Shop RadioShack for Great GiftsBelkin TuneCast II
Manufacturer: Belkin Part number: F8V3080-APL
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you must use an FM transmitter, you'll probably do better to overlook the Belkin TuneCast II in favor of other options.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
 | | In stock | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Belkin TuneCast II price range: $23.34 - $45.00
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Edited by: James Kim
- Reviewed on: 08/29/2005
- Released on: 03/01/2004
The good: Works with any MP3 player; tunes to any FM frequency; accepts four presets; doesn't have to be used in a car.
The bad: Poor sound quality; horrible reception in metro areas; gets dirty easily.
The bottom line: If you must use an FM transmitter, you'll probably do better to overlook the Belkin TuneCast II in favor of other options.
The front of the TuneCast II features an ample LCD flanked by the up/down tuning buttons on one side and the memory-set key on the other. Though the down button functions as a power control, you never need to use it, as the transmitter turns on automatically if your MP3 player is on and a signal is coming from the radio. You can set up to four presets for your preferred stations. The device also tunes into any frequency between 88.1 and 107.9, not just the odd decimals--not that this mattered in our Ford Explorer, where the car stereo tunes to odd numbers only. Of course, you don't have to use the TuneCast II in a vehicle; its simple connectivity means it's just as functional in the home, and its range of 10 to 30 feet suggests practical at-home use. On the bottom of the TuneCast II, you'll find a DC input, and Belkin provides a 14-inch power cable, but you'll have to pick up either an AC adapter or in-car cigarette charger that attaches to this cable in order to make use of it. But even if you have the transmitter plugged in to wall power, it won't recharge your MP3 player.
For 40 bucks, we expected better performance from the TuneCast II. Reception was unacceptable in the metro areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles; even open frequencies proved to be riddled with static when used with the transmitter. The device fared better in the rural and suburban areas lining Interstates 5 and 101. We found a couple of frequencies that seemed to stick with little or no interference along the entire drive between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Still, sound quality was typically poor--AM radio at best--but that's to be expected from an FM transmitter. The device takes two AAA batteries (included), which lasted about 10 hours in informal testing, exceeding Belkin's own rating of 8 hours. All in all, the TuneCast II isn't terrible, but there are better options available.
User reviews
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Not Worth It- Go Monster
by pantherg on August 31, 2005
Pros: Works on anything; small
Cons: Horrible reception
Summary: My Belkin cannot get a clear signal through to my car, either in Minnesota, Ohio, or Texas- in both metro and rural areas. This product is exceedingly subpar in comparison ...
Summary: My Belkin cannot get a clear signal through to my car, either in Minnesota, Ohio, or Texas- in both metro and rural areas. This product is exceedingly subpar in comparison to any one of Monster's FM transmitters- both iPod and generic models.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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HORRIBLE PIECE OF CRAP!
by backstorker4736 on April 16, 2008
Pros: plugs into anything with 3.5 mm jack
Cons: everything else
Summary: this sucks. i can't get it to pick up a signal it uses batteries so fast, it gets so frikin' easily and all it add static to radio stations ...
Summary: this sucks. i can't get it to pick up a signal it uses batteries so fast, it gets so frikin' easily and all it add static to radio stations without playing my iPod's music. Piece of s***.
Updated
I destroyed this thing on purpose. I stuck it under a chair leg and sat on the chair and cracked the screen. I got a wood baseball bat and started beating this thing. I then got a flat-head screwdriver and pryed it open. I then beat the motherboard and battery pack and cover. Later, I played some baseball with this and cracked it really bad, pieces were flying over my head. Finally, I got a hammer and killed it totally. I have the remains in a plastic bag.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not worth it!
by craneocdh on November 5, 2006
Pros: Size/portability
Cons: Poor performer; why bother
Summary: At $30 it is a waste of Money. First, instructions inside of the box note that the unit needs to be close to the antenna to obtain a good reception. ...
