Griffin iTrip AutoPilot FM Transmitter with SmartScan for iPod (Black)

Other products by Griffin Technology

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1.4 x 8 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000WKPHI8
• Item model number: 4046-TRPAUTOC
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

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  Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Audio & Video Accessories > MP3 Player Accessories > FM Transmitters

• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 29, 2007

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Straightforward and reliable, the RoadTrip from Griffin allows you to enjoy your library of music through your vehicle's sound system. Cord-based controls mean you can tuck your iPod out of sight (in the glove box or under a seat) and retain total playback control. If your stereo is RDS-enabled, the RoadTrip displays song and artist information.

Product Description
iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan - Control, charge and play your iPod® or iPhone through your car's FM stereo

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Huge disappointment., June 7, 2008

By	Theseus (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review refers to the 4046-TRPAUTOC model # just released the end of May 2008. This particular model does, in fact, support the iPhone.

OK, let's start out with the good news. Finally there is an FM transmitter on the market that supports the iPhone without triggering the Airplane Mode prompt. It uses the dock connector and will output audio from the unit even with videos. This gets it an extra star.

That's it. That's the good news. Everything else about it is garbage.

Frequency range - This unit will not tune to any stations below 88.1. This leaves out prime territory on most American vehicles' radios below this point were no real U.S. radio stations broadcast.

SmartScan - Supposedly this will scan the radio signals in your area and find the 3 frequencies with the least interference from terrestrial radio. Put simply, it doesn't work. The device will find a new set of 3 stations every time I run the scan mode, sitting in the same place geographically. Nine out of ten times the supposedly radio-free frequencies it finds are actually full-blown radio stations, and they're pretty strong ones. It has yet to find a frequency that is weak enough for the built-in FM transmitter to overpower. This despite the fact that there are a few genuinely free frequencies in this area.

SmartSound - Supposed to improve sound quality. Seems to turn the volume up a hair (kind of like the old "loudness" setting on some CD players of a decade or two ago). Yay! Louder static!

Radio Data System (RDS) - Supposed to broadcast the track and artist name along side the music to radios equipped with such capabilities. Doesn't work. Generally sends gibberish even when the audio signal can get through.

FM Transmitter - The weakest part of the whole package. If this part worked, the rest would be forgivable. It doesn't. It can't even overpower dead/empty frequencies consistently. This is the weakest iPod-style FM transmitter I have ever used. This is unacceptable, and I'm not even sure how this got out of the development lab. You'd figure it should be able to do what it was designed to do, but I guess not.

Bear in mind, I live in a city of less than 100k and there aren't that many powerful stations in this area. I was hoping to be able to retire my old iPod and use my iPhone exclusively. Unfortunately, this unit is not capable of performing as advertised. This is the third piece of Griffin Technology that has failed. I will never invest in their brand again.

Update 6/15/08:

I've tried this unit a few more times after seeing several "B" level reviews, and after discovering an "Easter Egg" hidden feature of the transmitter. Though I wouldn't say this makes me want to give it any more stars (I'm sticking with 1/5), it may make some difference to someone. More importantly, it may help those of us who were foolish enough to purchase this unit.

You can make this unit tune to 87.9 FM to broadcast. This is a "hidden" feature (a.k.a. Easter Egg) of the device. If you go into the settings menu under "Mode" you have the option to do Stereo/Mono on the right and to enable/disable "SmartSound" on the left. In the middle there is simply the logo for "Griffin" displayed on the screen. Normally it's at the bottom of the screen (bottom center). If you press and hold the center button under it for about 10 seconds, it will jump to the top-center position. This will open the transmitter up to transmit on frequencies less than 88.1 FM.

Why is this important? Legally, radio stations in the U.S. are restricted from broadcasting lower than 88.1 or so (there are exceptions), so it's almost always a fairly open frequency anywhere you go in the U.S. (not necessarily true in other countries). Most car radios can tune that low as well (for use in other countries).

I found that using that trick, the unit seems to be in a stronger broadcast mode. I'm not sure if it is a power boost or if it's just due to less interference from terrestrial radio. Either way, it's a huge improvement over the out-of-the-box settings but still barely average for an FM transmitter in my early testing so far. The AutoScan still doesn't work (in a semi-rural area with only a few moderately strong radio signals). The RDS doesn't work consistently. Still a huge disappointment vs. my Kensington.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 87.9 Is A MUST For This Unit..., September 11, 2008

By	Roberto A. Villarreal (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews

I will start this review by saying that it is a MUST that you use this unit on the 87.9 frequency. By default, the lowest the unit will go is 88.1, but I will describe how to toggle ON the lower frequencies so that you have access to 87.9 later in this review.

