It has a catchy name and a cheap price, but can the Jupiter Jack really turn your car radio into a hands-free system for your cell phone? And does it work any better than a similar product we tested several years ago?

The small Jupiter Jack plugs into your cell phone. A variety of adapters are provided to fit most cell phone models. Once you set your car radio station to the FM station as instructed, the music on the radio should go off when you turn the on the Jupiter Jack.

Unless you pay extra for the special holder that mounts onto your dash board, it's suggested you place your cell phone in a cup holder close to your radio.

Our volunteer tester, Trish Niklas of Lynnwood, was anxious to see if the Jupiter Jack would be a good alternative to the ear pieces she's tried in the past. But from the start, Niklas repeatedly lost her signal. The strong signal returned once she the device was removed.

As we drove around, the calls would either fail, or Niklas could not hear the person she was calling.

"I'm not too impressed right now," said Niklas, after 10 minutes of driving around and making adjustments according to the instructions.

She had the most success when she pulled over to the side of the road and was not moving. Even then, the reception was full of static and either she, or the person she was calling, had trouble hearing who was on the other end of the line.

It's not unlike what happened when I tested a similar device called Fone Free, nearly 5 years ago.

The Jupiter Jack worked sometimes, under some conditions.

Niklas' verdict?

"I would say it's a 1. On a scale of 1 to 4, I would say it's a 1. It doesn't really seem to work," she said.

While there are some glowing reviews of the Jupiter Jack online, most users I talked to seem to agree with Niklas --1 out of 4 stars, 2 stars at best.

Some consumers find the device performed in rural areas, but not in the city.

Bottom line: It's about what you'd expect for $10 or less.