RANTS: Belkin TuneCast for iPhone 3G

Not sure if this really qualifies as a rant. But, I picked up a Belkin TuneCast today to use on the iPhone 3G, since my beloved Monster FM transmitter for my 3G iPod won't charge the iPhone in the car, though the Monster iCarPlay Wireless transmits well enough.


I don't have an auxiliary port or working tape deck in my car. Therefore, FM transmitter is the only way to go without making any drastic changes to the sound system in the car. I was also hoping that this method would give the flexibility to use this in any car (i.e. rentals). I have the Monster iCarPlay Wireless and I love that thing. Nothing is as good as a direct connection, but it's as good as it'll get for an FM transmitter. The sole reason I went out to buy this Belkin one is because the iCarPlay won't charge my iPhone in the car. I find it hard to believe that Apple couldn't make it Firewire devices charge just like USB devices. But, that's a rant for another day.

Plugging it all together for the first time, I immediately received the message that the TuneCast is not made for iPhone and asked if I wanted to switch to Airplane Mode. I switched to Airplane Mode. I only played music briefly in the car just to test it out. The quality of the sound is subpar compared to the iCarPlay. I get some static if the iPhone or the tuner to the TuneCast is moved around. This doesn't happen with the older iCarPlay. Most important for me is that the iPhone charges. However, I'm going to guess that the sound quality is going to be bad enough for me to return it. I really only use it on long trips and many rental cars have auxiliary ports now. This means that I really only need a car charger, which is a much cheaper alternative to this device.

I understand one problem plaguing any FM transmitter for the iPhone. The interference from the phone part of it will interfere with the FM tranmitter portion of it. However, when I get static even in Airplane Mode I don't think this is acceptable. I read somewhere that there will never be a perfect FM transmitter because they all need to adhere to limits set forth by the FCC that govern how much juice these types of devices are allowed to broadcast. There's never going to be enough power to override any outside signals, which is what a good device really needs to be able to do.

In the end, I can't recommend this product, even if it might be the best one out there. For now, there just isn't a good FM transmitter solution for the iPhone. I'm going to venture out and guess that there may never be a solid solution since many cars will have auxiliary ports now. Here's to hoping.