# IPOD Charger



## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

i have an older car stereo and a newer IPOD Touch.  the stereo has a hookup for my ipod so i can play it but the stereo does not charge the IPOD while i'm driving.  on a long drive to the mountains + a day on the slopes and then the return trip i'll have a battery problem.

does anyone know of a charger type device that can sit inline between the ipod and the stereo hookup?

IPOD -> charger (hook up to lighter for power -> stereo cable


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## bvibert (Feb 13, 2012)

Take shorter trips


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## wa-loaf (Feb 13, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> i have an older car stereo and a newer IPOD Touch.  the stereo has a hookup for my ipod so i can play it but the stereo does not charge the IPOD while i'm driving.  on a long drive to the mountains + a day on the slopes and then the return trip i'll have a battery problem.
> 
> does anyone know of a charger type device that can sit inline between the ipod and the stereo hookup?
> 
> IPOD -> charger (hook up to lighter for power -> stereo cable



There's a million of them. Just search for ipod car charger on Amazon.


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## o3jeff (Feb 13, 2012)

Get a second iPod


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## bvibert (Feb 13, 2012)

wa-loaf said:


> There's a million of them. Just search for ipod car charger on Amazon.



I'm assuming that his problem is that the stereo cable plugs into the port on the iPod?  So, with a regular charger cable he wouldn't be able to charge the iPod and listen to it through the stereo at the same time??


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

bvibert said:


> Take shorter trips



sundown for the win!


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

wa-loaf said:


> There's a million of them. Just search for ipod car charger on Amazon.



i did, i failed, i'll try again


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

bvibert said:


> I'm assuming that his problem is that the stereo cable plugs into the port on the iPod?  So, with a regular charger cable he wouldn't be able to charge the iPod and listen to it through the stereo at the same time??



yes. the cable from the stereo connects to the "main" ipod connection, not the ear phones. i want a charging device to sit between the stereo cable and the ipod. act as a pass-thru to the stereo but add charging to the mix.


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)




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## wa-loaf (Feb 13, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> yes. the cable from the stereo connects to the "main" ipod connection, not the ear phones. i want a charging device to sit between the stereo cable and the ipod. act as a pass-thru to the stereo but add charging to the mix.



OH right. Don't know if they make anything like that, but they do have back-up battery packs that can give you more than enough juice for your trip.


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## wa-loaf (Feb 13, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ttery+extender&sprefix=iphone+battery,aps,150


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

i found a couple on amazon.  $15 - $20.  apparently apple changed from 12 volt to 5 volt for charging on newer stuff.  doesn't require a connection to the lighter either.

reviews are so-so but that's par for the course on anything these days.


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## gmcunni (Feb 13, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mXV4W5DZG9RKF/ref=ent_fb_link


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 21, 2012)

I use a monster device that connects essentially "hijacks" a radio station to play my IPOD, and it charges it as well.  Love it, and use it continuously on long drives to both Vermont and Florida!


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## Cheese (Feb 21, 2012)

BenedictGomez said:


> I use a monster device that connects essentially "hijacks" a radio station to play my IPOD, and it charges it as well.  Love it, and use it continuously on long drives to both Vermont and Florida!



I owned a similar device and wasn't a fan.  You're supposed to select a frequency that doesn't have a radio station but as you drive along, stations pop up on what was a clear frequency.  Maybe your device has a more powerful transmitter than mine did.  Just another opinion ...


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 21, 2012)

Cheese said:


> I owned a similar device and wasn't a fan. * You're supposed to select a frequency that doesn't have a radio station but as you drive along, stations pop up on what was a clear frequency.*  Maybe your device has a more powerful transmitter than mine did.  Just another opinion ...



I've owned 3 of them (1 for me, 1 for gf, 1 was stolen) and they've all worked flawlessly.  My guess is your problem with them lay in the above.  You're actually NOT supposed to pick a dead frequency, but one that is active, but pretty weak, which makes it easier for the device to overpower and "hijack" it, it's pretty ingenious actually.   

The trick is to pick frequencies that are typically commonly assigned to a station, but also arent prime frequencies and thus tend to be lower power (88.3 for instance, rather than 99.9).  I use 88.3, 91.7, and 107.9, and from Maine to Florida there have only been a few areas where one of those three wont come in.


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## Cheese (Feb 22, 2012)

BenedictGomez said:


> I've owned 3 of them (1 for me, 1 for gf, 1 was stolen) and they've all worked flawlessly.  My guess is your problem with them lay in the above.  You're actually NOT supposed to pick a dead frequency, but one that is active, but pretty weak, which makes it easier for the device to overpower and "hijack" it, it's pretty ingenious actually.
> 
> The trick is to pick frequencies that are typically commonly assigned to a station, but also arent prime frequencies and thus tend to be lower power (88.3 for instance, rather than 99.9).  I use 88.3, 91.7, and 107.9, and from Maine to Florida there have only been a few areas where one of those three wont come in.



The FM receiver in your car knows nothing about what stations actually exist.  It's just an FM tuner that receives signals from 87.5 to 108MHz.  Your device modulates the audio onto a carrier frequency and then transmits that carrier frequency at a low level.  You are not "hijacking" the station, but rather transmitting your signal at such a low level that the FCC will not worry about you interfering with (jamming) the licensed operator of that frequency.  When two carriers exist on the same frequency the demodulator in your FM receiver will have a difficult time syncing to either one and you'll get the ping pong effect between the music device and the FM radio station while tuned to that frequency.

As an example, you tune your FM modulator to 107.9 and your FM receiver to 107.9 while up in ME and start your trip south.  As you enter MA, WXKS (107.9) KISS 108 will jam your signal fairly consistently between the NH and RI borders.

That said, if you have a direct wired device (FM antenna disconnected) it will function far better as there is less chance a radio station will interfere with your low level signal while the antenna is disconnected.

:beer:


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## o3jeff (Feb 24, 2012)

My car came with a port to connect a memory stick and play music off of it. Do you think I can charge a iPhone or iPad off of it? I haven't tried plugging it into it to see what happens. Anyone else have such a thing in their car and tried it?


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## o3jeff (Feb 24, 2012)

Nevermind, just looked it up.....


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## gmcunni (Feb 24, 2012)

o3jeff said:


> Nevermind, just looked it up.....



what was the answer?


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## o3jeff (Feb 24, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> what was the answer?



Yes on the iPhone and iPod and it also puts the info on my radio screen. I will have to try the iPad 2, if you're not doing anything Sunday, stop by and I'll let you plug in one end.


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## Glenn (Feb 24, 2012)

gmcunni said:


> what was the answer?



Dan Egan invented the internet.


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## o3jeff (Feb 24, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Dan Egan invented the internet.



He was the one that called me with the answer.


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