I'm thinking of buying a sony walkman mp3 player but is there a head unit i can buy for my tintop that i can plug the mp3 player into and play the songs on it?


Mike

Quite a few of the new head units have a 3.5mm line in jack on the front now exactly for this reason. Take a look in halfords and see which ones have.

David

PS Nice choice of MP3 player

I've got a little gizmo going on eBay tonight which allows you to plug in your mp3 player and tune in to its FM frequency on your existing head unit. It works a treat but I no longer need it as I now have a mp3 head unit.
It could ce yours for £20 posted


[Edited on 13-3-06 by RazMan]
Rescued attachment FM Transmitter.jpg

Naughty naughty. They are illegal in the UK (you cant transmit on FM without a licence). Only reason I know is they were discussed in the What Hi-Fi MP3 player special that came out a few months ago.

However, you arent likely to get pulled up on it, assuming its not too powerful.

David

yep i think i've found what i need hereLINKY

I'll look at some others before i commit to buy

Mike

(Sorry to hijack)

Ok, so just got another car with the ford 4500 head unit...however i have an mp3 player, but no way of connecting, does anyone have any experience of fitting or adapting or transmitting from the player to this unit LEGALLY?

Thanks

[Edited on 13/3/06 by Tim 45]

As Flak said, it is technically illegal to transmit on FM but these units only have a range of a few metres and they are designed to not conflict with other radio stations (you can choose one of seven channels anyway)

you seem to get units that will connect up to ipod that also charges it and the ipod is controled from the stereo but i can't find one for the sony walkman, even on the sony units CHECKIT

Mike

HANG ON

Years ago you had to PURCHASE a RADIO licence...

Then that got amalgamated with a TV Licence

SO if your TV licence covers your existing car radio - why wouldn't it cover that, especially as it's only transmitting within the car!

I'd like to see a clear definition of these rules - I would happily argue it in court - What MP3 aren't the know-all's in fact when I worked with journo's etc - they'd just print it and offer a retraction later if they were incorrect...

My 2 pence

Alot of the nwer head units have an interfac available to pulg the mp3 player into the cd changer socket enabling you to contol the mp3 player from the head unit.

The liscence covers recieving, not transmitting. From what I understand.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/mofaq/rcomms/itrip/

Ofcom say they are illegal...so that sums that up i think

David

Point taken - but who the feck is gonna check

Local Radio 8 metres away - fecks sake - how crazy are these people that make rules

And it did say MIGHT...

Personally - I'd risk it

quote:

---

Originally posted by quattromike
yep i think i've found what i need hereLINKY

I'll look at some others before i commit to buy

Mike

---

I have one of those RazMan, used to use if for my MP3 player, but like you I have a MP3 player in the car now.

What I do use it for is when I'm watching vids on my PDA (not whilst driving)

There are other ones out there that plug into the cigarette lighter and will take just a USB memory stick as the player is built in. Hope you follow

Found a link ... I've not used one it may be crap

Ebay Link

quote:

---

Originally posted by indykid

what car's it going into anyway?

hth
tom

---

Maplin do a head unit that plays MP3 via a memory stick or SD/MMC memory -- on offer now 80 quid

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=46448&doy=13m3

[Edited on 13/3/06 by britishtrident]

I've just fitted a Dension Ice link - great for the iPod but specific to the radio (it replaces the cd player).

You can alos use an FM modulator which, theoretically doesn't transmit a signal - quite clever - it just taps into the aerial lead - have a look here here

Regards

Wyn

You could always go along the route I'm taking.
I'm a bit of a geek, what with being on a Computer Science degree and all, so I'm building a little PC that is installed in the car which stores all the music and vids I ever want!

It has the added bonus of being able to act as a GPS unit aswell with a little touch screen for an interface.

Also it can be hooked up the cars on board diagnostic interface to get all kinda cool info out.
This is the reason I want a 'new' engine in my Locost which supports the interface.

Have a look here for the little PCs and here for Carputers!

Pete

[Edited on 13-3-06 by CommanderAce]

quote:

---

Originally posted by britishtrident
Maplin do a head unit that plays MP3 via a memory stick or SD/MMC memory -- on offer now 80 quid

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=46448&doy=13m3

[Edited on 13/3/06 by britishtrident]

---

You can get an auxiliary input adapter for most manufacturers headunits. These will either have RCA (Phono) or 3.5mm plugs. The former are easily converted to the latter.

The little FM transmitters are great as long as you're stationary. I got fed up constantly retuning as radio stations kept interupting my music

WRT the mp3 player. Read reviews carefuly, Sony have taken a lot of stick for the software that transfers files to the mp3 player. It's very slow, clunky and crashes alot. They're reworking it and have told existing customers to use the software from an older device.

[Edited on 14/3/06 by chockymonster]

quote:

---

Originally posted by chockymonster
WRT the mp3 player. Read reviews carefuly, Sony have taken a lot of stick for the software that transfers files to the mp3 player. It's very slow, clunky and crashes alot. They're reworking it and have told existing customers to use the software from an older device.

---

I sugest JVC or Blankpunkt they have line In or any kenwood with cd changr control and you can make line in from cd changer control yourself for few quids

I picked up an i-travel for my gaffers ipod from Hong Kong. It is an FM transmitter. He has said that it is not that good.

Id also like to connect my PSP to car hi-fi. Gaffer also uses a tape adapter for his ipod, works well but a pain as the remote from car hi-fi doesnt operate the ipod (so if phone rings the ipod doesnt pause etc).

And when you have a radio with the 3.5mm jack on the front you can use it to create a phone handsfree kit using this i-carmunicator. Great thing about this device is that it also plugs into the mic input on laptops and pc's to turn them into handsfree phones.