In an effort to save paying over $350 for the ACM kit I've gone the FM modulator route. I installed the 'no name' unit a few months ago. Since then I've had problems with background noise. But it's not that alternator whine because it's there with or without the engine running. It's a high pitch whine. And it's different depending on which iPod or iPhone I'm listening to.

The connections are all sound. The power is spliced into the cigar lighter and the earth/ground is tightly connected onto one of the screws that hold the J-Gate in.

I can eliminate the noise by installing the pictured ground loop isolator between the iPod connector and the FM modulator. But as this reduces the voltage to the iPod it plays nicely but won't charge. So obviously that kind of defeats the object.

So, questions....

1, should I spend a little more on an iSimple FM modulator?

2, any ideas on different noise isolators?

3, anyone have a Jag ACM they want to sell me?

 

Hooking up IPods and other players is a popular discussion here in the forum. You will find many discussions if you poke around, but yours is the first to mention background noise.

May I suggest you simply burn a few CD-R of your favorite music and use those instead of the IPod. The factory music system in the X Type is quite nice, and a good playlist of your favorites burned to discs without the MPEG compression of an IPod would seem preferable to choppy, compressed music.

Fiddling with an IPod while you are driving is on par with texting and driving, too.

Too distracting.

 

I vote for the ACM. I installed it myself as you know and it was the best upgrade to my car yet.

Personally, I would get the ACM now as the price seems to be constantly increasing. I don't have one to sell you but you should be able to find them online for ~$385. You may even get lucky and find one on ebay.

 

I've found one for a lot less than that! But it's minus the splitter box?
Would it work without?

 

If you're referring to the ebay listing you posted in another thread then sadly, no.

That box is the main component of the system and it does more than just act as a splitter. It is more of a computerized device that fools the head unit into thinking that it's a CD changer.

Since it runs on a fiber optic network it is a fairly complex device and I doubt it would be easy to replicate it.

 

I have an ACM i would sell for $400 but that's the least i could take for it.