Belkin F8V7097 TuneBase FM for iPod mini Reviews

• Good News, Bad News

  
  By A58UES3EXD9PR on 2005-04-19
  I had the opportunity to test this on a drive there and back from San Francisco to Tahoe this past weekend (~3.5 hours each way).
  
  First the bad news: This product is not perfect. There are reception problems (signal overlap) in busy areas. There are also problems with the mp3 format in general, and while not really relevant here, the audio limitations of mp3's are compounded by the fact that this is an FM reception of an mp3. CD's sound way better. So, sound quality is an issue.
  
  Usability is limited in that you have to select the reception frequency on the car radio (one that isn't currently used by another station) then tune the Belkin to broadcast on that frequency. There are four presets on the Belkin :), but do you really want to use up four presets on your car radio to hold place for dead air space :(? More importantly, as you're driving, things change. Which means, what was once dead air, may not be for very long. We found that we were changing the broadcasting and receiving frequencies pretty often. So, that is a pretty big inconvenience.
  
  Now for the good news: This is a pretty slick product. Works as a charger, which is very helpful. The metal arm is adjustable but stays put once you let go. Stands up and stays out of the way. (Also has different size rings in case your cigarette adapter is a different size.) Display is clear, and choosing and setting a frequency and/or preset is pretty easy. But, realistically scrolling through the iPod menus while driving takes more attention than one should probably devote to it. (Better if you have a copilot/deejay.)
  
  On the whole, I recommend this product. Sound quality isn't the best, and there are some signal issues, but the product works well (much better out of cities), and it's really handy having access to all the music on your iPod. Not too expensive either. More good things than bad things - so, go for it.
  
  

• Works Well

  
  By A31RP6XY9IESQ5 on 2005-06-06
  I bought this at the Apple store so I could listen to music on my iPod mini in my car. I also purchased it because it will charge my iPod in the car, which meant one less accessory to buy. I have found this product works pretty well and the holder it clicks into keeps the iPod from rolling all over the car. I also like the gooseneck feature because I can read the songs on my iPod while I am driving.
  
  I have found it to be a pain in the neck trying to find empty stations in different areas while driving. It seems redundant to have to change radio stations and the station setting on the TuneBase set. It has four buttons to save empty station settings on. It plugs into the cigarette lighter and comes with extra bands for older model cars that had wider holes to help it fit.
  
  The sound quality is not, obviously, near as nice as a CD. Sometimes music sounds a bit tinny and hollow. But, for the price and the convenience, to me its a small price to pay. It still beats carrying around a large book of CD's with me everywhere I go. This product charges your iPod while its clicked into the slot. It seems to charge faster than when connected to my laptop. I find this a nice asset. So, overall, I find it to be a pretty good product that has worked as advertised.
  
  **************UPDATE******************
  Ok, This thing worked well for five days exactly. In the middle of playing a song, it up and died. The green light on the piece that connects to the cigarette lighter was on, so it was getting power. The interface piece where you click your iPod into would not work. I returned it to the Apple store and bought an AirPlay FM transmitter (which is wireless) by XTremeMac. This thing was much cheaper and works much better. I Do not recommend the Belkin TuneBase.
  
  

• Mine is EXCELLENT

  
  By AAEDI63SPD3PU on 2006-01-08
  This was a Smart Purchase for us. We tried the IGriffen and I found I was holding my ipod WHILE DRIVING trying to point it to my antenna to get a better reception.. Which ultimately meant I rarely used my ipod. I got this and the search for perfection was over.
  
  I LOVE the fact that you can preset stations.. Pretty much EVERWHERE I go within an hour from my house and all around town I am on One station.. however when I branch out about 2 hours away I have to change but since I go there once a month I just set the station and it works fine. When we traveled to Disney this summer I had to find a new station about three times, and it took us 12 hours to get there. Once when I took the ipod out the station came in and it was a pretty strong station..people talking etc, not just static, so this device works WELL!!!
  
  I LOVE the fact there is no interference.. We listen to comedy shows and podcasts and there is no static or interference.. the music sound excellent as well as any other sound files we have downloaded.
  
  I LOVE the fact that it Charges your mini. Now I never have to worry about my battery going dead and I never use my at home charger. SO had I have bought this first it would have saved me a lot, a home as well as a car charger.
  
