UPDATE (10/9/12):
It appears they combined listings with this item and an identical transmitter that I had bought after returning this one, so I am updating my review for both of them here.
As of a few months ago, the 1/8" wired connection between the transmitter and headphone plug for the phone started to short out. If you bumped it, it would cause static and the stereo would go out (only one or the other channel would play). Sometimes nothing would come out at all. Clearly an issue with the soldering inside the unit.
So, in the end, as seen below, both the mic portion of the unit failed completely, and then the audio wire connection began failing to the point of it becoming unusable.
This is a great idea for a product, but it's clearly not made very well. I eventually realized that my JVC deck had an external input and got the cable for that 3.5MM AUDIO AUX INPUT iPOD MP3 U57 U29 PD100 for JVC KS-U58, which connects to the headphone out of my phone. It will let the mic in the phone operate during a phone call, and broadcasts the audio over the car speakers, which works fine (no feedback).
Bottom line, I would not buy this product unless you want the possibility of having to replace it every 4-5 months.
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UPDATE (2/23/12):
I ended up returning this a few months ago, as the mic eventually quit working completely. I tested it by calling my home cordless phone from inside the car, and absolutely no sound was transmitted from the mic during the call.
This would not be a problem if the unit did not have a built-in mic and let you use the mic on the phone. However, because it has a mic-ouput on the cable, the phone is forced to use the device's built-in mic, and so if you want a good quality output for whoever you're calling, you'll have to switch to speaker-phone on your phone (defeating the purpose of the device).
I bought another one of this item from a different listing here on Amazon, and it has been working fine. The mic quality isn't great, but is still better than this one ever was. It must be a matter of QC not being regulated very well by whoever makes this device.
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This is a great idea for a device for times when driving in cars without high-end stereos, where you want to access phone audio. I am using it with an HTC Thunderbolt phone through a mid-level JVC HD radio/CD deck.
It does what it says, so I'll only list the downsides:
1) The built-in mic does not work well. People on the other end tell me they cannot hear me very well. Don't expect this to be like a bluetooth speakerphone or headset. It will sometimes cause a flapping sound like wind in the background, and makes you sound tinny. You have to speak pretty loudly to be adequately heard on the other end. It is nice to be able to hear the other end through the car stereo, but your end (the mic) is not very kind to them.
2) The way the lighter plug sits is not very secure, so the weight of the phone can sometimes pull it to one side. It's pretty easy to reorient the device, so it's not a big deal, but it could have likely been made to seat more securely.
3) The FM transmitter sometimes introduces noise. This may be related to the power source, and could vary from car to car. It also does not seem to boost the line voltage of the 1/8" out from your phone, so you will likely have to turn up your stereo's volume more when using this compared to using the stereo's regular inputs like the radio, CD, etc. For example, using CDs, usually 18-20 is the loudest that I'll play something, and about the same for the radio. To get equal volume from this device, I have to turn up to around 25-30 (even with the phone's media output volume set as high as possible). This also makes for a pain when you turn off the device while the radio is still on (forgetting to turn it down first), so that you'll suddenly get very loud static from the FM station that is no longer broadcasting the device's audio feed.
Overall, this is a good device, especially for the price. It still transmits a good portion of the audio spectrum, so you don't lose bass from your music, etc. The built-in charger is nice too. However, the lack of a good mic really takes away from its overall impression and usability.
I bought this holder for my HTC EVO because I have an Otter box on it. I have bought the Sprint holder and two other holders and they all sucked. None of them would not hold my phone and Otter box. So if anyone out there has the HTC and an Otter box on it this is the holder for you.
Buy GTMax Black 3.5mm FM Transmitter Car Charger for HTC EVO Shift 6100 4G, ThunderBolt, Wildfire (CDMA Now
I would recommend this product for anybody interested in a product for HTC EVO 3D. The product works great but my only complaint is my phone doesn't stay in the dock station. When you turn corners the dock station rotates and phone will fall out. Also with most older vehicles the cigarette lighter is on the left side and my cause difficulty when driving. Overall this is a good product and works well with newer vehicles.
Read Best Reviews of GTMax Black 3.5mm FM Transmitter Car Charger for HTC EVO Shift 6100 4G, ThunderBolt, Wildfire (CDMA Here
i recieved my product well before the date that i expected which was great! however, i was somewhat disappointed in the fact that in the picture, the device is shown with an iphone in it, but when i got it, there were no cords to hook up an iphone. i had to use the one that came with my phone. i was fine with this but if you are planning on buying this product, just know that you will have to have an extra iphone cord lying around that you can use. when i did get it all hooked up, i was very pleased with the way it sounded and how it fit and looked in my car!!
Want GTMax Black 3.5mm FM Transmitter Car Charger for HTC EVO Shift 6100 4G, ThunderBolt, Wildfire (CDMA Discount?
I bought this for use with my HTC Evo in a 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser, which is probably not the ideal combination for this device. The size of the phone I use with it as well as the location of the power outlet in the car cause some issues with the shifter, but that is not the fault of the device. The Evo is probably the largest device that the clamping mechanism will hold, and I actually remove the phone from its case when I place it in the clamp. Probably not an issue on smaller devices, but it is one I can live with. The transmitter on the device works well, transmitting the signal from my phone into the car stereo via FM radio. The sound quality is in line with other FM transmitters I have used in the past, with a slight "hiss" audible most of the time. It isn't a deal breaker, and is probably just the nature of these types of devices. It works well enough. I have a similar device for my Zune mp3 player which cost much more and this device works as well as that one.
The neck on the device is adequate enough to hold the phone vertically when driving. I was concerned that the thing would fall over while driving around a corner, but it seems to fit snugly in the power outlet of the car. Unfortunately, the clamp mechanism will only hold the phone in the portrait view, and cannot be rotated to landscape view. This makes using the navigation function on my phone a little clumsy. I found that trying to manipulate the device so that the phone is close to the landscape view causes the weight of the thing to be too far off center and it will just fall over. This would be a five-star device if it had the ability to be placed in landscape view.
Overall, I am satisfied with the way this device performs. It's not perfect, but it does a good job transmitting the signal from the phone, either music or phone calls.
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Yep, it tests a 12V battery and can help determine how much energy is being supplied by your alternator. The best part of this device is that no internal batteries are required. Nice.
