Over the years, I have purchased a variety of FM transmitters in the hopes that they will transfer the sound from my digital devices to my car stereo better than cassette adapters. In general, I have not spent more than $30-40 on these devices, and in the end, I was unsatisfied with them. Recently, I was given the opportunity to test Macally's BTCUP for iPod, and I was suitably impressed with the device.
Figuring out where to put the BTCUP in the car is not difficult — it will fit snugly in any cup holder, thanks to the spring-loaded, rubber-tipped size adjusters on the base of the device. The power cord is long enough (and coiled to keep it short when not extended) to reach the cigarette lighter outlet from anywhere near the dashboard of the vehicle.
The BTCUP comes with several docking accessories to fit whichever iPod model you may be using, and the inserts help keep the iPod from getting knocked out of the dock. I have a first generation Nano, but since I use an Agent 18 case, it was too thick to fit in the insert, so I used the BTCUP without it. I did not have any difficulty with the device as a result.
One of the difficulties I usually have with FM transmitters is finding a frequency that does not have something already broadcasting on it. My car stereo does not have the capability to select specific stations — I am able to scan for live signals only. Like most FM transmitters, the BTCUP can be set to any broadcast frequency from 88.1MHz to 107.9MHz. However, unlike most of the FM transmitters I have tried before, the BTCUP also comes with four pre-set frequencies that can be toggled through with the push of a button. This allowed me to set the device to broadcast from one of those QS frequencies and then use my car stereo's scan setting to find it.
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