Maryland Mike

Was wondering if FM transmitters will jump to the head of the iPod-integration class once HD FM transmitters become available. Anything on the horizon in this area?

KJW73

Hey there, Maryland Mike!
How ironic is that? I just posted about the HD radio - and look only to see that you had posted it at the same time! Great minds definitely think alike!

I'm curious about the transmitter also..........

datmrman

The thing with FM transmitters is that it varies with area. FM transmitter work by piggy backing onto an empty radio station. In a well populated area like Los Angeles, its very difficult to find an empty station. So you will experience a lot of interference in such areas.

In the end, nothing beats a hard wired solution.

KJW73

When you refer to the interference, are you referring to dead spots like satellite?

Our radio market is congested (or so I thought); and our Metro-area would hit over a million people (although from where you live, that figure probably looks meaningless) - who knows? Also, that particular radio station [Clear Channel], claims on their website that they are one of the first to have the HD radio??

datmrman

Not dead spots. For an FM transmitter, you'll want to find a dead station to hijack its frequency.

Interference is more like competition between your transmitter and an incoming station. Sometimes you'll hear the radio station, sometimes static, sometimes your music from the transmitter. This happens when there are too many stations to find a good dead station. This is why the FM transmitter would work better in an area with very little stations.

Of course, this is all under the assumption that HD FM transmitters work the same way as regular FM transmitters.