Getting the iSound working is easy. Hook the adapter to the Treo's earphone jack, connect the transmitter's reeled cable (stretch it out by pulling both ends or it'll tangle), and plug the cable into the FM transmitter.
Turn your radio on, run its volume up a fourth of the way, and tune it to an empty spot on the dial. Find a frequency with no commercials, no music, no rap, no preaching, no station - only a soft fuzzzzzzzz coming out � the wondrous sound of unused FM air. If you can't find any fuzz, look for a spot where you hear only a weak station, as the transmitter might be able to overpower what's there. Worth a try if there's no other choice, and this depends on the density of stations on the FM band where you live.
Power the transmitter by some means you can live with, and turn it on (the big round button). Here we depart from the instructions.
Turn your Treo on and get some music or an eBook flowing. You won't hear anything on the Treo's speaker. It detects when its earphone jack is in use, and shuts off its speaker.
With all ready, turn on the FM transmitter. It goes through some electronic gyrations, its screen says "link," then displays its default frequency, 88.1 mHz. Don't use that one unless it's a quiet spot on the FM band in your area. Change the transmit frequency by mashing (technical term) the arrow-shaped buttons on the iSound. The right-arrow button raises transmitter frequency by 0.1 mHz. Hold the button down for a faster roll in tenths of megahertzes. The impatient among us need the express button (smaller round one, left side), which conveniently jumps by many megahertz. By whichever means, when the frequency reaches 107.9 mHz it wraps around and starts over again from 88.1.
While sound plays through the Treo into the iSound and comes out the radio, fine tune either the transmitter or the radio's frequency. In a room or office, you can set it once and get on with your knitting. In a car, you'll probably have to twiddle with it from time to time as miles tick by.
If your radio has an old, as in Jurassic, analog tuning dial (like the reviewer's office boombox), look around for a quiet spot on the FM band first. From the dial's numbers, guesstimate the frequency and set the system transmitting music. You can then simply feel around with the analog dial to tune in the iSound�s broadcast. Adjust the transmitter in 0.1 mHz increments up or down to maximize reception.
In a radio-busy area like a large city, finding a "clear" area on the FM dial can be tricky. Moreover, on a long road trip, you might pick up different collections of stations as you travel, so changing the frequency could become necessary. You'll know when. The reception will go crummy (technical term), or a commercial station will overpower your Treo's "program" and you'll hear (gack!) a sports commentator.
To turn the transmitter off, hold down its on/off button. The frequency you last used will return to the cute green display next time you fire up the unit. The nice green backlighting stays on while the unit is powered, since it has no batteries to drain.
Construction
The iSound transmitter seems nicely constructed of white plastic with a cool blue panel on top, and buttons to turn it on, to advance the transmitter's frequency, and to quickjump on the FM Band. The 28-inch coiled cable, although thin, feels adequately sturdy, but don't bet on it withstanding a marauding toddler or a curious kitten. For a better installation, you'll want shielded audio cables.
Shielded or not � and it doesn't look like it is � that coiled cable readily induces noise from a GSM Treo 650's regular-as-Ex-Lax transmissions checking in with its cell towers. CDMA Treos don�t do this. The resulting noise and static momentarily interfere with music or eBook, sounding like a CB'er has keyed over the music. To fix this problem, just move the Treo away from the transmitter. Only a few extra inches of space gets the interference under control.
In order not to over modulate / distort, turn the volume on the Treo to mid-level. At maximum volume, over-modulation results in substantial distortion of the highs and lows. Radio stations employ electronic compressor/limiters to keep their transmitted signal in line. In this case, you'll have to do that with your fingers on the volume rocker. Your FM receiver's volume knob cranks up the decibels better anyway.
The iSound isn't Treo specific. You can connect it to audio output devices like (gasp!) other PDA's, MP3 players, computers, and things "i" � you know, iPod, iBook, iMac, iBurger, iWhatever � as long as the device's output electrically matches what the transmitter expects, which is a standard earphone signal.
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