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41 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 CD-quality sound if in International Mode Jan 21, 2010
By Danielle, Ph.D.
"Dr. Danielle"
I first tried my itrip in standard mode and the sound reminded me of a radio station I know broadcasts from two counties away; I could clearly hear the music, but it was not the clearest sound. Then, I found specific directions regarding an old itrip version from "Eric William" in Michigan (a link to his review is at the end of mine). If you modify his directions (as I did below) for the new version, then you can easily set it to international mode and the sound quality was nearly CD quality.
1. Before buying the itrip, make sure your radio can tune lower than 88.1 (87.9 will work for the directions below).
2. Buy it, then set it up in your car as described in the quick start guide (pretty easy - just plug everything in)
3. After you have plugged everything in, hold down + and - at the same time for at least 10 seconds, until you see the LX/DX choice pass you by and then stop pushing + and - when you see the flashing "US". When you see the flashing "US", hit the + sign to select INTL instead. This just expands your signal options to go below 88.1 (88.1 is the lowest frequency upon which United States stations can broadcast). Give it a few seconds to go back to the normal screen and your setting is automatically saved.
4. Manually tune your radio and the itrip to 87.9 (note: to manually tune itrip, just click the + or -). If you like the way 87.9 sounds, hold down "SmartScan" until you see P1 and then it is a preset. If 87.9 doesn't tickle your fancy, you could even try 87.7. 87.9 works best for me and the sound quality is markedly better than the 100.3 the SmartScan found automatically.
Eric also suggested that you need to try to keep the transmitter as close to the radio as possible due to limited range. The manual and Eric also say you can switch to DX for stronger signal, but I left mine at LX (stereo) because the signal is great now that I went to international. I live in a very densely populated area with lots of radio stations and I am very happy with my purchase.
I concur with Eric William who says that he is unsure why they do not include these directions in the manual (they would increase their level of satisfaction tenfold!) But, at least they helped me and might be able to help you too :)
Note: if you have the older itrip (if it does not say "SmartScan" on your circular button), then refer to Eric's review for directions on how to put it in international mode: [...]
49 of 51 found the following review helpful:
The iTrip works if you have an FM channel to play it over in your area Feb 07, 2009
By George Coghill
I have used many different FM transmitters in my iPod history, and this one is no different than the others: if you can't find a weak FM station in your area, it's not going to work.
I originally and accidentally purchased the iPod-only version of the iTrip Auto (which oddly seemed to work with the iPhone, but I didn't want to take a chance so I got the proper version). Both of the devices worked fine on the FM transmitter functionality side of things. But all the FM transmitters I have used have worked fine (my previous model was a Kensington Pico for the iPod).
The sound quality to me is no different than the Pico, and as good as any other Griffin FM transmitter I have used. In general the sound quality of any FM transmitter just isn't going to sound as good as a wired connection, so I am basing my opinion relative to the technology. I think it sounds great, with the limitations of the technology in mind.
Cool iPhone features: when a call comes in, the music fades out so you can answer the phone and resumes when you're done (just as it does when using it without the iTrip). You can use the iPhone's features to do anything else you normally would, the iTrip does not hamper any functionality.
The cord is plenty long enough to place the transmitter or the iPhone just about anywhere you want.
I didn't test the Smart Scan feature as I already know which station I use in my area. Manually tuned it to the frequency and worked great.
I am sure the other negative reviews are valid from the experience they had with the product, but unless they were able to get another FM transmitter working for them in their area, my guess is that it's just the nature of the technology, and your experience will vary depending on how many FM stations are broadcasting in your area and how strong the signal is from those radio stations. The FCC puts limits on the signal strength these personal FM transmitters, so at least to some degree the manufacturer is limited to those restrictions.
For me, this was the perfect car audio/charging solution. In the past I opted for the super-mini FM transmitters that were powered by the iPod battery, but with needing a car charger for the iPhone anyways and realizing over the years that I really never used the FM transmitter outside the car, this all-in-one solution fit my needs perfectly.
