Here’s what I like and don’t like about the SCOSCHE FMT4R FM Transmitter.

An impromptu long drive in our family’s ’06 Toyota Corolla, a car that doesn’t have an aux cord input and only a CD player, had me shopping for an inexpensive FM Transmitter the day before the drive. Currently priced at just $7.94 on Walmart.com and fitting the bill for what I needed, it was an easy decision to pull the trigger on one of the more affordable choices that I could get within hours. Surely you can shop for cheaper, better options, but with Walmart offering in-store pickup in a matter of hours, it was a no brainer to click “add to cart.” Here’s why I’d probably recommend the SCOSCHE FM4TR FM Transmitter to you if you are in the market for one of these devices.

First, this is no ordinary FM Transmitter in the traditional sense of what you expect. This is a battery-powered FM Transmitter that takes two double AA batteries with a short audio aux cable jutting out of the transmitter as the featured photo shows. That means, if you don’t have a 12-volt splitter and probably have a dashcam or GPS unit already plugged in, battery-powered frees that 12-volt plug right up.

What I don’t like

For one, I’m not sure if SCOSCHE could’ve made the cord just a little longer but it’s pretty darn short, eyeballing it, only four inches long. That means, while you don’t have to mess around with Bluetooth, the FM Transmitter will be close to whatever you plug it into.

The battery cover is rather flimsy to the touch and I’d caution you to carefully remove the cover every time because it feels like it can snap and lose its covering ability rather quickly. Sure, you could probably cover the exposed batteries with tape but that’d be annoying.

What I DO like

Besides the battery cover, the entire unit feels quite hefty and solid. The channel selector is also quite a solid unit that can survive a lifetime of use choosing between FM channels. The one-button operation is easy to understand and no manual was necessary to figure the device out.

In my daily driver, I use a casette tape with aux cable device and, on at least that device, the male end of the aux cable, since it’s so cheap, causes Google Assistant to pop-up on my phone for some reason. This does not happen with this SCHOSCE FM Transmitter, which is a plus.

As far as sound quality is concerned, if you choose the right channel, you can expect to hear crystal clear audio with the occasional static depending on how far the unit is from your car’s antenna.

The fact that it is battery powered is a plus, as mentioned if you want to free up your only 12-volt. SCOSCHE rates the run time at 15-hours and that seems to be a conservative estimate as the reviews on Amazon point to the device lasting longer.

Speaking of Amazon, you can buy it on Amazon but it’s not as cheap as where I bought mine.

My experience with the device for the first time

I used this SCOSCHE FMT4R for all of three hours and the device performed brilliantly, delivering my podcasts over the radio without a hitch. I listen to podcasts and music playlists quite often so I’m going to really use this FM transmitter to its fullest. 

If I haven’t updated this article with an update as of this writing, feel free to leave a comment below as I’ll see it and reply with how it’s holding up. But, rest assured, I’ll give you an update. 

Small things I’d worry about

With all corded devices you plug and unplug often, if I expect this FM Transmitter to last, I’m going to be careful with the aux cable, making sure that I don’t overstress it or stretch it out in any way. If you buy one like this, expect to treat it the same way if you also want this device to last.

Recommend?

Yes, if you can get a deal like I did under $10 or something, I’d say add this to your online cart and buy with confidence.