FM Transmitter/Car Charger?

[baikens89]

Does anyone know of a good FM Transmitter/Car Charger...I had a Monster for my iPod, but seeing I am using my iPhone, the Monster wont charge it. Anyone have any suggestions?

[LotuSviLLe]

May I suggest... http://www.buy.com/prod/griffin-itrip-autopilot-fm-transmitter-3-x-fm-griffin-itrip-autopilot/q/loc/111/206761808.html

[patd]

Here is a Car charger and FM transmitter that I bought for my 30 gig ipod, it also works for my 3g iphone. Its made by trans dock and cost me around $60.00 at best buy. I have my phone in a clear case and did not want to remove it, so in the picture I have it just sitting on the cradle, but it fits in and charges the phone.

Do not use this charger with your iphone 3g!!

[SilverWings]

Here is a Car charger and FM transmitter that I bought for my 30 gig ipod, it also works for my 3g iphone. Its made by trans dock and cost me around $60.00 at best buy. I have my phone in a clear case and did not want to remove it, so in the picture I have it just sitting on the cradle, but it fits in and charges the phone.

Patd,

Could you please tell me if you can turn that TransDock to the right and to the left or is it fixed facing the front?

[alphaod]

Patd,

Could you please tell me if you can turn that TransDock to the right and to the left or is it fixed facing the front?

Hint: Guess what the shape of the cigarette light is? :p

[SilverWings]

Here is a Car charger and FM transmitter that I bought for my 30 gig ipod, it also works for my 3g iphone. Its made by trans dock and cost me around $60.00 at best buy. I have my phone in a clear case and did not want to remove it, so in the picture I have it just sitting on the cradle, but it fits in and charges the phone.

Hint: Guess what the shape of the cigarette light is? :p

There might be some kind of hinge-system in that arm. Thus my question ;)

[navigates]

baikens89; hows your battery life.... :p

[patd]

Patd,

Could you please tell me if you can turn that TransDock to the right and to the left or is it fixed facing the front?

It looks like it will only face straight. I forgot to mention, this is my fix for the short battery life that I get using the 3g network, My phone will last for about 3 weeks with this additional battery pack, the only down side is having to carry it around with me...

Do not use this charger with your iphone 3g!!

[severe]

Here is a Car charger and FM transmitter that I bought for my 30 gig ipod, it also works for my 3g iphone. Its made by trans dock and cost me around $60.00 at best buy. I have my phone in a clear case and did not want to remove it, so in the picture I have it just sitting on the cradle, but it fits in and charges the phone.

Is this the same charger that's mentioned over here?: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=538410&highlight=car+charger

Because it claims the phone can't be charged in this dock. I'm a little confused. :confused:

[FDX]

I have this from Belkin http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=457256 It charges and you can position the iphone in different ways. Just bought it yesterday like it so far. Added a photo from belkin website

[patd]

Is this the same charger that's mentioned over here?: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=538410&highlight=car+charger

Because it claims the phone can't be charged in this dock. I'm a little confused. :confused:
This is a different FM Transmitter/charger than the one you mentioned, This one charges the battery, and I have the 3g phone

Do not use this charger with the iphone 3G!!

[schubes]

This is a different FM Transmitter/charger than the one you mentioned, This one charges the battery, and I have the 3g phone

This product sounds great. The question is, what is it? i.e. brand, model...

[Bodah]

This product sounds great. The question is, what is it? i.e. brand, model...

It looks like the Transdock Classic from DLO
http://www.dlo.com/products/TDclassic_IT_Prod.tpl?command=showpage&cart=12182213351440770

[schubes]

It looks like the Transdock Classic from DLO
http://www.dlo.com/products/TDclassic_IT_Prod.tpl?command=showpage&cart=12182213351440770

Thanks much. I see they list iPod touch as the nearest compatible product. I know another poster shows his iPhone charging on it, but I'm a but paranoid after reading this comment in another thread:

DO NOT even try it.. the iphone 3G uses only 5volts of power to power the battery, but the iphone 2G (and newer ipods) uses 12volts. using ANYTHING made for an ipod or iphone 2G WILL fry your phone.. do NOT bypass the little warning onthe iphone 3G - you CAN bypass the warning on the 2G because the voltage is the same, but the amperage is different - which measn that it will still power it without frying it..

moral of the story, DO NOT USE ANYTHING TO CHARGE YOUR 3G UNLESS IT IS SPECIFIC TO THE 3G - including FM transmitters, because those draw power.

Is the fact that this other guy's 3G is not fried yet proof enough?

