MP3 player for Iraq

[SGT Rock]

Hey y'all. I am thinking about upgrading my MP3 capabilities for the trip over. I currently have an MP3 player that has a digital FM tuner and runs of a AAA battery - but only 128mb memory. This is good for about 30 songs. I am interested in getting something with a much larger capacity - and maybe even the ability to play video files and see pictures on if possible. I've looked at some, but they use rechargeable batteries. Last time I was there I had a PDA issued me with a rechargeable battery and it was sometimes a real problem that I couldn't just change a battery when out on a mission for more than a few days away from a 110v power source.

I figured if there was a group of people that may have a good suggestion for this sort of device and the practicality for using it in rough conditions away from regular power plugs, the backpackers at WhiteBlaze could give me some advice.

Cheap is good since Iraq is hard on electronics. If it were to die after a year, I wouldn't feel so bad. Oh, and small and light would be the best option. If it survives I could use it backpacking.

[Sly]

SGT. I don't know all that much about them but Amazon.com is having a serious sale on electronices including mp3 players

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/595105/ref=amb_link/102-1856985-8817757?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[Whistler]

I love Apple products, but it drives me crazy that none of the iPod line offer built-in FM or recording capability. Also sub-par life from non-removable batteries. :datzGreat interface and idiot-proof function though.

Anyway, for your purposes I really like the Creative Zen Nano Plus (http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=12720&nav=1). It's flash memory based, so fewer moving parts. Plays mp3 and WMA format, also has FM tuner and recording ability. Runs on a AAA battery and about 1oz weight. You should be able to find the 1G models in the $120-140 range. The "Plus" version of the Nano package also comes with a cool carry case and arm band. No photos or video, though--I can definitely see how that would be cool.

If I needed that, I'd take a look at the iRiver U10 (http://www.iriveramerica.com/prod/ultra/u10/U10-1GB.aspx). Ooo...aaaahhh... Pricey, and only up to 1G at this time. But it's flash-based, has a great interface, and sweet features: all major sound formats, mpeg4 video, jpeg, e-books, FM, and voice recording. Uses rechargable batteries, but battery life is good at 28hrs--you could always invest in a spare, and still come out around 2.5-3.5oz.

-Mark

[vipahman]

But don't you want to keep your eyes and ears open? Just a thought.

[SGT Rock]

Thanks Whistler. That Creative system was one I was eyeballing.

And yes, I do want to keep my eyes and ears open, but on a plane or sleeping in my hammock within the security of a FOB it would be nice. Or when working out.

[Bjorkin]

Have you considered a solar charger? I don't know much about them and haven't used one yet, but I keep hearing great things about them. Expensive but when you need one it's gold. Here are a couple to consider.


http://www.solio.com/html/ About $100.
Sold in Apple stores as the ipods solar charger so you know it's great quality. Has an internal battery which will power an MP3 player for an additional 10 hours. When actually charging your player, 1 hour of sunlight = 1 hour of play time. Or a good thought is to use it like a back up battery as well. The solio will hold a charge up to a year. So, get it fully charged and just keep it handy to plug into if you needed it at night.

http://21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/prod/iSunYel
About $30 cheaper but know nothing about it except it can be daisy chained with other units.



I'm sure you'll have all the sun it could handle over there and it's a pretty cool environmental-friendly gadget.

[Disney]

This is just my opinion, but if you want cheap/light/capacity/AA compatible, there is only one way to go. Buy an Mp3 CD player. I got an excellent one from Wal Mart for about 80 bucks.

You can't beat the cost per gig, 10 CDs is 7 gigs for about 15 bucks.
It's very light, no worries there. The one I have is so efficient that I could go from town to town on a single AA lithium ion battery, and sometimes it was heavy heavy use. I don't remember the packaging but it was something like 72 hours of listening on a nickel hydride, and the lithiums are lighter and last longer. You'll never worry about charging a specific battery. It gets AM/FM/TV/Weather channels. I never used the TV (audio only) but the Weather was kind of neat, a cycling forecast broadcast locally from who knows where.

My player has a display function where you can scroll through the lists of songs. It can fast forward and rewind through the mp3 as well.

CD's are going to get scratched so spend an extra 10 dollars on the plastic sleeves that cover the CD completely. You just leave them on and store them in the regular way, the player will read the CD through the plastic. Then if it gets marred, replace the sleeve. It may have some trouble with high moisture, but it's Iraq, not quite as humid as the smokies.

