DLO 009-3030 Transpod In-Car Cradle/FM Transmitter, White ( 009-3030 )

• Play, charge and cradle your iPod with one simple, secure device
• Transmits iPod's music to your existing radio already in your car (using FM channels 88.1 to 107.9)
• 4 assignable presets let you jump to commonly used frequencies
• Plugs into any available auto power outlet
• Compatibility: iPod nano (1G and 2G), iPod mini, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video

I've had an iPod for quite a while, but no way to listen to the music in my car. I have an older factory-installed CD player, so cassette adapters were out, and the unit doesn't have a line-in. I heard terrible things about portable FM transmitters from pretty much everyone I spoke with, but with a couple of long road trips planned I decided to bite the bullet and try the Transpod. I am very pleasantly surprised.

The unit combines a car cradle, a charger, and an FM transmitter in one. There's a short arm that plugs into the car's lighter port, an optional extension arm, and a cradle for the iPod with tuner buttons for the transmitter (along with a backlit LCD nice touch) on the face.

The FM performance is very good. I have tried the Transpod in both rural and urban areas and the signal comes through my radio clean and clear. The unit has four presets, but except for a longer trip to another city I have not needed to change stations at all so far.

The Transpod has a line out port on the side, so if I ever upgrade my stereo or purchase a new car I can use that option without having to buy a new cradle and charger. The unit plays music through the data port (it came with an adapter for the iPod mini, and a foam backing for the new, slimmer models no idea if it fits the Nano) so volume is controlled through the car stereo only.

A couple of minor complaints. On the first Transpod I bought, one of the tuner buttons broke. I was able to exchange it with the retailer. No problems with the replacement. Also, a hard bump can jar the charger loose in the lighter port on my car, and sometimes requires a jiggle to reset it. When it loses power it shuts off completely and the sudden burst of static is jarring.

Still, I'm very satisfied with the Transpod.

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I have two FM transmitters: a Belkin Tunecast that I purchased when I first purchased my iPod and a DLO TransPod. There are four key differences to me:

my Belkin only lets me select from four pre-set FM stations whereas with the TransPod I can select across the entire FM spectrum (winner: TransPod, for it's flexibility in FM markets where the four stations the Belkin offers might already have strong transmissions)

the TransPod is car powered whereas the Belkin is AAA battery powered (winner: TransPod, because not only does the DC power provided by the car seem to provide a greater signal, but also it keeps the iPod charged)

the TransPod is a very solid unit whereas the Belkin is smaller and connects via a cable (winner: TransPod, because the unit keeps everything together whereas the Belkin, with its cable, is clumsy)

the TransPod connects to the iPod dock connector while the Belkin uses the headphone jack (winner: TransPod, for several reasons: for one, the dock is a superior connection and you don't need to control the volume of your transmission on the iPod when connected this way; it also puts less stress/wear on the headphone jack)

I read a lot of reviews on Amazon, the Apple Store, and other sites before going with the TransPod. I didn't want to get another device like my Belkin. The bottom line is that if you have to connect to a car stereo via a non-cable/direct means, you need strong signal and I needed some good reviews to assure me I was making the right decision.

(...)the TransPod is an awesome deal. I couldn't be more pleased with the it. With the first use, it was significantly better than my Belkin and I can't praise it enough.

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I bought this item for my wife and it worked wonderfully for a couple of months and then just stopped working completely. After going back and forth with DLO customer service about the problem, I was told that the arm between the Transpod and the cigarette lighter "requires maintenance and needs to be replaced about every 6 months" and "is not defective, but does require maintenance".

If they know a part is going to fail every 6 months, that is a design flaw not something that requires maintenance. Also, if they know that the part will "require maintenance" every 6 months, why is that not disclosed on the packaging? I feel I was deceived into buying a defective product, and will never buy anything from DLO again.

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[This review is of the Silver Transpod FM, but they are functionally the same] I have tried cheaper FM transmitters in the past and they have been terrible, so I really didn't expect this one to be much better. Luckily, I was completely wrong. Sound quality is great, and I can hear almost no static at all while listening to my music through the Transpod.

Using the included extension, you can position your iPod into just about any position to avoid the controls of your car and still make it accessible. I did not have to use the extension in my car, but I did try it out to make sure it works.

The package includes an insert to hold an iPod mini and iPod Nano, however the insert did not work for me because I have a case on my Nano. That being said, I leave my Nano in it's clear plastic case anyway and I don't see a need for the insert. The Nano seems to be completely secure to me, and I haven't had any problems with it coming loose.

I drive a vehicle at work, and this accessory will make my iPod Nano worth every penny I spent. I highly recommend this item for anyone with an iPod who spends some time in a vehicle.

This product worked well that is it got the music from my ipod into my car's stereo. The unit, however, didn't fit my car well. I had to use both the cigarette lighter arm and the extension arm to get it to fit. Once I put my ipod into the cradle it became quite top heavy. Every time I would go around a corner it would tilt over. I would find myself doing the mom arm protection move for my ipod. Not good. I would only recommend this product if it fits your car using the single arm that fits in the cigarette lighter.