[lindsayanng]

i guess on SOME of the chargers, the pins do not connect inside the iphone, so someone said that the worse it could do is just not work, but if it DOES work, but it does NOT say that it is for the 3G, then do not use it. Like i said, the voltage is entirely different and will fry it. No matter what. It will still work, but eventually it will fry if that much voltage is going through your phone.

I dont understand WHY the made the 3G with only 5Volts and the lack of firewire pins, but i believe it had to do with simplifying the circuitry.

[schubes]

i guess on SOME of the chargers, the pins do not connect inside the iphone, so someone said that the worse it could do is just not work, but if it DOES work, but it does NOT say that it is for the 3G, then do not use it. Like i said, the voltage is entirely different and will fry it. No matter what. It will still work, but eventually it will fry if that much voltage is going through your phone.

I dont understand WHY the made the 3G with only 5Volts and the lack of firewire pins, but i believe it had to do with simplifying the circuitry.

Dang! There is an auction ending shortly and my bubble be popped...

Companies need to get on the horn here and make some 3G compliant car kits already. The demand is swelling (and I don't want to risk frying my baby)

[lindsayanng]

dude, i have a 2G and I still cant find the right outfit for my car!! My issue, though, is the stupid location of my outlet. It is literally 2 inches away from my key hole for the ingnition, so any of those big honky plugs for the chargers/FM transmitters will fit, but then i cant get the key in the hole.. and the ones that have the cable instead of the gooseneck are not an all in one. So i feel your pain. its REALLY annoying/

[logicpro7]

I have this from Belkin http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=457256 It charges and you can position the iphone in different ways. Just bought it yesterday like it so far. Added a photo from belkin website

Will the 3G iPhone fit in this cradle if the iPhone is in a silicone case? (REVO2)

[lindsayanng]

thats not really a cradle. I think it only holds it through the pins in the bottom, but i dont have one so i'm not entirely sure.

[schubes]

dude, i have a 2G and I still cant find the right outfit for my car!! My issue, though, is the stupid location of my outlet. It is literally 2 inches away from my key hole for the ingnition, so any of those big honky plugs for the chargers/FM transmitters will fit, but then i cant get the key in the hole.. and the ones that have the cable instead of the gooseneck are not an all in one. So i feel your pain. its REALLY annoying/

No doubt. I considered something like this http://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=843 but that doesn't charge, and I'd still need an arm and/or cradle. For the 200+ dollars or whatever it comes to, I'd rather wait and listen to the radio...

[schubes]

Companies need to get on the horn here and make some 3G compliant car kits already. The demand is swelling (and I don't want to risk frying my baby)

This guy seems to be all over it:

I would be very careful with using any car chargers and FM transmitters pre-3G release.

I only trust my local genius bar people (Ardmore PA, Apple Store), and they have confirmed that just about every single car charger/FM transmitter uses a "firewire bus" which is NOT compatible with the iPhone 3G. Even if it states on the box that it is "iPhone compatible" it still most likely uses a firewire bus. Apparently, there is only one car charger that is currently confirmed not to screw up your new iPhone, and I think it was one of the Belkins. Even if it says when you plug in the phone that it is working fine, it will apparently screw something up internally. I don't remember exactly what the created problem was.

Even going to another Apple store (King of Prussia PA, Apple Store), the concierge people and even genius bar people had no idea about the difference. And they were just telling people that everything that says "iPhone compatible" would work.

Give the genius bar at the Ardmore PA store a call if you can't take my word for it. They've already confirmed exchanging many phones (including one of the employees of the store) because of this problem.


I hope there's enough people of this (Ardmore PA) pedigree working at so-called Genius Bars relaying the strife up to the big dogs...

[lindsayanng]

He's all over it because he's listening to what others are telling him.

I explained this on another thread but i will do it again.

The reason the ipod and iphone2G chargers do not work on the 3G is because the pins do NOT connect to the phone on the inside. That would mean that NO power is going to your phone, so it will not fry your battery, but also will not charge. The other end is the chargers that are still WRONG, but the pins DO connect (because they are universal and made for other phones too) the phone DOES get power, but it gets the WRONG power. It is getting the FULL 12Volts from the car battery and probably pulling more amps than it needs which will fry it. The electronics inside of the charger (which is why they are all big) is what decides how many amps to pull. If the circuitry is made to pull 2 amps, but there is only a 1 amp fuse in there, then the device will still work, just not get as much juice.. HOWEVER with the 3G, since it needs to pull LESS amps, then if you have a 2 amp car charger (which is what the iphone 2G and ipod ones are), you will fry your battery and ciruitry of your phone with requires only a 1 amp fuse.

