I am looking into getting a Slacker G2. I would like to use it in my Mazda which has a factory Bose headunit but has no mini jack or RCA inputs that I know of unless on they are on the back of radio. FM transmitters seem to suck from what I have seen. How are you guys hooking G2s to car stereos?
Slacker in car.
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Some of the Mazda's do have a CD Changer port and you can actually buy an adapter that will allow you to use that as an aux-input. However, it would require that the head unit be pulled to plug it in. If you aren't up for that, then your only alternative would be an FM Trans.
Most of the sat radio FM Transmitters are pretty weak, but there are many 3rd party FM Transmitters that are pretty decent. Since I don't use FM Transmitters I can't really make a recommendation as to which ones would be best. I know that Slacker sells an FM Trans, but how good it is I just don't know.
I don't know how old your vehicle is, but if it happens to have a cassette deck (probably not) but you can get an cassette adapter that will play the audio from the G2.
Most of the sat radio FM Transmitters are pretty weak, but there are many 3rd party FM Transmitters that are pretty decent. Since I don't use FM Transmitters I can't really make a recommendation as to which ones would be best. I know that Slacker sells an FM Trans, but how good it is I just don't know.
I don't know how old your vehicle is, but if it happens to have a cassette deck (probably not) but you can get an cassette adapter that will play the audio from the G2.
I have a FM modulator laying around and I also have a Sportster 4 dock too. But it does not have the aux in jack like one pictured. I got so much Sirius parts laying around. Their stuff does not hold up to well. I am getting tired of replacing Sirius stuff. There is a aux input that can be added to radio like you say DAB but I am not sure it would work with G2 or only iPod as it lets you control iPod through radio. Plus they are another $130.00.
Well any solution you come up with you are going to have to throw some money at it. There are no free solution unfortunately. I agree with you just ditch the Sirius stuff when you start mixing and matching you just end up with a mess.
Do some more checking because there is likely an iPod Connector (won't work with Slacker), but there is also likely an P.I.E adapter that will work with your model vehicle too, which will give you an aux-input and work with both G2 and iPod, though you won't be able to control the iPod from the radio.
Any of these you are going to have to pay!
Do some more checking because there is likely an iPod Connector (won't work with Slacker), but there is also likely an P.I.E adapter that will work with your model vehicle too, which will give you an aux-input and work with both G2 and iPod, though you won't be able to control the iPod from the radio.
Any of these you are going to have to pay!
It was indeed in their initial plans, though they were looking at one that would work via satellite. I am sure they have since reconsidered that, but certainly need to roll out a car solution. Maybe we'll get one soon, they are pretty tight lipped till it just happens.
I think other than Slacker working on the iPod Touch and iPhone, they have very little interest in integrating much else with Apple. I think that it would be up to OEM manufactures to create a slacker interface, but then how would it work without access to wifi or 3g? I don't think they are even thinking intergrated into head units at this point. But I do think they are thinking car docks that can be plugged into head units.
Many people's WiFi reaches out to where they park the car. Set up the wifi through the head unit, and when the radio senses the ignition being turned off, it looks for your wifi and resyncs if available, then shuts down. If you're on the road for a while, just change the wifi in the settings menu to somewhere with free wifi (truck stops are good and usually have restaurants) and get out and grab a bite.
And for the people that don't have wifi near their car, just have a removable memory chip type thing that can sync via USB.
I don't see why that wouldn't work...
OH it would work, no doubt about it, but the question is sellability! Could they sell enough of them to make it worth while for a manufacture of head units to integrate it. It is my opinion that there is still simply not enough demand or even those that know about Slacker.
This was the same problem with sat radio initially and to some degree it still is in that no one has jumped on board making accessories for sat radios.
It just isn't enough money there to warrant R&D and then production.
They could probably start with the aftermarket head unit companies. They love being able to say that they have tons of features. Sell as an addon and see how well it does. If that works out, go to the car manufacturers (once the economy gets better and people are buying cars again of course) show them that people are actually buying it for their aftermarket head units, and see if they're interested in integrating it into their head units.