It's been a year since the last trip from Adelaide-Sydney-Byron and back, and we are about to do a repeat journey.

This time it is Adelaide to Byron (for two weeks) and back again. The car will have the latest PCM and the custom exhaust, so it will be interesting the see any change in fuel economy (especially during the high speed dash across the Hay Plain).

I'll be taking less CDs this time, as I have the iPod hooked up to a lighter-socket powered FM transmitter that works brilliantly - weeks of uninterupted music sitting in the centre console with brilliant FM tranmission. I will still take 4 litres of oil, and about 20 litres of petrol and the space saver tyre.

I planning on Making Dubbo from Adelaide with a 10-12 hour drive on the first day. Realistic or should I settle for Parkes?

 

Don't think you'll notice much, if any, improvement in fuel economy.

The iPod /FM transmitter works ok up to a point -- the thing is to find the best frequency, usually around 88.1/88.3, but (in NSW at least) the racing radio stations that broadcast in all the small towns seem to use around these as well, and either the iTrip I have / 8 FM radio doesn't lock into the frequency, or the broadcast from those stations is pretty sloppy. Be interested to know how you get on.

As to how far to drive, remember fatigue is the biggest killer. Stop when you are tired. And there are lots of Skippy hopping around

 

I'm not using the itrip anymore , as you say, there was always interference. I'm now using a combined car adapter/cradle/transmitter that is far more powerful, always on, easier to tune, and it even overpowers the ausstereo stations if I choose it to.

I can't remember the brand, but I picked it up from Next Byte for about $140.

The tranmitter is on the cradle, and is tuned by up and down buttons, is it not a clunky software driven thing like the Griffin iTrip.