ABT iJet for Nano FM
Review

iJet for Nano FM
Company: ABT
Price: $69.95
www.abtech2.com

If you are in the market for a wireless remote and/or an FM transmitter for your iPod Nano, look no further than the iJet for Nano FM by ABT. The iJet for Nano FM is both of these accessories in one, and to top it off it is also a protective case for your Nano.

Wireless Remote
As a wireless remote, the iJet for Nano FM works great. It has all the basic control features you would expect: play, pause, scan a track in forward and reverse, skip tracks, and volume control. It even has a feature to skip to a playlist (although you’d have to have your playlists memorized to know what you were skipping to).

With a range of 150 feet, I had no problems getting the remote to work anywhere in my house. The signal had no trouble reaching the receiver between walls and ceilings, and even up three floors.

The remote itself is about 1”x2” and about 1/4” inch thick. It has a replaceable battery, and fits nicely into the back of the iJet unit when not in use. The buttons are raised on the remote, and response time is great.

FM Transmitter
There are a lot of FM transmitters on the market. I have tried several, myself. The iJet for Nano FM is, without a doubt, the best FM transmitter I have ever tried.

I live in Baltimore, Maryland. Some of my MyMac colleagues can back me up when I say that empty radio stations for FM transmitters are few and far between in this area. So, I was skeptical, especially since the iJet did not tune to the one empty station I had to use with another brand of transmitter, 87.7. However, I tried the iJet on 87.9 ( the range is 87.9-107.9), which has very faint reception of some broadcast coming from who knows where. I was blown away by how clear the sound was. It took control of the station, with no sign of the weak signal coming through. If I didn’t know better, I would have told you I was listening to a CD or a local station that always comes in clear. Plus, this first test was on a cloudy, on and off rainy, day. The other brand didn’t even give a signal half as good on days like this.

Another problem I have experienced with FM transmitters is that they have to be placed in a certain spot in the car. If you move it a drop the signal can go from good to bad. I moved the iJet throughout my car, and even inside a console. The signal was just as strong.

To control the transmitter, and set it up, you use the remote. Set up is very easy, and the included directions are great. All of the buttons have a second set of commands, which are easily accessed. The stations are tuned in through the iPod Nano’s screen. You can even have four preset stations saved to the iJet’s memory.

Protection
As I said earlier, the iJet even acts as a case for the Nano. Now, this is not the case you want to be jogging with. The “case” is a hard plastic that similar to a CD case. I suspect a drop or a hard bump into a table would crack the lid easily. However, it is still a case that would protect your Nano from scratches and dust while using it.

The case itself is the main unit of the iJet. The Nano sits in the case and mounts through the iJet’s dock connector. As I said earlier, the remote lives on the back of the case. It is very light, even with the remote attached, and adds almost no weight to the Nano.

There are no batteries for the iJet for Nano FM’s main unit. It takes power from the Nano itself, but I did not notice any significant power loss to the Nano while using the iJet.

Another great feature of the iJet, is that the bottom of the case has a dock connection, just like the bottom of the Nano. You can charge and sync your iPod without even taking it out of the unit! There is also an opening for access to the headphone jack.

The only problem I had with the iJet for Nano FM was in the lid for the main unit. It is not the easiest thing to open, and even more difficult to close. I can see it cracking easily with too much force used to close it.

Price
The iJet for Nano FM is priced at $69.95, and is available in black or white. Considering you could spend about that, or more, for a separate transmitter and a remote, this is a great deal. It even comes with an audio RCA stereo cable.

Pros:
The best FM transmitter I have ever tried.
As a wireless remote, it works great with a range of 150 ft.
Unit protects the Nano from dusts and scratches.
Bottom dock connector on the unit and headphone jack access.
RCA stereo cable included.

Cons:
Lid to the unit is hard to open and close.

The Pros far outweigh the Cons of this item.
MyMac.com Rating 4.5 out of 5.