I would love to see a demo of this. I wonder what the sound quality is like being wireless broadcast? Thanks!

 

350-Z-to be,

Excellent idea for your iPod. I've got a 10gig that has proven to be a very cool portable player. I bought the Transpod setup so that I can listen to the iPod in my Z...Transpod works pretty good playing mp3 through the radio and seems pretty stable while plugged into the power port of the car. But...can't really reach it to change songs etc. I just set a playlist and then don't mess with it until I stop.

Since I've got the stock HU, I've been looking to upgrade to units with AUX in. I noticed that JVC units have an input right on the face. It would be easy to plug the iPod in and just lay it on the seat next to me. Again, your idea to use the empty Nav compartment is even better.

Would like to see pics when you get it done...as well as pointers on how you did it.

Ken

 

I'll keep you updated on the progress....

I'm also curious to see how effective the MyFi capabilities of the neuros really are. iRock has a dongle that lets you do the same thing with an iPod (sends FM signals to your radio), but every review I've read has been terrible. Some users had to tape their iPods to the dash of their cars close to the antenna to get clear reception, etc.,.
..maybe not the case with the Transpod, Ken?

My plan is to have no wires showing at all, just a handy iPod sized hole to plug it into....anyways, look for a new "iPodZ" thread in the future!

Keep us posted on what you end up with ScottC.

 

I know some of you may own an iPod, but although they have received good reviews, if you read any site with user comments, they have a higher percentage of complaints than most players. over 50% of the people have complained about them. Not to be negative, just a thought.

 

The new iPod's have no moving parts, whereas the old ones had trouble with gunk getting under the scrollwhell. So I'm guessing that that's the reason behind the complaints you mention.

That's just a guess, though, because personally, I think its the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It's small, immaculately designed, has a very easy to use interface, great sound, huge capacity and I can Hotsync it with my Palm's Contacts and Calendar. Just opening the packaging was an eye opener. It reeks of high quality.
IMHO, of course

 

The Transpod, so far, has incredible reception. Of course, this is just in my 350Z (haven't try it in my other vehicles). Once you fine tune it to the radio station you have set, the sound quality is pretty clear and consistent. So far, the one drawback I've found is that the signal is so strong that it conflicts with my cell phone signal. I have to email the transpod manufacturers about that one 'cuz I do use my cell phone in the car also.

Only a temporary solution though as I'd like to eventually go the hard wired route for my iPod connection.

If you're interested in the Transpod, check out the links from iPodlounge.com.

Ken

 

Riocar/SonicBlue Empeg, there is no substitute

If you have the means, I would highly recommend the EMPEG. It will be difficult to find one, but you will be getting arguably the best single-DIN MP3 player on the market. It runs Linux on a StrongARM CPU, supports two 9.5mm HD's, has built-in ethernet with a DHCP client, can support VNC, has a built in webserver, is easily upgraded, can have custom screensavers and boot screens, and arguably the best user community. If you are looking for space, the dual drive support allows you to immediately throw two 60GB drives in there for 120GB of total storage (80GB is not yet mass-market). Read more about this on the links that follow. The rarity of these units combined with the relative rarity of the 350Z would make the combination incredibly rare. The only negative is that you need to either purchase an external radio tuner (very rare although an aftermarket unit is in-development) or combine this with a different HU (or perhaps the existing one).

I have a 30 GB unit, and I just cleared then synced 29 GB of high-quality MP3's across my home network to the Empeg. If my Z had come in correctly in September, my Empeg definitely be installed there.

Main Page
http://www.empeg.com/

Riocar.org
http://www.riocar.org/

Empeg Bulletin Board - great community
http://empeg.comms.net/

Hijack Kernel - Essential upgrade
http://empeg-hijack.sourceforge.net/

 

Thanks! this looks great, but my reservation lies in this statement from their site: "Rio Car discontinued, 24-Sep-2001 The Rio Car product has been discontinued, but will continue to be sold until inventory has been exhausted."

Will there be any support for it? I just cant seem to trust a company that does this. What do you think?

 

Finally, a topic I can offer some insight on!

A great alternative for you guys who don't want a messy console full of wires (such as myself ) is the iTrip, which is a handy little thing that plugs into your iPod and broadcasts onto an FM frequency for a few feet...for only $35! I am DEFINITELY getting the iTrip as soon as I get my new car (Z, of course!)

If you want something to bracket the iPod as well, the Transpod (you'll have to select it from their site) offers the same stuff as the iTrip but is slightly larger and costs $100.

Since I charge daily (and the battery life is 10 hours), I will be picking up the iTrip and just resting my iPod in the empty space in the dash. Much smaller, and wireless (Transpod has one cord for power).

Hope this helps...

 

Wow- now that looks cool! I just wonder how good the signal is?? Please let us know!

