my 2 cents.

**skeurton** · 04-17-2004, 08:11 PM

been working on putting my laptop in my car.

first of all, i have a factory stereo which means no aux input (and no adapter for one is available). i don't have a cassette player either, so a cassette adapter is out of the question as well. i resorted to a belkin tunecast II fm transmitter and it works great with my minidisc player.

secondly, the laptop is powered by a DC-DC cigarette adapter, so there was a definite problem with the ground loop. the humming and background noise was just unbearable. so i picked up a ground loop isolator from radio shack and that solved the problem about 90%.

the laptop's onboard sound isn't the best, so i picked up a soundblaster mp3+ usb sound card. this provided a significant increase in sound quality and also managed to eliminate any remaining background noise.

all in all, this audio solution cost me around $85 and i'm very satisfied with the results. just thought i'd share.

**port20** · 04-17-2004, 10:28 PM

You Got Lucky

**Banderon** · 04-17-2004, 10:29 PM

lol

**TruckinMP3** · 04-17-2004, 10:36 PM

I have read that the ground loop isolators are a temporary solution and basicaly wear out. As I do not have personal experiance with that.... Well it the noise comes back that maybe what happened.

**lgbr** · 04-18-2004, 02:30 PM

Ach. FM Transmitters make me cringe. I would buy a 4-channel amplifier so that your sound is at least CD quality. I used to use an fm transmitter with a portable mp3 player and the sound was just unbearable.

**Banderon** · 04-18-2004, 02:31 PM

FM transmitter? Jeez... I don't know how people can actually use those.

**azcowboy** · 04-18-2004, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Banderon

FM transmitter? Jeez... I don't know how people can actually use those.

OH its really easy to use. You just pull out the stuff from the box. Read the instructions once or twice or in some peoples cases, alot more than that so they can understand the instructions(I know, reading instructions is a novel concept for most people.) In some cases you are just better off getting someone more knowledgable than you to do it. You then gather the proper tools(I know another novel concept for most of you out there.) Go out to your cars and trucks, rip open the dash(Note: by rip open the dash is a figurative statement not ment to be taken literally. If you damage your vehicle I am not responsible for your lack of intellligence, remember I said some of you should get someone else to do it for you) Install the device by following the instructions step by step(yes thats another novel concept to most of you). Once you have installed the device, test it to make sure for proper operation and installation. This will save you from having to remove your dash again if you screwed it up. Once proper installation and operation is verified you can reinstall your dash if you didn't destroy it while removing it.

Now you can sit in your vehicle and listen to the substandard music your newly installed carputer and radio are producing and wonder why you did all that hard work for such poor quality sound. Then one day maybe you will realize that its not the carputer and the radio that is the problem but that stupid FM transmitter you were stupid enough to install instead of doing the best way from day one.

So you see its easy to use one of those things but you have to wonder why anyone would ever want to use one of them since the suck so badly.

**azcowboy** · 04-18-2004, 06:32 PM

Oh yeah. Just so everyone knows that post was made in fun so don't any of you more sensitive types go getting your panties in an uproar. It ain't worth it.

**j81bird** · 04-18-2004, 06:37 PM

Lol

**skeurton** · 04-18-2004, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by azcowboy

Oh yeah. Just so everyone knows that post was made in fun so don't any of you more sensitive types go getting your panties in an uproar. It ain't worth it.

that is just SOOOOO ******* funny. but i guess it's worth the waste of time for you to get in an uproar about it all to begin with. now THAT is ******* pathetic. i understand that it's your opinion, but a pathetic way to express it nonetheless.

my opinion: what i did works, i'm happy with it, and that's all that ******* matters. by all means, feel free to disagree with it. just don't be a cock gobbler about it.