  I LOVE the metal Arm.. it is not your standard arm mounting system this one is shapable and reshapable and DOES NOT MOVE on it own.. PRICELESS!! When you take the corner it stays right where it is. Mine is in an excellent location I can hit the next button to skip songs without bending or my eyes leaving the road.. It is real easy to pull out and use in another car too. My husband borrows mine a lot and it works just as good in his car.
  
  This is really an EXCELLENT Product. I highly reccommend making this purchase. The way I look it is you invest so much into the ipod then into the songs, you have to have an EXCELLENT way of listening to your music in the car.
  
  
  
  

• The Best Automobile FM Transmitter Yet

  
  By A1QNAMDEC5KLPM on 2005-09-29
  I've never been a fan of Belkin products but this time they got it right, tackling all three issues in one solid package - FM transmitter, sturdy holder, re-charger. Before this I owned the iTrip (piece of garbage) and the Monster FM modulator (good but limited frequencies and lack of a holder/cradle).
  
  FM Transmitter: Broadcasts on EVERY FM band frequency (selectable). Some people have complained about poor reception, however that is probably more a function of where they live (interference). It takes some trial and error, but the Belkin offers the entire FM band (and 4 preset memory buttons) from which to transmit a decently strengthed signal. If you can't find a clear station you're out of luck with any product - at very least, the Belkin offers the entire band.
  
  Holder/Cradle: The sturdy flexble cable style holder is awesome. The connector between the unit and the iPod could be a little better as it seems to come loose now and then. My long term concern is if it remains stiff enough over time and use to support the iPod.
  
  Recharger: Puts your iPod into pause mode when you turn off the engine. Pretty cool.
  
  
  

• Very dependent on your existing car stereo system

  
  By ARX0FLGE0ZZ6U on 2005-04-11
  As with most items you purchase, I would strongly suggest you purchase any FM transmitter with a return policy. This is because I found out that this Belkin Tunebase for iPod Mini plays differently on both my cars. On my first car, the reception was extremely poor. I couldn't drive 1 block without heavy static. I was considering to return it when I gave it a try with my other car which has a Bose system. The reception was surprisingly impressive considering that I live in Los Angeles, where almost every increment of 0.4 is taken on the FM dial. I can't claim to be an audio expert so I don't know exactly why it plays so differently on both systems. I am attributing it to the quality of the existing systems. Keep in mind, the Bose system always played with better quality than my first car (which has a Sony MP3/CD player which BestBuy installed for me). Anyway, because of this great reception on my second car, I am keeping it.
  
  I was also considering to keep it even with the poor reception on my first car just because it makes for such an excellent "stand" to hold the iPod while driving. The metal is bendable to conform to any position yet it is still rigid. So using the controls on the iPod to change playlists or volume is now much easier and safer while driving. I was considering to keep it even with the poor reception because you can still listen to it on your earphones anyway (which I would personally prefer over the FM transmitter). Also, I didn't have a car charger so it also made for a car charger for long trips. And if I do plan on going on a long trip (ie/ Los Angeles to Las Vegas), chances are the FM reception would be much better since any area would likely have more FM stations to tune into than Los Angeles does.
  
  I don't think any FM transmitter is as good as earphones, but if you're in the market for an FM transmitter, the best advice would be to make sure there is a return policy because what works well in one car may not work as well in another.
  
  
• I get very good reception from the tunebase, and I'm around Manhattan.
  By AXAIMI48BQ6KZ on 2005-06-22
  I live next to, and drive through and around, Manhattan. My tunebase works great. The sound isn't CD quality, but I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference b/w my tunebase and a normal FM radio station. My cigarette lighter does seem to be in a good position, b/c the tunebase is right next to my radio, so this may help. But I get very good sound coming from this product, and it's very stable. I also like the tuning feature, where I can tune any frequency on the tunebase, and then program it into one of the 4 presets for easier tuning later on.
  Good product that works well for me, in and around a big city w/ lots of radio stations.
  
  (For the NYC people, I use 91.7, 107.7, and 106.5 as the stations for my tunebase)
  
  
• Unusable in certain metropolitan area
  By A2ERPSZX80ZADF on 2005-12-20
  I was a non-believer when people told me that this wouldn't work in Los Angeles. I bought it. I returned it. The problem is, radio stations and electrical appliances can all introduce noise to FM transmitter/receivers. In a city as dense as Los Angeles, it's **impossible** to find a frequency that's not occupied or noisy. I ended up using a tape-adapter that connects one end to a tape cassette player and the other end to the phone jack on the ipod (or any audio-source with a phone jack).
  
