Boost the reception of your iPod's iTrip with this awesome dock!

This dock made from materials around the house will boost the reception of your iTrip- allowing you to broadcast your tunes over the radio clearly from all the way across a room!


For this project, you'll need:

1 Paper Towel Roll or 2 Toilet Paper Rolls
iPod with iTrip or similar radio broadcasting device attached
2 Empty Tape Rolls
A writing utensil
Scissors
Duct Tape
Wire (Any gauge will do)
Hard-Plastic Card (optional)
Velcro (optional)

Step 1 Measure your Paper Towel Roll for size

After gathering your materials, lay your iPod next to the Paper Towel Roll with one of your empty Scotch Tape rolls on either side. Now mark just past the second tape roll (it's better to leave extra room than to cut too close)

Comments

[red_lego_man]

I must be missing something, but I don't see the point of this. OK, it's quite a nice little ipod stand, but why not just connect the ipod to the Hi-Fi with a stereo 1/8" jack to phono cable?

[Noodle93]

An advantage is that it means you can connect to multiple hi-fi or radio systems in your house, or your car.

[eLeet]

For those of us who are too cheap to go out and spend $20 on a cord ;D

[red_lego_man]

$20???? Where are you shopping? ;-)

[dombeef]

walmart LOL

[EccentricOrbit]

My iTrip is a total disaster in terms of reception, so I'm more than a bit excited to try this out. A suggestion for an improvement: Pringles has those short snack cans, wider than an iPod, but still small, and they're lined with aluminum like all the other pringles cans. Couldn't you wire the antenna to the inside of one of these and get even better reception? Just a thought; I don't have much experience in antenna construction.

[eLeet]

Are you sure the Pringles cans actually have aluminum in them? If they do, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt the reception -and I think it would probably give it a decent boost :) Drop me a comment, and let me know how it works out :)

[mr.break_it]

i used this instructable, and added a twist. when i cut the slot for the ipod to fit into, i only cut anolg 3 sides, leaving a flap, which, when taped inside the roll, helps to stabilize the itrip when plugging it into your ipod. i found that part rather difficult. alos, instead of having the stabilization in front, i put it in the back. I cut the top and bottom off of a pop can and cut the remainder to make in into a sheet of aluminum, then i cut it in half, folded it over itsel, without creasing to make a curve on the end, and finally attached it to the dock. another great idea to boost your range, is to roll another strip of aluminum around the toilet paper roll. i have more but i think im going to make my own instrustable ttyl, and thanx for this great help, i attached the antenna wire to a coat hanger and i get reception all over my house, its great!

[frollard]

My Itrip works from 2 rooms away...out of the box. am I missing something?

[eLeet]

Do you have one of the earlier models? I think they had better reception... Mine (version with a screen) gets absolutely horrible reception xD If I don't have it within 6 inches of an antenna, the static is horrible (although it could just be that I ended up with a defective one)

[John Smith]

I might do this, if i hadn't lost my iTrip...

[GorillazMiko]

looks aweomse!