Using your iPod in your Car

Using an iPod in your car can be difficult if you aren’t familiar with the different options. Here are six ways to listen to your iPod inside your car.

• Use Headphones – I have seen many people do this. It is not a safe way to listen to your iPod in your car. If you do this, you should make sure you always leave one ear free to listen to traffic.
• Cassette Adapter – For $10 to $15 you can find a cassette adapter that plugs into your car stereo tape player. While these work fairly well, the sound quality is not very good.
Advice – Compatibility. The second thing to look for when finding a good iPod media download site is one that offers services that are compatible with older iPods.
• Radio Transmitter – There are devices that plug into your iPod and transmit to your car stereo. The quality isn’t particularly great, but it is a simple way to play your iPod through your car stereo without dealing with wires or complicated setup. Not all vehicles have stereo’s that can receive these type of transmissions, so you will have to test it to make sure it will work for you.
• Auxiliary Input – Many car stereo’s have an input jack that you can plug the iPod’s headphone connector into. This gives good sound, but still requires you to use the iPod controls to change songs.
• Stereo Integration – Some car stereos can talk directly to your iPod. With this type of integration, you can control the iPod just like the radio.
• Stereo Integration Add-on Box – Some stereos are compatible with third-party add-on boxes that connect between the iPod and your stereo. Usually these boxes plug into the CD changer input and allow you to treat your iPod as if it were a CD changer.