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This stylish FM transmitter attaches to your car or van’s cigarette lighter socket, allowing you to play music or podcasts from your phone through your car speakers using Bluetooth. Since it uses wireless Bluetooth, you won’t have any distracting cables in your car. Another handy feature is that the device has a USB port for charging your phone while you drive.
Let’s have a look at the TeckNet F36’s
Features
- Bluetooth transmitter
- USB port for charging a smartphone or other device
- LCD display that can be read at night
- 18-month warranty
- Infra-red remote control
What’s in the box?
In addition to the TeckNet F36 itself, you also get a 3.5mm aux cable, a warranty card (18 months) and an instructions manual.
Pros
- Stylish black and blue design
- Easy to use
- Versatile, which several possible uses
- No cables, so it won’t clutter up your car or van
- Quickly connects to your iPhone or other smartphone
- Compatible with almost every Bluetooth device (including smartphones and tablets)
- Low price: much cheaper than buying a new car stereo
Cons
- Interferes with higher-frequency channels on your car radio, so it’s best to set it to a high frequency. You might need to spend some time adjusting the frequency to find the best one.
- Can’t be switched off except for by removing it from the cigarette lighter socket
- Display is hard to read when it’s very sunny
- A voice says “Bluetooth” quite loudly when you switch it on
Performance and use
When you first plug it in, the TeckNet flashes to show it’s in pairing mode. All you need to do is select the TeckNet F36 on your phone’s Bluetooth menu and it will pair the devices. After that the TeckNet will find and pair with your phone automatically whenever it’s plugged in.
To stream music, you select an FM frequency on the TeckNet and then tune your car radio to that frequency. Once you’ve done that, any music that you play on your phone will come through your car speakers. It shouldn’t have any distortion or loss of quality, though you might need to adjust the frequency if you experience interference.
Overall the setup process is very quick and easy. There’s a small chance it won’t fit your vehicle, but you can always send it back to the seller if it doesn’t.
To skip to the next track, you just twist the device, which is very easy and safe when you’re driving. There are also simple controls for changing the volume.
The FM receiver has two USB ports on its front, one for charging other devices and another for playing MP3 or WMA audio files from a USB flash drive. This is very convenient as you can charge your phone while driving.
Things to be aware of:
- Only works if your phone or other device has Bluetooth
- You car or van needs to have a 12V cigarette lighter socket
Verdict
The TeckNet F36 Bluetooth FM Transmitter
If you’re not sure about this Bluetooth transmitter, you should consider the TaoTronics Bluetooth Receiver, which connects to your car’s aux-in port to offer Bluetooth streaming. You can also check out our roundup of the best Bluetooth FM transmitters.