We have prepared this article for drivers who want to expand the functionality of the multimedia part of their car, and whose built-in radio tape recorder has little capabilities. This is an FM transmitter with Bluetooth for Android.
The relevance of this gadget
Today, such devices have become very popular among motorists, since, for little money, you can significantly expand the functional part of the audio player. For example, having the cheapest and oldest radio tape recorder + such a transmitter, you can safely listen to the downloaded songs from the flash drive.
It works very simply. This device is presented in the form of an independent external device of a small size, which is usually powered by a cigarette lighter. In terms of functionality, the gadget has a set of an ordinary MP3 player, with the ability to play audio files from flash drives, while having either a full USB port or a slot for SD cards. What distinguishes it from a simple player is that this modulator is able to broadcast a radio signal in clear purity for any radio receivers. You just need to select the broadcast frequency in the gadget and tune your radio tape recorder to it. All music playback control is performed on the transmitter (switching songs, pause, stop, play).
It is certainly functional and convenient, but not as much as with Bluetooth transmitter for Android. With such a device, you can play your music directly from your phone to the car stereo system, just as if your radio tape recorder had a built-in bluetooth. An FM modulator with Bluetooth for Android is more expensive than a regular one, but much cheaper than buying a new radio tape recorder with the same set of functions.
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Connection principle
Further, using a general example, we will show step by step the entire process of setting up the radio, telephone and modulator. These points will serve as an introductory guide, and may not correspond to the settings of a particular model, since the setting process may differ slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. In the future, we advise you to use the instructions that come with the transmitter.
- Plug the translator into your car's cigarette lighter socket.
- Turn it on and select the mode Bluetooth (this can be done by setting the position of the switch on the device body, or programmatically selected from the settings, depending on the model).
- Activate bluetooth on your phone and search for devices.
- Connect to the FM broadcaster by clicking on its name in the list of found devices on your smartphone.
At this stage, the pairing of the phone with the gadget is completed. On the smartphone, the headset icon should appear in the notification window.
- Set the broadcast frequency on the broadcaster.
- Turn on your receiver in FM mode and set it to the same frequency.
This completes the configuration step and you should have everything connected. Then you just need to go to any player on your smartphone, select the desired song and turn it on. In the future, all playback control is performed directly on the phone, in the player.
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Outcome
After we already have a general idea of such devices, we will describe the strengths and weaknesses of such devices, in comparison with full-fledged multimedia installations in a car.
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Pros:
- Low cost.
- Versatility (you can connect it to absolutely any radio receiver.
- Compactness.
- Wide functionality (reading from flash drives, via AUX, working on the blue tooth).
- Portability (fits in your pocket).
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Minuses:
- Since the broadcast is on the radio, the sound will be exactly the same as when listening to other radio stations, not comparable to digital sound, but there is not much difference on inexpensive acoustics.
- The connection process takes longer than if the same functions were built into your radio.
- When the translator is working, the cigarette lighter socket will be occupied, since the gadget receives power through it. For some, you will have to purchase an additional double for the cigarette lighter.
- Your frequency can be picked up by other motorists in your vicinity.
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Who is this device for
Based on all of the above, such a device will come in handy for drivers who have an inexpensive speaker system with an inexpensive radio tape recorder installed. Such a device, for little money, will add a large piece of functionality available only in expensive solutions.
For people who have relatively expensive and high-quality speakers will not be able to enjoy their capabilities using this transmitter, because the sound quality will be much worse than when playing MP3 and other digital files directly.
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