Dension iPod car kits are a great option for those who want to be able to listen to their entire music library on-the-go. Dension has a variety of car kits available, ranging from a simple auxiliary cable, to an active dock which charges your iPod while it plays. Another popular model is the Dension ice>Link one, which works with virtually every vehicle, and plays your iPod via seven user-selectable FM frequencies. (Of course, with this model, getting great sound quality isn’t difficult to obtain, as its hard-wired connection into the radio aerial, and blocks out additional frequencies. The most popular and user-friendly models appear to be the Dension Gateway 100 and 300.

The Dension Gateway models (100 and 300) allow users to play music from their iPod (or any USB media player) through their car’s stereo. Users can choose to control their music and options through the Gateway user interface, located on the car’s dashboard, or via their iPod clickwheel. The Gateway also charges the iPod as it plays, and users can see album, artist and track title information on the dashboard screen (Where compatible), instead of having to look at their iPod’s screen while they are driving. Optional accessories include a Dension BTA1500 model (compatible with the gateway 500), which allows the user to make handsfree phone calls and play music stored on a mobile phone, or a Dension AVR, for playing iPod videos and DVDs. Available features vary, depending on the vehicle, but there is a Gateway interface that allows iPod integration available for just about every car.

If (like many of our iPod Car Kit customer) there isnt a fully integrated kit for your vehicle then previously your outlook was bleek. You had to settle for a poor transmittion system which sent your iPods audio signal via airwaves to your car stereo. This method is very basic and simply asking for nearby radio stations to use their stronger signals to interfere with your iPod Car Kit. The result of this was very pooe quality audio – if any at all!

The answer came around a year or two ago when Dension decided to make their first HARD-WIRED FM kit. It worked by sending the iPods audio via a wire, insterad of through airwaves. This was a huge success and improved the quality of audio no end.

Since then, a few brands have jumped onboard using the same design but evolving it slightly. Dension made a second version called the Dension Ice Link One which had a clever auto-switch inside the unit which electronically unplugged the cars aerial when the iPod was playing and when the iPod stopped playing it would reconnect the aerial. This would make interference impossible.

Dice Electronics came next with their Dice FM-RDS, promising to revolutionize the universal iPod Car Kit. They had been developing a system which uses the same base model as the Dension but took advantage of the radios ability to display RDS information. Dice Electronics adapter their kit to allow the iPods Track Information (ID3 Tagging) to be sent through to the cars display! What a great idea!

Connects 2 have delved back into the fold now with the Connects2 iPlug-RDS TX MK2. They have evolved the Dice Electronics kit even further by creating a similar kit which has all the great features but also includes a remote control! This allows you to skip tracks from the device instead of from the iPod! Not only have Connects2 managed to create such a cracking peice of kit, they have also managed to roll it out at a cracking price! Coming in at only £110 RRP (iPod Car Kit Direct Price – £79.97) it stands to compete with the Dension Ice Link One and the Dice FM-RDS kits all the way!

We have been hitting stumbling blocks recently with misconceived ideas about FM Modulation when connecting an Apple iPod into your vehicle. Understandably, people get confused between Modulation and Transmission. We are here to set the record straight as these thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here are a few questions that we get asked and our answers:

Will I receive interference?

Absolutely not, no. There are a number of features that make sure this isn’t possible with Modulation;

·         It doesn’t transmit through airwaves as it is fully hard wired so radio stations signals cannot be received by your iPods signal.

·         As it’s fully hard-wired, the iPods signal is being sent down a wire, just like you would expect from an Auxiliary wire or a CD Changer wire.

·         The Modulator kits have a electrical "on/off" switch which physically block out your cars aerial when the iPod is connected to the kit, meaning that your aerial isn’t even connected.

Does it charge the iPod?

It does indeed. All the iPods will receive a full charge from the iPod car kit.

How hard is it to install?

Installation takes about 30 minutes at the maximum. The kit just needs to plug in to the rear of the stereo, it’s that simple.

How good will the audio quality be?

This will be similar to what you would expect from DAB, very close to CD Quality. On 99.9% of installations, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the iPod and your CDs, especially when you take into account the road noise coming from the car.

Why can’t I have a fully integrated kit like the Dension Gateway devices or the Dice Electronics Car Kits?

There are a few things that might stop you being able to use a fully integrated kit:

·         Your stereo doesn’t have a CD Changer port, therefore not being able to connect into the cars stereo

·         Your stereo simply isn’t good enough, this could be due to the lack of processing speed, the lack of software support or even because it is too advanced!

·         You just might not want to spend the amount of money that a fully integrated car kit costs

Are there any advantages of having a Modulator over an integrated kit?

