As iPod's and use of FM transmitters get more popular, will it get harder and harder to get a good signal?

Question

I notice I have trouble now when in traffic with using my fm transmitter because I guess I'm competing with other people's signals and end up hearing their music instead of mine.

Answer 1

Get a better transmitter. I have the MonsterCable iCarPlay Wireless Plus FM transmitter and it works great. You can literally choose any FM frequency except for 87.7 and 87.9 to transmit to. I use it all the time with no interference. You can pick one up for a decent price on eBay. I bought 2 for less than the retail price of one. Just make sure you get the US version, since some sellers sell the Japanese version which doesn't work here.

Answer 2

The FM transmitters used for iPods use a very low power signal. When you are picking up other people's "stations" they are more than likely only a few cars away from you.

So unless you are driving in a very high traffic area, it shouldn't be a huge problem. Also, when you select your frequency try to use as high of a frequency as possible. This will help your chances of not hitting a radio station, and since higher frequencies usually do not travel as far as the lower frequencies you should hopefully have less interference.

With a lot of Custom CD decks now coming standard with iPod inputs, the need for FM transmitters will slowly be going down.

Answer 3

Good question, but no, because according to FCC regulations, your ipod transmitter shouldn't interfere with other devices and should except interference from other devices. I'm sure if you're close enough, you'll get some "cross-talk", but it should be rare. I have iTrip for my iPod and I've never experienced good reception while being further than 10 t0 15 feet from the radio. The iTrip doesn't transmit with enough power to allow a whole city block reception.