Sonnet Technologies PodFreq mini User Manual

User’s Guide

Premium FM Transmitter, Dock, and

Protective Case for iPod

®

mini

Introduction

This user’s guide explains how to use PodFreq mini, the premium
FM transmitter, dock, and protective case for your iPod mini.
PodFreq mini enables you to play your iPod mini’s music on any
nearby FM radio. It broadcasts the music on any frequency you
choose (between 88.1 and 107.9 MHz) to an FM radio or tuner tuned
to the same frequency. PodFreq mini incorporates mini-USB 2.0 and
standard 6-Pin FireWire® ports in its design so that you may plug in
the included USB 2.0 cable or a FireWire cable (sold separately) to
sync files between your computer and iPod mini, and charge your
iPod mini without removing it from PodFreq mini.

Requirements

PodFreq mini’s requirements are simple:

• Any iPod mini

• 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 mini

Frequency Modulation 88.1 to 107.9 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) 2.36” x 5” x 1.18” (6 x 12.7 x 3 cm)

Getting Started

This section describes the physical aspects of PodFreq mini.

Antenna - Extend the antenna completely
to achieve better transmitting performance

Upper Case - Protects iPod
mini display

Your iPod mini- 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 mini in an upright
position

Car Cradle- When attached to a
car mount (sold separately) with
the included hardware, this will
hold your PodFreq mini securely
in your car. The cradle uses a
standard AMPS/ NEC hole pattern,
commonly used for cell phone
mounts, making it compatible
with a wide variet y of car mount
solutions. Visit w ww.podfreq.
com/accessories.html for informa
tion on car mount solutions.

WARNING! Do not screw the
cradle directly onto any surface
in a vehicle.

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

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

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Mini-USB 2.0
and FireWire
Ports - Connect

PodFreq mini to
your computer
with the included
USB 2.0 cable
or a standard
FireWire cable
(sold separately)

A—Insert Your iPod mini into PodFreq mini

1. Gently squeeze the clear plastic tabs on
the sides of PodFreq mini, and then
separate the top section from the
bottom one.

2. Gently slide your iPod mini into
PodFreq mini, making sure that
it connects completely with the
dock connector.

3. Slide PodFreq mini’s top
section over your iPod
mini, making sure you
align its tabs with the
slots on the bottom
section.

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

Find an FM frequency between 88.1 and 107.9 on your radio 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 mini to Broadcast

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

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

• Press and release the play button on your iPod mini; PodFreq

Mini’s power button and display backlight will light up for
approximately 10 seconds, and then turn off. Please note,
PodFreq mini turns on automatically along with your iPod
mini. If there is no output from your iPod mini for five min­utes, PodFreq mini will shut itself off.

• 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 mini to remain on. The Power button light and display

backlight will turn off 10 seconds after you first press the button

3. Using the Up and Down tuning buttons,
tune PodFreq mini 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
mini when your radio is tuned to 93.3.

.

D—Play Your Music

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

Support Note: Unlike many other products, the iPod mini’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 mini’s EQ be set to Off.

E—Turn Off PodFreq mini

When PodFreq mini is turned on automatically when you press play
on your iPod mini, it will shut off five minutes after you stop your
iPod. When you turn on PodFreq mini using the Auto Off timer, it
shuts itself off automatically after the time you selected has elapsed.
You may also press the Power button to turn off PodFreq mini
manually.

F—Connect PodFreq mini to Your Computer

When you connect the included mini-USB cable or a standard
FireWire cable (sold separately) between your computer and PodFreq
mini, PodFreq mini becomes a dock. You can sync your iPod mini
with iTunes, transfer files between your computer and iPod mini—
you can even operate your iPod mini when PodFreq mini is con
nected to your computer. Your iPod mini’s battery will charge while
PodFreq mini is connected to your computer.

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Troubleshooting

Problem What to Check

Power button and display
backlight are not lit

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

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

To save power, the Power button’s light and display backlight
shut off ten seconds after PodFreq mini turns on ; this is nor
mal operation.

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

• Distance - Try moving PodFreq mini closer to the radio. The
effective transmitting range will decrease with distance;
objects and walls between PodFreq mini and the FM tuner
or radio's antenna will also af fect 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 mini 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
(problematic in and near larger cities) may cause inter fer
ence; try selecting another frequency.

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

• iPod mini EQ is on - When any EQ setting other than Off is
selected on iPod mini, especially any setting that increases
the bass, the sound from iPod mini may be distorted.
Unfortunately, this is normal, as the distortion may also be
heard through the headphones; this is an iPod mini issue.
Choose the EQ Off setting for the best sound quality.

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FCC Compliance

PodFreq mini 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.

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:

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Sonnet Customer Service:
Tel: [phone]

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

Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
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.

©2005 Sonnet Technologies, Inc. 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 own

specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in China. UG-FMT-IPOD-MINI-052705

ers. Product

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