, so these things are effectually illegal and you are not allowed to use them.

That's too bad they are really nice. So do you have a FCC like department that would ticket you if you used one?

[jbachandouris]

I actually use on I bought from Circuit City and although I live in neither a small town or a big city, I still wish there was a better way. In fact, I had a posting on a site asking for advice on FM transmitters and only 2 people replied. One told me that I should hook into the aux jack in my trunk.

[Altaman]

I have the Belkin and find it an excellent piece of technology, sound quality is on a scale of 1 - 10 probably an 8. You can add a power adapter to it otherwise it takes two AA batteries that will last for about 10 hrs.

It is great listening to my MP3's, GPS or combination of the two though the stereo.

Alt

[jbachandouris]

I have the Irock. It can be used with battery or included DC adapter. It sounds OK.

[disconnected]

I have an Irock, and it just doesn't work around town. I talked to someone at a place that sells the Sirius satellite radios, and he said that the way their system works is that they install a switch that temporarily disables the car antenna. They had the portable type, and the type that replaces the car radio, but they were out of the type that adds part of the system under the seat somewhere with just a small tuner that attaches to the dash somehow. I'm waiting for that type, and I'm thinking that maybe that switch will also make it possible to use the Irock.

[sooby77]

Guys,


The reason the other FM broadcasters doesn't work, at least the ones I've used is because it only has a certain frequency it can transmit. If there's another station transmitting at the same frequency, then you are SOL. Now I have never used this particular device before, but from the specs, it seems that it can transmit on ANY FM channels BETWEEN 88.1MHz-107.9MHz. So in essence, you can adjust it until you find a free slot and then keep it there. This should make a difference. It can also memorize up to 4 frequencies. It does look like a promising device though... :)

[Lday]

I have this exact model, works great, just wish it didn't eat batteries so quickly (I do need to look into a power adapter- although the front area of my van is a nightmare with the power adapters I already have). I do a LOT of driving (sometimes 700 mi/day), and occasionally have to bump the frequency, but with the 4 presets it usually isn't a problem, or I can just "fine-tune" it by tuning slightly up or down from the frequency I am on.

BTW, might want to do a Pricegrabber check on this. Sorry Jason, I know it's an affiliate link, but Mobile Planet's price can be beat by about $20 US.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I would love to get one of these but in the UK you need a licence to broadcast, so these things are effectually illegal and you are not allowed to use them.

That's too bad they are really nice. So do you have a FCC like department that would ticket you if you used one?

I believe it would be the police. See here (http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=gadgettobroadcast1059991772&area=news). It talks about the iTrip itself last year, but the concept (and the law) is still the same.

Gadget to broadcast your iPod tunes illegal in UK

The iTrip, a popular attachment for Apple's iPod, cannot be used, sold or distributed within the UK. The device transmits songs over FM radio from the iPod to a radio receiver but under UK law, it constitutes a mini-pirate radio station.

The iTrip, according to its own advertising, is the “coolest iPod accessory in the world. The iTrip FM transmitter for the iPod can play your music through any FM radio in your car, at a party, wherever the mood strikes you - and you have a radio.”

The iPod has given a new lease of life to personal music players, with its high capacity - yet physically tiny - hard drive that can store thousands of songs downloaded from a PC. The iTrip adds to the attraction.

Unfortunately, in the UK, the FM radio frequencies are licensed, with license holders having total and unique rights to use the bandwidth that they have licensed. As there are no frequencies unlicensed at present then the iTrip cannot legally broadcast within the UK.

Griffin Technology, the iTrip’s manufacturer, and AM Micro Distribution, the distributor of the product, sought legal advice on how the iTrip could be brought into the UK. They have now announced that the product falls foul of the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949, which forbids the installation or use of radio equipment in the UK without licence.

Consequently, the sale or distribution of the iTrip within the UK is prohibited.

So, they are not allowed to sell it, we are not allowed to use it. :|

[Pony99CA]

I believe it would be the police. See here (http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=gadgettobroadcast1059991772&area=news). It talks about the iTrip itself last year, but the concept (and the law) is still the same.
My understanding is that the U.K. has some very strict media laws. Besides not even allowing small transmitters, I believe you also need a license for a TV (correct me if I'm wrong, Jonathon).

I've heard about vans that rove the streets of England searching for illegal TV sets. I assume they can detect them because any electronic device gives off electromagnetic radiation. If the device has an antenna, it makes it radiate even "better".

Steve

[Jonathon Watkins]

I believe it would be the police. See here (http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=gadgettobroadcast1059991772&area=news). It talks about the iTrip itself last year, but the concept (and the law) is still the same.
My understanding is that the U.K. has some very strict media laws. Besides not even allowing small transmitters, I believe you also need a license for a TV (correct me if I'm wrong, Jonathon).


You are quote correct Steve. For more info on the TV detector vans see here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/06_june/24/licensing_detector_vans.shtml).

Last year TV Licensing caught over 440,000 evaders. The technology developed especially for this new generation of vans means that evaders are even more likely to be caught.

Vanessa Wood said: "The new vans are so powerful they can tell if a TV is in use in as little as 20 seconds. And once the television is detected, the equipment - which works from up to 60 metres away - can pinpoint the actual room that the television set is in.

