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fm transmitter really bad for electronics of the car?

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Old 07-29-2011, 10:26 PM
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fm transmitter really bad for electronics of the car?

as said in the manual does that cover all fm transmitters or only the ones that doesnt need to charge or, ipod connector ones as well(i prefer playing it through my iphone)

some knowledge would be greatly appreciated
Old 07-30-2011, 04:20 AM
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Originally Posted by italyatalanta
as said in the manual does that cover all fm transmitters or only the ones that doesnt need to charge or, ipod connector ones as well(i prefer playing it through my iphone)

some knowledge would be greatly appreciated
Your manual should mention allowed transmission power levels (depends on the transmitter operating frequency). If you mean those FM transmitters sending your music to your car radio, the power levels are so minor that these would do absolutely no harm to any of the car electronics.

Phones transmit at much higher power and there MB prefers fixed cradles or BT SAP adapters (which unfortunately are not available for NA). Even cellphones are accepted these days.
Old 07-30-2011, 05:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Diesel Benz
Your manual should mention allowed transmission power levels (depends on the transmitter operating frequency). If you mean those FM transmitters sending your music to your car radio, the power levels are so minor that these would do absolutely no harm to any of the car electronics.

Phones transmit at much higher power and there MB prefers fixed cradles or BT SAP adapters (which unfortunately are not available for NA). Even cellphones are accepted these days.
WOW thanks for the knowledge man, but i dont know what level or frequency that my transmitter sending, i just bought a normal FM transmitter for like 20 dollars and i plug my iphone and choose a frequency and it plays over the radio sending the music from the choosen frequency...but to be honest i have no idea about the level or opwer of it...
Old 07-30-2011, 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by italyatalanta
WOW thanks for the knowledge man, but i dont know what level or frequency that my transmitter sending, i just bought a normal FM transmitter for like 20 dollars and i plug my iphone and choose a frequency and it plays over the radio sending the music from the choosen frequency...but to be honest i have no idea about the level or opwer of it...
You'll figure out the frequency once you've tuned your radio to receive that FM transmitter. And if it is an FM transmitter, it transmits at the FM radio frequency band. The power level should be documented on the product manual, in any case marginal, probably a few mW.
Old 07-30-2011, 04:49 PM
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Plug that into a 100W RF amplifier with around a 3meter long whip and you could share your fm transmission with folks in the entire neighborhood; go to top of a hill and you could cover more than 50 miles 100Watts on a broadcast band is no doubt illegal. One you are using puts out around 10mw or 10/1000 of 1 Watt.

By the way I am a radio ham VU2VIM & G0KUA.
Old 04-15-2021, 03:39 AM
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I have tested my transmitters, it charged my Iphone XS from 2%-50% in about an hour. Battery drain is minimal, left it plugged in my truck for a week and didn't drive the truck - no noticeable draw on battery. I got it from here: https://bit.ly/2UVNMLv
Old 04-15-2021, 03:51 PM
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FM transmitter interfaces are no problem for the car electronics, but they are bad for your ears due to the crappy audio quality.
Old 04-15-2021, 11:38 PM
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I wanted to add Bluetooth to a used 2007 Highlander I recently purchased while keeping the OEM Stereo. I was left with a Bluetooth fm transmitter or a tape/cassette transmitter. The tapes/cassettes are supposed to have better sound quality but you wind up with a mic and potentially a power cable sticking out of the tape deck.

When searching for an fm transmitter I found this gadget: https://bit.ly/2UVNMLv. Small, reasonable price, and best of all, looks very similar to a regular charger for your cell phone. Even better, one if the USB ports is 3.0 amps so you can get quick/turbo charging if your phone supports it.

There are other kind of fm transmitters but I can't understand why anyone would want a foot long device with a huge screen at the end of it sticking out of their center console.

Sound quality is impressive. On my commute through the SF Bay Area, including downtown SF, there are small pockets of background noise, noticeable but not bothersome.
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