Kensington 33169 Digital FM Radio and Transmitter for iPods
by Kensington
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Our Price: $86.40 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $59.99 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Kensington 33169 Digital FM Radio and Transmitter for iPods
Customer Review: This one actually works!
Summary: 4 Stars
After a previously bad experience with another FM transmitter, I looked around Amazon, read more reviews, and decided to try this one. Whatdyaknow, I finally found a decent FM transmitter!
In the city, with all the overhead wires, big buildings, radio broadcasting, etc., there's plenty to overwhelm the airways and make finding a good empty FM station hard. This little gadget is powerful enough to work even on stations that have a bit of bleed-through. Reception is great, static is minimal and easily ignored, and it's small enough to make transporting and using it very easy.
It does have a couple or three downsides that stop me from giving it five stars. It feeds off the iPod's battery, for one, which, for short trips isn't much of a problem, but for long ones it could end up being bothersome. It plugs in to the place where the iPod charges up, so you can't charge the iPod and use this at the same time. Lastly, while reception is pretty good, the best reception tends to be on a direct line of site path to the car radio, and unless you've got a passenger with you to hold up the iPod -- or you're just that good driving one handed -- you have to settle for a bit less than stellar reception and toss the iPod on the seat next to you, or in the ashtray, or in the change well, or wherever else the iPod might be in a sorta-kinda stable position for broadcasting.
Still, I can live with those three downsides because I tend to use this for fifteen to thirty minute trips. If I have to make trips longer than that, my opinion of this may fall. But for now I'm pretty happy with it and I'd recommend it to anyone else in the city who's looking for a good FM transmitter.
Customer Review: A great disappointment
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered two of these in December 2006 -- one for me and one for my wife. We'd been using Sony cassette adapters to play our iPods in our cars, and while the sound quality was quite good, I was sick of the cassette adapter cords tangling up around the gearshift. So I ordered these.
On first use, I was reasonably satisfied with mine. The sound wasn't nearly as loud as through the cassette adapter, but the signal was strong and clear. My wife's didn't work as well. We had to spend about five minutes fiddling around with it before we could get it to work, and the sound was very muffled and staticky, no matter what station we put it on.
The second time I used mine, it didn't do anything. I did everything I could to make it work, turning it on and off, disconnecting it, setting it to different stations, switching it from transmit to receive, etc. I set it aside in disgust, and about five minutes later, without me touching it again, it started transmitting to my radio, and a song from my iPod started playing at a very low volume. I checked the iPod; it's volume was set on high, and my car stereo's volume was on medium. It was like the transmitter was possessed.
Neither my wife nor I have used them since. Too much hassle. We just hook up the old reliable Sony adapters and listen to our music that way.
I purchased these during a special sale at Amazon, so I'm only out about $20 apiece. I've wasted more than that on a single meal, so I'm trying not to be too bitter about it -- but I'd be remiss if I didn't caution others to save their money and get quality cassette adapters instead. Stay away from these transmitters. Far away.
Customer Review: love my Kensington 33169 Digital FM Radio and Transmitter for iPods
Summary: 5 Stars
this is my first review and proud to say VISTA SALES1 did great i placed the order on the 11th and said it would be shipped between the 12th-13th and they shipped it out the the 12th and delivery estimate was 16th-3rd but it arrived on the 16th so from CA to NJ great delivery time and price so i'm giving VISTA SALES1 a 4 out of 5 stars only because of the product description it lacked the fact that it is compatible with all docking ipods and not i quote "Compatible with any iPod with a dock connector--including the iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 3G, iPod 4G (Click Wheel), iPod color, and iPod 5G/5.5G Video"
and i even e-mailed VISTA SALES1 twice but wasnt able to give the info i was asking for and that's if it works with the 120gb classic because i've seen it referred as a 6 generation video so i end up typing the product in google and found that it works for all docking ipods and it does it works very wonderfully very easy to use just read the manual just once and you know all the ins and outs of it but overall i love it the reason i got the Kensington 33169 Digital FM Radio and Transmitter for iPods is because i like listening to wendy williams experience on 107.5fm wbls so i always wanted an ipod but i knew it didn't have a fm radio (which is a flaw in ipods) but i really like the classic because of it's capacity so i planed to get a fm tuner so i can listen to wendy on the go and a bonus it's a fm transmitter so no wires in the car which is great so thank you VISTA SALES1 and AMAZON for making my new ipod classic 120gb almost complete (waiting for a shade)
Customer Review: Won't work if your iPod is in a protective case
Summary: 1 Stars
If your iPod is in any sort of protective case, forget about using this gadget. It's so short and stubby that even a thin layer of neoprene will block it from plugging into the bottom of the iPod. And if you've got a more rugged case, don't even think about it.
To test it, I removed my iPod from its case; the transmitter plugged in just fine. But who wants to leave their iPod unprotected on the road? Not I, that's for sure.
I agree with the other reviewers who have said that the audio quality leaves something to be desired. Here's something else to be desired: a plug that actually works with the cases most of us use!
One final quibble, lest I be accused of being too gentle on the designers of this, the Microsoft Bob of iPod accessories: I really don't want to have to remove my headphones from the top of the iPod just to listen to the radio. There are cheaper, better miniature FM radios that I could use if that were the case.
Kensington's designers need to be slapped around by Apple's designers. This mediocre gadget with horrible usability is the antithesis of the joyous experience for which we bought our iPods.
Customer Review: Kensington Performance
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this little device to see how well the iPod would perform when broadcast into a radio. In all honestly, I bought the Kensington just for a cheap experiment. I travel in remote ski areas and radio (except for the paid XM, etc.) is out of the question. I brought a second car from Chicago to Colorado for the season and used this little device instead of my normal XM... Wow - I was pleasantly surprised.
I have no complaint at all. It did exactly what I wanted - no frils, played all the way from and to. Had to change the station twice in 1100 miles. It has proven to be a great buy and I have no intention of replacing it with a more expensive unit. Guess I feel that if it works this well - why fix it with one that may not! I did not have to stand on my head, place it on the roof or any thing bizzare. I plugged it into the iPOd, selected a station, laid it on the center console and listened to MY music the entire trip.
DEfinitely buy one - it has been just fine understanding I expected very little and got something that works. It has been more than adequate.
DM