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These are more powerful, less subject to interference, have a Phase Loop Lock (PLL) circuit that keeps the signal solid. After that, the antenna you choose becomes the biggest issue. Use a yard-sale cast-off PC, throw your favorite light distro on it and stick it in the attic, with the transmitter hanging off of it.

For controls, use a web interface to your media player software, and you can hit it from any PC on your network. You can run streams, local MP3 or OGG files, internet radio, XM satellite radio, whatever. Put the smarts in the flexible, inexpensive, commodity hardware and hide it away.

They should just drop the iPod only restrictions for the MP3 player supported.

There is no such restriction. iTunes supports a plug-in system that allows other players to work fine. The menufacturers of those players need only to provide said pug-ins. Some do.

Next time, you might want to try reading the _whole_ comment. Although occasionally i may be talking just for the sake of spewing forth additional words, sometimes important information occurs _after_ the first sentence. In this particular case, the relevant bit of information you apparently missed was:

"I've got an Otis player and have been considering getting a fm transmiter for it, but as the iTrip site boasts, they only do stations in the 88's, which are all taken up here."

In fact, i have looked at the iRock, as well as the Kima Link-It, both of which are only good on 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, and 88.7. I've also looked at ThinkGeek's FM Transmitter, which doesn't specify how many stations it has available, but "simply dial in the proper frequency on your FM tuner" doesn't give me a lot of hope.

So, unless you're proposing to personaly take out the local transmiter towers on those frequencies just as a favor for me, your "advice" isn't really much help.

Assuming you don't think it's worth doing time in federal penitentiary to help me out, the only usefull responses i can think of is to say A: the iTrip does or doesn't work with certain other players (particularly the Audible Otis which is obiously my primary concern) or B: to suggest a specific alternate FM tunner that you happen to know does stations other than those in the 88.x range.

Are any of those FM broadcasters any good? I know of the iRock and it's pretty lousy. C Crane, who makes good components, has one that is rather large and expensive. I haven't tried it so I can't comment on its performance.

Wouldn't it be better if you just connected it directly to the car stereo?

The iRock website

You can get the FM transmitting capability without buying a whole new audio player. I know of one product here that lets the user transmit any audio to a radio. You can use it with any thing that has a headphone jack.

I'm very strongly for artist's rights, and the idea that the artists should be compensated. However, it's articles and actions like this that make me want to download songs instead of giving my money to these weasels. Most companies, if they acted this way, you'd see a direct hit to their bottom line in the form of fleeing customers.

Perhaps they really are losing all of their customers with this attitude.

I've found the FM broadcast solutions for getting sound into your car stereo are very bad. I've tried a couple of low-end (~$20) solutions, such as the "SoundFeeder" or whatever, and have always ended up throwing them away.

I snagged an iRock 300W to feed audio from my Rio Volt into my truck's stereo. My only (minor) complaint is that it'll only run off of battery power, but that's solved with the use of NiMH or rechargeable-alkaline AAAs. As long as you pick an empty frequency for it, you're not going to hear static until you crank the volume up to near-ear-splitting levels.

On a recent road trip from LA to Las Vegas, my friend and I discussed the possibility of setting up a mobile short-range "radio station" for a caravan of cars using one of those personal FM radio transmitters you use to listen to your 1/8" jack-equipped audio device in a car, such as the awesome iRock. We dreamt of a "DJ" seat in someone's backseat with a laptop and music software (i.e. Ableton's Live or an MP3 mixing app), and the other cars tuning into the station to listen to a set. Then, when it's time for a gas/bathroom break, someone else gets to play DJ! Could be fun...

https://www.myirock.com/players/irock510.htm

I have been trying to figure out what to do. I got given a head unit that doesn't have an aux input. (which if you have, you can hook your iPod up directly) At any rate, I found a great solution to my problem. A little FM transmitter. There are a number of these things on the market, I chose the one from iRock. It has been working extremely well.

http://www.myirock.com/players/irock300w.htm