Summary: At $30 it is a waste of Money. First, instructions inside of the box note that the unit needs to be close to the antenna to obtain a good reception. In my Honda Pilot, the antennal is on the rear of the vehicle or not visible. Anyhow, it works very poorly. I noted improvement if I moved the unit to the back sit, but this is obviously not practical.
This led me to do serious research and came up with a decent review of 30 transmitters. The DLO TransPod came out ahead. I got the silver color unit at CompUSA for $60, which is 40% lower than the white or black TransPod. The unit worked flawlessly. I drove this weekend to mid town Manhattan and found clear and decent sound. Definitely a keeper. Do not bother with the Belkin unit.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works Much Better with Cigarette Adapter
by jwillett on March 1, 2005
Pros: Can use full FM spectrum
Cons: Eats batteries; poor reception in places
Summary: I commute between 1 - 1.5 hours each way daily, and use my MP3 player to play Audible books. Initially I was not too impressed with the quality of ...
Summary: I commute between 1 - 1.5 hours each way daily, and use my MP3 player to play Audible books. Initially I was not too impressed with the quality of this transmitter. I had to change stations depending on where I was in my commute - very annoying. It also picked up noises from my car - turn signal, wipers, etc). It also ate batteries; two AAA's every two days. Then I bought the Belkin car charger adapter (model F8V7067-APL), and am much more satisfied. The charger acts as an antenna, and I basically have no static coming through, and can stay on one station pretty much all the time, not to mention I don't need batteries anymore.
I give the FM transmitter a 4.0 by itself, but a 7.0 with the car adapter.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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waste of money
by napsterlover2375 on October 12, 2005
Pros: matches Ipods
Cons: performance, battery life
Summary: I bought this FM transmitter figuring it would work with my mp3 player, big mistake. I live in NJ and there are a lot of radio stations around here so ...
Summary: I bought this FM transmitter figuring it would work with my mp3 player, big mistake. I live in NJ and there are a lot of radio stations around here so it had a lot of trouble locking on to a station. Don't bother, it might be an interesting toy at $5 -$10, but for $30-$40, the device should work. What crap, Belkin should go back to the drawing board.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good for the money
by reyzor15 on July 30, 2009
Pros: Low Price, simple design, easy to use
Cons: FM transmission could be better but it isn't a high dollar product so I wasn't expecting it to be perfect.
Summary: I bought this transmitter at my local Blockbuster Video for $9.99. The one I bought even came with the cigarette lighter adapter. I took a little time to test ...
Summary: I bought this transmitter at my local Blockbuster Video for $9.99. The one I bought even came with the cigarette lighter adapter. I took a little time to test the reception out on various FM stations and found a few that I thought would work the best. I plugged in my 2nd Generation Itouch and I was listening away. I have never used any of the expensive FM transmitters so I have nothing to compare this product to but for the money I spent I am happy to say that it works perfectly.
I guess I should also note that I don't live in a large metropolitan area so the number of competing FM stations here is relatively small. That might make a difference? -
I'd rate it lower if I could
by dovevivi on November 13, 2008
Pros: nice compact size. Lovely packaging.
Cons: when it finally works, I'll let you know.
Summary: Excitedly looking forward to returning this to the store, pronto. It doesn't work. How can I be any clearer.
Summary: Excitedly looking forward to returning this to the store, pronto. It doesn't work. How can I be any clearer.
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A good product, but suffers from poor instructions
by brya82 on August 2, 2008
Pros: Easy to use, good sound quality, strong signal
Cons: Poor instruction manual
Summary: Ok, I've seen tons of negative reviews about this thing. I'll be honest, when I first plugged it in and tried it out I thought "Oh my god! ...
Summary: Ok, I've seen tons of negative reviews about this thing. I'll be honest, when I first plugged it in and tried it out I thought "Oh my god! Those people were right. I'm a fool for buying this."