  My friend worked for Belkin. I trusted Belkin to make quality products. But in this case, I was really let down. It probably works well in other cities but not in Los Angeles at least. Very sorry to say.
  
  
• This product ruined our car battery and 2 Ipods
  By A2FK87KBW8CSWE on 2006-09-15
  We tried the Belkin in one car. When we turned the Ipod on, the car battery immediately discharged (we had to buy a new car battery) and the Ipod died. We bought another Belkin and tried it in a different car and with a different Ipod (in case the first incident was a coincidence) and this Ipod died too. The Ipods were under warranty, the car battery was not. We tried this with 2 different Belkins, in 2 different cars with 2 different Ipods. I would not recommend this product to anyone.
  
  
• Does not work with BMW factory radio
  By ALJ77PYM7D513 on 2006-11-02
  I drive a 2001 BMW 325ci with a factory BMW radio (not Harmon Kardon). The Belkin will charge through the cigarette lighter but does not fit quite right, it wiggles around. When I use the attachment ring provided in the box it won't fit at all. The iPod will charge and play when in the cradle but no signal transmits to the radio. I literally spent 1.5 hours, first by myself, then with a gadget-knowledgable friend, going through every single FM frequency. Nothing but silence, even with the iPod volume turned all the way up. The iPod works fine with head phones, by the way.
  Granted, I may have gotten a defective Belkin, but I won't be trying another one for the simple fact that it won't even fit my cigarette lighter snugly.
  BMW Owners- be sure to read the return policy carefully before you buy this!
  
  
• TIP: How to increase FM performance
  By A32CW1WY5TIR7U on 2005-06-01
  Pros:
  - Tight fit, sturdy gooseneck.
  - Line-out jack in case you have an aux/mp3 input for crystal clear sound.
  - Turns off ipod automatically when the ignition is off.
  - Charges the ipod while playing.
  
  Cons:
  - So-so FM transmission performance.
  
  However, I did accidentally found a trick to increase FM performance. Just connect a mini-stereo cable to the line-out jack, and the radio reception became noticeably better. This worked in both of my cars. I guess the cable acted as an external antenna for the FM transmitter. I suppose a headset will also work if you can't find a mini-stereo cable, for that matter.
  
  
• Way too many problems.
  By A3JD3GWRJ6SLXE on 2005-08-14
  My husband and I bought the Belkin TuneBase for our Scion xA. On the back of the box it shows the Belkin TuneBase in what appears to be a Scion model, so we figured it was meant to be. Unfortunately, we were wrong. We live in a town of 120,000 people with pleanty of "clear" channels. Even on the clearest channels we received a strong static/high pitched buzzing noise. This was present no matter how high we turned up the volume on our car stereo. We've had problems with FM transmitters before in our Scion with our Sirius Plug n Play unit so we've pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that we will have static. However, the final straw was when the Belkin TuneBase became loose and started swinging back and forth everytime we took a corner in our car. We decided to exchange it for something that would rest a little closer to the cigarette lighter. So, we exchanged it for the DLO TransPod, which was $20 more than the TuneBase at BestBuy. I'm so glad we did! The TransPod comes in crystal clear on every "clear" channel we try it on. NO STATIC. It's just as easy to use as the Belkin TuneBase. It's great! I would heartily recommend the DLO TransPod to anyone who is having problems getting a good reception with the Belkin TuneBase.
  
  
• Good enough for me...
  By A2IQ4W48KP4PAL on 2005-10-19
  Most of the things mentioned in the other reviews are true. Yes, the TuneBase works, and yes, you will need to switch frequencies once in a while in urban areas with congested airways. But overall I'm quite pleased. The articulating arm works very well, allowing you to place the iPod just where you want it. I love that the TuneBase charges the iPod while I listen. And it's easy to put in and take out-- no wires. If I had a $2000 stereo system in my car, I probably wouldn't be happy with the sound quality. But for me, it's fine. 5 stars for Belkin on this one.
  
