Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black)
by Griffin Technologies
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List Price: Our Price: $44.31 You Save: $25.68 (37%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Good value, some minor quirks
Summary: 4 Stars
For $20, you can't go wrong. I followed the tips for setting to international mode with one difference. I set all 4 presets to 87.9. Each time you restart, it defaults to some other setting. If you set all the presets to 87.9, you only have to push the preset button once to get back to 87.9. Now for the quirks. If you wait too long before choosing the next playlist on your ipod, you lose the station. Sometimes, after pressing the preset button and going back to 87.9, all you get is static. If this happens, unplug the device from your car, plug it back in, choose the preset, and you're good to go again. I've had a couple of times where my ipod just stopped and locked up, and I couldn't get it going again. I think the battery may have been very low when I started, and putting it on my recharger at home brought it back to normal. I just got back from a road trip through the southwest states, and the itrip performed great. We played it for up to 10 hours a day with no static and no lockups. When we stopped for the night, I recharged the ipod in our room to be sure the battery was on full the next day. I sometimes get a little radio interference around town where I live, but hey folks, it's FM, and that probably happens no matter what device you have. Yes, I have to turn the volume up on my car radio, but so what? It's not like the volume control is hard to use! I don't see any difference having the transmitter close to the radio. Overall, I'm happy with this device.Customer Review: Great, but not perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I think this is a great item, if you can find an unused channel. The best one I could find in the NY-Metro area was 90.9 because it was separated by unused channels on both sides, and I found that to be the best for getting reception.
One thing you should know is that this is a very low-powered transmitter, so any electronic interference will show up: driving under power lines, talking on certain cellphones (though this only happened once), weather, iPod Transmitter location, and more can and will make the song fill with static for a few moments.
But, I think that is going to happen on ANY FM-Transmitter you get on the market.
Never having used any other transmitters, I can't compare this with anything else, but I have to say for what I paid for it, I'm satisfied. It's small and doesn't get in the way, it works well in good conditions, and it charges my iPod.
My advice: find a radio station that has empty stations on both sides of it, i.e. use 101.3 if 101.1 and 101.5 are both empty; position it correctly - don't be afraid to move it around your car to see which location gets the best reception; treat it nicely - although it's well-built, I think any jumbling around and this already weakly-powered device could get even weaker.
If this hasn't helped you decide, if I was in the same position I was four months ago when I bought it, knowing what I do now after using it for that long, I'd definitely buy it again.
Customer Review: Know what you're buying
Summary: 3 Stars
If you're thinking of purchasing this device make sure you know what you are getting. I bought this a few months ago and have been using it for awhile now and for me it works out just fine, but I only use it for listening to Podcasts and I live in rural area.
I was in Philadelphia recently and could not find a suitable station where I could use my Griffin and not listen to more static than sound. I came to the conclusion that for large metropolitan areas the Griffin is mostly useless, but I live in a rural area and the majority of the time I have no problem finding suitable dials. If you live in a large city I wouldn't recommend this item for you.
As I said I use mine to listen to news programs I podcast so sound quality is not that important for me, but the sound quality is anything but clear and if you want to listen to your favorite tunes I think you are going to be disappointed.
For me the Griffin does alright, I don't have to sit in my car with my headphones on anymore and while I still have to hear some static every now and then overall I am satisfied with this. The Griffin isn't spectacular by any means, but it gets the job done. My experience with this item leads to the conclusion that I cannot recommend this item for everyone since for some it will disappoint, but for those who want it for books or news or something along those lines I think you will be satisfied with this product.
Customer Review: Best Bang for the Buck
Summary: 5 Stars
This is vastly superior to the fancy shmancy iPod Dock charger that is priced at $100. I got my Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black) for less than $20, and the shipping was even free or included on the price. This is so much better than any overpriced transmitter charge.
I would give the sound Quality of Transmitter a 9 out of 10. The sound quality is 5 times better than the $100 dock. I never change my radio station on my radio when I use this; before with the $100 dock, I had to switch if I was by my house, then by my work, then if I was driving by power lines, then if I was on the other side of town; but with the Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black) I never change the radio station.
One knock on this is the amount of cords; One cord plugs into the iPod, then one goes to the transmitter, then one goes to the car charger plug in. If you can't stand having 3 feet of cords, then don't buy this product. But if you don't care, then this is a must buy.
Another knock on this could be that it is a little difficult and confusing setting the presets, and even executing other functions, but that's why products include a user manual.
Overall if you want a product that works very very well, but has a lot of cords, buy this product. If you want a product that works very poorly, yet looks cool, then buy the overpriced $100 dock charger.
Customer Review: Apparently a used item
Summary: 3 Stars
I received my iTrip today from the seller DLN Enterprises and the device is quite obviously used, with scuffs on the unit indicating it had been inserted into a lighter before, scuffs on the middle section with the readout, and finger bends in the instruction booklet. Writing this review, it is late at night and I have not yet had a chance to try it out and see how it works. Unfortunately, I have read several reviews stating that it does not charge the second generation iPod Touch. I was not aware of that prior to my purchase. That would be terribly disappointing as that is what I have. At this point, it seems that either I will be exchanging it or getting a refund. I got it for a good price compared with the exorbitant amounts some people are paying for the same thing. So, if it very simply just works as described, I will be pleased. The three stars is earned from it having been used and subsequently not labeled as a used item.
Well, here's the update... It is now confirmed that it does not charge the iPod Touch 2G. It does play, but I have yet to find a station that does not contain static. My feeling is that if I am looking in FM transmitters for my car audio choice, this will be the case every time. I'm just going to settle on this until I can get auxiliary installed in my car. There's nothing more annoying to me than listening to high quality music with static. If I could change my rating, I'd bump off a star.