Then I realized what the problem was. You see people, the instruction manual is wrong, DEAD wrong. It tells you to leave the volume on your MP3 player alone, and adjust the volume on the car radio only. After about 10 minutes of fiddling around, I discovered that you should do the exact opposite.
Here is the method I used to get an excellent signal and sound quality:
1) Find radio station that is not in use
2) Plug Tunecast into MP3 player and play a song.
3) Tune your Tunecast to the same station your radio is on.
4) Turn the volume ALL THE WAY UP TO MAX ON YOUR MP3 PLAYER (make sure your car radio volume isn't set too high or you'll hurt your ears)
5) Adjust the car radio volume
Also, make sure you get the one that comes with the cigarette lighter adapter. You don't want to be changing batteries all the time. Plus, a more stable power supply means a stronger signal. -
not working
by jhmikkelsen on June 28, 2008
Pros: no pros at all
Cons: give a weak not working in car
Summary: placed beside a radio it can sometimes give a weak, noisy signal. Tried it in my car , no signal at all, not even if I placed it on the carrooj ...
Summary: placed beside a radio it can sometimes give a weak, noisy signal. Tried it in my car , no signal at all, not even if I placed it on the carrooj beside the antenna !!!
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Works Great
by CornBuzzard on February 4, 2008
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Uses batteries quickly
Summary: I was in a pinch for time and decided to forgo all my research and purchase this item. I expected to be unhappy with the sound quality and would probably ...
Summary: I was in a pinch for time and decided to forgo all my research and purchase this item. I expected to be unhappy with the sound quality and would probably return it. I was wrong it works great with my Sony 615 MP3 player. I have used it with several stereo components and in several vehicles and the sound is cd quality. I have asked several other people and they agree the sound and bass are great. I really like that you can run it off the AAA batteries for completely wireless connection. Believe me I researched a great deal and would have never purchased this particular transmitter based on what I have read here and several other places if I would have had time to wait on shipping. I'm not sure if it works better with my particular MP3 player but I get great reception on back country roads as well as downtown Indianapolis. I know Indy is not the test of fire but I was very impressed. You can pick any clear station on your radio with the Tune Cast II. So I can't think you would find too many areas where you couldn't get it to come in clearly. It overpowers most stations and static anyway. It did use up the batteries that came with it quickly but I imagine that higher quality batteries will last longer. You can always run it off 12V power if the batteries fail. I know my review is contradictory to most but I stand behind my opinion and would not waste my money on the more expensive options. I strongly suggest if you are unsure, purchase the Tune Cast II and give a try. Most reputable stores will let you return the item in a timely manner so you won't be out anything except time if you are not satisfied.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Belkin
- Part number: F8V3080-APL
- Description: Listen to music from your MP3 player through Belkin's improved FM stereo receiver. The Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter, an enhanced version of the TuneCast I, connects portable music players to your car or home stereo using FM radio waves. The TuneCast II scans all FM frequencies 88.1-107.9MHz (as opposed to just four frequencies that other transmitters offer) and selects the best frequency for your music experience. It also memorizes up to four FM frequencies to give you easy and quick access to your favorite songs. The TuneCast II also features a unique Auto ON/OFF function, which frees you from manually toggling your TuneCast II's ON/OFF switch by simply powering on when an audio signal is detected. If there is no signal detected for a period of 60 seconds, your TuneCast II will switch off. This innovation preserves battery life while making your mobile audio experience simpler. Just plug the TuneCast II into the headphone jack of your iPod , PDA, MP3, CD, or cassette player; or connect it to your PC or laptop computer. Tune your car stereo or receiver to any clear FM frequency, and enjoy your music experience with more sound and fewer wires.
General
- Product Type FM transmitter
Product series
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Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter (gray)
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Belkin TuneCast Auto FM Transmitter for iPod (white)
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Belkin TuneCast Auto FM Transmitter for iPod (gray)
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Manufacturer info
- Belkin
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Belkin products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.belkin.com/
- Address:
501 West Walnut Street, Compton, CA 90220 - Phone: 1-800-223-5546
