iPod Car Attachments

[gollum84]

I've been wanting to listen to my iPod while driving but my car is a an '89 Buick Century and it only has a radio, no tape deck or cd player. So I was wondering if those adapters like the iTrip are any good? Is there a lot of static or interference?

 

[speedraycer]

Look at your options. Unless you want to drive with earphones in, which is illegal in most states, the iTrip is your only option. You have the ability to change channels to find a clear station. Since it runs off the headphone jack you will lose some sound level. That is better to listening to the radio plus you gain the functionality in that you can now listen the ipod whereever you have a radio. I get sick of earphones sometimes at work. I am waiting for Alpine to come out with they're radio that supports the ipod directly. It will control the ipod and charge off the firewire cable. It will support the display and all. Very nice if you ask me.

 

[adambyte]

The question isn't so much if the adapters are any good, but rather, where do you live? If you live in filthy crowded-frickin' Los Angeles area, where almost every frequency is taken, then your iPod signal is going to sound good, mostly. Sometimes you'll have to switch to another "empty" frequency, depending on where you're driving in the LA basin.

If you live in po-dunk Idaho, where you have a few radio stations, then you'll most likely be very happy with the results. Just think about how your radio sounds, at it's best. That's how good an iPod radio transmitter can sound.

Up until now, i've been using a Belkin transmitter, throughout LA and OC area, and I have to switch frequencies sometimes, otherwise some radio stations MAY impose on it. But for the most part, for me, it's a decent experience. Not amazing, but I consider my '90 Maxima incomplete without my iPod.

 

[gollum84]

I live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and so there's a medium amount of radio stations. I guess I'll look around on the net and find reviews on those other devices. But that product from Alpine does look interesting. I wonder how much it'll cost?