6 in 1 Car Kit for Ipod (Black) Car Charger / Fm Transmitter / Holder Full Range Frequency / USB port / Remote Control for iPod, Touch 1G/2G
by Satechi
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Manufacturer: SatechiDigital Cameras Photo Reviews of 6 in 1 Car Kit for Ipod (Black) Car Charger / Fm Transmitter / Holder Full Range Frequency / USB port / Remote Control for iPod, Touch 1G/2G
Customer Review: Solid, but needs work.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this to replace my old FM transmitter. The old one was a gift, and just snapped onto the bottom of the iPod, using it's own power. I was sick of having to charge the iPod seperately and not being able to listen to it in the car if I forgot to do so, so I wanted a combo transmitter this time around.
This thing is pretty simple out of the box, easy to figure out without having to read through the instructions, and it seems pretty well constructed.
The first thing I had an issue with is fitting it into my car...it fit, but barely. The jack for the cigarette lighter is connected to the part that holds your iPod, and no, it does NOT extend or retract(but it swivels), so it is what it is. Whether or not it fits has a lot to do with where the plug is in your car, and if theres any space for your iPod right in front of it. It won't work with every car but I imagine it will work with many.
Secondly was the screw and nut bolt that is used to tighten the swiveling head in place. The nut WILL FALL OUT if you are not careful with it. I'm lucky not to have lost that nut trying to maneuver it into position in my car. When I tried the 2nd time, I had to use one finger to hold the nut in place, and use my other finger to screw it in. It's simple, but I found the design a bit dangerous in that once you lose the bolt, the thing is practically unusable. There should have been a safer way to do this.
The radio signal was strong at first, but I found the static to be greater than my old FM transmitter, which granted, had to be right next to my deck to not have heavy static, but once there, was perfect. This one gives you some tips in the manual about the static, but none of them seem to really work for it. I tried a couple other stations with the same results. Hopefully this corrects itself and it doesn't get worse when I drive, because this is just from testing in my car parked at home.
The sound is much better than my original transmitter, which required that I turn my radio all the way up to get clear sound for my iPod. With this one, I need not turn the sound up even half way to get clear music on my radio from my iPod.
The charger works fine without any problems, and it is nice that it has a USB slot to plug in a cell phone charger or whatever for use as well, since this thing will dominate the cigarette lighter in your car.
One last thing is that turning off your car will not turn off the transmitter, and starting your car won't turn it on as well. You have to manually turn it off every time or have it drain power from your car battery while you're away.
Overall, I like this product so far, even through the issues(really lucky I didn't lose the nut), it looks good in my car and the iPod is now in a much easier to access area than before.
EDIT: If you live in California or other areas where the radio frequencies are dominated by many stations, this device is probably not for you. I frequently hit stretches of road where this thing will static out, much to my annoyance. It is probably better to get this if you live in a city with fewer radio stations around, and even so this thing will not come close to getting a car stereo with an AUX plug that you can directly plug your iPod into...that way you will not have to deal with frequency and connection issues at all.
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