What FM Modulator is everyone using? I will be using it for XM and/or DVD. I dont want it to sound crappy. On ebay I am seeing Pyle, Boss, and XO vision.

 

Hmm, good question. I notice that the prices range from reasonable to ridiculous, $30 to $150.

 

I'm using a Clarion FM200 from Crutchfield. Just hooked up power to it yesterday evening. I've only listened to it for like less than 30 minutes. Sound pretty good, but I really don't have any others to compare it to. The volume is a little lower than the stereo, like most FM modulators (not bad one or two level difference). Not as much bass as radio (haven't had my amp replace yet). There's an adjustable volume dial, but it only goes so high.

I've tested it on a home dvd player, and my car tv tuner. Just don't drive around with modulator on when watching tv with tv tuner because of the interferance. It puts static on other radio stations with tv tuner hooked up as well, as I expected with any fm modulator.

It's a little expensive at $55 for a Fm modulator.

If you want one, use this link if you are paying with a Mastercard to get $20 off $100.

http://www.crutchfield.com/I-rmc1cagb/index.html

 

I have the same FM200. Any install tips? Where did you hook up the power? Thanks.

 

I'm running power from the cigarette outlet.

the plastic trim piece by the passenger door lifts out. Ran a cable under the plastic trim piece to the front. The cable splits and powers both the FM modulator and LCD screen. I'm mounting the modulator under the dash. The antenna cable goes up into the center console through an opening on the passenger's side of the console (where all my other cable go).

Tips? I guess, make sure you gather all you stuff together before opening the center console so you can install it all at once.

 

Thanks.

 

I'm using the Delphi Skyfi XM Modulator - good unit. Small size, easy to figure out (except for some reason it comes with 2 positive terminals, which I don't know is common or not). I currently have it resting just underneath the steering assembly on the inside underside of the front console (if that makes any sense at all). . . Only problem I've had with it is heat - run this baby for more than a few minutes and it starts COOKING! I picked mine up from Circuit City at $50. Sound quality as good as I figure can be expected from FM modulating.

Also to note on this unit the Ground is a very short stretch of cable (maybe 1 1/2 - 2 feet long), I ended up splicing it in to another ground cable that I had sitting around and grounding it on the metal mounting system the stereo uses (not a good choice, but it works with the tools I had available to me at the time)...

Anyways, seems like a good unit, good price.

 

Why not just use a good tape adapter?

 

Sound quality on a fm modulator is just a tad better (probably not much).

I mainly did it so I would have any visible wires around the center console.

 

Im using a NESA NFM-2 FM stereo modulator. Same company that i got my 5.6" LCD / TV tuner screen from. Its a step above the crap on ebay, but sound quality is still lacking due to it being basically an fm signal. I dont know if there really is any better unit out there, since they are all basically doing the same thing in the end. The unit i bought was on sale for about 35 bucks, and the crap BOSS one was 20 bucks at the store, the guys there do a good job on price slashing since they always overstock. Your getting ripped off if you spend 30 bucks plus another 10-15 bucks for shipping to buy one on ebay.