"However, the technology is so secret that even the engineers working on different detection systems worked in isolation – not even they know how the other detection methods work."

For the first time the detector vans will use GPS satellite technology to track down targeted addresses. This will enable TV Licensing to precisely target individual evader homes using up-to-the-minute information from its database of 28 million addresses.

TV detector vans help TV Licensing catch around 1,200 evaders every day. Anyone caught without a licence risks a trip to court and a fine of up to £1,000.

Bear in mind however that the TV licence (Around £116 a year) is to pay for the BBC. That works out at 31 pence a day to pay for high quality TV with no advets. That's fair.

Bottom line though - you don't mess with frequencies in the UK!

[dean_shan]

Bear in mind however that the TV licence (Around £116 a year) is to pay for the BBC. That works out at 31 pence a day to pay for high quality TV with no advets. That's fair.

All stations or just the BBC(s)?

[Sven Johannsen]

Interesting posts about the UK. Any other countries out there that have similar rules? I would not have thought about this when travelling. It would have been conceivable to have taken my Tunecast to Germany to play music I understood while driving around. Actually a lot of it was in English, but you get my drift. It wouldn't have occured to me that using it might be illegal. There's nothing on the packaging that indicates that it is only for the US, or that any particular country prohibits them.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Bear in mind however that the TV licence (Around £116 a year) is to pay for the BBC. That works out at 31 pence a day to pay for high quality TV with no advets. That's fair.

All stations or just the BBC(s)?

Just the BBC.

[ctmagnus]

Unfortunately, in the UK, the FM radio frequencies are licensed, with license holders having total and unique rights to use the bandwidth that they have licensed. As there are no frequencies unlicensed at present then the iTrip cannot legally broadcast within the UK.


So there can only be one station broadcasting on any given frequency in the UK?

Here, if you set your stereo to 96.9 fm in Calgary then drive to Vancouver (as an example) you'll encounter any number of Stations along the way.

[Kevin C. Tofel]

I have the Tunecast II for my Dell DJ and would strongly recommend one piece of advice before anyone purchases it (or any other FM transmitter). Check for open FM frequencies at various points in your regular commute before you purchase. The unit itself does do what it claims to do. However, the performance is COMPLETELY dependent on the FM radio waves in your geographic area. I live between Allentown and Philadelphia so there are very few "clean" non-used FM frequencies. As a result, I tend to get various interferance regardless of what channel I'm using. In addition, expect to get FM radio quality from your sound....if you are looking for CD quality or better, you need a direct in-line solution like an FM modulator.

I've had the Tunecast for a week and decided that I can't really use it effectively where I live....may post it on our Buy and Sell forum.

For folks with either an AUX jack on the front of their car audio head unit OR for folks like me with a stereo capable of adding a CD changer, you can purchse AUX adapters for about $65 which will give you a direct connection via dual RCA jacks to your iPod, DJ, etc.....

I plan to install mine within the week and will post about performance.....I'm expecting CD type quality.

KCT

[Jonathon Watkins]

So there can only be one station broadcasting on any given frequency in the UK?

Here, if you set your stereo to 96.9 fm in Calgary then drive to Vancouver (as an example) you'll encounter any number of Stations along the way.

I believe that the frequencies are set by region. The same thing happens on my way to work. I usually listen to BBC Radio 4 and it flips between three or four different frequencies depending on areas as I drive along. More information on frequency allocation here (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/licensing_policy_manual/freq_plan_and_licenc?a=87101).

There's more information about the BBC and the liscene fee here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/licencefee):

Your TV licence

Because the BBC is financed by a TV licence paid by households, it does not have to serve the interests of advertisers or shareholders. The BBC provides a wide range of public services for everyone, free of adverts and independent of commercial or political interests:

8 TV channels and interactive TV
10 radio networks
Over 50 local TV and radio services + bbc.co.uk
Local and national news, debate and documentaries
Drama, entertainment, live music and children's programmes
Social action, education and minority language programmes
Support for British production and craft skills

BBC World Service is not funded by the licence fee. Profits from separate BBC commercial services keep the licence fee down.

Paying your TV licence

The colour licence costs around £10 per month - about 33p daily per household, or 12p for everyone in the UK. It is free if you are over 75, half-price if you are registered blind.

The annual cost is set by the Government and is currently £121. A black and white TV licence is £40-50. There is no radio licence.

Other regulations govern second homes, residential homes, hotels, students or special situations.

[Pony99CA]

The colour licence costs around £10 per month - about 33p daily per household, or 12p for everyone in the UK. It is free if you are over 75, half-price if you are registered blind.

The annual cost is set by the Government and is currently £121. A black and white TV licence is £40-50. There is no radio licence.
How kind of the government to charge blind people only half as much for a color TV (but still more than a black & white TV). :roll:

Steve

[Mark_Venture]

BTW, might want to do a Pricegrabber check on this. Sorry Jason, I know it's an affiliate link, but Mobile Planet's price can be beat by about $20 US.
Not to say there isn't that much of a price difference else where, but make sure its the EXACT SAME model when compairing prices...

