Sonnet Technologies PodFreq User Manual

User’s Guide

•

Premium FM Transmitter for iPod

www.podfreq.com

Introduction

This user’s guide explains how to use PodFreq, the premium FM transmitter for your iPod. PodFreq broadcasts to any analog or digital FM tuner, and enables you to transmit your iPod’s music on any fre

quency from 88.3 to 107.7 MHz to a FM radio or tuner tuned to the same frequency. PodFreq incorporates mini-USB 2.0 and standard 6Pin FireWire® ports in its design so that you may plug in a cable (sold separately) to transfer ﬁles between your computer and iPod, sync your ﬁles with iTunes

, and even charge your iPod without removing

it from PodFreq.

Requirements

PodFreq’s requirements are simple:

• Any compatible iPod w/dock connector (excluding iPod mini and iPod nano)

• FM tuner (analog or digital, connected to an antenna)

Technical Specifications

Antenna Telescoping, 8.6" (21.8 cm) when fully extended

Power Requirement No batteries or power cables; powered by the iPod

Frequency Modulation 88.3 to 107.7 MHz

Tuning Type Digital tuning, tunes in 0.1 MHz steps, last station recall

Stereo Separation Greater than 40dB

Auto Level Control Built-in to prevent sound distortion

Signal-to-Noise Ratio Greater than 45dB (Stereo) 15 kHz LPF

Modulation Distortion Less than 0.5%

Transmitter Range 10–35 feet (3–10.7 m), depending on FM receiver/antenna

Frequency Response 50 Hz to 15 kHz

Ports Mini-USB 2.0 and 6-Pin FireWire

Dimensions (WxHxD) 2.87" x 5.46" x 1.35" (7.3 x 13.9 x 3.4 cm)

Getting Started

This section describes the physical aspects of PodFreq.

Antenna - Extend the antenna completely to achieve better transmitting perfor mance.

Your iPod- Sold separately, of course.

Power Button - Press and release to turn the power on or off; press and hold until Auto Off appears on the display to activate the auto matic off timer (1, 2, 3, 4, or 8 hours).

Stand - The stand swivels out to allow you to place PodFreq in an upright position.

Car Cradle- When attached to a car mount (sold separately) with the included hardware, this will hold your PodFreq securely in your car. The cradle uses a standard AMPS/ NEC hole pattern, commonly used for cell phone mounts, mak ing it compatible with a wide variety of car mount solu tions. Visit www.podfreq. com/accessories.html for information on car mount solutions.

Latch - The latch secures PodFreq’s case around your iPod.

Display - Shows the selected broadcast frequency, as well as the automatic off timer indicator.

Up/Down Tuning Buttons Press to select a broadcast frequency.

FireWire and mini-USB 2.0 Ports - Connect

PodFreq to your computer with a standard FireWire cable, or a USB cable with a mini connector on one end (sold separately).

A—Insert Your iPod into PodFreq

1. Pull the bottom of

the latch away from PodFreq.

4. Open PodFreq’s top. If you are using

a 30 or 40GB 3G iPod (with 4 but tons) or a 40 or 60GB iPod wit h color display, skip to step 5. Otherwise, slide the required spacer pad or pads (see table at right) inside PodFreq behind the dock connector.

5. Gently slide your iPod into PodFreq, making sure that it connects completely with the dock connector. Please note, you may have to press

on your iPod to make it mate properly with the dock connector; the dock connector will learn the new position. If your iPod is turned of f when

you connect it to PodFreq, the iPod makes a

2. Lift the latch up and away from PodFreq.

iPod Model Pad Spacers

10, 15, or 20GB 3G (4 button) Thick —

30 or 40GB 3G (4 button)

20GB 4G (Click Wheel) Thick Thin

40GB (Click Wheel) — Thin

20 or 30GB iPod w/color disp. Thick

40 or 60GB iPod w/color disp.

30GB iPod (video) Both Thick

60GB iPod (video) Thin Thick

noise; this is normal

operation. Close

PodFreq’s

top.

3. If you are using a 20 or 40GB 4G iPod (grayscale display, with click wheel), or a 30 or 60GB iPod (video) model, attach the included adhesive spacers (see table next to step 4 for specific information). If you are using any other iPod, go to the next step.

6. Hook the PodFreq’s latch.

Spacers

7. Snap the latch

— —

—

— —

closed on PodFreq.

B—Find an “Empty” Station on the FM Band

Find a FM frequency between 88.3 and 107.7 on your radio’s or tuner’s FM band that has no radio station broadcasting on it, or when that’s not possible, ﬁnd the one with the weakest radio station broadcast.

