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IPOD Car Adaptor Kits Are Easy To Install

Many of the newer car models come with an iPod dock already fitted in them. There are people who still have a lot of life left in their older vehicle and would rather buy a car kit for their iPod than buy one of these newer cars. Sure, having a personal music source is important, but most people draw the line at shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a new car that will play their iPod. People often purchase an iPod to fit their car, not the other way around. If you don't have one of these newer model vehicles with the handy dock already in it, there are plenty of iPod car adaptor kits that are extremely simply to install.

An excellent feature of these adapters is that they not only play iPods, but they will also play mp3 players and other types of personal music devices. These adapters enable drivers the ability to have virtually endless amounts of music at their finger tips. There aren't any commercials to scan past, like there are with radio stations. The music doesn't come to a stop because the CD ended and now you have to fumble around to find a new source of music. Car adapters for iPods and mp3 players are a superb advancement in technology. Most people find these far better than the 5-disc CD changer that people used to buy. These monsters were stored in the trunk of the car and had wires that spliced into the car's radio system.

Of course, these 5-disc CD changers were back in the day when having CDs, instead of audio cassettes, meant you were keeping up with the latest trend. Surprisingly, cars still come equipped with CD players, as well as cassette decks in some models. So, iPod car adapters haven't completely taken over the car market. Someday they might end up being standard in vehicles, the way car radios are today. Radios actually used to be an extra feature, just like automatic locks and air conditioning, but it's hard to find a radio-less car today without visiting an antique dealer.

Installation of a car adapter for an iPod can be done by just about anyone. You don't have to be a mechanic or a master electrician to get one of these things working just fine. The step-by-step instructions provided with each kit makes installation a breeze. There are usually pictures to help understand what the written instructions are talking about, so as to provide a helpful visual during connection of these fantastic adapters to the cars sound system. Most kits come with everything you need to attach it to your vehicle, sometimes a longer wire may need to be purchased, but very rarely.

Starting with the most basic type of iPod adapter, the wireless FM transmitter. This type of adapter is super easy to install, since it is wireless, but the convenience of installation has to be evened out with something else. Unfortunately, the sound quality is what gets compromised with this adapter. The way these adapters work is one of two ways; either there is an FM transmitter device plugged into the headphone jack on the personal music device or it is attached to the area where the device gets recharged. Wherever the transmitter is placed, it will then send a signal to the radio through a station that doesn't come in clearly.

When this type of transmitter first came out, it seems like they worked much more effectively. Today, the radio stations have gotten more powerful, so there are fewer 'dead' areas where this little transmitter can send a signal. The sound coming from these adapters is often very low and the stations from nearby channels fade can be heard fading in and out of the speakers. This doesn't make for a very pleasant listening experience, especially when you're trying to drive and not mess with the deejaying the music at the same time. This is supposed to be a more convenient method of listening to your iPod in the car, but it often becomes very frustrating. People who live in very remote areas can get these adapters to work very well though.

The next type of adapter that is still very easy to install is the cassette adapter. The only downfall to this is that many cars don't have cassette players. Sound quality with these adapters is much better than with the wireless, since the sound coming through the adapter isn't competing against the local radio stations for airspace. Using the headphone jack for connecting the iPod or mp3 player to the sound system is how these little adapters work, so there's no need for a bunch of additional wires.

A wired FM modulator takes a bit more time to install, since it isn't as easy as plugging in a single cable to the music device for sound. Similar to the FM transmitter, this car adapter kit requires the signal to go through a radio station that isn't as strong as others. This kit comes with a box equipped with wires that actually intercept the connection had between the antenna and the radio. The iPod is attached to a cable coming out of this wired box, so the signal is patched directly into the FM connection. Installation of this adapter does take some time playing around with the radio wires, so if you aren't comfortable with this, you might want to find someone who is. These are really inexpensive adapters and provide some fairly good sound.

A fourth option for an iPod car adaptor includes using the RCA port that is on the back of your car stereo. Not all car radios have these, but if it has a CD player it most likely will. Basically you are plugging your iPod right into this RCA port and tapping into the stereo system this way. To get to this jack, you will need to remove the radio. Most car manuals come with instruction on how to remove and install the radio system, but if you can't find this in the manual there are usually plenty of people who have done this or know of someone who has. The RCA jack has a red and a white port, just like the sound jacks on newer TVs or DVD players. All you have to do is buy an RCA-to-headphone cord from the local electronic store and you're in business. You will then need to turn your radio to the CD mode, just like if you inserted a disc, and then you are able to listen to your iPod or mp3 until its battery fizzles out. Hopefully you will find one of these car adapter kits useful in your venture to be your own deejay, without changing CD after CD.