iPod FM Tuner

[Treza360]

So I finally got sick of having only 15 or so songs on a cd so I thought I would go and have a look around at different FM tuners.

Previously I had thought about getting a hard wired solution such as a Dension ICE or a DICE unit but at about $400 (last time I checked) I figured this wouldn't be worth it. I know the quality is better but with this type of solution but here in Brissie the frequencies aren't to cluttered so finding some clear space isn't too bad.

The main requirement I had was for something that would fit nicely in the MkIV centre console and not impede on the gear shifter.

In the end I went with a Belkin TuneBase FM. It's a nice little unit that has an awesome little cradle that fits perfectly in the area.

Audio quality wise, of course yes it's not as good as a dedicated solution but with the sound boosters in the tuner as well as the iPod settings and the stereo settings, it's pefectly fine for listening to my angry alternative/metal. :)

The unit has won some awards apparently and is a little pricey at around $140 but I'm extremely happy with results.

Link on the Belkin website:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=393999

Some photos installed:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/10/PA270002-2.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/10/PA270006-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2008/10/PA270005-2.jpg

Cheers,
Trent

[burtybear]

It's a good unit - I swap it between the GTI and the Odyssey. FM reception a little patchy at times, but until the HU gets replaced, it will do fine.

[Zed!]

I've owned three different FM transmitters, 2 Belkin and one Griffin and overall I'm pretty disappointed. All three of them have had varying degrees of interference. The latest one I've got is the best and some days it has no interference other days its so annoying I end up listening to CDS. So I've given up on it and am going to go the hard-wired route. The quality is also fairly low compared to CDs. I would say if you listen to a fair bit of music then I'd give the FM transmitters a miss and save up for a hard-wired solution. At the end of the day you are paying $150 or so for something that doesn't do it's job properly. It works 'most' of the time, which is great if you're spending $50, not $150. But thats just my opinion, some people haven't had too many problems with them

[Treza360]

I had an elcheapo hard coded FM tuner with only two frequencies in my old magna and I only had issues with it in a couple of spots in Brisbane and even then it was only on one channel so I would just swap it to the other. Sound quality wise on that one I was limited by the pov speakers in the magna anyway.
Something I forgot to mention about this Belkin one is that you can choose whatever frequency you want and it also has an inbuilt scanner that will scan through and pick a frequency that currently has no signal on it at all. :)
A few days in now and I'm still happy and have had no interference on my selected frequency at all. Quality wise it's still pretty good.
Cheers,
Trent