Hi All
I know I shouldn't fall for it - but sometimes the products in the CPC
glossies just look so useful....

The new van's got a rotten old tape deck / radio - and I fancied being
able to listen to my MP3 through it...
Tried the 'dummy cassette' and it wasn't wonderful -
then saw this

http://cpcireland.farnell.com/jsp/se...sp?SKU=AV18578

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Doesn't work - plenty of audio out of the MP3 - 9/10 of b-all audible on
the radio...

Maybe I'm doing something wrong ? Followed the install instructions
several times - still doesn't work.

So - off to Kensington tech support online. Couldn't contact tech
support without registering, so I registered - then the good bit....

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Some days you do wonder whether getting out of bed in the first place
was a good plan ....!

Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

Adrian

On 18 Feb, 16:42, Adrian Brentnall wrote:

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Bought a similar thing a while back, as an MP4 player that just
happened to do radio too.

Works fine on the back seat, where it's near the antenna but out of
reach. Doesn't work well enough if you keep it anywhere you can reach
it.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:42:12 +0000, Adrian Brentnall
wrote:

Hi All
I know I shouldn't fall for it - but sometimes the products in the CPC
glossies just look so useful....

The new van's got a rotten old tape deck / radio - and I fancied being
able to listen to my MP3 through it...
Tried the 'dummy cassette' and it wasn't wonderful -
then saw this

http://cpcireland.farnell.com/jsp/se...sp?SKU=AV18578

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Doesn't work - plenty of audio out of the MP3 - 9/10 of b-all audible on
the radio...

Maybe I'm doing something wrong ? Followed the install instructions
several times - still doesn't work.

So - off to Kensington tech support online. Couldn't contact tech
support without registering, so I registered - then the good bit....

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Some days you do wonder whether getting out of bed in the first place
was a good plan ....!

Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

Adrian

With these devices you usually have to turn the volume on the mp3
player to Max. I have a couple, not Kensington, and the instructions
for both mention this.

Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Make up a product number and then tell them their form is broken in the
text?

Theo

HI Andy

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 18 Feb, 16:42, Adrian Brentnall wrote:

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Bought a similar thing a while back, as an MP4 player that just
happened to do radio too.

Works fine on the back seat, where it's near the antenna but out of
reach. Doesn't work well enough if you keep it anywhere you can reach
it.

I guess I should have known better....
after all, the radio installers / designers will have gone to quite a
lot of trouble to prevent the radio from picking up interference /
signals from within the car (screened aerial leads & so on) so it's
not really conducive to getting a good signal from a trabnsmitter
_inside_ the vehicle.

The vehicle happens to be a Pug Partner van, with the aerial on the roof
- so I suppose it's more of a 'screening can' than a conventional car
would be.....

Adrian

Old Git wrote:
On Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:42:12 +0000, Adrian Brentnall
wrote:

Hi All
I know I shouldn't fall for it - but sometimes the products in the CPC
glossies just look so useful....

The new van's got a rotten old tape deck / radio - and I fancied being
able to listen to my MP3 through it...
Tried the 'dummy cassette' and it wasn't wonderful -
then saw this

http://cpcireland.farnell.com/jsp/se...sp?SKU=AV18578

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Doesn't work - plenty of audio out of the MP3 - 9/10 of b-all audible on
the radio...

Maybe I'm doing something wrong ? Followed the install instructions
several times - still doesn't work.

So - off to Kensington tech support online. Couldn't contact tech
support without registering, so I registered - then the good bit....

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Some days you do wonder whether getting out of bed in the first place
was a good plan ....!

Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

Adrian

With these devices you usually have to turn the volume on the mp3
player to Max. I have a couple, not Kensington, and the instructions
for both mention this.


Yes - did that - meant you could 'just' hear the audio, with the MP3
gain and the audio on the radio turned up to '11' - but so quiet that it
would be inaudible while driving....

Adrian

Theo Markettos wrote:
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Make up a product number and then tell them their form is broken in the
text?

Theo

Yes - I guess it might come to that....

Annoying though - the website knows about the product -
you can even copy/paste the item no from the product section of the
website - but when you paste it into the form it's not recognised...

I suppose pasting another item number in might work - and then,
as you say, I could explain that their form doesn't work and it's really
a different item I'm asking about - but I can see it getting
complicated... g

Thanks
Adrian

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian Brentnall
saying something like:

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

The CPC website has always had the appearance and functionality of
something knocked up by a couple of 3rd formers in a garden shed at
lunchtime.

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:42:39 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian Brentnall
saying something like:

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

The CPC website has always had the appearance and functionality of
something knocked up by a couple of 3rd formers in a garden shed at
lunchtime.

Not disagreeing with you, but the OP was talking about the Kensington
website...



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:42:39 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian Brentnall
saying something like:

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....
The CPC website has always had the appearance and functionality of
something knocked up by a couple of 3rd formers in a garden shed at
lunchtime.

