# iPod in car with only CD/FM/AM player



## parksung (Feb 9, 2006)

i don't have a cassette deck in my car to attach my iPod to.

what are people doing to use their iPod in cars with only CD players and FM/AM radio and no MP3 player input??


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

There must be hundreds of FM transmitters out there on the market. Everything from cheapo, barebones units to high-end, full featured units. All depends on what you are really looking for and where you live.

For good units, check out the Griffin products. 

If you want to put your hands on some packaging, go to Canadian Tire, Future Shop, Best Buy, Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, The Source, London Drugs, dollar stores, hell even Home Depot is homing in on iPod accessories. 

Once you start looking, you'll see what I'm getting at.


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## parksung (Feb 9, 2006)

Macified said:


> There must be hundreds of FM transmitters out there on the market. Everything from cheapo, barebones units to high-end, full featured units. All depends on what you are really looking for and where you live.
> 
> For good units, check out the Griffin products.
> 
> ...


i already have an FM transmitter that doesn't connect to the iPod and it works like crap! perhaps if it's a better one that connects directly into my iPod, it'd work better?

any suggestions which FM transmitter is better? Belkin?


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## mrolex (Jan 20, 2006)

I use a Monster Icar Play and it works very well.

It'll set you back about a $100 at Futureshop.


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## switch (Mar 17, 2004)

I use the older griffin iTrip. It's okay... but not great. I'm gonna spring for a new car stereo with an Aux-In so I can directly plug in my iPod. Don't need fancy iPod control through the deck.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

If your CD player can connect to a multi CD player then you can probably find a kit to connect your iPod thru that interface. Crutchfield: Car Audio, LCD TV, Plasma TV, Speakers, Home Theater, tho' a US outlet has a ton of info.


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## Luc Tremblay (Jul 5, 2005)

I googled for this exact question today and I'm still dissapointed...

I just bought a used Civic and the sound system is only AM/FM, yet, there's this tape/cd button beside the AM/FM button.

(like this, but without a cd slot)









Can anybody enlight me on the way to add a line in on this kind of radio?


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

Best way to find out, pull the stereo out and look at the back. Since there's a button for CD/Tape, obviously the deck should have an input for it, even if it's not hooked up in your car. If you're very lucky, the connection will be a simple RCA input and you could plug the iPod right in...

But to be honest, I doubt that will be the case. On the plus side, nearly all new CD players are coming with auxiliary inputs on the front of the deck, so for <$200 you should be able to find a decent deck you can plug your iPod straight into.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

I use Griffin RoadTrip with my iPod. It works fine. I think so much of it is dependent on where you live and signal competition. Hard wired is def'tly better, but for me it's a matter of cost and priority. I decided I'd rather put my money into a new iMac.
m


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

*futureshop is your friend*

Hi Park and Luc T,

I would check out futureshop - they are routinely selling cd decks with an aux in port on the front for $99 or just over that. i was looking hard for a long time and almost pulled the trigger on one until i bought a new tacoma and they tossed in the ipod interface for me  

buy one of those decks. it may suck having to pay for the install if you can't do it, but a direct line option is well, well worth the money. after hearing the difference in my truck, I would have bought one in a heartbeat....

cheers,
Keebler


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

I think you are probably right. I have no doubt there is a significant difference in quality. I just don't spend enough time in my car (if I was doing GTA or Vancouver commutes I'd prob'ly think differently) to justify it. I'll eventually do a hardwired option, it's just not at the top of my list.
/m


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

A decent FM transmitter will be at least $60 on its own. If you can find a deck for $100, it's well worth the money. I had a couple FM transmitters and was very disapointed; the line-in option is well worth the extra $40 here.


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## Luc Tremblay (Jul 5, 2005)

Depending on your car, what you need may look like this :

Ben’s Weblog » Blog Archive » iPod Install in 2001 Honda Civic

Since there's no CD player in my car anyway, I guess I'm going to buy a cheap radio with an aux. input.

However,I wonder if it's possible to trick the radio to recognise the iPod without having to buy this kind of converter... Should I find a way, I'll let you know.

Luc


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

This $30 FM transmitter especially made for the ipod is getting pretty good reviews:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...sku_id=0665000FS10072198&catid=25017#MoreInfo


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## adderboy (Apr 1, 2007)

I purchased the Monster FM transmitter (+100.00 and good reviews) and found the quality very poor. At best, the quality was not nearly as good as an FM station. I returned the transmitter to the store. I think a hard-wired option, if you can do it, would be best.


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## EvanPitts (Mar 9, 2007)

Instead of using an iPod in the car; I use iTunes to burn CDs. I bought 30 CDs for $12, giving me ample music for a trip Down East and return. And I don't have to worry about someone stealing the iPod (CDs can always be reburned). Besides, they wanted an extra $300 for an iPod interface, which would buy me literally hundreds of CDs with cases to carry them in.

No problems with the iPod bursting into flames, as apparently the Nanos are doing now...


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## EvanPitts (Mar 9, 2007)

Luc Tremblay said:


> Since there's no CD player in my car anyway, I guess I'm going to buy a cheap radio with an aux. input. However,I wonder if it's possible to trick the radio to recognise the iPod without having to buy this kind of converter... Should I find a way, I'll let you know.


If your radio had a CD button but does not have a CD slot, it was probably intended for a trunk mounted six changer. My last car had that, but I never purchased the six changer, but did take advantage of the Input jacks on the back... Otherwise, a transmitter would work fine.


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## rbnski (Sep 24, 2007)

This link is for Subaru factory stereos but may work for other radio types. The author has identified the pins for an aux input. You could wire a jack into the console or someplace convenient.

B10 Subaru Legacy stereo connector info


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