It's almost as shock proof as an ipod. I can jog with mine and there's no problem. I normally kept it in the pocket of my shorts and it would skip maybe once a week or so, and then only when I really should have been paying closer attention to where I was going.

You won't be able to get pictures of course, but the models that have that tend to be expensive and go through batteries like crazy. If I were you I'd make two CD's of whatever you want, store them in sleeves only and wrap the whole thing in saran wrap becaues you might want to switch out if something happens.

[SGT Rock]

Good suggestion Disney, actually I thought of that - last deployment there. The dust just ate up the CDs and eventually the player. That is why this time I am looking for something more like a sealed system without moving parts.

I have a ruined MP3 player CD to show for that one.

[Smile]

The ipod shuffle is terrific - but you need to plug it into an ISB to recharge the batteries - works in just about any ISB that is powered up, even on a PC I believe. But needs a mac itunes ( I don't really know if you could do it with a PC somehow...) to add or change your tunes, but holds a lot and is the size of about 3 sticks of gum stacked...weighs .7 ounces - the sealed sport case keeps out dust/moisture/rain and is a heavy 1.1 ounces.
Don't know if this helps or not.

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

Sgt, did you get a PM from me?

[MorrisseyFan]

I use my iPod shuffle with my PC, no problems. iTunes for windows works fine with it as well. I don't know how long the battery life is since I tend to plug it into the USB port on my computer to switch the songs long before I run out of battery time. NOTE - the iPod shuffle's internal battery can ONLY be charged through a USB port, ergo products like a solar charger would not work at all.

[fiddlehead]

I just bought a Yepp MP3 on Ebay. Picked it up for $.99 as the battery top wouldn't stay shut. (it sold new for $139.00)
I just duct taped it and it works fine.
But it too only has 128 memory which definitely is not enough.
I would check ebay for these kind of deals.
I use rechargeable batteries all the time and found that the chargers work in 110-220 volts and 50-60 hz. ( I live in Asia)
So i just use it everywhere and never had a problem charging batteries as long as there was electricity.
They last a long time in an MP3 player too.
Just some thoughts.
good luck Sarge.

[illusionistG]

I second Whistler's comments on the Creative Zen Nano. It's a good product. Flash memory base is good as this is solid state memory (No moving parts) Carry it in a ziplock bag to keep the fine sand out. See my response to your deployment post forum. Force Protection and tunes are a must !!! Best of luck and maybe fate will have us cross paths in the future (there or on the AT !!!)

[Spartan Hiker]

Ditto on the Creative Zen Nano. Purchased one for my son for his birthday. Great product with as good or better rating than ipod and all you need is a AAA battery.

[The HotDog]

Hey, Rock have you checked out IRiver yet they make some good products. I have a H320, its a discontinued model but the battery life is as advertised which is better than what I hear Apple and Zen do.
Here is the link to there home page (http://www.iriveramerica.com/) and to their flash players. (http://www.iriveramerica.com/prod/ultra/)
They do have a flash player that support videos, pictures and music.
Their HDD players support pictures and music but rechargeable batteries on both players. Plus, most if not all their players have a FM Tuner/recorder and Voice recorder.

[Bjorkin]

One thing I like to do when I'm on the road is listen to Sirius satellite radio over the internet if all I have is my laptop. Obviously, you have to have a wi-fi connection and computer, but if someone has one nearby, some portable speakers or headphones would be all you'd need. I really don't know how available a dedicated connection would be, but if that becomes an option for you let me know and I'll drop you my Sirius login info.

[betic4lyf]

i dont have any personal experience with theses, but maybe one of those portable satelite radios might work over there. not sure, but just a thought

[Bjorkin]

i dont have any personal experience with theses, but maybe one of those portable satelite radios might work over there. not sure, but just a thought

They only work in the States.

[hopefulhiker]

I used a Rio Forge Mp3 player with FM, with a 1 gig SD card, through VA on the hike. It wasn't that reliable. Moisture was the problem. I did like being able to download books on Mp3 from audible.com though. It uses a single AA battery. I don't know about storing video on this thing at all.

[general]

gpx makes an mp3 player that takes memory cards just like a digital camera which go up to 512mb and are of course interchangeable. it comes with its own software and runs off of 1 AA batery for several hours on mp3 mode and much longer on radio. been using one for a couple of years with much abuse and it's still going strong.

