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iTrip Auto Review
Car FM Transmitter for your iPod or iPhone
Created: 05/12/2003 Updated: 11/30/2008 Authors: Staff

passportThe iTrip iTrip is a FM transmitter specifically designed for the iPod that allows you to play your music through any FM radio wherever the mood strikes you. The car, the beach, grandma's house... it doesn't matter, as long as you have access to a FM radio, your iPod can broadcast audio like a small portable radio station.

The Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger combines Griffin's renowned FM transmitter technology with an integrated charger. Designed specifically for use in the car, the iTrip Auto powerfully transmits clear music from your iPod or iPhone through your car's stereo.

Requirements:

  • automobile cigarette lighter or 12V auto power outlet
  • iPod with a bottom dock connector or an iPhone
  • a car with a FM radio (duh!)
 
 

LCD SCREEN

The iTrip has a large, easy to read backlit LCD screen affords quick, precise station selection and status at a glance. Simply tap the +, - or SmartScan buttons and quickly find your desired FM station, hit play and you're ready to go.

itrip

 
 

WHAT'S THE FREQENCY?

itipWith the iTrip, you can have the best possible signal for your radio market because unlike other FM transmitters, the iTrip allows you to choose any radio station on the dial. And the iTrip auto will even try to find an unused FM station in your area. The iTrip Auto's SmartScan feature automatically finds the clearest frequencies wherever you are, making setup and operation as easy as two button presses (one for your iTrip, and one for your radio).

The Griffin iTrip Auto is constructed with a built-in FM stereo antenna and a high-stability crystal oscillator with phase-lock loop control. This unit can operate anywhere from the 88.1 to 107.9 MHz frequencies, with a frequency response ranging from 50 Hz to 15 KHz, at a range from 10 to 30 feet.

NERD NOTE: Griffin was one of the first companies to recognize the potential of Apple's iPod, introducing their first accessories for iPod in January of 2002 at the MacWorld held in San Francisco, California. This was just three months after Apple's release of iPod. One year later, at MacWorld San Francisco 2003, Griffin introduced iTrip. iTrip is an FM transmitter that allows iPod owners to transmit audio from an iPod to a nearby FM receiver.

 

 
 

IN THE CAR

The iTrip is probably your only iPod car audio option because most modern automobiles do not include a stereo with line-in port or even a cassette player (which eliminates the ability to use a cassette adapter). However, the FCC requirements on personal FM transmitters drastically limits their range and power. This means sound quality won't be fantastic. Griffin has made the iTrip and powerful as possible as allowed by law.

A cassette interface will provides much cleaner audio, but you may not have a car with a cassette player and cassette adapters also produce a lot of mechanical noise.

The iTrip Auto will also instantly turn on when you start your car, and auto-pause your music when you turn your car off. A very helpful feature especially if you frequently listen to Audiobooks.

itrip

 
 

itripVOLUME

The iTrip Auto plugs into your iPod or iPhone's dock connector - not the headphone jack. This means your iPod won't only recharge while connected, but you no longer have to worry about volume level hassles.

Unlike the headphone jack, the iPod's bottom dock connector has a constant line-out volume level, and isn't affected by the volume dial setting of your iPod. This means you no longer have to mess around with both your iPod's volume level and your car stereo's volume level. Many competitive FM transmitter products do not offer this feature.

 

 
 

COMPATIBILITY

The Griffin iTrip Auto is the most versatile iTrip to date, accommodating every dock connector iPod, including the iPod Nano and 5th-generation iPods videos. The iTrip Auto uses the audio line out from the iPod's dock connector and optimizes the output volume, allowing speaker volume to be controlled solely from the car stereo controls, without having to adjust the iPod's volume level. This unit features all the innovations of its predecessors, including selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality audio under real-world conditions, best-possible RF technology, and Griffin's world-class industrial design.


The iTrip will work with any iPod or iPhone with a dock connector in the bottom:

  • itripiPod Photo
  • iPod U2 Special Edition
  • 4th Generation iPod with Click Wheel
  • 3rd Generation iPod with touch wheel and buttons
  • iPod Mini
  • iPod Video
  • iPod Nano
  • iPod 5G
  • iPod Touch
  • iPhone

 

 

HOW TO USE THE ORIGINAL iTRIP 
You need a little lesson before you can use the original iTrip and the manual sucks. Here's a little video clip that should help.

  1. Turn on your iPod and plug in your iTrip.
  2. Select an iTrip radio station from your iPod's Playlists. For best results pick a FM station not currently in use by a major radio station in your area.
  3. The iTrip station is really just a small 5 second MP3 file. Wait a second or two, then press PLAY/PAUSE to lock in the station. The iTrip should switch from a flashing red light to a solid red. If you are near a radio, the sound should cut out.
  4. Play some music on your iPod and you should hear it through the radio.

R
ight-click here and download it.
 
 

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you car doesn't have a cassette deck, then you only have 2 options if you want to listen to your iPod in the car:

  1. hire a professional to install an iPod adapter in your car ($$$)
  2. buy a FM transmitter

The original iTrip was the ultimate accessory for the iPod because it allowed you to share the music and fun beyond your headphones. The new iTrip Auto is even more impressive. It offers a new more powerful DX broadcast mode for people who live in crowded radio markets like New York City. Its controls are much more intuitive and easy to use (even while driving). Designed specifically for use in the car, iTrip Auto's large, easy-to-read backlit LCD screen affords quick, precise station selection and easy status at a glance.. And the new iTrip will even automatically adjust volume the volume for you and prevent distortion.

The iTrip Auto, don't let your iPod leave home without it.

 



This item is available for purchase from Amazon.com

Since 1992, Griffin Technology has been an innovator of exciting hardware and software products for the Mac market. Griffin currently manufactures numerous innovative video, audio, serial, USB, FireWire and ADB adapters for the Mac. For more information, check out: http://www.griffintechnology.com

Rating:
Requirements:
Please select the right model iTrip for your specific iPod
Manufacturer:
Griffin Technology
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