4 Ways To Connect Your iPod In The Car

Using your iPod in the car can make an hour in traffic fly by and can also make long road trips more enjoyable. Regardless of the reason you wish you to have an iPod in the car there are several techniques of achieving this task. Before you spend any money on one of the installations verify that your vehicle is not already equipped with the functionality. Most car manufacturers include this as a standard feature. To verify take a look at your car’s stereo deck and see if you can’t find an input labeled “aux” which is short for auxiliary. If you have this input you simply need to purchase an auxiliary cable to run from your iPod’s headset connector to the car’s stereo and switch to the aux channel. If you do not have this input there are several alternatives starting from as little as $20.

If your car has cassette deck you have the option of purchasing a cassette adapter. This device is a cassette with a cable attached to connect to the iPod’s headphone jack. While the sound quality is not crystal clear and will have some hissing feedback it is clear enough to enjoy your music in the car.

Alternatively you can also purchase an iPod FM transmitter. This is a small dongle which again connect to the headphone jack and broadcasts the music to any available FM radio station. This solution works very well in more rural areas where there is a limited number of broadcasting frequencies but the quality will diminish drastically in more urban areas. The iPod FM transmitter is the perfect solution for a road trip.

You can also choose to upgrade your car’s stereo deck to one with a built-in auxiliary input. This is the most cost effective solution and will provide you with the clearest sound. A respectable deck can be purchased for as little as $50, and you can either opt to install it yourself with the included instructions or have it installed for $25-$30 at your local garage. You will also need an auxiliary cable which can be bought on eBay for under $5.

Lastly you can hard wire your iPod to your car’s existing radio. This requires running a cable from the back of the stereo and through the glove compartment where you will have a cable to connect your iPod to the dock connector port. If your vehicle is equipped with volume and CD controls on the steering wheel this solution will also allow you to control the iPod. For more information on this type of installation visit a garage or your local dealership. The typical cost ranges between $100 to $300 including parts and labor.

Enjoy your music on the go and remember to create playlists on your iPod before you leave to avoid having to navigate through while driving.

Related Articles