Per Belkin's web site they have a couple that are "similar"...

They have the TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter F8V367-APL (listed under iPod Accessories and is white) and F8V367-DL (listed under "Dell Digital Jukebox accessories" and is Gray) which only work on 1 of 4 FM frequencies: 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, 88.7MHz.

The link Jason Dunn posted was for the TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter F8V3080-APL (listed under iPod Accessories and is white) which works on full range of FM frequencies, from 88.1 to 107.9MHz. Btw, while it uses batteries, it "Includes DC cable for optional battery-free operation - Only works with the Belkin Mobile Power Cord for 3G iPod (part # F8V7067-APL)" To me, this implies it needs something else to supply power other than battery.

There is also the TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter Part # F8V3080 Same thing except its gray and "includes a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter-so you can preserve your batteries." This one is listed on Belkin's site under Dell Digital Jukebox accessories and is slightly more expensive than the F8V3080-APL

[edit] added info about F8V3080 and what belkin's site says about "power supply" for F8V3080-APL.

[jgoodman]

I use this

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Sony_Cassette_Adapter_For_Portable_CD_Player/4505-6455_16-20604366.html

its cheap, has only one wire, and it requires no power or batteries :)

Not too elegant I know, but it sounds miles better than any transmitter-type device could do here in LA where every frequency is taken.

[jbachandouris]

Many of us only have a CD player in the car which is why we must use an FM transmitter. I have that adapter too, but no tape player.

[Mark_Venture]

I use this....
I too use a Sony Cassette adapter. My old car's stereo was AM/FM/Cassette only, so I bought a Sony Disc Man to listen to CD's in the car. While the "new" car I have (its 10 years old now) has AM/FM/Cassette/CD, I got tired of carrying all those CDs, plus no matter how good in-dash CD players are, they still skip on occasion, so I got a Creative Nomad Zen USB 2.0 mp3 player and use it in the car with the Sony Cassette adapter.

Now its time to get a new car, and very few of the ones I am looking at still have a cassette player :( Instead they are just AM/FM/CD with no "AUX" input, so a device like this Belkin one would be a great thing to still allow me to use my MP3 player in the car. And since it uses ANY frequency, it has a much better chance of working no matter where I travel.

And while it runs on Batteries, Belkin lists the TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter Part # F8V3080 as includes "a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter-so you can preserve your batteries" Note: this model is gray color.

[ctmagnus]

I picked up one of these today. Rather nifty, although the model I have is F8V3080-APL. This model has a power cord to run the transmitter off of an iPod rather than an actual cigarette lighter adapter.

[jbachandouris]

I use this....
I too use a Sony Cassette adapter. My old car's stereo was AM/FM/Cassette only, so I bought a Sony Disc Man to listen to CD's in the car. While the "new" car I have (its 10 years old now) has AM/FM/Cassette/CD, I got tired of carrying all those CDs, plus no matter how good in-dash CD players are, they still skip on occasion, so I got a Creative Nomad Zen USB 2.0 mp3 player and use it in the car with the Sony Cassette adapter.

Now its time to get a new car, and very few of the ones I am looking at still have a cassette player :( Instead they are just AM/FM/CD with no "AUX" input, so a device like this Belkin one would be a great thing to still allow me to use my MP3 player in the car. And since it uses ANY frequency, it has a much better chance of working no matter where I travel.

And while it runs on Batteries, Belkin lists the TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter Part # F8V3080 as includes "a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter-so you can preserve your batteries" Note: this model is gray color.

Another option (I believe) is an RF modulator that hooks up between your stereo and the antenna. I may consider this option myself since the Irock which I won only has fair sound quality.

[nuts]

Can anyone tell me what power-adaptor I need to get to use at home for the Tunecast II?
A Nokia -charger seems to fit but what power-output does it handle?

[Mark_Venture]

Another option (I believe) is an RF modulator that hooks up between your stereo and the antenna. I may consider this option myself since the Irock which I won only has fair sound quality.Yep, I saw them years ago before these FM transmitters were out. But I haven't seen any recently.

The ones I saw were installed by removing the antenna cable from the back of the car radio, plugging the wire from the device into the radio in place of the antenna, and plugging the antenna's wire into either the device, or the cable's pass thru. The possible down fall, cars might be using different antenna connections now (i.e. part of radio's wiring harness which is radio/mfg specific vs dedicated standard jack/plug). Plus, its not portable from one car to another. You'd have to remove stuff to get a the back of the radio to connect it. :(

[Darius Wey]

Can anyone tell me what power-adaptor I need to get to use at home for the Tunecast II?
A Nokia -charger seems to fit but what power-output does it handle?

My TuneCast II is rated at 12.0V and 200mA. Obviously, you'd probably have to look at your Nokia charger's specifications to see whether it corresponds to this. But even then, there still may be some other parameters that have to be considered. The Nokia charger I use has an output rating of 3,7V and 355mA. I'm not seeing myself as an adventurous type just yet, so I won't be in a hurry to test whether this charger will work with the device. Just a precautionary measure in case my TuneCast decides to do a TuneBLAST! 8)