 

Unfortunately I won't be picking that iTrip up for some months...for two reasons really:

1.) iTrip isn't to be released for another month or so earliest (preorders only right now)
2.) I don't get my Z until early summer =(

I figured I would start using these forums since I like to be well informed on the car I drive -- and because you guys are great, amazingly helpful people

The only thing I can say is that the maker of the iTrip (GRIFFIN) is known for quality parts...they test everything thoroughly before releasing it.

 

I think this is an easy answer to playing MP3s in the car. For $35 you cant go wrong. I dont have an iPod, but maybe I will try this out in a few months also. I hope it works well! Thanks again.

 

It will definitely be an easy, sleek answer, but having an iPod is a requirement. No doubting the iPod as the coolest and best MP# player out there, but if you don't already have one then your minium investment is ~$350 ($300 iPod + $35 iTrip). Since I already have one (had for months) this is a great option for me and a lot of others...but you might want to consider something else for the money? Not sure. There are a lot of pros, though:

1. No installation charges
2. Small, doesn't take up space in dash or otherwise
3. It's portable! Not like I would ever want to leave the Z anyways...

 

True, true. Crap! I just checked the prices of the iPod. They are $400 for the 10 GB! Wow. Apple sure is proud of them.

 

I did mention that these are rare. They were initially priced at $1200-1600+ per unit, so it was a very targeted market. When SonicBlue bought them out, many people bought extra units at discounted prices knowing that these would be hard to replace. Many people on the board are on the lookout for any unit they can get as a backup in case theirs gets stolen. These are one of the original HD MP3 units, and they have stood well the test of time.

Regarding support, you can still ship the unit for repairs to Cambridge England, but it will cost you some $'s. You pays your money... you takes your chances...

 

I have an iPod in my car. The big drawback of the "car only" unit is that it's a pretty big investment (more time than money) for something you can't use at home and at work.

The guys that developed the empeg used to be active in the Linux newsgroups I participated in. Smart, friendly folks, but the right product at the wrong time. People weren't ready for MP3 or Linux, much less in the car, much less for $1200. But they are pretty awesome to those that are!

I also considered the Archos Jukebox, because I think it's a capable unit. But since I use Macs at home, the iPod just integrated a little better than the Archos.

After initially trying the iRock wireless FM broadcaster, I was extremely unimpressed with the quality. I think this is because the iRock can only broadcast on 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, and 88.7, and we have strong stations on 2 of those channels, that bleed over to the other 2.

So I broke down and ran a Monster iCable into the ashtray, that I can conceal when the iPod isn't in the car. Sound is brilliant, and no unnecessary wires sticking out of anywhere.

First question for the group. Why is the charging such a big deal? My iPod gets around 4-6 hours on a full battery, which is more than enough for most commutes. If I road trip, I have a cigarette light adapter, but I don't even put it in my car for normal driving. Is everyone just leaving the thing in the car and it's wearing down after a couple days?

Second question. For those using the Transpod, where do you put it? I think that would work great if our cigarette lighter was in the dash, but it's behind the seat. How do you see the iPod when it's in that?

 

If you saw what I wrote about the iTrip...I recommend waiting for that. All signs point to rave reviews -- you can tune it to ANY station you want

 

iPod is playing as I type this now...."Do you feeeeel like I dooooo?" I got it about two weeks ago to be able to use all system resources for the monstrous images I work with in Pshop. It's just plugged straight into the PC speaker setup by using a "Y" splitter to come in from the tower and from the pod. Works fabulously!!!!

I have a suggestion for anyone who has upgraded from the stock HU and used the Metra kit. There are two little holes in the bottom of the pocket in the Metra kit. They are small, but large enough to run a line for hardwiring. This way, the little guy can ride in the pocket, retain its low profile, and still be close enough to reach to change settings/tracks. I am going to try this as I have been trying to decide which way to go with it in the car.

As I mentioned above, I use it primarily for the office and have the charger plugged in there. Won't have to worry with a cig lighter plug/wire.

I'll post pics if I'm able to hardwire it.

DD

 

I see some mention of connecting an MP3 player (ipod or equiv.) to the stock head unit, but no details on how to connect it. I'm guessing the back of the unit has some kind of din plug that one can connect audio to it. Also there must be a connection that gets +12v or ground to turn on the use of the external audio source. My old '90 300zx had such a connection that used to connect a Sony CD changer. I obtained a adapter cable from Cruchfield for it.

I also seen some information from Nissan that indicates you can install a CD changer. That makes me suspect that the Z is pre-wired with these connections to the area behind the passenger/driver. If this is true, it might be a nice place to splice in.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks- Marty
track model - Daytona blue

 

new 30gb iPod is out...by far worth the money, apple rox