There are a few, yes. Firstly the price, the Universal Modulator kits from Dension and Dice come in at £69.97 and £79.97 respectively. This can be a saving of around £40 over a fully integrated iPod Car Kit. Secondly, the kits come as standard with the iPod connection, unlike the integrated kits where you have to add the cable or cradle into the kit. Thirdly, the installation can be easier; it could save you an hour of labor!

We hope this might clear a few things up for you guys, if not then you are more than welcome to contact us at anytime.

We would like to inform anybody that are looking to buy Dension Gateway iPod kits from ANY source – whether it be online or offline – to be very careful.

iPodCarKitDirect & Dension have been informed of a number of “Grey stock” items which have been imported illegally or through the wrong channels are worming their way into the UK market.

When buying an iPod kit for your car, please double check that the items you ordering are legitimate otherwise the Dension warranty will be void. If you are aware of anybody selling these kits then please inform ourselves.

There are VERY FEW legitimate online dealers of Dension iPod kits, for a full list visit the following link:
http://www.dension.com/dealers.php

OK, so you are probably thinking “How do i tell if the people selling me the Dension kit are buying them from the correct source?” Well the answer is simple:

When you buy, ask the retailer if they can tell you the serial number on the item, the serial number is always found on a Dension sticker on the bottom of the unit. If they cannot provide this then they don’t have one – meaning that the stock is NOT to be trusted.

If you already have an item purchased from anywhere which doesn’t have a sticker then please contact them to discuss.

Dension have been working very hard behind the scenes to make sure that all you guys with new Apple iPod’s and the new Apple iPhone can have them mounted on your dash in a cradle.

Previously, if you wanted a Dension Gateway kit that would hold your iPod or iPhone, you would have to have gone for the Dension Dock Cable and stored your iPod or iPhone in your glove box – NOT ANY MORE.

Dension have just released sleeves/inserts which will come with the Dension Active Cradle as standard on any order from now on. They will allow all new iPods to fit into the Dension Active Cradle as well as the iPhone.

This is very exciting news for our customers, many of which have been waiting for this for a long time!

If you already have a Dension Active Cradle and DON’T have the sleeve/insert for the new iPods and iPhone then fear not, these will be available soon to be purchased separately.

iPod Car Kit Direct recently had a stand over at a big car show. We had plans to try and push the idea that FM modulators are “crap” for lack of a better word.

For a long time now FM modulators have been misconceived and people automatically link them to a transmitter, this is the biggest misconception that you are likely to make when trying to find an iPod kit to connect into your factory fitted radio.

We at iPod Car Kit Direct want to redesign the way people think when they see FM Modulators. The effect we had when we changed peoples minds on the matter was astonishing. Most people were seriously amazed with the quality of audio through the Dension and DICE FM Modulator kits.

An FM Modulator doesn’t send FM signals through any airwaves or to any satellites and back down to the stereo. It connects into the stereo hard wired, sending a digital signal down a wire. The quality is comparable to DAB signals and when the iPod is connected the car aerial is disconnected through an automatic switch in the kit.

We were pleased with the reaction of people at the show and will continue to develop and push FM modulation for people who cant get a fully integrated kit for their iPod or just simply don’t have the budget.

Get the most out of your iPod on the move. Dension and Dice both produce car kits that allow you to get the most from your iPod. Search through your Songs, play-list and albums to find the music, Pod-casts & Videos that you want to listen to when you want to listen to them. Get your Music on the move with the iPod Car Kit.

Choose the best Kit for you by selecting factory fitted radios, choosing your car, and then choose the kits that will work best for you. Simple

All iPod Car Kits are available at www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk

Dension are in the process of updating their product range and part numbers making selecting a product for your specific car make and model easier, faster and providing a superior in-car experience. The range will also have some new exciting additions including the:

• Dension ice Link One
• Dension ice Link Gateway 100
• Dension ice Link Gateway 200i
• Dension Bluetooth Adapter for Gateway 100/300/500
• Dension CD Changer Retention Adapter for new Gateway 100 / 300 (the Gateway 100 replaces the ice Link Plus)

The Dension ice Link One is a new addition to the Dension ice Link FM Modulator range.

The Dension ice Link Gateway 100 is a new addition to the Dension ice Link Plus range.

The Dension ice Link Gateway 200i is the new Dension product compatile with Portable Sat Navigation devices enabling mute of your iPod Tunes when the navigation prompts directions through your car speakers. Also providing bluetooth handsfree functionality via portable navigation.

The Dension Bluetooth Adapter connects smartphones and PDA’s for: music / hands free calling / navigation.

The Dension CD Changer Retention Adapter is for use with the new Dension Gateway 100 and Existing Dension Gateway 300 and enables the use of CD Changer when fitting a Dension Adapter

More info soon on available dates and the new Dension product range of iPod Car kits and iPod Accessories.
  

iPods are portable, digital, audio MP3 players marketed by Apple Computers. They are the latest revolution in MP3 players. They can also store data and act as an external data storage device, when connected to the computer.