Griffin iTrip Pocket FM Transmitter for iPod nano 2G Review

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(More customer reviews)The industrial design of the iTrip Pocket is almost as impressive as the iPod Nano itself--which is one of the main reasons I selected it to begin with. It connects snugly to the USB connector on the base of the Nano, and its controls are very intuitive. It even briefly displays its FM station setting whenever you change its station, and upon power-up.
I recommend care when disconnecting it from the Nano. Since the connector is not centered, there is a tendency for the iTrip to pivot at an angle as it is being removed. If it is not disconnected in a straight line, I suspect that the lifetime of both connectors (iTrip, as well as the Nano mate) will be greatly reduced.
The sound quality of the iTrip is, at best, decent FM quality--which is what should be expected from an FM transmitter. The FCC limits the amount of broadcast power of these types of devices so that they do not interfere with radio broadcasts. This means that the FM power of all these transmitters is inherently weak. The iTrip will not give you CD quality sound. To optimize the sound quality, the selection of the radio station is critical. I found it to be absolutely essential that I find three unused FM stations in a row on my radio, and then set the iTrip to the middle station. I found that setting the iTrip to an unused station that is adjacent to a used station yielded very poor results. Note that, since the iTrip does not connect to the headphone/earbud jack of the Nano, it is not affected by the volume control of the Nano; it is only controlled by the volume control of your car's radio. I found that I have to set my radio's volume control significantly higher than normal when I use my iTrip; as mentioned before, even though it is only a few feet from the radio, the iTrip is still a very weak transmitter. As with any FM radio broadcast, there can be intermittent radio noise while driving, and noticeable hiss, particularly when the radio's volume is turned up high which (as mentioned earlier) is necessary when using the iTrip.
The position of the iTrip in your car is significant. One of my cars has the antenna in the rear. In this car, I find that reception is improved if I place the iTrip in the back seat--closer to the antenna.
Note that this product does not charge your Nano, in fact it uses your Nano's battery to operate. I have noticed a significant reduction of the Nano's battery life while using the iTrip. With the iTrip, I can only get about 6-8 hours on a charge; normally, a charge lasts at least 10-12 hours, I think.
Overall, I think this is a very good product. But if you are looking for better sound and your car has a cassette deck, I recommend using a cassette converter (traditionally used to connect a portable CD player through a cassette deck). If you want the best possible sound, the only way to go is to directly connect your Nano to your car's stereo system which, depending on the type of stereo you have, may not be straightforward.

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iPod nano -- the slimmest, trimmest iPod ever now has a compact iTrip to match. iTrip Pocket preserves the lean profile of the iPod nano, while you send the tunes to the nearest FM receiver. The whole group can enjoy your music on your stereo speakers instead of headphones. Improved menus and dedicated preset buttons make this the easiest-to-use iTrip ever.

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