View Full Version : FM Transmitter "beeping"?
BI30
Mar 31, 2009, 08:03 AM
I purchased one of those cheap FM Transmitters that you plug into your portable CD/MP3 player or iPod headset jack so you can play it through your car stereo. It works fine, but it produces an audible repetitive "beeping" sound in the background that's very annoying. Even with nothing playing, it still beeps (and goes away when I turn the unit off, confirming it is the transmitter.)
This appears to be a common problem because I've since found transmitters that advertise "No beeping!" in their ads.
Is there any way to suppress/filter this annoying beeping sound coming from the transmitter rather than buy yet another transmitter to replace the one I just bought?
Thanks.
Stratmando
Apr 1, 2009, 05:37 AM
Try on your home stereo, or try a different frequency.
BI30
Apr 1, 2009, 05:59 AM
Thanks for the reply.
All obvious solutions have been tried. I should have mentioned that. It's not the station nor the radio.
Stratmando
Apr 1, 2009, 06:04 AM
Since you tried the obvious ones, I hate to suggest a different source, Try plugging into Computer and listen on FM Radio?
BI30
Apr 1, 2009, 09:04 AM
Since you tried the obvious ones, I hate to suggest a different source, Try plugging into Computer and listen on FM Radio?
Actually, that's exactly how I'm using it. (I bought it to replace two failing wireless surround-sound speakers connected to my PC. Seemed like a clever solution, replacing a $100 wireless speaker system with a $5 FM transmitter and my existing stereo with replaceable speakers. It works, but the annoying background noise makes it too irritating for regular use.)
But "how I'm using it" doesn't matter. It has a built-in battery, so I was able to unplug it, take it into another room (it only has about a 15' range) and turn it on in the presence of my bedroom clock/radio (tuned in to the same station as the unit). Even with no audio source (or anything else) plugged into it, you can still hear the annoying background hum & "beeping".
The unit allows me to transmit to any station across the FM band (not just a select few stations like some other models), so I can fine tune it for best results, but the result is always the same (low band or high): the unit produces the same background hum & audible "beeps" (a quiet repeating tone around a second long).
I'm wondering if these problems are an unavoidable side-effect of using an FM transmitter?
(PS: I found a photo of the transmitter, a "CY-688", here (http://lakeweb.com/rf/fm_trans/index_files/image002.jpg).)
bearcatk
Aug 1, 2009, 07:06 AM
You mite of turned the volum to loud and mite of broke the 88-108mhz transmitter or maybe the wire to connect to the mp3 is picking up interferon's
BI30
Aug 1, 2009, 10:24 AM
you mite of turned the volum to loud
Thanks for the reply.
When I first tried the transmitter, my PC was at its normal volume. It is unlikely I damaged the transmitter in that way. (Such damage would more likely produce a steady "hum" or high-pitched squeal rather than a cyclical beeping.)
It appears that the "beeping" is a design defect (supposedly) common to cheap FM transmitters (a result of the transmitter maintaining a link between it and the stereo). I was hoping there was a way to disable or filter it.
Damn shame too because it otherwise is an excellent transmitter for the very purpose I was hoping to use it for. Powered/recharged via the USB port, can select ANY frequency up to 108.1, and fantastic range (even reaching my bedroom over 45 feet away) without any modification.