I am not ashamed to admit - I have a dead nine with a killed radio tape recorder and it simply does not make sense to invest in it - it’s better to dig for a new car, and leave this one “for shovels and potatoes”)



Well, what to learn - will do. But I am young and full of energy) when you have to get somewhere, you will agree, it is much more pleasant to go to the music. Under the cut - a budget version of the solution.

It's about the FM transmitter Ritmix FMT-A955 . Before that, I did not have to meet with such devices, but a quick search on the Internet gave some ideas about what is among similar devices, as well as what to expect from them.
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The principle of the FM transmitter is simple - the device, powered by a car (through the cigarette lighter socket), receives a signal from an external source (player, phone, USB flash drive) and transmits it to the radio. This is if it’s really very lame) But in practice it's still as simple.

In da box

In the unsightly box was the transmitter itself, an external microphone with a clip, a remote control, an audio cable, a spare fuse and instructions.



The device is more than modest in size and weight. At first it may seem that the device is all-metal, but in fact it is made of plastic.



It is assembled very soundly, although due to the small cost of the device, certain doubts about durability with active daily use creep in. The plug has one degree of freedom - it can always somehow be inserted into the cigarette lighter.

The transmitter has a small single-line black-red display (which, in my opinion, is an IR receiver), where various information is output. Below the display are two buttons - a green handset and a red one (for working with calls).



Below that is a sliding down (slider) panel that closes 6 buttons (three of which are responsible for switching tracks).

On the left side is the audio input, earphone jack and microphone jack - unfortunately, 2.5mm everywhere (so the same player can only be connected via a 3.5mm-2.5mm adapter from the kit). On the right is an SD / MMC card slot and a USB port.

Test

The device supports operation only in the FM range, at frequencies from 76.0 to 93.0 (with the ability to set the desired frequency with an accuracy of 0.1). Being in the very center of Moscow, unfortunately, we managed to find ONLY ONE frequency-free frequency on the radio tape recorder - 89.0. This frequency was indicated on the transmitter and ... in fact, after that, the music from the inserted flash drive immediately began to play, absolutely without any interference! In the suburbs, the same frequency is also free. The sound was no different from the sound that would have been when playing a disc.



The search for music files is performed automatically and on an 8GB flash drive lasted about 10 seconds, after which the most usual music playback began, which is nice, without interference. The transmitter can be picked around the internal folders - the main thing is that the volume of the carrier is not more than 32GB, that it has FAT32 and that there are no more than 2000 files. Unfortunately, no tags or identification marks were displayed on the radio.



In the case of connecting an MP3 player (Cowon S9) through the cable in a set, there were no problems with playback either (it even became more convenient - usual navigation and easy search, although there was a question about the placement of the player), although at the very beginning we encountered some interference in the form of crackles and a slight hiss. It was solved simply - by decreasing the volume on the radio and adding volume to the player.



About the console. What he is, of course, is only a plus. But I, for example, cannot imagine how to use it while driving — you will have to stretch your hand equally, both to the console and to the device itself. So if only from the back seat or outdoors from the street, provided that the door is open and the IR receiver is in direct view. In the rest - the remote is a little thin, it will easily fit behind a folding sunscreen thing. There are a lot of buttons on it, but all are signed and you can figure it out without any instructions)

In the glove compartment of a friend was another FM transmitter, also from Ritmix - all killed, but alive)



There, the principle of operation is exactly the same, with the exception that the device itself was powered not from the cigarette lighter, but from the device itself, into which the connector (3.5mm) was dug. Accordingly, there is no support for memory cards and other flash drives, but “transmitting” is possible not only in the car, but anywhere — it is powered by the sound source battery. What was surprising - he "interrupted" the device under test at the same frequency.

Visiting Putin)

Turn on BT on the transmitter and on the communicator. On the second we search for devices and, if successful, add the first one using the standard password 0000.



Further, at least on my phone, you can specify what to use the transmitter for - to play music, for talking or for both. Without losing anything, I chose the third item.



