720 FM transmitter question

gps555ash · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2009 Posts: 3

I just recently did the silent mp3 file on my 720 so I could hear the directions thru my cars speakers and it works great.

However, I was wondering if I could connect my mp3 player (creative zen) to the gps unit to listen to music and get directions over my car speakers?

I've tried an audio cable and all i get is the gps voice thru the speakers and no music.

What am I doing wrong?

I like the fact I can hear the gps thru the speakers but the silence is driving me crazy.

Thanks in advance.

mikealder · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forum, go to Change Preferences/ Speaker Preferences and select "Line Out" for both the nav instructions and on the second page the mp3 player, all you sound will then come out from the Line Out socket on the base of your device it to which you can plug your audio line out cable - Mike

gps555ash · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2009 Posts: 3

Sorry for being dumb and not following you on this one.
I get the line out on the gps 720.

But the second page comment, I'm lost.

mikealder · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

Sorry I miss read your first post, but have you considered putting the mp3 tracks on to the TomTom and let that play the music and handle the nav instructions? Your TomTom can accept anything up to a 32GB SDHC card which is plently large enough for most music collections - If you do this you just have a single wire from the TomTom with no extra bits involved - Mike

gps555ash · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2009 Posts: 3

I haven't due to the fact my mp3 music is all from Napster, so I can't convert it for all the copy right jargon.

If you believe the spiltter order will work, I'll pick up one tonight and give it a try.

Like I said, I thought I could use the fm transmitter for both units.
Guess it kind of makes sense that it wouldn't be possible.

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:51 am Post subject:

If I'm reading what you're trying to do right, then it won't work.... The line out socket on the TomTom is exactly that - an OUT, you can't plug the output of another device INTO it.
The 720 *can* accept an input from an iPod, but that uses the special combined traffic/Pod connector which isn't a standard jack.

Secondly, you mention using a splitter as an alternative method.... by which I assume you mean one of those adapters with one mini-jack plug and two mini-jack sockets.
They work fine as a *splitter* e.g. to feed the output of an mp3 player to the input of two pairs of headphones, but what you are trying to use one for is as a *combiner* i.e. to mix two outputs into one input on the head unit.

Without getting too technical, this doesn't usually work very well as the adapter is just a passive device with the sockets directly wired together, so each machine is trying to drive into the near short-circuit output of the other. The exact results vary with different brands of equipment, but usually it will mean distorted sound and increased battery consumption at best, or blown up output circuitry at worst.
A small active or passive ''line mixer'' would do the trick, but they will be much more expensive then a simple splitter.

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