FM transponder for your iPod

[medea]

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itrip/Griffin Technology has introduced the iTrip, an FM transmitter for Apple's iPod that can play your music through any FM radio. With the device, "you can have the cleanest possible signal, because you can choose any radio station on the dial to tune for the best performance possible. You do this by 'playing' special station codes directly from the iPod itself." According to Griffin, the iTrip does not need batteries, it receives its power from the iPod's headphone jack, and it can rotate out of the way to charge the iPod while still in use. The iTrip is available for pre-order now for US$35 and is expected to ship this spring.

If this sells well then maybe this will be a future feature for the iPod, built-in FM.

 

[medea]

pics didnt work first time....

 

[iJon]

I actually had my mom bring me home one of the dr bott kits. it had the pouch, dc ipod charger, and fm transmitter. I love it. Once i found the right station and everything it was great. and since i have a bose stero its even better. no more cd's for me. but i have to admit, that one is really cooler looking that mine.

iJon

 

[G4scott]

Originally posted by iJon
I actually had my mom bring me home one of the dr bott kits. it had the pouch, dc ipod charger, and fm transmitter. I love it. Once i found the right station and everything it was great. and since i have a bose stero its even better. no more cd's for me. but i have to admit, that one is really cooler looking that mine.

iJon

the FM transmitter in mine really sucks. But that might be because of all the radio interference from Mexico that I get, being so close to a country with who knows what radio regulations...

 

[iJon]

Originally posted by G4scott


the FM transmitter in mine really sucks. But that might be because of all the radio interference from Mexico that I get, being so close to a country with who knows what radio regulations...

mine was kindof weird at first. i picked a station an di got nothing. iwas really getting mad becasue what i wanted to was take the trasmitter from my paresnt store and try it out. if i liked it and it worked good i was gonna take it home and pay for, if not i would just put it back on the shelf. now that i am 17 my mom treats me alot more like an employee than a son. they way the transmitter was packaged there was no easy way to open it. so basically if i wanted to try it out it was gonna requre me buying it. so i tried it and it didnt work. then i saw the dial on the transmitter. spun it around here and there and then bam, i was jamming to 500 songs in my acura. it was great. if i get it to loud high points in the song make it staticy. but i found the sweet spot in my car the transmitter stays right there, i love it.

iJon

 

[mattevil]

i thoght mexico didnt have radio regulations. Ive heard of signals reaching as far as chicago.Wasn't there even an 80s song about this?...shuddder...

 

[Over Achiever]

This is nice...with my Sony G2 Street Style walkman...look ma! no cords! :-D

 

[hesdeadjim]

Originally posted by mattevil
i thoght mexico didnt have radio regulations. Ive heard of signals reaching as far as chicago.Wasn't there even an 80s song about this?...shuddder...

I think you are thinking of "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo. I believe it is off thier album Call of the West if someone is looking for it.


I'm a very, very, sad person aren't I?

 

[clownfish]

Radio from Mexico

The comment that Mexico's FM radio can be heard in Chicago is a bit weird, given that FM signals (all electromagnectic signals from radio to light) travel in a straight line.

A straight line from Mexico to Chicago - going OVER the curve of the earth would require a HUGE radio tower on either end, high enough so one could physicaly see Chicago from it, and enough power to burn people standing next to the transmitter.

However, a signal can BOUNCE of the ionisphere if atmospheric conditions were right, but that's a rair treat for a low frequency radio FM signal. (FM signals are just over channel 6 on your TV tuner, and way below channel 7).

Just some info to keep this topic lively!

Clownfish

 

[iJon]

well i have gotten really annoyed with my fm transmitter, get static here and there and stuff just sounds so bad sometimes. I thought i would give it a try, but im not liking it. my friend has a tape to 1/8th inch headphone cord. he said he would give it to me for 5 bucks. im goin with that for now. i guess i just expected to much from the transmitter. Just a quick question for someone who is smart, my fm transmitter couldnt mess around with my radar detector could it. please let me know, i dont need another speeding ticket because because of my ipod,lol.

iJon

 

[unclepain]

I just bought an iRock FM transmitter for my Dell PDA. Apple actually sells it at their Apple Store cause it works with the iPod and any other device that has a stereo-out mini jack, just like my Axim. Sweet- not as sweet as if it was an Apple handheld, but that's a bone for different dog. I would have just used a cassette adapter, but my tape player is broke in my car so this should work out nicely. I'll let you guys know when it actually comes in.

 

[hesdeadjim]

Re: Radio from Mexico

Originally posted by clownfish
The comment that Mexico's FM radio can be heard in Chicago is a bit weird, given that FM signals (all electromagnectic signals from radio to light) travel in a straight line.

A straight line from Mexico to Chicago - going OVER the curve of the earth would require a HUGE radio tower on either end, high enough so one could physicaly see Chicago from it, and enough power to burn people standing next to the transmitter.

However, a signal can BOUNCE of the ionisphere if atmospheric conditions were right, but that's a rair treat for a low frequency radio FM signal. (FM signals are just over channel 6 on your TV tuner, and way below channel 7).

Just some info to keep this topic lively!

