I POd Jack

[claydoctor]

How well does plugging your satellite radio into the console I pod jack work? I tried it when i got my 4-runner about 75,000 miles ago and it sounded awful so I never tried it again. Some have said it may have been the Radio Shack wire I used. Anyone else had better results?

 

[SubSonic]

I use the jack for my MP3 player (not an iPod) and once I figured out the equalizer and sound settings, it sounds OK going through the stereo (which has its own settings available too - doubling up on EQ settings can yield less than desirable results). You definitely need a higher quality patch cord. I tried one from the RatShack (1ft RatShack standard cable) and it was very low quality. I bought some plugs, some higher quality cable, and made my own. It did help the sound Q. The big thing was to come up with a "custom EQ" setting in my MP3 player and save it as '4Runner' so I can just change it to that setting when I am in the truck.

You just have to also remember that sat rad is not CD quality, and be sure to use as high a quality patch cable as you can, and it will be OK. Will certainly be better than using any form of FM transfer or modulation.

I used a Toyota/Lexus/Scion translator interface to connect my Sirius directly to my 4R's navradio and the sound Q is better than FM, but still not CD quality (and never will being as it is a sub-CD quality source to begin with). It is worth it tho, since the navradio can control my Sirius and all my tunes outside of my MP3 player - a Samsung P2 8GB w/touchscreen.

 

[claydoctor]

Mine is a 2006. I have been using the FM modulation built into the satellite radio but it seems like two days after I find a vacant FM frequency to use, the FCC gives some clown a license to broadcast on it. Also it's a pain on interstates when you drive through some town that has a station using that frequency. Nothing like trying to change the FM modulation frequency at 70mph. I'm also not sure that my XM choices have been improved by the merger. I know they screwed up X country. Replaced it with Outlaw country, the programmers of which somehow include cuts by Liitle Richard, which, I'm sure, would surprise even him.

 

[Paul06Sport]

I have a Starmate Replay installed in my other (read "non-toyota") car, and it has an adapter that plugs into the "fm out" jack. This plug somehow interrupts the regular FM antenna when it detects a signal from the sat receiver. no intereference. the only downside is that you won't be able to pull in any regular fm stations while the sat receiver is connected.

I typically only connect it when I'm having a problem with static (usually someone else's fm transmitter).

I'm still debating on how I want to connect my starmate to my new (to me) '06 Sport. I have it jury-rigged right now with the windshield mount, and wires all over the place, and the sound quality is pretty bad compared to how it is in my other car.

 

[claydoctor]

I went to Best Buy and paid $15 for a shielded 6 ft coiled patch cord. I plugged it in and there was a small amount of buzz and the volume was down compared to using the FM modulation. I need to mess with it some more. Apparently there is a volume adjustment in the Sat Rad unit.