C—Set Up PodFreq to Broadcast

1. Pull up the antenna on the back of PodFreq until it is fully extended.

2. Turn on PodFreq; there are two ways to do this:

• Press and release the Power button; the button will light up for

approximately 10 seconds, and then turn off. Please note, PodFreq operates independently of your iPod; when you turn on PodFreq using this method, it will not turn off until you press the Power button again.

• Press and hold the Power button until “Auto

Off” appears on the display, followed by “1hr”, “2hr”, “3hr”, “4hr”, or “8hr”; release the button when you choose the number of hours you want PodFreq to remain on. The Power button light will turn off

approximately 10 seconds after you ﬁrst press it

3. Using the Up and Down tuning buttons, tune PodFreq to the same frequency you chose on your radio. If the radio you are using has digital tuning, be sure to select the exact same number. Otherwise, the sound quality will be affected. For instance, the sound quality may be poor if you select 93.2 on PodFreq when your radio is tuned to 93.3.

D—Play Your Music

Select your music as you would when you listen to your iPod through headphones, and press play; you should hear the music through the radio. Because PodFreq uses the line level output signal from the iPod, its volume control will have no effect; adjust the volume on the radio.

Support Note: Unlike many other products, the iPod’s line

level output signal is affected by its EQ settings. You may want to experiment with various EQ settings to achieve the best sound quality, as some settings which increase bass may introduce distortion; Sonnet recommends that the iPod’s EQ be set to Off.

E—Turn Off PodFreq

When you turn on PodFreq using the Auto Off timer, it shuts itself off automatically. However, when you turn on PodFreq simply by pressing the Power button, you must turn it off manually. Press the Power button to turn off PodFreq manually.

F—Connect PodFreq to Your Computer

When you connect a mini-USB cable or standard FireWire cable between your computer and iPod, PodFreq becomes a dock. You can sync your iPod with iTunes, transfer ﬁles between your computer and iPod—you can even operate your iPod when PodFreq is connected to your computer.

Troubleshooting

Problem What to Check

Power button’s light is not lit To save power, the Power button’s light shuts off after you

Weak reception • Antennas - Verify PodFreq’s antenna is fully extended, and if

Distorted sound • Different tuning frequencies - Verify that PodFreq’s broadcast

release it; this is nor mal operation.

you’re using a portable radio, make sure its antenna is also fully extended.

• Distance - Try moving PodFreq closer to the radio. The ef fec tive transmitting range will decrease with distance; objects and walls between PodFreq and the FM tuner or radio’s antenna will also affect reception.

• Radio station on the same frequency - If there is a radio station broadcasting on the frequency you chose, reception will be affected ; this is especially important to remember when you use PodFreq in a moving vehicle.

• Strong adjacent radio station(s) - The presence of a strong radio station on a frequency near the one you’ve chosen may cause interference; try selec ting another frequency.

frequency is the same as the one you chose on the FM tuner. If you are using an analog tuner, try fine-tuning the dial to hear clearer sound.

• iPod EQ is on - When any EQ setting other than Off is select- ed on the iPod, especially any that increase the bass, the sound from the iPod may be dis torted. Unfortunately, this is normal, as the distor tion may also be heard through the headphones; this is an iPod issue. Choose the EQ Off setting for the best sound quality.

FCC Compliance

PodFreq complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference, AND this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Notice: Changes or modiﬁcations not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Limited Warranty

Sonnet Technologies, Inc. warrants that this product shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year following the date of original purchase. For complete warranty information, go to www.podfreq.com.

Contacting Customer Service

The Sonnet web site located at www.sonnettech.com has the most current support information and technical updates.

Before you call Sonnet Customer Service, please check our web site for the latest updates and online support files, and check this user’s guide for helpful information. When you call Sonnet Customer Service, have the following information available so our customer service staff can better assist you:

• Product name • Date and place of purchase • iPod model

If further assistance is needed, please contact us at:

Sonnet Customer Service: Tel: 1-949-472-2772

(Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific Time)

Fax: 1-949-457-6350 E-mail: support@sonnettech.com Online Service Form: http://serviceform.sonnettech.com

Visit Our Web Site

For the most current product information and online support ﬁles, visit the Sonnet web site at www.sonnettech.com. Remember to reg ister your product online at http://registration.sonnettech.com to be informed of future upgrades and product releases.

©2004 Sonnet Technologies, Inc. Revised 2005. All rights reserved. Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, Simply Fast, the Simply Fast logotype, PodFreq, and the PodFreq logotype are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc . Macintosh, Mac, iPod, and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Product

specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in China. UG-FMT-IPOD-E-I-111605