Well, it finally happened – I got fed up of listening to tape adapters with wires hanging all over the place, or using FM transmitters to broadcast my iPod to my car radio. I am now the proud owner of a Dension ice>Link!!
This nifty gadget plugs in to the CD changer port of the car radio and attaches to a small piece of electronics, which in turn allows you to plug in a dock for your iPod. The dock can be mounted where you like (I chose a Brodit proclip to prevent drilling holes in the dashboard) and the iPod simply plugs in.
Now, instead of a 6CD autochanger, I have more like a 600 CD autochanger!
On the radio, the first 5 CD selections link to your first five playlists. The 6th CD choice on the radio enters you into the ice>Link set up menu on your iPod. Here you can re-activate the familiar iPod user interface which means you get to control the iPod as normal, OR use the head unit in your car… pretty cool!
To start off with you have to download a few ‘MP3’ files from Dension, and it is these which are the set up and installation files for your car – you need to get the right ones for your head unit, and then just play them as you connect the iPod for the first time.
When done, all of the iPod tracks are available to you. And the sound? Excellent – as you would expect it is CD quality and crystal clear!
There are a few bugs in the configuration software, but I expect these will get ironed out in time. The biggest is that when using the iPod UI I don’t get the correct track information displaying in the head unit… but it is no biggie – the iPod shows it anyway.
These gadgets will fit most cars – mine happens to be an Audi A3 with a ‘Concert’ radio, but you can check out
http://www.ihavetohave.it
or
http://www.ghc.co.uk
for the full range available. They even do cradles for the iPod mini – but you don’t have to have a cradle… imagine just having a dock connector in your glove box… all tucked away and nicely secured…
And all that for ��99 inc VAT.
Well… Santa was kind this year!