So, I start the player on the phone and ... right, the music starts playing in the car speakers. There were no problems in terms of signal quality or delays. And what is very convenient - you can connect any phone and listen to any music you want.



The funniest thing started when my friend and I decided to check the operation of the handsfree component of the transmitter :) He got out of the car and dialed my number - the sound of the call came from the bowels of the car.



I accept the call - I hear it perfectly, but he doesn’t. I try this way and that - I do not hear. Suddenly I remembered that there was a microphone with a clip in the kit, I took it out - unwinding it, plugging it in and trying to say something. Success is there, but variable. Actually, the whole comic situation was that we were so carried away by the process that we paid no attention to the few witnesses around. And, as you know, “imitating” a conversation is quite difficult. So it turned out something like this - a guy is standing near the car who at different volume levels generated something like, “ Come on, Putin won't wait; Now let's talk about the whole budget; ABOUT! The tank ministers are driving! Comrade President, a conference with the states will begin in two minutes; Once, “ upyachka ”, etc., and I, in an un-tinted car, tried to find a convenient place for figovinka on the wire, to which I also said something with a certain frequency :)



As you can see, nothing funny) in our harsh time ... even if we consider that two lunatics did all this not far from those red brick walls))



In general, the result is the following - the interlocutor was perfectly audible to me, but he practically did not have me. Where I didn’t place this microphone, as I didn’t say into it ... so maybe (and I’m almost certainly sure of it), this is just a problem of a specific instance. I would be happy to check on another microphone (it is on the same ears from the player), but I somehow did not contribute to the 2.5mm audio jack.
During an incoming call, the music is paused, and after a call, it is turned back on. There is no problem with dialing, by pressing the green handset on the transmitter you can redial the last called number. When you call, the number of the interlocutor is displayed on the radio.

Connect via Bluetooth with the player Cowon S9 did not work - there, it seems, only for headphones. And it’s a pity - considering its battery life ... But at the same time, connecting HD2 via Bluetooth and Cowon S9 via wire is even better - and there is music and road safety is enhanced))

Love does not love

Pros:
- Good equipment (remote control);
- Small size;
- Good workmanship and assembly;
- Support for memory cards and USB flash drives;
- Ability to work with the player through the wire, with the phone via Bluetooth;
- Handsfree function.

Minuses:
- Audio connectors 2.5mm;
- tight fit into the cigarette lighter;
- Once the free FM frequency can not be found :)
- Price.

I would like to:
- A little more informative display;
- Ability to record on a USB flash drive through a microphone (not a DVR, but already something);
- 3.5mm connectors

And I do not know from which side to consider the fact that the signal from the transmitter can, in fact, be received from a nearby car (being within the transmitter’s range) - figs with it, with music, let them listen ... but what about the calls? Here I did not test it (
As for the price, it lies in the range from 1,700 to 2,100 rubles per piece. Not so much, but, IMHO, these glands should not cost more than 1000 rubles) In any case, it is much cheaper than any radio with a USB port and even more so a separate device for creating a handsfree system.

Conclusion

In fact, the test was liked primarily by its some non-standard) It was at least interesting, what is it all about.
In practice, this was a very interesting device, but very controversial. After all, now the majority of foreign cars come with a function for wireless chatting and even more so, working with MP3. On the other hand, from memory, I don’t remember cars that would play from memory cards and ordinary USB flash drives. So you need this piece of iron for each of their own and rests only in the original data.
The radio was used the most simple, with a single-line display, however, it all worked on it. I think that on more advanced devices there would be tags on the screen and something else there ... but as a rule, in more expensive head devices there really is 99% of transmitter functionality) So, if there is a disagreeable machine, there is a little coin for wanting to listen to music, without suffering from recording discs in the car - you can note this device. In my trough with music, everything is bad, so this thing has found its use) Cheap and angry.



Ps Photos in the article were made in an accent from a friend. Recently, a link to Twitter has to hide;)
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