# Text-to-speech through car AUX port?



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Do any of you use your Kindle and it's text-to-speech feature through the auxiliary port in your car (or through an FM adapter if you don't have the port)? I have a new car, and the port is built-in. Yesterday, I started reading a really good book that's over 800 pages long, and it occurred to me as I was headed home from the city 50 miles away that I wish I could have the Kindle continue where I left off in my book ("11/22/62," by Stephen King). Although TTS isn't perfect, it would have been a way for me keep "reading" the book that I could hardly put down. 

If the AUX port and the TTS feature of the Kindle would work together, do you know what kind of auxiliary jack I would need?  Thanks in advance!  I seem to spend a lot of time in my car, and I really want to find out what happens in my book!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

While I haven't tried it, there's no reason why it wouldn't work; the hardware is just the same as if you were connecting an MP3 player.

All you need, and they're available at RadioShack AND Amazon, is a 3.5 mm audio jack to 3.5 mm audio jack adaptor. I keep one with me, used it with my Fire while we were travelling.

EDIT: Here's one on Amazon; note that though the ends are slightly different, the part that plugs in is the same, 3.5mm. This one had free shipping, others were cheaper. I bought mine from Radio Shack, so make no recommendations about the Amazon ones--just posted as an example.



Betsy


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Thanks, Betsy!


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## ezri (Oct 28, 2010)

YES! It works great! My husband listens to his assigned reading for college this way. The cord was really inexpensive- I believe he even picked it up at wal-mart. Enjoy listening to your books. Oh and if the tts voice is a bit off putting give it time. Honey said he got used to it fast after seeing what it would cost to get the books as audio books. *wink* Now he say it is the sweet, sweet, sound of at least a grade level. Yeah anything that helps him go from a "C" to a "B" is sweet!


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

I've used the aux port quite a bit with mine. My son used to live in Nashville,  and after his wife died, drove there every week for many months. One time, 65 was closed due to an accident and my kindle 2 was a lifesaver! Traffic crept along for awhile, and listening to a good book kept my temper in check.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I use mine daily to and from school. 33 miles each way. My car has a cassette deck, so my adapter has a male plug that goes into the Kindle, and the cassette that goes into the car.


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## IowaGuy (Jan 31, 2012)

I am broke and drive a 2006 so I have to listen through headphones lol....I only wear one headphone so I can hear the rode.  The tts guy has become an old friend to me lol and I am actually very used to him.  He is a bit to get used to and misses the mark on a few names but overall I have to say that if the book doesn't have tts I am more prone to not buy it lol.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I have a USB port in my car, and when my iPhone is connected to it, it shows up on my source screen. It just occurred to me that I might be able to attach my Kindle via USB cable in order to have it show up as a device, which might allow it to play TTS through that cable. I'm going to give that option a try before buying an audio jack adapter. If that doesn't work, I'll stop by Radio Shack today when I'm in "the city."  (I live in the boondocks, and the nearest large city/town of 80,000 isn't a big city by any means, but certainly ranks higher than the nearest towns.  )


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## joangolfing (Sep 12, 2010)

I use my AUX port with my Kindle Keyboard listening to Audible books on long car trips. The cables make it very easy to use.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Cindy416 said:


> I have a USB port in my car, and when my iPhone is connected to it, it shows up on my source screen. It just occurred to me that I might be able to attach my Kindle via USB cable in order to have it show up as a device, which might allow it to play TTS through that cable....


I doubt that this will work for TTS as that is not available as a file. It might work for music files and audio books on your Kindle.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Annalog said:


> I doubt that this will work for TTS as that is not available as a file. It might work for music files and audio books on your Kindle.


I tried accessing my Kindle via the USB connection, but my Kindle screen told me to eject my Kindle from my computer if I wanted to use it while charging. (I was afraid that would happen.) When I tried the jack that I bought, I thought it wasn't going to work, but then discovered that our enhanced version of _11/22/63_ doesn't have TTS. I opened up a J.D. Robb book that I knew had TTS, and it worked like a charm. I think I'd prefer listening to audiobooks via my Kindle instead of TTS (because of the quality of the speech), but at least it will work if I'm reading a book that I can't wait to finish.


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## krm0789 (Dec 21, 2010)

IowaGuy said:


> I am broke and drive a 2006 so I have to listen through headphones lol....I only wear one headphone so I can hear the rode. The tts guy has become an old friend to me lol and I am actually very used to him. He is a bit to get used to and misses the mark on a few names but overall I have to say that if the book doesn't have tts I am more prone to not buy it lol.


They make FM transmitters with AUX ports that plug into your cigarette lighter, for cheap on Amazon


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## quityoiu (Feb 23, 2012)

so make no recommendations about the Amazon ones--just posted as an example.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

The cassette adapter I use:



The adapter my son uses in his car:


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## JackieAtMEdge (Aug 12, 2010)

M-Edge actually makes an auxiliary audio cable...









http://www.medgestore.com/products/kindle2-audiocable.psp

Might work for you, depends on the car I would imagine.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

JackieAtMEdge said:


> M-Edge actually makes an auxiliary audio cable...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks! I found a Belkin one at Wal-Mart. The price was right, and it works just fine. The only problem I ran into was that the book I'm hooked on (Stephen King's _11/22/63_) doesn't have text-to-speech. (We have the addition that has video included. Maybe the standard ed. of the book has TTS.)


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> (We have the addition that has video included. Maybe the standard ed. of the book has TTS.)


The description (under Product Details) for the regular Kindle version of 11/22/63 says that it does not have TTS.  I suppose that's because there's an audiobook version too.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

DreamWeaver said:


> The description (under Product Details) for the regular Kindle version of 11/22/63 says that it does not have TTS.  I suppose that's because there's an audiobook version too.


That makes sense, I suppose. Good thing I have LOTS of books waiting to be read. Most of them have TTS, so I can definitely find something to read to me when there's nothing that I want to hear on my radio.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Also, that M-Edge one is $20. The one I linked is under $2.


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