FM Transmitter for 87.9FM

[SwiftLives]

I'm looking for an FM transmitter for my 5th generation iPod that will work on 87.9FM. Most of the ones I've found have 88.1FM as their lowest frequency. Any suggestions? (Do they even exist anymore?)

[SwiftLives]

Okay. I'll settle for pretty much *any* FM transmitter recommendation for an iPod at this point. We've got a DLO one right now, and the quality has been slowly degrading over time.

(The wife's birthday is next week...)

[kaltsasa]

Newer Technology used to have one called the road trip, was 20 bucks, broadcast on 87.9, plugged it in and it worked. We used it and used it and taped it but it eventually died, I cried that night. Newer should bring it back. I haven't found an FM transmitter that works since.

[passingXstorm]

I got this one for my dad for Father's day. It's really great and it works with that station if I remember correctly. (I'll take a peek at it later and if it doesn't I'll edit this post). It doesn't come with instructions but it's really self-explanatory.

http://www.handhelditems.com/tunefre...er-p-4512.html

EDIT: I forgot to mention, if it sounds a little staticy, turn the volume on the actual iPod down, then turn up the radio. If you have the actual iPod up too loud I found it gets staticy.

EDIT 2: I just looked at it and yes it does work with 87.9 FM.

[MM07]

I don't believe that the FCC allows that frequency to be used anymore on newer FM transmitters.

You'll have to find on older one to use.

[PghMike4]

You have to put it into international mode, which I've been able to do. Google will get you the directions.

[gonyr]

Originally Posted by PghMike4

You have to put it into international mode, which I've been able to do. Google will get you the directions.

Sounds helpful, but I'd guess he found a solution sometime in the past 4.5 years.

[dXTC]

Originally Posted by PghMike4

You have to put it into international mode, which I've been able to do. Google will get you the directions.

I'll second this and give my thanks to PghMike4 above. I have a Griffin iTrip with App Support. It looks like this:



It's nice, and will work with iOS devices that have the 30-pin dock connector, as well as with 5th-gen nanos. Normally, it will only go down to 88.1. However, enabling International mode on the EU setting will get it down all the way to 87.6. I did it this afternoon and, lo and behold, it worked! (Japan mode won't work well here in the US, so don't bother unless you have a Japanese-frequency radio.)

YouTube step-by-step video demo (the first part shows the International Mode trick, and it requires no physical "hacking"):



Note: I don't know whether the device will still work with Lightning devices using the Lightning-to-30-pin connector.

[NewAnger]

Why are you responding to a thread that is from July 2008?

[davidg4781]

Why would you rather use 87.9 instead of something else?

[awair]

Originally Posted by NewAnger

Why are you responding to a thread that is from July 2008?

It may be an old thread, but it's not locked and the answer was helpful. Some of us (using Google) end up on this forum for answers not questions, so 'completing' the thread is still helping the community...

Sorry I have nothing to add, but my thanks.

[dXTC]

Originally Posted by NewAnger

Why are you responding to a thread that is from July 2008?

Actually, I responded to PghMike4's reply to a 4-plus-year-old thread. This just goes to show that thread necromancy does, on occasion, prove useful-- if not to the OP, to someone else in a similar situation.

Originally Posted by davidg4781

Why would you rather use 87.9 instead of something else?

In the United States, commercial FM radio stations broadcast on frequencies starting at 88.1 MHz and ending at 107.9 MHz. The European FM band starts at lower frequencies (about 87.5-87.6 MHz); thus, radio receivers with European capability can reach outside the frequency bandwidth reserved for regular American radio stations.

Most FM transmitters for portable devices go down only to 88.1 by default, meaning that there is a high chance of those transmitters being overpowered by commercial radio broadcasts, forcing people using the portable transmitters to shift continuously to other frequencies. This is quite annoying on a longer road trip.

So, now when I use my iTrip and tune the radio in my car to 87.9 or 87.7, there is very little chance of interference from a high-powered competing broadcast, no matter where I am in the US. (There are a few low-power TV stations and unlicensed or pirate radio stations that sometimes use these frequencies, but I can live with that; they're usually not strong enough to cut my signal.)

[derondantzler]

Originally Posted by davidg4781

Why would you rather use 87.9 instead of something else?

Better yet, why wouldn't someone hook up auxiliary input and roll with that. Or use A2DP Bluetooth. For the sake of God, it's 2013. Why should anyone trouble themselves with such tomfoolery in this day and age.

[myrtlebee]

Originally Posted by derondantzler

Better yet, why wouldn't someone hook up auxiliary input and roll with that. Or use A2DP Bluetooth. For the sake of God, it's 2013. Why should anyone trouble themselves with such tomfoolery in this day and age.

Maybe because not everyone is familiar with the technology. Perhaps a simple explanation of the two items you mention would be helpful for those who don't know.

[dXTC]

Originally Posted by derondantzler

Better yet, why wouldn't someone hook up auxiliary input and roll with that. Or use A2DP Bluetooth. For the sake of God, it's 2013. Why should anyone trouble themselves with such tomfoolery in this day and age.

If my car stereo had an aux input jack, I'd definitely "roll with that" instead. My car (a Kia Rondo) is not very upgrade-friendly; I'd have to have a good bit of the center panel ripped off to upgrade or replace the factory radio unit (which otherwise works well), and the cost of doing so is more than I'm willing to pay. This is one of the pains of being an "early adopter"; later Rondo model years featured a standard 1/8" stereo aux input.

EDIT: Oh, and Bluetooth wouldn't have helped with my 5th gen nanos, which are my primary music devices.

[davidg4781]

Originally Posted by dXTC

So, now when I use my iTrip and tune the radio in my car to 87.9 or 87.7, there is very little chance of interference from a high-powered competing broadcast, no matter where I am in the US. (There are a few low-power TV stations and unlicensed or pirate radio stations that sometimes use these frequencies, but I can live with that; they're usually not strong enough to cut my signal.)

Gotcha! I was thinking it had to do with the lower frequency made the signal clearer in the car or something. But your reason made more sense.

Originally Posted by derondantzler

Better yet, why wouldn't someone hook up auxiliary input and roll with that. Or use A2DP Bluetooth. For the sake of God, it's 2013. Why should anyone trouble themselves with such tomfoolery in this day and age.

I have an '06 Accord. Great car, but only has a CD changer. No aux input or bluetooth. There's an adaptor I can buy for about $100-250, depending on which model and who installs it. If I can get an FM transmitter cheaper that works most people would want to do this.

Myself, I wasn't 100% sold on the options on the market when I purchased the car 6 months ago so I've been stuck with AM/FM radio. A new bluetooth option just came out so I'm really thinking on getting that one. It doesn't come with an aux input to use with an iPod but then again I don't have one and would only need it for a passenger. They can listen to my stuff.

[DmbShn41]

For what its worth,I bought an aftermarket stereo at WalMart for $100, but i Had $76 in gift cards, that has USB/SD/AD2P BT/2x 1/8" and CD. Came with a remote. Had to buy a wiring harness for $10 and that was it. My 05 Focus has the ability to jam out some Pandora. It's really not a bad radio for $100. Its the Dual brand, XDMA6540 model.