Belkin Portable Music TuneCast II FM Transmitter (F8V3080)

Manufacturer:	Belkin Components
Our price:	$29.99

Belkin Portable Music TuneCast II FM Transmitter (F8V3080)

Average rating: Stars

So far so good

I have been using the Belkin with my Dell DJ for the past month or so and it has delivered as advertised. I do occaisionally get some static interference on cloudy days when the frequency I selected picks up weaker FM broadcasts that would normally be lost on clear days. The sound is good enough for the commute to and from work. My car has in-window attennas instead external attennas, so that may be why I have not had some of the sound/reception issues others have noted in their reviews. I would recommend this product for folks who do not have the option of hardwiring the MP3 player into their car's stereo.

Belkin Portable Music TuneCast II FM Transmitter (F8V3080) - Belkin Components

Disappointed!

While the unit works well when it works, I have been having problems with it in that it somehow looses a signal and powers off. This problem seems to be connected to the power cord as working with just batteries doesn't create the problem. Even with fresh batteries and then using the power cord results in this problem. I drive 80 miles a day to work and back, unfortunately the AAA batteries don't last very long.

Belkin Components - Belkin Portable Music TuneCast II FM Transmitter (F8V3080)

Useless in urban areas

The local FM transmitter is a great idea, but in a typical urban enviroment, it turns out that the radio spectrum is simply too crowded for it to work well. This is true for the Belkin as well as all other similar products that use "unlicensed" (i.e. low power) transmission. I bought this product for use on my daily commute, and was disappointed with the performance. It also did not work well at home. However, on a long road trip, in rural areas with few radio stations, it worked fine. The features (battery/car charger included, full spectrum tuning, auto-off) make this unit convenient to use. Caveat emptor.

Consumer Electronics