I bought elsewhere, getting a much better price on this which added to my satisfaction with the iTrip.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 Works Great - Under the right conditions Apr 13, 2009
By Tom From VT
"Tomvt"
I bought this and use it with an ipod touch 2nd generation. It works great for me. I also live in a rural area and agree that the reception can be bad depending on the area you are at as I have taken it to various places in the NorthEast. However there are a couple things that other reviewers mentioned that may be an issue. There are also a couple of solutions. This device has a power on/off switch on the end of the plug. Your car may or may not power off the cig lighter each start and shut off. Check that it is turned on by either being red or yellow or green. Else with the speaker now built into the ipod you get the illusion that it is broadcasting, lots of static on the radio and yet you can hear something. Again, this may not be the case it is just something to look into if other solutions are not working. Here is a tip too. These transmitters come with US and International settings. What that means is in the US you can get 87.9 MHz to 107.9 MHz FM on the radio. Yet in Europe you can get 87.5MHz - 108MHz. Your car radio, like mine, may be able to tune in 87.7 but there is nothing on it here in the US. Hold down the plus and Minus buttons together for about 10 seconds and you will have the option to choose International or US settings. Choose International and tune it to 87.7 and you should not have an issue.
I also looked at the roadtrip model and another family member has that unit. The only real issue I had with that is I like to keep my ipod in a case and it wouldn't fit in the mounting bracket with my case so I opted for this unit. The broadcast quality was the same with both and they both are set to the International settings as stated above, however it is a different key holding to enter the International settings.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
OMG, this works in Los Angeles! Feb 17, 2010
By D. Bezboruah
If you're in the Los Angeles area, this transmitter works 99% perfectly in piping your iPhone/iPod music into your car stereo! While I can't confirm, I would think that this transmitter would work just as well in other crowded metropolitan areas.
The trick is to follow what several of the other reviewers said in setting the Griffin iTrip into both DX and International mode. The reason to do the DX setting over the LX setting is because, as far as I've observed, the transmitter seems to transmit at more power when it is in DX mode. However, the frequency to use will depend on where you live in the area. The International mode is meant to unlock 87.9; but that may not work well because of interference from 88.1, which apparently has a powerful transmitter in Long Beach. The best way to find which frequency to use is to find the info online rather than use the SmartScan button. I'd recommend the frequency finder on Belkin's website (Search online for "Belkin Best FM Stations"). Personally, I commute daily between Irvine and Long Beach on the 405 freeway, and 88.7 has worked like a charm (since the 88.7 station has some weaker transmitters far in Pomona).
I've already tried just about every transmitter out on the market (Belkin, Monster, Kensington, etc.) and only the Griffin, when set to DX mode at the least, actually works as intended. The sound quality is also amazing, but keep in mind that you'll probably need to tinker with the iPod/iPhone's EQ settings to get the best sound. (Try "Treble Booster")
Final Note: If you have an iPhone, make sure you have the model 4056-TRPAUTO in order to have full iPhone functionality. There is another model (9501-TRIPCBL-2) that looks identical to this (and is five dollars cheaper on Amazon for non-iPhone owners *wink*), but will give you the "This accessory is not designed to work..." message when you use it.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Best FM device I've tried Nov 15, 2009
By Jarras
I've had a couple of FM transmitters, and gave up on them because it was nearly impossible to find a clear channel that would stay clear all over the Bay Area. I decided to give this a try based on other reviews. I followed the advice to first verify my car radio would tune 87.7 & 87.9. Then bought this, changed it to the International mode, tuned the transmitter and my radio to 87.7, and it worked great. It still picks up some occasional brief interference from power lines, maybe even other cars doing the same thing. But I drove San Jose to Sacramento and back and was able to listen to clear podcasts from my iPhone all the way.
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