Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White)

by Belkin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 3 x 5.5 inches ; 9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001FV2YM
• Item model number: F8V3080-APL
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With this handy device you can listen to your favorite tunes through any FM stereo receiver with your iPod, PDA, PC, or laptop, even an MP3, CD, or cassette player from up to 30 feet away. The Belkin TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter makes it easy to wirelessly connect portable music players to your car or home stereo FM radio. Simply plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your player or connect it to your PC or laptop computer, then tune your car stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency.

There's also an auto on/off function that lets the device simply power on whenever an audio signal is detected. If there is no signal, the TuneCast II switches off after 60 seconds, helping to preserve battery life. There's also four programmable memory slots that let you save the clearest station wherever you go. The device comes with a DC cable for optional battery-free operation, but it only works with the Belkin Mobile Power Cord for 3G iPod. Batteries are included.

iPod Compatibility
iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 4G (Clickwheel), iPod Color, iPod 5G/5.5G Video, iPod Shuffle 1G, iPod Shuffle 2G

Product Description

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 wirelessly 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.We add a great convenience feature with our unique Auto ON/OFF function. It frees you from having to manually toggle your TuneCast IIs 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It really barely works, but there's a different one that does work, August 9, 2006

By 

Charles G. "An Engineer and Business Person" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White) (Electronics)

This thing has a range of about a foot, with really poor quality sound. It may be as good or better than other transmitters that are available, but it's still pretty lousy. Not really as good as standard FM, probably halfway between AM and FM, and interrupted by the occasional static. I modified it as described in the websites that describe how to do such things, but the sound is so crappy, that it's hardly worth the price. The modified range is about 50 feet.

I realize that it solves a problem of allowing an MP3 player to work in your car, and there aren't any good alternatives, but but this isn't going to make anyone really happy. It's just a barely passable solution. It does what it's supposed to, and if you modify it, it has much better range, but it's really not a great result.

UPDATE: I really wanted a product like this, so I bought the "whole house transmitter" right on Amazon and it works. Near FM quality sound, decent range (about 40 feet). It only broadcasts on one of 6 channels, but at least the quality is acceptable if you can find an open one, and it punches through weak stations so the channel doesn't really have to be completely clear. It's 3X the price, but that seems to be what it takes to get decent quality sound.

65 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the answer to traveling w/ your ipod..., June 2, 2004

By 

Christopher J. Cross "Byff" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White) (Electronics)

I live in a fairly large metropolitan area and many of the lower FM frequencies that would be available in smaller towns are filled here. That being said, it's difficult to find a frequency to tune into with the Tunecast II. The second problem is sound quality...it's not terrible but it's less than cd-quality sound. Third is the Tunecast II's monstrous appetite for AAA batteries. On one car trip (a total of 6 hours of driving) I changed batteries twice. The secondary problem with this battery hog is that it loses its programmed memory when it loses battery power, forcing you to reprogram the frequencies over and over again. Don't waste your money, I'll be returning mine to the store.

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars car accident waiting to happen, November 6, 2005

By 

Candace A. Gee "dilettante" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter for MP3 Players (White) (Electronics)

i purchased this product from the apple store for $40... the worst forty bucks i've ever spent! my friend and i were driving from houston to dallas, unfortunately my tape deck and cigarette lighter no longer works. i figured an 8 hour drive round trip with only the radio to listen to - would be way too much torture so i dropped the forty bucks.

it took us at least ten minutes to find a station that it would play on without being interrupted... and every couple of hours we had to find a new station for it to play on. if the song playing on the nano- was too "soft" you would just hear static- or the weak signal being transmitted from the radio station. the ENTIRE time we used the transmitter with my nano- we had to keep moving both pieces around- sort of like using bunny ears on a television set.

if i had been alone on this roadtrip- i most definately would have had a car accident trying to mess with the transmitter. it was frustrating enough just watching the passenger trying to mess around with it... not to mention having to move it around all the time to try and keep it from being staticy.

i haven't used the transmitter since that roadtrip- and don't plan on using it again. it's too much of a headache. i would never try and sell it on ebay- i'd feel wayyyy too guilty about selling someone something that could potentially cause them to have a car accident. however i would very much like to have my forty bucks back!!!!