I use this unit with my iPhone 3g and have no issues with airplane mode or charging. Everything works as intended with no unexpected issues as far as compatibility with the iPhone 3G goes.

[Controls / Interface]
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The controls and interface of this device are very clear and clean. There are 3 buttons on front of the cigarette lighter connector (Next Track, Previous Track, Pause/Play). The FM transmitter portion has three buttons on it also that adjust the frequency and give you menu options to toggle on and off. The display numbers are very clear to see, even during the day and the buttons are easy to press without any issues. The iPod/iPhone connector is pretty self explanatory and sturdy.

My only issue with the controls is the ones on the cigarette lighter jack. The buttons are pressable on the entire front surface of the connecter, which means that plugging the connector in causes you to change a track or pause/play if you connected the iPod/iPhone before powering up the unit. If you are like me and listen to music on the way to the car and want to easily transition, you may want to consider powering up first, then connecting the iPod/iPhone.

[Sound Quality / Signal Strength]
------------------------------
The signal strength of this device can only be described as lackluster when using any of the preset stations. This device is practically unusable on any frequency OTHER than 87.9 and by default, you can not set the device to anything lower than 88.1 (See instructions below on how to toggle on stations below 88.1).

However, when connected to 87.9, the signal is very clear and there is no obviously audible static or noise. Having said that, you will NOT get crystal clear sound out of this device, even at its best performance. High pitches tones sound slightly garbled and not as sharp as they should sound. The very low basses sound slightly muddy.

Overall the sound quality is clearer than normal radio stations, but not quite as clear as playing a CD in the deck.

[Charging / Other Functions]
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The device doesn't have very many functions, but if there is something that does stand out, it is the charging.

Charging works very well and I find that my device charges extremely fast. The device has 3 light levels and the cigarette lighter connector will glow red when the battery is charging but low and green when the device is fully charged. It charges my iPhone 3G quickly, but does make it a little tiny bit hot if left on during a long trip (30+ minutes). I feel this is not too much of an issue though.

The preset station and smart scan functionality are lackluster and will often times find stations are are .2 higher than a station that has a very strong broadcast signal. This means that on these stations, you will hear the stronger signal and get nothing from the iPhone/iPod. The presets reset every time you do a scan and the results it gives back are typically very unreliable. Even when they do work, the signals are very static-y and will go out if you drive under a bridge or are ordering drive through at a fast good restaurant.

I will repeat once again:

ONLY USE THIS DEVICE ON 87.9 (Every other station is worthless)

It is the only station that truly does this device any justice and it is the only station that kept me from giving this product a 2 star and returning it.

***** [How To Access 87.9] *****
[UPDATE: Please read the comments of this review for how to do this same thing with the new versions of this device. It works the same but the FUNCTION button has apparently moved.]
On the FM transmitter box, push the middle button (Function) and then press it a second time when it says "Mode." You will see a Griffin logo in the bottom center of that screen. Press and hold the middle button for approximately 10 seconds. You will know that you have toggled 87.9 ON when the Griffin logo moves from the bottom center to the top center. Let the device sit for a few seconds until it goes back to the main screen, then tune your radio and the transmitter to 87.9! Finally, enjoy the best signal you will get from this device!
*****************************

[Final Thoughts]
------------------------------
I gave this device 4 stars because I found that it consistently works very very well on the 87.9 frequency. With this knowledge, I don't have to use the lackluster preset or smart scan functionalities. Using 87.9 gives great sound and a good signal.

The charges does its job very well and the controls on the cigarette lighter connector work well. The lights that glow according to the battery charge level are a nice touch and the device itself is stylish.

4 / 5 Stars

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works great with iphone 3G!, August 2, 2008

By	xpolarbearx (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

I had to get a new fm transmitter after i found out my trusty(and powerful) kensington fm transmitter would not charge my new iphone 3g. it had worked with my 1st gen iphone so i was a bit unhappy about it. After researching on the web for a few days i narrowed it down to the belkin tunescan for iphone and the griffin itrip autopilot. i chose the itrip because it had a better review on ilounge.com and im happy with the choice. im not sure where the other reviewers live but if you live in any big city you will have issues getting a good station with ANY fm transmitter. i live in the suburbs and the itrip scans and picks up a station quickly and it sounds as good as my old kensington. i also love the buttons and the light on the charger, it makes going through music easier and a lot safer then trying to press the iphone's screen.

so if you're looking for a iphone 3g fm transmitter that will charge, not bring up the annoying airplane pop up, and you don't live in or near any major cities, this is the one for you. If you live in or near a major city i recommend looking for an alternative method to connect your ipod/iphone to your stereo.