How to Connect a Car Transmitter to Your Car Stereo
Car transmitters are an ideal way to play music from your phone or tablet in your vehicle. But if you have an older car that doesn’t feature Bluetooth or a 3.5mm auxiliary jack, connecting a transmitter can be tricky.
There are a few ways to connect a transmitter to your car’s stereo, though the most popular is through a cassette adapter. These devices plug into your car’s cigarette lighter or power outlet and then broadcast your device’s audio to the radio in your car’s head unit via an FM frequency.
Some of these adapters are also compatible with USB, so you can use them as a way to charge your phone while listening to music in the car. Some of them also offer hands-free calling capabilities, so you can answer or reject calls without taking the phone out of your pocket.
One of our favorite options is the TaoTronics Bluetooth FM Transmitter, which connects to your car’s cigarette lighter port and has a built-in FM receiver. It lacks a screen, but is compatible with most smartphones and tablets that are Bluetooth-enabled.
Another option is an FM modulator, which secures a handful of frequencies specifically for your Android’s transmissions and then relays those signals to your car’s stereo. This can be a bit more expensive, but it offers better sound and doesn’t have the same issues with static that an external transmitter can have.
It’s worth checking the radio frequencies in your area, though, since some locations can have different “vacant” FM stations than others. This can affect how the transmitter works, preventing it from playing your phone’s music when there are other FM radio stations in the area.
If you are unsure about the exact radio frequencies in your area, you can try checking with the manufacturer of the transmitter you’re considering. They will have information about the FM frequencies in your area and should be able to tell you which ones are best to tune to.
You can also check the manuals for your device to see if it has specific instructions on how to set up and use the device. Some of these transmitters will require you to press a button or select a frequency, which can be confusing.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can start playing your music through your car’s stereo. You’ll want to make sure that you turn the volume control on your portable audio device as high as possible, but not so high that it distorts the sound or the signal.
In some cases, you may need to move the antenna cable around inside your car to get the best reception from the transmitter. For example, you could install the antenna cable near the front or back of your car’s windshield.
Regardless of which method you choose, it’s important to remember that you don’t want to listen to any songs while driving, since they can distract from the road. Likewise, you shouldn’t be trying to navigate or respond to text messages while driving.