So basically, you need a charger that is going to take the 12 volts and only use 5 volts, and THEN only run 1 amps through the cable into the phone. You can do this on your own by taking it apart and adding a 1 amp fuse and converting something, but do you REALLY want to do that>

Unless you have a REALLY expensive system, it is not nessecary.

[schubes]

He's all over it because he's listening to what others are telling him.

I explained this on another thread but i will do it again.

The reason the ipod and iphone2G chargers do not work on the 3G is because the pins do NOT connect to the phone on the inside. That would mean that NO power is going to your phone, so it will not fry your battery, but also will not charge. The other end is the chargers that are still WRONG, but the pins DO connect (because they are universal and made for other phones too) the phone DOES get power, but it gets the WRONG power. It is getting the FULL 12Volts from the car battery and probably pulling more amps than it needs which will fry it. The electronics inside of the charger (which is why they are all big) is what decides how many amps to pull. If the circuitry is made to pull 2 amps, but there is only a 1 amp fuse in there, then the device will still work, just not get as much juice.. HOWEVER with the 3G, since it needs to pull LESS amps, then if you have a 2 amp car charger (which is what the iphone 2G and ipod ones are), you will fry your battery and ciruitry of your phone with requires only a 1 amp fuse.

So basically, you need a charger that is going to take the 12 volts and only use 5 volts, and THEN only run 1 amps through the cable into the phone. You can do this on your own by taking it apart and adding a 1 amp fuse and converting something, but do you REALLY want to do that>

Unless you have a REALLY expensive system, it is not nessecary.

Thanks for going in depth on this. I am content to sit and wait for real 3G options...

[patd]

i guess on SOME of the chargers, the pins do not connect inside the iphone, so someone said that the worse it could do is just not work, but if it DOES work, but it does NOT say that it is for the 3G, then do not use it. Like i said, the voltage is entirely different and will fry it. No matter what. It will still work, but eventually it will fry if that much voltage is going through your phone.

I dont understand WHY the made the 3G with only 5Volts and the lack of firewire pins, but i believe it had to do with simplifying the circuitry.

I went and looked up the specs on the battery and the Transdock classic, and it looks like you are 100% correct, I use the transdock for my ipod video, I will not ever plug my iphone into it again, thanks for the very helpful posting.

[lindsayanng]

happy to help!! I have been saying this ever since i found out that there were two different circuits inside the chargers.. some people thought i was full of crap because it was "working"

We will see, come september 0- we will see a bunch of dead batteries and people complaining that their phone won't hld a charge.

I still havent been able to figure out a solution to my car/iphone issue! i hate my car.

[schubes]

I have been saying this ever since i found out that there were two different circuits inside the chargers.. some people thought i was full of crap because it was "working"

We will see, come september 0- we will see a bunch of dead batteries and people complaining that their phone won't hld a charge.

Here is the unofficial disclaimer on that from customer service at DLO:

Dear Sir/Ma'am,

Thank you for contacting DLO online support.

I do apologize, this product is not compatible with the iPhone or iPhone 3G.

If you need further assistance, please respond to this email.

Thank you,
Alicia
DLO Technical support

[kenmac2008]

I am using Monster's new i car tunes 750 with my 3G and it DOES appear to work. I do not get the "airplane" mode message, it mutes when a call comes in, and it charges my phone. The price is a bit steep ($99) but it is nice to be able to be able to play music. If you live in an urban area with lots of radio stations you will find that the i car play 750's signal is not as good at powering-over station signals as earlier Monster models have been.

My only criticisms are this: the transmitter has a auto-off feature that can't be overriden. If all you use is itunes then no problem. But if you stream audio of the web or an app (like Pandora) it only stays on for about a minute before the transmitter turns itself off. The same thing happens when iTunes mutes for a phone call. If your call is more than a minute the transmitter turns off. If anyone has a work around for this I'd love to know.

[thor79]

Will the 3G iPhone fit in this cradle if the iPhone is in a silicone case? (REVO2)

Depends on how much thicker it makes the phone. The phone is held securely by two side panels on either side. The default iPhone bracket did not work with my iPhone with the Contour Flick on it (one of the closest fitting cases you can get). I had to use the iPod Classic bracket to allow it to fit and even with that it's a tight fit.

thats not really a cradle. I think it only holds it through the pins in the bottom, but i dont have one so i'm not entirely sure.

If you're talking about the Belkin it is secured in place by side brackets as I explained above. It is a true cradle. The cradle allows you to rotate it sideways to view video and use cover flow. The phone will not fall out when used in that way.

The Belkin works perfectly with the iPhone 3G...it does not produce an error on the iPhone 3G. You have to make sure you get model F8Z183 though...that is the newer model that is compatible with the iPhone 3G.