iPod FM car transmitter

[crinkles]

Hello,

I have a Monster iPod FM transmitter that I use to listen to music in the car on long drives. You plug it into the 12V socket, then into the iPod, and it transmits a local signal to hear on your FM radio.

After about 5 or so minutes something goes wrong. the sound over the FM becomes like a chopper hovering overhead, and the readout on the transmitter is blank.

THen, after unplugging it 30 minutes or so, you can plug it back in, and it will work.

Any thoughts on what is going wrong here?

I am thinking the 12V supply is frying the transmitter, after which it needs to "cool down" before working again.

I use my 12V socket to charge my phone and it works fine.

IT cost me bloody $160 and cant even work for 5 minutes! really frustrated. Oh, and I have tried it in both my 12V sockets (cig lighter and 12V in central storage bin - same deal).

 

[MGregoir]

Try it with another power source, either a different vehicle or a 12 volt power supply (make sure it is fused!) and see if you get the same effect. If it's the same effect hopefully it's still under warranty because then it is definitely your transmitter. Check the fuse inside the transmitter and find out the amperage and make sure it is good as well, and if you are really overpowering it the fuse (typically 1 or 2 amps) will pop and it won't work at all. 99% of that type of thing is fused with standard mini-fuses you can get from Radio Shack.

I used to sell electronics and when the guy from Monster told me that their company is basically just built around [censored] and smoke and mirrors and that he doesn't believe it, but "this is how you talk customers into believing it" I really lost the little respect I had for that outfit.

 

[SrDriver]

Would it have cost that much to replace the radio so you could plug it in directly without the transmitter?

That would result in a much cleaner signal too I would think?

Why not return it and replace the radio?

 

[97tbird]

my wife also had a pretty good FM transmitter (Geffen) that she used with her ipod mini, which drew the power out of ipod, it worked really well, but i then tried a philips cassette/tape adaptor and it sounds 10x better, no dropouts,, and a whole lot more convenient.

if you don't have a tape in your headunit, it's very easy to find a headunit with an AUX jack for th ipod for pretty cheap.
I think a basic Panasonic or alpine with AUX in can be bought for under $150)

 

[WishIhadatruck]

You can also buy a FM transmitter that plugs in-line with the FM anteana cable. I have not tried that type but it seems it would get less interference and have a better sound. Obviously a direct line-in input on a new radio would be better.

 

[crinkles]

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't tried any of the solutions though. It is less than a year old but I can't find the receipt and i know live 4000 km from where I bought it. Could always Fedex it I guess.

Really just annoyed that something so expensive didn't even work for at least a good number of months.

An iPod input jack would be excellent, but can you replace an OEM toyota radio? It seems pretty much built into the dash.


the few minutes it works every time the quality is really good. We don't have a lot of radio stations so that helps!

This is the one: http://www.zzounds.com/item--MONICARPLUS