Legality should be sorted for versions sold through reputable UK stores, but care is needed with ebay and personal imports.
The "up to 8 metres" range could be much less from inside a car. Add in a slightly deaf receiver/aerial combination (and they're not optimised to receive signals from below) and customers could be seriously let down.
I'd want to make sure it worked in my car before committing £30 quid.
Tried the tape cassette based solution, cheapish version branded gear4 sold in Tesco, but exhibits low volume and poor channel balance in the Xantia's (Blaupunkt?) kit. Should I expect to need the player, a Creative Zen, at full volume?
Any other reccomendations?
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Tried the tape cassette based solution, cheapish version branded gear4 sold in Tesco, but exhibits low volume and poor channel balance in the Xantia's (Blaupunkt?) kit. Should I expect to need the player, a Creative Zen, at full volume?
Yes! Even plugged into my pc speakers my creative zen needs to be at full volume to get the same volume from the speakers as it is when playing music on my pc, and yes in general i believe xantia radios are blaupunkt, other option is clarion i think. The quality through one of the tape adapters will be poorer due to the way the digital data from the mp3/cd player needs to be converted to play through the adapter
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Temporarily not a student, where did the time go???
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The quality through one of the tape adapters will be poorer
Yup, we actually gave up beause of the tangle of messy wires and general hassle, but when my wife listened to her CD collection by use of Sony Discman and tape adaptor, the sound quality was dire. No expression of soundstage what so ever. All muddled and compressed. Head unit was also a Blaupunkt, the car in question being a 306, and when playing tapes, it is reasonably okay. (Radio is superb; as I've written before it has the best stereo imaging and feeling of space of any system, at any price, that I've tried)
So, the FM modulator blows the tape adaptor in to the weeds on the basis of both sound (having found a channel that doesn't "pop" or have other interference, and which isn't shared with or close to Radio 2!) and convenience.
The missus loves it, and still can't believe how something so dinky and simple to use can sound so good!
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>>All muddled and compressed
Did you did turn the Dolby off before using the tape adaptor?
Number_Cruncher
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Cub Leader:
"...Even plugged into my pc speakers my creative zen needs to be at full volume to get the same volume from the speakers..."
The US firmware for Zen MP3 players allows you to output higher volumes than the European firmware. Unfortunately, I've looked and can't remember where I found that little nugget (it was all of 24 hours ago). Shame, as I have one on order, so I may need it when the player arrives.
V
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can't remember where I found that little nugget>>
I presume you mean on the Net?
Try your History links for the period.
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Thanks Stuartli - couldn't find it - I may have been on my other PC at home, but I did find this:
"How to remove European Volume Cap
1| Download the latest American firmware update (us.creative.com - and follow links to firmware update via the support section)
2| Detach the Zen Vision:M player from your computer, and ensure that the unit is off.
3| Slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold the switch in the Power On position.
4| Push the end of a pin-like object (for example, a straightened paper clip) into the reset hole, press gently and remove.
5| Release the Power switch when the Creative logo appears. The Recovery Mode appears and has these options:
* Clean Up (Performs a disk scan on the player's hard disk, it will not affect music files)
* Format All (Formats the players hard disk - Note: all contents will be lost)
* Reload Firmware (Reloads the Operating System on the Zen. Select this option ONLY if there is a firmware available to reload.)
* Reboot (Reboots the device).
6| Select reload firmware
7| Once done connect the player to your pc and run the American firmware upgrade
8| Leave it to do this and reboot, then rebuild, and voila all done"
Obviously this instruction applies to the vision:m, but I'm sure it applies to other products as well. Someone who did this says US volume 16 now equates to European volume 25. Might help your in-car problem.
V
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Might be worth emphasising the :-
* Format All (Formats the players hard disk - Note: all contents will be lost)
I've bben down this road with my ongoing Napster vs. WMP11 battle....
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SpamCan - if you read the instructions, it says that's one of the options, but it tells you to select a different one.
V
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Erm..true..wil try and read post properly next time...that could be handy though if I can upgrade my daughter's Cretaive zen touch with more wellie without losing all the tracks, it has difficulty driving the aux in socket on my CD/Tuner
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thanks for that gem def makes things better!
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Temporarily not a student, where did the time go???
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but i believe there was a small legality issue of these>>
These devices have now been officially approved by Ofcom since December 8. See:
www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/11/nr_20061123b
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>> but i believe there was a small legality issue of these>> These devices have now been officially approved by Ofcom since December 8. See: www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/11/nr_20061123b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
I think the poster realises that Stuarli, but is pointing out that not every device is legal under the terms of the ofcom revision; some, destined for other markets are likely not, and only those bearing a CE mark, are.
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Thanks for that. I didn't initially read the link and presumed that the poster believed it was still illegal (although no one has ever been prosecuted to my knowledge or, I believe, that of Ofcom).
Surprising that every device is not legal, as Japan is the only country not to use the FM sound broadcast frequencies from 87.5 to 107.9 or 108.0 MHz. Presumably the risk of interference is still higher with devices intended for American use?
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It is illegal to put onto the market in the EU ANYTHING electrical that is not CE marked these days.
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Just received mine from the source that started this thread; it IS CE marked and approved.
Shall try it out later today and report back.
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Just popped out during a short lunch break.
How does it work?
SUPERBLY!
