There exist wireless FM transmitters (like this one) that you can purportedly plug into the 1/8" headphone jack on a CD or MP3 player, and then use to transmit the audio signal short distances to an FM radio receiver.
Has anyone ever used these things? How well do they work? Staticy, or no? Can I tune it to the hip-hop station and use it to pipe grunge rock into the radio of unwitting cars I pass along the freeway?
Not unless the signal from the station is extremely weak in your neighborhood. These devices are designed for use over a very limited distance and therefore output a very weak signal, which could easily be overpowered by any commercial station broadcasting on the same frequency. Notice on the product description it says to choose a frequency that has no broadcasting on it.
They are very low power transmitters, so while it it theoretically possible to interfere with the next car, that car would have to have their radio tuned to the receiving frequency you’ve selected. Good vs. poor audio quality is a function of how well made that device is. Not familiar with the name brand, sorry.
The Griffin iTrip FM transmitter for iPods works very well, even up to 20-30 feet away and is powered by the iPod. I also have an iRock FM transmitter that works for shite. It must be within a few feet of the radio to work properly, if at all.
The main differences between models seem to be the strength of the signal (though all are regulated by the FCC to very low power, in my experience they differ widely in this respect) and the number of stations available (many devices give you a choice of only four FM stations). In an urban area, it may be difficult to find a station that works well with your equipment.
They have an effective range of about 10 feet, and they only cover an extremely limited portion of the FM spectrum. And no, the fidelity isn’t that good.
So if you pass a hip-hopper who happens to be listening to the exact frequency you’re broadcasting on, and if the station on that frequency happens to be weak, you might be able to overpower it for about a second.
DISCLAIMER! The above is intended as parody only. Do not attempt to broadcast at any level above 100 milliwatts on the FM broadcast band without proper licensing from the Federal Communications Commission or the level and licensing required by your national broadcasting licensing authority!
I have nearly the same exact model as linked to in the OP, and I love it.
It’s a CenDyne, not a AudiaX, but it looks identical.
The main advantage of the one I have is that it can be tuned to any station on the FM dial, unlike the iTrip, which only does a few (six?) preset channels. You can also tune it just by pressing the up and down buttons. The iTrip requires you to bring up a special audio track to set the channel, which isn’t pratical while driving.
The main disadvantage is that it runs off of a single “AAA” battery and doesn’t turn itself off when the source cuts out. If I forget to turn it off, the battery will be dead the next day. I’ve gotten good about remembering to turn it off, though.
Oh, another plus for mine is that it’s on a cord, which means that you can hunt around for the best placement of the transmitter while leaving your MP3 player safely in a cupholder. I put some velcro on mine so I can attach it to the dashboard to the right of my radio, the location that gives the best signal.