Belkin TuneBase FM for iPod Mini TuneBase FM offers an elegant way to use your iPod mini on the road. The holder secures the device and features an innovative, flexible-steel neck for easy repositioning of your iPod mini in your car. While mounted, your iPod mini charges and plays FM audio simultaneously. It works from any cigarette-lighter outlet. A built-in FM transmitter wirelessly connects to your car stereo and operates on multiple FM channels from 88.1MHz-107.9MHz. This lets you listen to your iPod mini on the best available frequency. Four programmable memory slots let you easily find the clearest frequency, and toggle among them for best performance. The TuneBase FM makes sure your music plays-wherever you go.
1 Good News, Bad News
I had the opportunity to test this on a drive there and back from San Francisco to Tahoe this past weekend (~3.5 hours each way).
First the bad news: This product is not perfect. There are reception problems (signal overlap) in busy areas. There are also problems with the mp3 format in general, and while not really relevant here, the audio limitations of mp3's are compounded by the fact that this is an FM reception of an mp3. CD's sound way better. So, sound quality is an issue.
Usability is limited in that you have to select the reception frequency on the car radio (one that isn't currently used by another station) then tune the Belkin to broadcast on that frequency. There are four presets on the Belkin :), but do you really want to use up four presets on your car radio to hold place for dead air space :(? More importantly, as you're driving, things change. Which means, what was once dead air, may not be for very long. We found that we were changing the broadcasting and receiving frequencies pretty often. So, that is a pretty big inconvenience.
Now for the good news: This is a pretty slick product. Works as a charger, which is very helpful. The metal arm is adjustable but stays put once you let go. Stands up and stays out of the way. (Also has different size rings in case your cigarette adapter is a different size.) Display is clear, and choosing and setting a frequency and/or preset is pretty easy. But, realistically scrolling through the iPod menus while driving takes more attention than one should probably devote to it. (Better if you have a copilot/deejay.)
On the whole, I recommend this product. Sound quality isn't the best, and there are some signal issues, but the product works well (much better out of cities), and it's really handy having access to all the music on your iPod. Not too expensive either. More good things than bad things - so, go for it.
2 Very dependent on your existing car stereo system
As with most items you purchase, I would strongly suggest you purchase any FM transmitter with a return policy. This is because I found out that this Belkin Tunebase for iPod Mini plays differently on both my cars. On my first car, the reception was extremely poor. I couldn't drive 1 block without heavy static. I was considering to return it when I gave it a try with my other car which has a Bose system. The reception was surprisingly impressive considering that I live in Los Angeles, where almost every increment of 0.4 is taken on the FM dial. I can't claim to be an audio expert so I don't know exactly why it plays so differently on both systems. I am attributing it to the quality of the existing systems. Keep in mind, the Bose system always played with better quality than my first car (which has a Sony MP3/CD player which BestBuy installed for me). Anyway, because of this great reception on my second car, I am keeping it.
I was also considering to keep it even with the poor reception on my first car just because it makes for such an excellent "stand" to hold the iPod while driving. The metal is bendable to conform to any position yet it is still rigid. So using the controls on the iPod to change playlists or volume is now much easier and safer while driving. I was considering to keep it even with the poor reception because you can still listen to it on your earphones anyway (which I would personally prefer over the FM transmitter). Also, I didn't have a car charger so it also made for a car charger for long trips. And if I do plan on going on a long trip (ie/ Los Angeles to Las Vegas), chances are the FM reception would be much better since any area would likely have more FM stations to tune into than Los Angeles does.
I don't think any FM transmitter is as good as earphones, but if you're in the market for an FM transmitter, the best advice would be to make sure there is a return policy because what works well in one car may not work as well in another.