Not disagreeing with you, but the OP was talking about the Kensington
website...



Which is very pretty - but not very useful....
unlike the cpc one which fails on both counts! g

Annoying thing about the CPC site - log in through cpconline.ie (the
Irish site that knows about euro & suchlike) - start selecting a basket
of stuff - then (I think this causes it) do a search and the darn thing
leaps into the UK site, throws away the contents of your basket, and you
have to start all over again....

Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

I've bought quite a bit of CPC special offer stuff and never had a problem
with any of it. I can't see a company of that size selling rubbish.

--
*I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

Never tried one since my radio has an aux socket. But have you tried it
with the adaptor and or its aerial outside the car? The inside might just
be semi screened to RF.

--
*Too many clicks spoil the browse *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

I've bought quite a bit of CPC special offer stuff and never had a problem
with any of it.


I have from time to time

I can't see a company of that size selling rubbish.

Oh yes

--
geoff

In message , Adrian Brentnall
writes

Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

Yep.

First one was pretty crap = did get audio, but also some sort of pulsing
interference or something. It was an Ebay cheapo, but I've seen what
looks like the same sold via Tesco or somesuch.

But have a Nokia one, that came also with a car charger for the phone.
This works fine - audio is clear, doesn't suffer from interference etc.

The annoyances are nothing to do with the device itself - one is that
sooner or later on a long journey you will need to retune as a radio
station will be on a similar channel. And when you stop, of course the
MP3 player continues until you stop it manually. OK with music, annoying
if you forget with an audiobook
--
Chris French

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

Never tried one since my radio has an aux socket. But have you tried it
with the adaptor and or its aerial outside the car? The inside might just
be semi screened to RF.


HI Dave
The adapter doesn't have an aerial as such - I guess it must rely on
radiating from the leads ? Consists of a 'fat' cigarette lighter plug
with the electronics in, a 4" lead to a USB socket (for charging kit)
and then a 2'6" long lead with a 3.5mm stereo jack on the end that
connects to the MP3 player...

I was testing the thing with the car door open. As I say - there was a
very faint signal (with MP3 and radio volume both at max)....

HI Chris

chris French wrote:
In message , Adrian Brentnall
writes

Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

Yep.

First one was pretty crap = did get audio, but also some sort of pulsing
interference or something. It was an Ebay cheapo, but I've seen what
looks like the same sold via Tesco or somesuch.

But have a Nokia one, that came also with a car charger for the phone.
This works fine - audio is clear, doesn't suffer from interference etc.

Ah - so they do work, then


The annoyances are nothing to do with the device itself - one is that
sooner or later on a long journey you will need to retune as a radio
station will be on a similar channel. And when you stop, of course the
MP3 player continues until you stop it manually. OK with music, annoying
if you forget with an audiobook

Yes - I can see that mght be a problem.
Maybe I should stop faffing around and fit my 'other' new radio/cd/usb
player (bought to fit in the Moggie Traveller and never got round to it).
Thing is- the Pug radio is all 'integrated' - with a display up on the
dash - so I don;'t know how you'd adapt the new radio to fit - probably
have to do without the dash display and sling the new radio under the
dash somewher . I've been nervous to start 'cos I don't have the radio
code - so I could easily end up with 'no radios' g

Daft thing is that it's only really for occasional use - most of the
time there's two of us in the van and we chat - but, from time to time,
I'm flying solo on a longer journey and having some (decent!) music
on-tap would be good.

geoff wrote:
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

I've bought quite a bit of CPC special offer stuff and never had a
problem
with any of it.


I have from time to time

I can't see a company of that size selling rubbish.

Oh yes


They're a big company - and, like any big company, they'll sell anything
that turns a profit.

To be fair - their delivery service is very cheap (to this part of the
South-West of Ireland) - although they do sometimes fail to engage brain
when packing delicate items alongside heavy stuff.

It's just things like this adapter - cost under a (UK) tenner -
and it's going to cost me all of that to send it back for a refund...
should have known it's to good to be true ! g

In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
It's just things like this adapter - cost under a (UK) tenner -
and it's going to cost me all of that to send it back for a refund...
should have known it's to good to be true ! g

I'd expect them to re-fund any postage costs - if indeed they want the old
one returned. Have you phoned them? I've found them pretty helpful.
Although I've never had to return anything for any reason.

Is postage *really* that expensive in your country?

--
*The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:30:39 +0000, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
It's just things like this adapter - cost under a (UK) tenner - and
it's going to cost me all of that to send it back for a refund...
should have known it's to good to be true ! g

I'd expect them to re-fund any postage costs - if indeed they want the
old one returned. Have you phoned them? I've found them pretty helpful.
Although I've never had to return anything for any reason.

Is postage *really* that expensive in your country?

I have usually used the return label on the back of the dispatch note,
although it might be different in .ie.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

HI Dave

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
It's just things like this adapter - cost under a (UK) tenner -
and it's going to cost me all of that to send it back for a refund...
should have known it's to good to be true ! g

I'd expect them to re-fund any postage costs - if indeed they want the old
one returned. Have you phoned them? I've found them pretty helpful.
Although I've never had to return anything for any reason.