  
• Belkin TuneBass FM Auto Charger?FM Transmitter for iPod mini
  By A35UZJVT5OVMM4 on 2005-10-17
  I would not recommend this item to anyone. It ruined 2 iPods that I owned. Both units heated up and would no longer work.Luckily they were under warranty.
  
  
• great for power, but.........
  By A2HK9SPONRF0SJ on 2005-12-05
  I bought this as an upgrade for the Belkin Tunebase for power only. I stopped using my Itrip mini and was disappointed. If your considering buying this, I woudlnt. What you SHOULD do is but the Regular Belkin Charger and use the Itrip FM transmitter. Nothing beats the Itrip in my opinion and as fr the Belkin charger, it is great. Keeps your ipod out of the way and it's sturdy too. Just don't be fooled with this charger & fm transmitter. The transmitter is no good on this.
  
  
• Could be better
  By A1HXP3O1Z1LZGB on 2005-08-02
  Getting the device installed so it does not shift is difficult. Living in a crowded media market, it is hard to find an unused station where the device can get clear reception.
  
  
• Great Idea, Great Design, Poor Reception
  By A3QHSJ64VNBTY7 on 2005-08-12
  The physical design of this product is outstanding. When I received my product in the mail, I quickly found that it fit snugly into the dash outlet of my 2002 Honda Civic. The flexible arm adjusts easily but is also solid enough to hold an iPod mini firmly in place. It held the unit in a great position so that I could read the screen and work the controls effortlessly while driving.
  
  However, I found two drawbacks to the product, one minor and one major.
  
  The minor -- because of how this product grips the base of the iPod mini around the docking port, you can't use the TuneBase if you have any kind of external case or skin on the mini. Not a big deal for those who don't use a skin on their iPod, but for me, I just hate to carry around an expensive electronics item with no real protection.
  
  The major -- I could not seem to adjust the unit to provide a clear reception. I tried broadcasting on a ton of different stations, testing all the frequencies where I wasn't picking up any other signal at all, but I still couldn't get a reliably clear signal. I wasn't looking for CD quality because I know that when broadcasting via FM, you're going to lose a little. But I had consistent static that just made the product a no-go for me. One note -- my Civic doesn't have an external radio antenna. I think it's built into the back windshield. It's possible that if you had a standard radio antenna, this product could work a lot better for you.
  
  Overall, if I could have gotten a clear reception, I might have sacrificed the idea of keeping my iPod Mini in a skin just because of how cool the TuneBase looked. But I returned it because of the reception problems and ended up going with a wired solution.
  
  
• Works just as expected
  By A2WNEDJSN19R5M on 2006-03-03
  Plugged it in, set it to a FM station, works fine.
  
  
• Works great, only one minor issue
  By A2587KCZ1RIVLJ on 2006-06-30
  I bought this item after I using a cassette adapter with my iPod mini for some time, then purchased a newer car which to my dismay had no tape player. I like this a lot for 3 main reasons: 1) it is great improvement over the cassette adapter quality-wise, 2) it charges the iPod while it's transmitting too (I've heard some of the portable transmitters can drain the iPod's battery very quickly), and 3) it has this great adjustable arm so I can bend it towards me for a quick song skip at a stoplight, or the person in the passenger seat can bend it towards them to browse through my playlists.
  
  The only issue is that I have to change the station every once in awhile, or I pick up a little static. By every once in awhile I mean maybe once every 3 or 4 weeks. Too me this is little inconvenience at all, and the 4 preset buttons make it easy to do. I think this just has to do with the weather and how the nearby radio stations are transmitting.
  
  I can only imagine this being a bigger problem in a larger metropolitan area (I live in a city of about 150,000 people) where there are a lot of radio stations and other airwave pollution. In that case I guess stick with the cassette adapter and an older car. :/
  
  Overall I am happy with this product, and found it an effective addition to my iPod accessories.
  
  
• Top Shelf
  By A1FJJG4PIFCIIC on 2006-08-26
  This Belkin TuneBase lives up to the Belkin name; it's top quality construction in a compact package. I was impressed with the high and low frequency response. The base in your iPod's songs really comes out with this product. If you don't have a car with a hard wired connection for the iPod, this is the next best solution. And with the capability to set it to any frequency from 88.1MHz to 107.9MHz there's not a place in the world where you can't find a frequency to enjoy your music collection. I highly recommend this product above all other similar products. This product comes with an adapter for the iPod nano. So if you own a mini now you'll probably be in the market for a nano later. So this product allows you to up-grade your iPod without buying a new TuneBase.
  
