Belkin TuneCast Auto 4 for iPod and iPhone (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was looking for an FM transmitter which charges my iPod Touch and broadcasts over FM in a convenient, usable way. Many don't transmit well, or limit you to a range of the FM spectrum which may not work for your area.
This item is the best I've found, but still not perfect.
For my Video Ipod, I used a Kensington FM transmitter (white one), which was the best. Strong transmitter, easy to use, could dial in any frequency. The only reason I stopped using it was because it doesn't charge the iPod Touch, which is a pain for long drives and days where I commute in and then listen to music at work. The battery gets low and the commute is too long to go without.
Pros:
The scan feature lets you find an empty station quickly. It discovered a new empty station for me, after a lame music station took over my old favorite freqency...jerks.
The display is nice, and there are two preset buttons, so you can set presets you like.
It charges all Ipod Touch/IPhones. My iPod Touch was bought in Jan, 2009.
Cons:
The FM transmitter isn't very strong. Its usable most of the time, but I get interference sometimes, which is annoying, but fairly rare.
I could quickly find a different station if I needed to with the search button. The transmitter is not as strong as my Kensington, but if it gets too bad, I can search for another frequency.The button you press to search for other stations is rather large. I've had that part of the controller swing over to the driver's side and hit it with my leg a few times, which changes the frequency. It probably more how my car is set up, but its still annoying. You have to have the thing somewhere and there is only so much room in a car. I should probably get some tape and mount it somewhere on the dash.
One thing to look out for with the search button is that when you hold the unit, you are acting as part of the antenna and affecting the reception, which messes up its ability to find a clean station. You need to leave the unit where it is and just press the button and take your hand away. Not a big deal, just a heads-up.
Otherwise, its a good transmitter. Not the greatest possible, but I haven't seen anything better from Kensington. The Kensington RDS FM Transmitter does charge the ipod touch as well, but I tried it and its got some quirks that made it too annoying to use. It does seem to transmit stronger, but it doesn't have a display, so you don't know which frequency it is tuned to. On the older ipods, the freq showed on the Ipod screen, but with the Touch, it doesn't show. This makes it unusable.


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TuneCast Auto lets you listen to your iPhone or iPod in the car, while it charges. Cut through the static with ClearScan. Avoid the frustration of manually finding a clear FM station. ClearScan technology quickly scans and finds the best FM frequency--all with one push of a button.

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