Is postage *really* that expensive in your country?


'Fraid so... (it's not 'my' country - I just live here g)
OK - so slight exaggeration but AnPost just went through the same
'pricing-out-of-all-proportion' thing with classifying post -
so it's looking like 3.5 - 5.0 euro or (7.85 - 10 euro registered)....
all to do with the thickness of the package rather than the weight...

As to post coming from the UK to Ireland - you'd be amazed what some
suppliers try to charge!

CPC did try to get me to return my pillar drill to them for a refund
last year - eventually solved by talking direct to the nice man at
Clarke who sent me a new starter cap for free!.....

Such a shame Screwfix don't deliver out here....

Adrian

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian Brentnall
saying something like:

Last time I had to return a dodgy speaker (not Michael Martin) to CPC,
they sent out a post paid label, no probs.

Such a shame Screwfix don't deliver out here....

Aye. I've tried that and some CS bint called me up to tell me that
Parcelforce (their contractor at the time) didn't deliver to RoI. I told
her she was talking a crock of horse****. PF deliver to RoI and then
hand it over to An Post. All it needed was a slight degree of
flexibility on their part and bung on an extra couple of quid - plenty
of other companies manage it, no problem.

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:51:59 +0000, Adrian Brentnall
wrote:


Has anybody had one of the rf-type mp3 adapters work ?

I had something similar for a portable CD player when they first
appeared. It was a complete dead loss, so I soldered an audio lead to
the volume control of the car radio/cassette, and put a 3.5 mm jack on
the other end, which I plugged into the CD player. Worked
brilliantly, but this may not be so easy nowadays with built-in car
radios.

John

In message , Adrian Brentnall
writes
geoff wrote:
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Adrian Brentnall wrote:
Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll
have to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were
rubbish and the wireless mouse that didn't...

I've bought quite a bit of CPC special offer stuff and never had a
problem
with any of it.
I have from time to time

I can't see a company of that size selling rubbish.

Oh yes


They're a big company - and, like any big company, they'll sell
anything that turns a profit.

To be fair - their delivery service is very cheap (to this part of the
South-West of Ireland) - although they do sometimes fail to engage
brain when packing delicate items alongside heavy stuff.

It's just things like this adapter - cost under a (UK) tenner -
and it's going to cost me all of that to send it back for a refund...
should have known it's to good to be true ! g

Sorry, but why are you having to pay the cost of return

You should be able to get a returns no and either send it freepost or
get them to collect
is this not vallid in the emerald isle ?


--
geoff

In message , Grimly
Curmudgeon writes
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Adrian Brentnall
saying something like:

Last time I had to return a dodgy speaker (not Michael Martin) to CPC,
they sent out a post paid label, no probs.

Such a shame Screwfix don't deliver out here....

Aye. I've tried that and some CS bint called me up to tell me that
Parcelforce (their contractor at the time) didn't deliver to RoI. I told
her she was talking a crock of horse****. PF deliver to RoI and then
hand it over to An Post. All it needed was a slight degree of
flexibility on their part and bung on an extra couple of quid - plenty
of other companies manage it, no problem.

If you need something couriering over to Eire - I use fastway - book of
5 tickets for £19.95 / consignment


--
geoff

"Adrian Brentnall" wrote in message
...
Hi All
I know I shouldn't fall for it - but sometimes the products in the CPC
glossies just look so useful....

The new van's got a rotten old tape deck / radio - and I fancied being
able to listen to my MP3 through it...
Tried the 'dummy cassette' and it wasn't wonderful -
then saw this

http://cpcireland.farnell.com/jsp/se...sp?SKU=AV18578

which looked like a bargain - allowing the mp3 to play though a space
channel on the radio.

Doesn't work - plenty of audio out of the MP3 - 9/10 of b-all audible on
the radio...

Maybe I'm doing something wrong ? Followed the install instructions
several times - still doesn't work.

So - off to Kensington tech support online. Couldn't contact tech support
without registering, so I registered - then the good bit....

Tech support is only accessible via a webform - and you have to fill in
the product number to proceed - but the form doesn't accept the product
number of this item.....

Some days you do wonder whether getting out of bed in the first place was
a good plan ....!

Memo to self - stop buying cheapo electronics from CPC - this one#ll have
to go back along with the wireless networking cards that were rubbish and
the wireless mouse that didn't...

Adrian

I've had great success with one of these -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HOT-EXTENDED-C...item2a0485f89e

http://tinyurl.com/yb5ufx7

On 21/02/2010 00:50, brass monkey wrote:

I've had great success with one of these -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HOT-EXTENDED-C...item2a0485f89e

http://tinyurl.com/yb5ufx7

Thanks for posting that. Mine arrived today. Works well in a Polo!

--
Adrian C