7. Jupiter Jack Pros, Cons, Verdict

Pros:

The Jupiter Jack was surprisingly effective at doing what it claims. While the volume on the radio did need to be turned up rather high for the call to be audible, it was clear and without any feedback from the iPhone used in this test. Also, callers on the other end indicated that they could hear us clearly and had no idea that we weren’t using the phone in a normal fashion. Like many of the FM radio transmitters on the market, this device could be used in the home and also made effortless work of listening to our iPhone’s iPod playlist via car radio. Since there were only two FM channels to choose from, it took the guesswork out of which frequency would be best for hearing calls and music. The included jacks (all six of them) covered the majority of major cell phone models, ensuring that plug and play was possible for most phones on the market today.

Cons:

Despite how well the Jupiter Jack functioned, it did have some minor annoying flaws. When we first plugged in the adapter for the iPhone, we found it to be a bit awkward. Having an adapter plugged into a phone plugged into a transmitter, for example, seemed a little like piecing together a K’nex set and made it difficult to find a place to set it down without having it come apart. 

Another minor headache was the “shorting out” we experienced upon our first use. Despite many attempts to get the red “power” light to come on, it just wouldn’t indicate that it was getting juice. However, after removing the battery cover and making sure the battery was firmly in place, we got it to work consistently, so it is possible that this defect was due to the battery coming loose during shipment. One other small irritation was how high the volume on the phone and the radio had to be to get a good sound from the car speakers. This wasn’t a major issue as long as you remembered to turn it down again after removing the phone from the jack (otherwise a blown speaker was imminent).

The verdict:

The Jupiter Jack, available for $20 from major retailers and online, is a handy gadget to keep on hand for long car trips and conference calls in the kitchen. For those of us without enough hands to go around, it can provide an adequate solution to the common problems that multi-taskers face daily. However, it should not be assumed that having a hands-free option is a guarantee of having everything covered. We struggled with where exactly to place the unit (the instruction manual suggests a nearby cup holder), and while we were intrigued by a custom-made dashboard mount to keep everything in its place, we couldn’t justify an additional $6.99 for shipping. For what appears to be a new twist on the already-done FM car transmitting products you can grab for around $20, we think it does its job nicely. 

[Ed. note: If you live in a major metropolitan area you may have limited results in finding an FM frequency that will work. This product is probably best suited for an area with fewer occupied station frequencies.]