  
• not for 2gen nano!!
  By A1IXRDQHW76AEA on 2007-02-11
  i have a friend w/ a 1gen nano and it would fit in the cradle, but my 2gen didn't come close to fitting as advertised.
  
  
• Poor sound quality
  By A1RUIU4F4L1BG3 on 2005-06-05
  The Ipod sound quality itself is not stellar - a fair tradeoff for skip free music while jogging. But when the Ipod is added to the Belkin tunebase the sound is noticeably 'muffled' or 'hollow'. To this you can add the issue of in-city interferance. It becomes a far cry from the CD quality sound you expect in a car.
  
  Also, you may wish to consider do you really want to listen in your car to the same music you have been listening to at the gym or riding the bus for the past few months?
  
  
• Very impressive!
  By A14AA2H1A7B6J on 2005-06-10
  About a month ago I tried the Griffin iTrip, and I was immensely disappointed with the result- it was very scratchy, poor sound quality, and I had trouble finding a radio station that didn't have overlapping noise.
  
  So I gave this product a go- and I LOVE it. It works beautifully, there's no static, and you get radio-quality sound. The steel neck makes the iPod easily accessable when you're driving too.
  
  Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this. The only thing I regret is buying it at Best Buy for 30 more dollars than amazon.com.
  
  
• Just Say No!
  By A33JB94FFYCU5G on 2005-06-21
  I read the reviews but I had to try it for myself and No it really does not work. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and use a wired cassette. That works fine. The sound level from the TuneBase is alot lower and noisier. I tried tuning in dead stations and it does not matter. If you compare it to a wired connection you will be disappointed. If you have no comparison or just lowered expectations then you might like it. The base is very stable, that's a plus. But there's a cheaper model that does that.
  
  
• Best of all worlds
  By A147B2K0LS8TTC on 2005-07-25
  No wires, ez to get at, nice that it's charging at the same time, decent sound quality, great price. You won't be disappointed.
  
  
• I didn't like it at all
  By A31SXD5A5JXUBW on 2005-08-06
  Belkin is known for great products, not this one.
  I received static with the music, no matter what empty FM frequency I found.
  Really disappointed with this product.
  
  
• Great product, user-friendly
  By A2XZDD3RDRBK77 on 2005-08-07
  I just got one of these from Amazon last week, and it's pretty amazing. I get great reception even in Boston (88.5) and the metal arm is secure and keeps the ipod in place. The absence of messy wires is a definite plus. I recently read that Belkin came out with a second version of this product earlier this year after getting some pretty awful reviews, so I wonder if some of the folks who had trouble with this product have the earlier version. Amazon has only been selling since the new version came out, and they have the best price, so I wouldn't expect any problems if you buy one now. Highly recommended!
  
  
• Works Great!
  By A17965YNFJ4E9P on 2005-08-09
  This transmitter works great in the city and out of the city. I took a 13 hour trip across 3 states and listened to my ipod the entire way. Since this charges while it plays I never run out of battery life. Also, the flexible-steel neck makes it easy to see and use while driving. I would recommend this charger/transmitter to anyone.
  
  
• worth it
  By A2XKMV4359F3FY on 2005-08-15
  I bought the belkin specifically to charge my ipod and to listen to it while driving, even though the sound quality isn't the greatest, i found out that sometimes it's just a matter of switching channels and since it has 4 presets it does the job.
  
  
• Great Buy
  By A34WLGN6IKXAMS on 2005-08-29
  Actually it was not for me... it was for my husband .. he is so happy with this product. Easy to use, convenient price and cute look.
  
  
• Decent as a charger and holder.
  By A14PW2FYEPD9V6 on 2005-09-01
  This product works okay as a charger and as something to hold up and support your iPod Mini. That is about all it is good for. The FM transmitter is terrible. As others have said it rarely works without some form of interference. Even when there is no interference at all I have never been able to get a stereo signal. I wrote an email to Belkin's technical support email address suggesting maybe my unit was defective or I there was something I could do to improve the FM transmitters performance and got absolutely no reply. Days later I replied to my original email with a nasty-gram and got nothing from that either. They seem to be asleep at the wheel.
  
  

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