I found 87.9 was the best frequency, this delivering rock steady, crystal clear, reception by the V70's HU-803 radio. With the Dolby Pro Logic option selected on the latter, Dave Gilmour's On An Island as the designated set of MP3s, and my Volvo Premium Sound amplifiers and speakers upgrade cranked up, the result was stunning. Truly exceeded expectation, and when we drive to Czech Republic in a few month's time we won't have a large collection of CDs with us; just a couple of 2GB pen drives (splitting music by genre this way will make it easier to match mood) and an FM Modulator.
It works just as well in the 306, delivering the same exceptional stereo imaging that the standard cheapy cheap Blaupunkt radio normally gives.
Happy? Yes, very, and a veritable bargain at about £14 including p&p.
Now to buy a double ciggy socket adaptor (the one linked above is now discontinued) so the missus can still use our iPAQ based TomTom navigation setup at the same time as the FM Modulator.
There's just one thing left to say: "Thank you Stuartli".
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SjB, I was a bit confused when i read about it. Does it work with 'just' a USB drive connected rather than requiring an MP3 player?
If so I might have a go.
tia
P
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SjB, I was a bit confused when i read about it. Does it work with 'just' a USB drive connected rather than requiring an MP3 player? If so I might have a go. tia P
Yes, to my surprise (but was prepared to "give it a go" given cheap price) it works perfectly with "just" a boring old bog standard USB stick.
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I'm pleased it's work out so well for you..:-)
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Double cigarette lighter adapters at:
www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/880/mia/d/12v+multi+socket...4
tinyurl.com/double-socket-cigareete-lighter-adapter (love the Q and A on the page)
www.3wisemonkeys.co.uk/proddet.jsp?id=1440&cat=20
www.gpsw.co.uk/details/prod740.html
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PS
I notice BigPockets has already sold out of the FM transmitter device.
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(love the Q and A on the page)
LOL!
Love it! :-)
Will be driving past my local Maplins on Saturday am so will take a chance and call in on spec.
Thanks (again!)
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Just realised; the Maplins jobbie won't fit as it will foul the ashtray that closely abuts the left hand side of the ciggy lighter socket.
www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/880/mia/d/12v+multi+socket...4 looks a better bet, instead, ta.
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One that looks very, very similar still in stock at Scan:-
www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProduct...e
Also available from svp.co.uk, but out of stock at the moment
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>>One that looks very, very similar >>
It's exactly the same...:-)
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Out of interest I just checked the bitrate of the sample MP3 recording I used; 320kbps, so about as good as it can get. Those of you tempted to go down the FM modulator route but for which it or MP3 in general is new ground, please bear bitrate in mind and choose a compression amount that suits your expected result versus the storage size of the media you are using.
One of many, many links on the subject: www.mp3-tech.org/tests/gb/index.html
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If you don't want to go the FM route, there are these direct input modules. I use one of these to feed my MP3 player into my Accord's heat unit (through the CD autochanger plug).
www.nexxia.co.uk/index.html
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If you have a Mondeo they are already wired with a jack plug in the glove box.
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I'm impressed that you can tell the difference between 192 and 320 in a moving car with traffic passing! I record at 128 for the MP3 CDs I use in the car and it's fine.
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>>I'm impressed that you can tell the difference between 192 and 320 in a moving car with traffic passing! I record at 128 for the MP3 CDs I use in the car and it's fine.
I use 56K for recordings of streamed web radio from 9412.com and suchlike, 128K for ripped music; my Omega rattles too much to make anything higher worthwhile ;-)
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Road test update;
Frequencies
As often affects these low powered devices, frequency selection has proven important; I have now revised the frequency used in the Volvo from 87.9 that worked best in our locale to 88.5 since the former often competed with Radio 2 leading to crackle and breakup. For the journeys so far made, 88.5 proved a better bet with no need for retuning, and crystal clear reception. In the Pug for some reason, 88.5 continued to work just fine; no need to retune.
Play resume
A small gremlin found today by virtue of powering down and removing the device overnight; play (from a USB memory stick) resumed from track one. Not a problem at the moment as I only have about 20 tracks loaded, but more so of a problem if I do as intended and take one huge memory stick in lieu of a stack of CDs on holiday. Thankfully I have a collection of cheap USB sticks collected as freebies at IT trade fairs, so will load each by genre with a smallish number of CDs. Still more convenient for a driving holiday than a pile of physical CDs, especially since the V70 has poor in-cabin storage thanks to all the safety aids taking up space; even before the baby paraphenalia arrived, competition between drinks, food, confectionary, maps used for local planning, torch, and goodness knows what else pushed one medium sized glove box, two small door bins, and one central console bin to the limit.
Summary
Still superb value for very little money.
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In the Pug for some reason, 88.5 continued to work just fine
87.9
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I've just ordered one from Amazon. Thanks for the tip Stuartli - it has saved me a lot of money.
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Was the recent legislation restricted to UK, or was it part of an EU-wide action?
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Was the recent legislation restricted to UK, or was it part of an EU-wide action?
The answer is in the Ofcom link given above: www.ofcom.org.uk/media/mofaq/rcomms/itrip/
"Ofcom has led negotiations in Europe to develop a harmonised technical approach to the standards which is designed to limit the potential for interference to other radio equipment. The standards have been approved across the European Union and some member states are now in the process of introducing domestic legislation to allow the use of FM transmitters that comply with the standards." (ie like the UK just has)
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