Play back of audio while in the car

[csterns]

I may be doing a lot more driving long distance driving and would like to play back music and audiobooks on the road using my Pocket PC. What's the best method of doing so using the car's audio system?

[surur]

In order of sound quality:

Some stereo's have audio line in, which would be ideal.

Next best is cassette adapters
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=118556
http://www.expansys.com/i/l/l118556.jpg


Lastly is short rage FM transmitters.
http://www.egears.co.uk/pd_belkin.cfm
http://www.egears.co.uk/prod_images_large/f8v3080.jpeg

Surur

[Matilda444]

I'll second Surur's list. I am heavily dependent on car audio. I find the short range FM transmitter to be OK when you are traveling around the same area, but when covering distance it's downright annoying because each city seems to have a different "empty" FM channel.

[Darius Wey]

I find the short range FM transmitter to be OK when you are traveling around the same area, but when covering distance it's downright annoying because each city seems to have a different "empty" FM channel.

This is most definitely region-dependent, but where I live, I can usually cover good ground by leaving it at the highest frequency (or thereabouts). :)

[Dave Beauvais]

The FM transmitter I have -- the iRock Beamit 300 (http://www.myirock.com/players/wireless_fm_transmitter.asp) -- only has four frequncies to select from and there's a "real" radio station on all of them now, so it's completely useless. The real stations are powerful enough to interfere with the transmitter at best or completely overpower it at worst. Looks like iRock has recently added a few interesting versions to its product line, though. The 100-channel model looks intruguing. But if you have a cassette player in the car, the cassette adapters are often the most hassle-free method for those without an aux-in jack in their head unit.

[Darius Wey]

The 100-channel model looks intruguing. But if you have a cassette player in the car, the cassette adapters are often the most hassle-free method for those without an aux-in jack in their head unit.

Are new cars over there still selling with cassette decks? Around here, they seem to be missing and replaced with a CD player as the norm. That's the downside to owning a cassette adapter, I think. Most FM transmitters now allow you to flip through a wide range of frequencies which effectively kills the problem of frequency clashes.

[Matilda444]

Cassette decks are becoming extinct here in the USA. I'm thinking the one in my 2003 BMW wagon is the last I'll see and unfortunately, the FM transmitter doesn't work in that car. Perhaps because the antenna is so very far away from the source? In my M coupe (CD player only) I find the iTrip on my iPOD to work best.

[Dave Beauvais]

My Outback has a single CD player, a cassette deck, and a six-disc in-dash changer. To this day, I don't know if the cassette player even functions because I've never used it. :)

[footdoc]

have new axim 50v, pulled out old cassette adapter from junk drawer and it worked flawlessly in car with great sound.

[bitterroots]

Be sure to look for an FM modulator with a wide range. This will allow the best flexibility. Also digital is nice.

[dhpss]

Watch the video here:
http://solsie.com/?p=757

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7715/croppercapture3ei1.jpg