Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black)

• Combines a powerful FM transmitter with an integrated charger in order to recharge your iPod
• Transmits clear music through your car stereo
• Features selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality audio under real-world conditions
• Can operate anywhere from the 88.1 to 107.9 MHz frequencies; range of 10 to 30 feet
• Compatibility: iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod mini; iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G. Not compatible with: iPod Nano 4G and 5G and iPod Touch 2G and 3G

I just got this a in Nov 2008. I will tell you the three secrets to getting the best results. First, over the years I have purchased a HUGE number of these type devices and they all sucked. Only the iTrip (both the version with the iPod connector and the one with the standard headphone jack) have this secret that makes them the BEST. Secret #1) because these devices are limited in power, make sure the transmitter part is close to the radio. Secret #2) Unless you need stereo, use the LX mode. Secret #3 ... and this is the biggie ... switch to International Mode. Here's how.

Before you buy, go to your car and make sure you can set your radio to 87.9 frequency or lower. If you can, they you can use this UNused setting. No US radio station is allowed to transmit on this frequency. If you can set your car radio to this, then BUY either the product on this page or the other Griffin iTrip (with the standard headphone connector). I have both, and they BOTH use the SAME instructions.

First, plug in the iTrip. You Have two buttons a larger +/button and a smaller button that will either have "Select" or "Preset" written on it.

Hold down the smaller button for 10-15 sec. At first the display will flash "2" or some other number. Ignore that. Just keep waiting. Then the display will flash "DX" or "LX". Use the +/to change to LX (non stereo mode). Press the smaller button and the selection is saved.

Now for International Mode (to get the stations below 88.1).

Hold down the smaller button for 10-15 sec. At first the display will flash "2" or some other number. Ignore that. Just keep waiting. Then the display will flash "DX" or "LX". IGNORE THIS ALSO, JUST KEEP HOLDING DOWN THE SMALL BUTTON. The display will change to "US" Use the +/to change to INTL mode. Press the smaller button and the selection is saved.

With my iTrip set to LX and INTL I now set both the car and the iTrip to 87.9. I use the iTrip instructions to save this as a preset. I also set one of the buttons on my car radio to the same.

When I use my iPod, the sound is crystal clear, I do NOT need to adjust the car radio to super-high volume. It is perfect. However, iTrip no longer comes with instructions to set to INTL mode, nor could I find these instructions on their website or on the web. So ... print this, get this and you will have a five star experience!

Buy Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black) Now

Griffin has made a ton of these little FM transmitters for various generations of iPod, and this is the best one to date. It is still not perfect, though.

Using a FM transmitter is the method of last resort. If your car has a tape deck, use a cassette adapter! The very newest car stereos have Bluetooth or even a line-in jack, even better. Save yourself a lot of frustration by using a direct connection, if possible. If you're considering a FM transmitter for home use, perhaps to connect to your stereo, don't. You'll be much happier with a real docking station.

That said, Griffin has made 3 huge improvements over their previous FM transmitters:

1) Plugs into the dock connector! No more volume hassles! The dock connector has a constant line-out volume level, and isn't affected by the volume dial setting of your iPod.

2) Instant on when car started, and auto-pause of iPod when car stopped. Other Griffin adapters had the nasty problem of needing to "warm up" before they would start working, but it seems Griffin has finally solved the problem here. And, as a nice bonus, it automatically pauses your iPod when powered off, so it remembers your place for next time!

3) Charges your iPod while in use! Another advantage of the dock connector is that it can charge your iPod from the unit's cigarette lighter connection. A real disadvantage of earlier FM transmitters is that they drained your iPod's battery like crazy, but this is solved by using your car's power instead.

The flipside of this is that the connector is wired to the LCD unit and then to the cigarette lighter plug. It isn't a standalone wireless unit. If you like to set up your iPod somewhere in your car where wires would get in the way, this could be a problem.

Now, some disadvantages:

1) FM transmitter power is very, very weak. It's a game of inches. Griffin claims they are hamstrung by FCC regulations, but even legal Part 15 devices are allowed to transmit for a few dozen feet or so! Griffin really needs to crank up the power to the maximum allowed by law. Now that they are powered by cigarette lighter power, instead of iPod battery power, there's no excuse anymore to use an underpowered transmitter.

2) Transmitted volume is very, very soft. You have to crank up your car radio up all the way, causing hiss in the background, and blown speakers if you forget to turn it back down before changing the radio channel! Griffin doesn't modulate the FM signal enough. Compared to other stations on the FM dial, the iPod volume is much too low.

This is an especially bad double whammy: not only is the transmitted FM signal too weak, it's also too quiet!

Don't forget about the 87.9 frequency. Contrary to Griffin's belief, this is still a legal frequency in the USA, even though it's right on the edge of the dial. Griffin doesn't allow you to use this frequency, though, unless you put the unit in "International" mode! So, remember to do this first, before you throw away the manual and forget how to do it. 87.9 is clear in many areas that don't have a TV channel 6, so this is usually the best choice for these FM transmitters!

Now, if only Griffin would boost their radio power, they'd have the perfect device....

Read Best Reviews of Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black) Here

This is one of three Griffin iTrip adapters I have, it is probably the most convenient to use. The FCC requirements on these things limit the transmit power to something that is barely able to reach the car radio, but if you don't set this one to the higher power mode you'll be lucky to hear anything at all. I find more variation between vehicles than you might expect, I travel quite a bit and have used this in rental cars all over the US, Canada and the UK. It is especially useful that this can tune by 0.1MHz intervals which helps find a vacant frequency in other countries (where these may be illegal, as they are in the UK). Sound quality is usually OK, but if you find the noise level increasing you are probably conflicting with a local FM station and it's time to retune. The cassette interfaces provide much cleaner audio, but with more wires and sometimes with mechanical noise. This is in my travel kit now and I don't think there is a reasonable alternative.

Want Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black) Discount?

This device works exactly as advertised: it charges your iPod and broadcasts the audio on an FM frequency at low power. If you have no other way to use your iPod in your car (cassette adapter, line in, etc) this is a good choice, especially at Amazon's price. The sound quality isn't fabulous, but it's as good as normal FM reception.

However, you need to be aware that this product works inconsistently between cars. I've had good luck with the iTrip in some cars (mostly American made rental cars), but couldn't get it to work in some other cars (like my Infiniti). Before you buy, I suggest that you take a look at the Griffin Technology web site to see if other users have gotten this to work in your car.

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It's hard to understand how so many can find the iTrip so wonderful and some of us can find it so terrible. Either there is some significant variability in the manufacturing of the product or the location and design of the FM radio antenna in some cars is the problem. In any case, the signal from the unit I received was so weak that there was noticeable static regardless of where I placed the transmitter and how I positioned the cable. It didn't matter which station I chose they were all bad. Worse, even when it was stationary the static hiss would increase, decrease, increase and so on. Also, as others have mentioned in reviews, the audio was considerably quieter than the car's built-in components.

Nice idea, but I second the review that voted for a stronger transmission signal. With Amazon's easy return process, and given the ratio of positive to negative reviews, you may want to give it a shot. But it's a shot in the dark.