There are three ways to get audio from an mp3 player into your car stereo: a cassette adapter, an FM transmitter, or a dedicated dock. For those car owners fortunate to have an iPod or other player, but not fortunate to have a dock, or a cassette deck then the FM transmitter becomes the only viable option short of ripping apart the dashboard to put a docking station in. Thankfully, that’s not necessary to enjoy some mp3’s as you drive.

Belkin’s TuneCast 3 is an FM transmitter. The idea is that is takes your audio from the headphone jack of our player, and transmits it on a clear FM frequency so that we can hear it through the car radio. Simple enough, huh?

Here’s what is included in the package:

• TuneCast 3 FM transmitter

• 2 AAA alkaline batteries

• Car power adapter

• Mounting clip

• Three year warranty

The TuneCast 3 looks a little like a music player in its own right, but it’s not. It has a cable that wraps around the outside (when not in use) that plugs into the headphone jack of the music player, or anything else for that matter such as a CD player, or DVD player. Rather than being specific to one particular iPod, this makes it uber compatible with every portable audio source (even though they put images of iPods on the rear of the package).

The unit is powered by one of two sources. The first is from two AAA cells, a set is included. They claim a 20 hour battery life. I also tried a set of NiMH’s, although the manual cautioned that they should not be used dues to power meter issues, and everything worked fine as well. The other source is from the cigarette lighter by plugging in a provided adapter. Both performed the same in testing. As many GPS units, and radar detectors also use the cigarette lighter, I like that we have the option of using battery power for the TuneCast 3. Also be aware that the car adapter won’t charge the unit, but only power it.

The TuneCast 3 has a display that used OLED technology. It is blue and yellow. It is great at night, but at noon with sunglasses on, it could be a little brighter. Then again, there’s not much to see after the initial setup of the device.

At the top of the unit there are two buttons. The one on the right powers the unit on and off. Like many electronics these days, it has to be held for a few seconds to fire it up. To save battery life, if there is no signal for 10 minutes, it turns itself off. The button on the left toggles between broadcasting in stereo, or in mono. In areas with few clear stations this apparently boosts the signal a little bit.

On the face of the unit, there is a four way button. Pressing it left or right selects the broadcasting frequency in 0.1 Mhz increments. (As an aside, FM radios in America go in odd 0.2 Mhz increments, so I assume that this will work in other countries as well). When we decide upon a clear frequency, pressing up or down allows us to save that as one of two presets.

So how did this all work? For the first test, I tried using the transmitter with a Sony Walkman. This uses the headphone wire as the antenna. Using the thumb wheel tuner, it was a little difficult to dial in the transmission. I was able to do it, and it worked best when I had the TuneCast 3 directly next to the headphone wire.

For the next test, I tried the TuneCast 3 in a Toyota SUV. With the digital stereo, I could much more easily match in the transmitted frequency to the radio. As I’m near the New York City metro area, the first challenge is finding an unoccupied frequency on the crowded FM band. That ask actually proved a little more difficult than I would have thought, but eventually I found one in the lower frequencies. I turned on the TuneCast 3, and the music player. I heard the audio, but it sounded like it was from a distant radio station. I double checked that everything was on, and that the volume was pumped up to the max, which it was. I tried several other stations, and also switching to the mono setting. At a stoplight, I moved the transmitter to the rear of the vehicle, and then things improved considerably. On the one hand, it appears that the range is a little limiting. However, I realized that this vehicle does not have a conventional antenna. This Toyota has a somewhat unconventional antenna that is built into the rear window glass on both sides, and I wondered if that might be the real culprit here as it is designed to tune in to FM outside the vehicle.

For the final test, I rounded up a car with a more conventional antenna setup. This is a four door sedan with the radio antenna that’s located next to the trunk in the rear. I again tuned in the radio to a clear station, and set the TuneCast 3 to the same. Now, I did hear the music, but there was still some static. When I moved the transmitter from a dashboard position to the center armrest area, and thus closer to the antenna, then the audio quality was excellent, and sounded as good as any other radio station. I tried some other vacant frequencies, and the mono setting, but the best audio came with moving the TuneCast 3 to the center armrest position, thereby reducing the distance from transmitter to antenna. There was also no difference between battery power, and the car power adapter.

I think the Belkin TuneCast 3 is a tidy piece of electronics that accomplishes its one goal.  On my wishlist for the TuneCast 4 would be “MORE POWER,” (insert grunting noises here) in the form of more range for the signal.  Still, with a little fuddling, it does get the job done.  It retails for $49.99, although it’s currently less at Amazon (see the link below). Short of trading in your current car for a BMW with an iPod dock, it is a reasonable way to listen to music in the car.

–Jonas

Manufacturer link.