Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black)
by Belkin Inc.
List Price:
Our Price: $21.99
You Save: $33.00 (60%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: CE
See more product details
Customers in the UK,
buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Belkin Inc.Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: CD
Platform: Windows
Model: F8V3080
Product features:
- Universal accessory for all digital audio players compatible with a 3.5-mm mini-jack
- Turns your FM stereo into an MP3 broadcaster
- Program up to four station presets; automatically turns on and off
- Operating range of up to 30 feet; transmits on FM channels 88.1 to 107.9 MHz
- Mobile power cord connects to car's cigarette lighter port for optional battery-free operation
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black)
Customer Review: I Get aAbout 150' Range After I Modified It! Nice Whole House Xmitter!
Summary: 5 Stars
First,
Out of the box it gets 0 stars! I couldn't get decent reception within 3'. After it was modified (plus other tweaks) my car stereo picks it up 3-4 houses away from it's location. Here are a few helpful tips. *Note* you will have to solder 1 connection, or have someone do it for you.
1) Go to www*youtube*com/watch?v=LsZw_youJAo +++slight profanity alert+++ to see if you feel competent enough to make the mod. It is pretty simple.
2) Go to www*siriusxm*com/frequency put in your zipcode to find 5 best frequencies in your area. You can save 4 of those into the tunecast memory.
3) Go to www*csgnetwork*com/antennagenericfreqlencalc.html and enter 1 or more frequencies to get the correct length of 1/2 wave antenna to make for the frequencies entered in step 2.
*Note* You could skip this step ( I wouldn't) and make an antenna tuned for the middle of the FM spectrum. 98Mhz would operate best with a 57.3" 1/2 wave antenna or a 28.65 1/4 wave antenna. Longer is better. *Techy Note* 1/2, 1/4 ... wave simply means the wire is 1/2 or 1/4 the length of the frequecy being broadcast.
4) Solder the mod as described with the chosen antenna length.
Voila! whole house transmitter. I liked this mod so much I ordered 3 more Tunecasts from that big auction site for a little over 8 bucks ea. delivered.
Now for the battery life: Well it just sucks! Expect 6-10 hrs. on 2 alkaline AAA. You would probably get a lot more with lithium ion but they are very expensive! Since I wanted to use this for 24/7 broadcast of my xm radio, changing the batteries every 8 hrs. is not doable. I tried an AC adapter but it produced a slight but noticeable hum. What worked for me is to use a jump start battery pack (which I already had) and a cigarette lighter adapter (which I already had). This has no detectable hum, and since this is a stationary setup, I can leave the pack plugged in. The power pack... uses 8 watts of AC power which costs me 1.44 cents per day (considerably less thn 6 AAA batteries) or 43.3 cents/month if left on 24/7.
I recommend powering the Tunecast II at 6 Volts rather than 12. It has an internal Voltage regulator that steps the internal batteries up to 4.5 Volts. It also steps external power down to 5 Volts. The closer you get to the 5 Volt regulater the less heat and wear and tear on the components. It did broadcast at 4.5 Volts but that was not enough power for the display.
Final Thoughts:
I almost bought a .5W transmitter (ebay) but was worried that it wasn't FCC compliant and can't really afford a $10,000 fine ATM. I already had all of the items to make this mod including the Tunecast. So for $0 I've got a decent whole house transmitter. A final note about range: My 1 story house has a foil roof deck, low e glass windows and is surrounded by 2 story houses. I have a LOT 900 Mhz, 2.4 Ghz... activity going on in my house. All of these contribute to the limited 150' range I get. I can hear the signal 1 block away but there is way too much interference.
The quality of my XM after sending it to my XM radio through the Delphi repeater (900 Mhz), then rebroadcasting it on FM is somewhere between AM & FM. My home receiver decodes it in 5.1 Dolby surround but the rear channel is a little weak. That probably has more to do with the delphi repeater than the Tunecast.
Last word: (will this guy ever shut up? ;-)
As mentioned by someone else tune your radio to .05 to .1 Mhz above the broadcast signal. If you are broadcasting at 96.5 try tuning in to 96.55 or 96.6 on your radio and see if it sounds better.
Hope this was helpful!
Description of Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (Black)
Now you can use your iPod PDA MP3 CD cassette player PC or laptop to listen to your favorite tunes through any FM stereo receiver. The Belkin TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter connects portable music players to your car or home stereo quickly and easily using FM radio waves. Just plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your iPod PDA MP3 CD or cassette player; or connect it to your PC or laptop computer. Tune your car stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency and enjoy your iPod music experience with more sound and fewer wires. Belkin adds a great convenience feature with its unique Auto ON/OFF function. It frees you from having to manually toggle your TuneCast II's ON/OFF switch by simply powering on when an audio signal is detected. If no signal is detected for a period of 60 seconds your TuneCast II switches off. This innovation preserves battery life while making your outstanding mobile audio experience simpler to enjoy. TuneCast II also features 4 programable memory slots allowing you to save the clearest station wherever you go. TuneCast II includes a Belkin Mobile Power Cord that connects to your car's cigarette lighter-so you can preserve your batteries as you play your tunes on the road (will not charge the TuneCast II). Primary InformationFeatures Car power adapter AAA battery FM transmitter UNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code 52161600Digital Cameras and Photo Categories
Similar digital cameras and accessories
Nikon D90 For Dummiesby Julie Adair King
For Dummies; Published: 2009-02-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.00
Price in other shops:
Wagan 4-Way 12V Automotive Socket ExtenderWagan; Wagan; Wagan; Misc.; Automotive Parts and Accessories
Best price: $8.82
Price in other shops:
New Chapter - Zyflamend Easycaps, 180 softgelsNew Chapter; New Chapter; Health Care
Best price: $19.17
Price in other shops:
Belkin TuneCast Mobile FM TransmitterBelkin; Belkin; Belkin; Electronics; Car Audio or Theater
Best price: $35.00
Belkin F8M010 Tunecast III FM Transmitter - UniversalBelkin Components; Belkin; Belkin Components; Electronics; Network Media Player
Best price: $59.95
Price in other shops:
Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White)Belkin; Belkin; Belkin; Electronics; Mac; Network Media Player
Best price: $60.00
Belkin Mobile Power Cord for iPod with Dock Connector (White)Belkin Components; Belkin; Belkin Components; Electronics; Network Media Player
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Apple iPod iPhone Accessories. Apple Fm Transmitter Car Kit and Car Charger with LCD display for Ipod 3rd, 4th, 5th Generation, Mini, Photo, U2, Nano, Video, Classic, Touch. (Colors May Vary)Crazyondigital; CE
Best price: $3.21
Price in other shops:
Universal AC to DC Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapter (US Plug)Generic; CE
Best price: $0.01