[hammock engineer]

I have a RIO mp3 player. Got it on Ebay for $40. Look for ones that are made water resistant to work out. That way you won't get sand or mosture in them. I have a tendency to sweat on it and drop it, and it is still going strong.

Are you going to have a laptop over there? With the Ipod or other internal memory MP3 player, the main problem that you will have is updating your songs. If you have a PC, with won't be a problem. You can have someone from back home mail you cd's with songs on them, then load them using your pc. I do this for my friend that is over there for the Navy right now and it works pretty well.

If you will not have one, stick with flash memory. Get an MP3 player that can handle 1 or 2 GB memory cards. You can mail them back and forth between someone back home for new music.

Hope this helps. Keep up all the good work.

[SGT Rock]

I will have a laptop. Last deployment I had one and a PDA that used memory cards. I would add music to my PDA, but battery life of a PDA is terrible IMO and the sync process was a pain in the ass sometimes.

[Patrick]

Rock,

I have a Creative Zen Nano 1GB. Doesn't do video or pictures, but operates on a single AAA (same as my headlamp), has a good FM tuner, and a surprisingly good voice recorder. It also comes with an clip and an armband. Between the two, you can keep it anywhere. I clip it to my ridgeline at night in the hammock.

I've had a couple of MP3 players and this one's been my favorite by far. One gig is plenty for me, it organizes music very simply, the controls are excellent, battery life is good, and it's about the size of a pack of gum.

I paid a little over a hundred on sale, but the regular price is around $140.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7338918&type=product&id=1122651943870

Good luck

[chowhound]

Here's another plug for the Zen Nano Plus 1 GB player. I bought one in September just before my fall hike, and I love it. I'm not really a gadget freak, but I like this thing a lot more than I expected to. It is easy to use, battery life is good, and I've been pleased with the sound quality.

[hammock engineer]

I came across this article on CNet about Nano MP3 player alternatives. I have not used anyone of them, I do not need picture viewing on mine. But all of these have that option. May be a good alternative to IPODs. I think they are over priced and not worth the hype or money.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6490_7-6392054-1.html?tag=txt

[Uncle Silly]

A few comments....

(1) get a flash-based player instead of a hard-drive-based (HDD-based) player. the Creative Zen Nano 1gb sounds like a good option. AAA replacable batteries!!

(2) forget the LCD screen and video capabilities -- those are HDD-based features and eat up lots of battery power. HDD means moving parts. really small moving parts.

(3) if you end up with a device that's only rechargable via USB, there are devices for sale (or DIY) that basically give you a battery pack with a USB connector. the batteries can either be multiple AA's or a 9v. google brings up plenty of links. for example here's a fellow selling DIY kits:
http://www.aarondunlap.com/blog/1130885615

and the instructions for putting it together:
http://www.aarondunlap.com/manuals/usba.pdf

[Omni]

Wal-mart has one for $99.99 I think it is the ILO model. Takes a AAA or AA batts "cant remember which one", has FM and is a flash based player so it will not skip. Has 1 gig of internal memory and a SD card expansion slot. The 1 gig SD cards will run you another $90.00 from wal-mart.

[Uncle Silly]

Wal-mart has one for $99.99 I think it is the ILO model. Takes a AAA or AA batts "cant remember which one", has FM and is a flash based player so it will not skip. Has 1 gig of internal memory and a SD card expansion slot. The 1 gig SD cards will run you another $90.00 from wal-mart.

I checked this out at walmart.com -- the ILO 1gb player says it runs 16 hrs on one AAA battery. The online store also lists an EDGE 1gb SD card for $70 and another 1gb SD card for $90. I gotta say the expansion slot is a pretty cool feature.

Walmart.com says the ILO is manufactured exclusively for Walmart and won't say who, so YMMV as far as software and support goes. I'd do some searching for problems before buying, but it looks like a decent product.

[Olive Drab]

Rock,
I had an ipod over there. It has been dropped, kicked, stepped on and taken the desert heat. It still is kicking ass. I bought one of those FM transmitter/batter chargers made by monster. We had armored suburbans in addition to m114s so we were able to listen to the IPOD while it charged in the suburbans. Obviously it was off on missions. There was also a sh1tload of music on the NIPR and CENTRIX (Coalition SIPR) to load up the ipod with.
I wasnt a big fan of the ipod ear plugs as mine broke shortly. Thats the only gripe. If you get issued Peltor comtacs you may be able to buy an adapter to plug the ipod into them.