Clownfish

You know I didn't think about it, but it would be really hard for FM to reach Chicago from Mexico. Now if it was AM and at night, I wouldn't actually doubt it. I know people who get Cubs broadcast here in New Orleans. Also, you are partially right about FM, except that is is very high frequencies. Low frequencies have an easier time bouncing of the inoisphere (AM is in the KHz range while FM is in the MHz range). I'm pretty sure it was a typo, but just in case it wasn't, there you go.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Yeah, if the conditions were right it would probably be possible to get a weak AM transmission in chicago from mexico... i've gotten channels in spanish before (mid-iowa), tho i don't know that they were actually from mexico...

iJon, tho the FM transmitter *shouldn't* interfere with your fuzzbuster, there's no telling how it will work IRL. My hometown has a supermarket with a satellite on top (some private data network i think) and if you point your car towards it, anywhere in town, your fuzzbuster will register every signal except laser. it's quite annoying... this kind of thing happens a lot, i used to have a really really expensive fuzzbuster that would go off from damn near anything. The wireless handheld pricetaggers in Walmart will set it off if you're in the parking lot.

So, your best bet is to try it, experiment with putting your iPod and fuzzbuster in different places in your car to see if you can make it go off. If it does trigger it, just be amused with the fact that every time to meet a car with a fuzzbuster, they'll think you're a cop

pnw

 

[clownfish]

FM signals

oops, my typo. I did mean high freq.

Anyways, the note about receiving spanish language radio is most likely from a US spanish radio station. Texas, New Mexico, and California are filled with them.

One cool note... you could get a short signal from Mexico if the signal bounced off a meteor trail in the sky. Many amature astronomers tune their FM radios into a blank station and "listen" to the bounced signals all the time - during meteor showers. It happens everytime a high speed meteor (in excess of 5000 miles per hour) slam into the Earths atmosphere. The bow shock (pressure) wave of the meteor strips of electrons off of oxygen about 60 kilometers up thus ionizing them. Radio signals bounce off that and reflect back to Earth over the curve.

On the radio station you would hear the station lound and clear for anywhere from a fraction of a second to several seconds.

 

[hesdeadjim]

Re: FM signals

Originally posted by clownfish

Anyways, the note about receiving spanish language radio is most likely from a US spanish radio station. Texas, New Mexico, and California are filled with them.

One cool note... you could get a short signal from Mexico if the signal bounced off a meteor trail in the sky. Many amature astronomers tune their FM radios into a blank station and "listen" to the bounced signals all the time - during meteor showers. It happens everytime a high speed meteor (in excess of 5000 miles per hour) slam into the Earths atmosphere. The bow shock (pressure) wave of the meteor strips of electrons off of oxygen about 60 kilometers up thus ionizing them. Radio signals bounce off that and reflect back to Earth over the curve.

On the radio station you would hear the station lound and clear for anywhere from a fraction of a second to several seconds.

I've never heard of this actually, but it is rather interesting. I guess if they can bounce off the ionisphere, I'm sure they can bounce off other objects as well (the ioniosphere being a large set of objects).

And to answer the other questions, you can actually get AM transmissions pretty clear here in NOLA from Chicago on clear summer nights. Now, that might be a factor of specific conditions of this situation, but it's rather cool to hear Cubs games even thought I'm not a big Cubs' fan. Also, when my brother-in-law lived in Laredo, Texas, he used to get AM transmissions of Houston Rockets and sometimes Phoenix stations. Once again, I don't know all of the conditions.

And they could have been Tejano stations, there are a lot in Texas.

 

[rainman::|:|]

okay, admittedly i've had my iPod for a whopping 18 hours, but i really want one of these... why is there a bit that sticks in the firewire port?? you'd have to take the port cover completely off to use it, and risk losing it. I realize you can turn it sideways, but you shouldn't have to, i would think... not very well designed in my new-to-iPod opinion, anyway...

i'm still getting one tho

pnw

 

[clownfish]

I just ordered one

I'll find out how it works. I ordered one and will soon see for myself how this thing works. I can always sell it on eBay if it proves to be useless. My concern in power. I know they say it only takes power from the iPod...but that's not much transmitting power. I wonder if it will reach 5 feet.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Re: I just ordered one

Originally posted by clownfish
I'll find out how it works. I ordered one and will soon see for myself how this thing works. I can always sell it on eBay if it proves to be useless. My concern in power. I know they say it only takes power from the iPod...but that's not much transmitting power. I wonder if it will reach 5 feet.

that was a concern of mine as well... originally i thought it was powered by the firewire port somehow, but it turns to provide charging, so it must be from the headphone jack... and i thought it didn't provide a constant charge. When the music is soft, will the range be less?

definitely post your review of it when you get one...

pnw

 

[clownfish]

Review will come

Yah, the web site indivates it is powered by the headphone jack. I am sure if you turn the volume down on the iPod the signal will loose strength - it must, unless there is some circuitry in the remote control line that keeps a constant power, but I doubt it.

In anycase, the web site says it will go 10-30 feet, ... and here's the kicker, depending on the antenna on the receiver. Most car radios have a poor antenna and may have trouble picking this up unless you keep it in a certain possition (parellel with the radio antenna).

In either case, you would need a steady source of power as it will drain the battery quite fast I bet... one hint of that is that fact that the web site says NOTHING about battery drain on the ipod.

We'll see.