World Famous Comics: Griffin Technology 4030-ROAD RoadTrip FM Transmitter & Auto Charger and Cradle for iPod
Griffin Technology 4030-ROAD RoadTrip FM Transmitter & Auto Charger and Cradle for iPod
From: Griffin Technology Average Rating: Binding: Electronics Color: White Label: Griffin Technology Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product. Model: 4030-ROAD Number of Items: 1 Release Date: November 04, 2005 Variation Description: White
Features:
Convenient one-piece transmitter and charger module uses any frequency from 87.7 to 107.9
Backlit screen shows which frequency RoadTrip is currently broadcasting
Transmitter can be removed and used with a Mac or PC computer
Plugs into any auto power outlet or lighter adapter
Compatibility: iPod nano (1G only), iPod mini, 3G iPod, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video
Product Description: Imagine having a high powered FM Transmitter, an iPod auto charger AND a convenient iPod cradle. Meet RoadTrip, the only iPod and iPod mini car accessory you'll ever need. RoadTrip makes enjoying an iPod or iPod mini in the car convenient and easy. The RoadTrip plugs into any auto power outlet or lighter adapter and provides an adjustable cradle to charge and hold any docking iPod including the new 4G iPods and the iPod mini. The RoadTrip transmitter can then be set to broadcast iPod's music to any FM frequency from 88.1 to 107.9. Its backlit screen shows which frequency RoadTrip is currently broadcasting -and can easily be adjusted via buttons located directly on the front of the unit. Your iPod's audio is transmitted through the connected dock on the bottom of iPod. Not only is this a superior signal transmission but it also leaves the top of the iPod exposed for use with other iPod accessories like the Griffin iTalk.The RoadTrip is a great FM transmitter and car charger for the iPod in the car, but what makes RoadTrip truly unique is its removable transmitter module that can also broadcast music from a Mac or PC. The package includes a combination USB power and audio connector cable that attaches any USB equipped computer to the module. Users can then play their iTunes music, movie audio or presentation sound to any FM stereo close by. The RoadTrip is compatible with all docking iPods, including the iPod mini. iPods with FireWire ports on top (1st and 2nd gen) will not work with the RoadTrip.
Great ipod fm transmitter I found the 4030-ROAD RoadTrip to be great in almost every way. It is certainly much better than the iTrip.
My two feature complaints: 1. The RoadTrip should also transmit the title of the song for my car stereo to pick up and display. I have to dig the unit out of the arm rest compartment where I have it plugged into the recepticle to see the song displayed on the iPod screen. This can be dangerous. 2. When I shut down the car (and the power to the unit) it does not resume the same settings as when I stopped the car. I have to push the connect button again for it to detect the FM station I was using when I shut it down. Annoying.
Hit the Road, Trip This device is a nightmare.
The bad dreams began the moment I opened the package and attempted to fit my 80GB iPod w/ video into one of the provided mating flanges. Turns out the only one that fit was for a different iPod and then only after some filing of plastic. And, of course, I had to remove the iPod from it protective neoprene wetsuit, which would have been very nice to have when the iPod fell out of the Griffin 4031-RDGC RoadTrip FM Transmitter and Car Charger for iPod (Charcoal) ... standing still in the driveway.
Things went downhill from there as I tried to get music through the car's tuner and into my ears.
Okay, true, I live in an FM-RF saturated environment. So I wasn't expecting optimum performance close to home. But none of the three frequencies auto-scanned by the Road Trip were at all usable. Manually tuning a dead band on my radio - and incrementing Road Trip to match - produced an interference-ridden, wheezy little simulacrum of the strong studio mixes in my Playlists. Damn disappointing for a hundred bucks.
Worse, on recent rural road trip my Road Trip was even more galling. With no audible stations within two guard bands either side of Road Trip's self-selected optimum frequency, there was still plenty of harsh hash, multipath "swang", and annoying collapse to mono.
So it's gotta be my vehicle, right? It's a 2000 BMW with a decidedly Bavarian audio system. Maybe it's just a Germanic engineering attitude problem? Nope. Road Trip fared no better in my wife's 2007 high-end Toyota, a vehicle with impeccable modern electronics.
In desperation, I tried Road Trip's OTHER route: a direct output jack (1/8" stereo), bizarrely (and inconveniently) located on the power plug. At least I'll get clean audio straight into the preamp section of my car's system?
No such luck. The Road Trip's output impedance is severely mismatched to everyone else's idea of the line-in spec. It is neither line level nor headphone level. And the result is, like, 20% harmonic distortion. And, of course, no way to attenuate the output; it just smashes its way in and clips like a [...].
Unusable for audio, I now have a very expensive iPod charger that sometimes - when it wants to and obeying no logic that I'm able to figure out - supplies a trickle of current through to my iPod, but then shuts off well shy of full charge.
These issues seem baked-in and endemic, not at all the result of poor manufacturing or lax quality control. These are basic design flaws.
Succinctly: This device is an unmitigated piece of crap. Do not buy it.
Works but difficult to use I love that this product works great through the radio and charges the ipod at the same time. The thing that's most difficult is that my outlet is in an place that makes the itrip really inconvienent to use. It's extremely bulky and doesn't fit right. I actually had to give mine away.
works with iPod touch I have no experience with FM transmitters, I've been told to avoid them though because they usually suck compared to a tape deck, or aux in. That being said, my new (used) car doesn't have a tape deck, or aux in, just CD and AM/FM stereo. I did some research and found this one, while it doesn't say it works with the iPod touch, that's because it came out before the touch came out. It does work with the touch, although the clear plastic holder is about a mm too narrow, so the fit is tight, but that's nothing you cant fix by bending alittle. As a transmitter, i've used it so far all day with no problems at all. It found a frequency, and i tuned the radio to it, and bam! music.
It's so-so This thing must depend highly on your vehicle and the existing stations in your locale. I had to flip through several bandwidths on several occasions to get any sound on the radio. It seems like stations that work one day do not work on another day. I do have this the Roadtrip positioned right in front of my radio BTW('02 Pathfinder) I tried it in a different car and could't get it to work at all in that one as well. So, basically, it works but with frequent fiddling. Also, when you dock and undock your iPod, it's almost like resetting the Roadtrip so you have to start over in some cases. We also have a $19 iPod adapter (forget the brand)and it performs better than this one, we got this one because of the extender kit which does work well and seems relatively solid.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Not Available Comics
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
