Product Description

No static, no tuning. Just crisp, clear sound in seconds. Do you ever get frustrated searching for a station with your FM transmitter? No more. With Kensington's QuickSeek FM Transmitter, you can spend more time enjoying your iPod tunes and less time searching the dial. QuickSeek (TM) technology finds the best FM signal in seconds, while ClearFM (TM) ensures great sound. Plus the QuickSeek FM Transmitter charges your iPod while it plays your music through your car stereo. Works with all full size iPod models, including iPod Nano, and comes in black to match your iPod. Detachable spacer to give a customized fit with iPod models in a case. 1 year limited Kensington warranty.

Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Kensington
• Model: K33384US
• Dimensions: 17.32" h x 63.39" w x 64.57" l, .34 pounds

Features

• FM transmitter and car charger for playing iPod through car's FM stereo speakers
• QuickSeek technology automatically locates best FM signal for maximum clarity
• ClearFM circuitry reduces noise and interference and improves audio performance
• Compatible with iPod Nano (Gen 1,2); iPod (Gen 1,2,4)
• Detachable car charger works with all USB-powered devices, including phones

Amazon.com Product Description
Spend more time enjoying your favorite iPod tunes and less time searching for a high-quality audio signal with the Kensington QuickSeek FM transmitter/car charger. Like other FM transmitters, the unit broadcasts your iPod's music through your vehicle's stereo speakers, so you can groove to your full digital music collection without buying an expensive iPod-compatible car stereo. But unlike with competing models, you don't have to fiddle with the transmitter for several minutes to find a static-free station. Instead, the unit's QuickSeek technology locates the best FM signal in mere seconds, making tuning easier than ever. All you have to do is connect the transmitter to your iPod's dock connector, plug the car charger into your vehicle's 12-volt power outlet, and you're set.

The QuickSeek boasts Kensington's ClearFM technology, which delivers richer lows, crisper highs, and superior stereo separation with a "concert hall" effect--all through your regular stereo speakers. The ClearFM circuitry also includes the company's patented filtering technology, which results in the lowest harmonic distortion and signal-to-noise ratios of any FM transmitter on the market today--up to three times clearer than Kensington's competitors. Handiest of all, the detachable car charger isn't for iPods only, as it also works with other USB-powered devices, such as mobile or smartphones, PDAs, and more.

Other details include three programmable preset buttons for storing FM stations, an ultra-bright display, and a detachable spacer to ensure a custom fit with iPod models in a case. The QuickSeek FM transmitter is backed by a two-year warranty.

What's in the Box
FM transmitter, car charger, user's manual.

Customer Reviews

I've Tested Both Kensington Models, DO NOT BUY THIS ONE!!
This is my second Kensington. Althought this model is "newer" than the other model I own (Kensington 33199 Digital FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black), if you compare them side by side, this newer model will make you go a little crazy - it really pales in comparison in terms of ease of use (I'm using it with a 30GB Ipod 5.5 Video).

The main flaw with this transmitter is that it just plain needs a lot of "tweaking" to get it to work. This means every time you power up your car and want to drive down the road while listening to your Ipod. Here's a literal comparison: OLDER MODEL (33199) - start car, wait 2 seconds for transmitter to kick in and override the FM frequency playing, hit "play" on the Ipod. THIS MODEL - start car, wait 6 seconds and I'm still hearing static as transmitter hasn't started operation, reach over and pick up Ipod, press buttens to cycle through the pre-saved frequencies to get to my last used frequency, still hear static, press the transmitter unit harder into the Ipod and press the cable into the unit itself to more firmly seat it, 2 seconds later the static goes away as the transmitter is now transmitting - this is 20 seconds after starting car, now I hit play and the Ipod starts working but the screen doesn't show what its playing, it just shows the main menu (explained below). If you weren't familiar with just how simple these things should be (model 33199), you might actually find this thing acceptable because it does a fair job as an actual transmitter, otherwise you would know that this current model is pretty much trash.

Also, the blocky interface plugs into the docking section, which makes the Ipod harder to handle and makes the whole unit feel more fragile (that is, it's easy to torque the block, which is only connected with a docking interface, which makes me worried about damaging either the transmitter or the Ipod at the connection point).

Worse, the device "controls" the Ipod, using the Ipod screen to read off frequencies. This control doesn't always "release" the Ipod to allow it to go back to the audio control screen, which means that if you want to fast forward or otherwise interact with the song, then you'll have to go through the menus and find the exact song / podcast you are currently listening to and click on it again to bring up the right screen (I kid you not).

Finally, as mentioned above, the last-used frequency doesn't always activate when the unit is powered off then back on, you have to manually switch back to it, amazingly ridiculous. To boot, the "clear frequency scanner" is really gimmicky, providing only marginally good frequency choices, ones that prove poor after driving a little further down the road.

None of these problems with the other unit I mentioned. My recommendation is that you STAY AWAY from this model and go with the Model 33199, much easier to use, flawless execution and a fairly strong transmitter.

Read my user tips of how to make it work.
Read my user tips of how to make it work.

First tip, there is a a moment of latency after plugging it into the cigarette lighter or plugging an iPod into it. For a few seconds but often less than five seconds, there may be static as the device is acquiring the iPod or before it begins transmitting on the FM signal.

Also, and this has to be said because it obvious some people are unaware of radio frequency warbling after reading some of the reviews, FM frequencies bleed over incrementally, in other words if you have a strong radio station broadcasting on 102.3, you're also gonna hear a weaker version of their signal on 102.1 and 102.5, this phenomena is called "warbling". It is almost funny watching the newer generation (that has never used FM radio) being introduced to the idiosyncrasies because they're trying to plug in their digital iPod into their analog car audio.

If your car FM tuner has a traditional tuner, meaning a button or analog dial that lets you rake across the entire RF range then you need to use it to find a truly unused frequency between two radio stations then tune your Belkin to it. Just using the "seek" function on your car stereo is always going to land you on a strong channel and trying to pick an empty freq off of it will perpetually frustrate you.

Some reviewers complained the device doesn't work as well in certain areas, or around mountains. That is irrational since this device is a mini radio station broadcasting to your car antenna, the reason it stops working around some mountains is because the mountains are affecting a broadcast radio station in your area and it is stronger in the spot you're having problems.

Again, the solution is to find empty airwaves for your FM tuner and this effect won't matter.

Here is a factoid that applies to most areas in the USA, National Public Radio (NPR) is often in the 89 - 91 MHz frequency range, and NPR being publicly funded doesn't have the strongest wattage so you can find an open frequency 2-3 frequencies off NPR and get clean sound with your FM mini transmitter.

Worth the Price
The Kensington 33384 QuickSeek is worth the few extra dollars. The auto seek for me is great. Take it out of the box plug it into your Ipod and it gives you the best FM station to use. No fuss. So far no static problems. For me this is a good investment just for the ease of use. The only negative is that the FM unit fits very close to the Ipod body; mine is a 30GB Video and I have to take it out of its case to connect the FM transmitter. It's small convenient and easy to use.