Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've owned a Sportster for about 3 months now.I am happy with the unit and its features, and even happier with Sirius programming.
This unit is smaller than past portable units and features the latest chipset that offers many new features.You also have the ability to switch the unit between green and amber illumination (you can even mix the two).And an RF modulator is built into the Sportster so that you can easily listen to it on car or other FM radios.
The unit offers the ability to select your favorite NFL team and be reminded whenever your team is playing a game--thus the name "Sportster"(all NFL games are broadcast on Sirius).This unit was a great choice even though I don't like listening to sports games.
This unit offers 30 presets spread over three "bands."Having this many presets is important when you have a service offering 65 completely commercial-free music channels and over 50 talk, news, sports and entertainment channels.
You can also use the 10 preset buttons to directly enter a channel number if you first press the jog/dial button.Navigating channels is further simplified by a "Category" button that allows you to scroll through the different categories of programming (Pop, Rock, Country, News, Talk/Entertainment, etc.).
It also features a new "jump" button.With this button you can jump back and forth from whatever channel you are listening to to the traffic and weather channel for your area.Sirius currently offers 10 channels of continually-updated traffic and weather that cover 20 of the largest metropolitan areas.When I press the jump button for San Diego traffic, this unit automatically waits to switch me to the S.D./L.A. traffic channel until it begins San Diego information (the channel switches between San Diego and L.A. information every 4 minutes).If your city is not covered, you can assign another channel (like CNN) to the jump button.
If you are listening to your favorite song, or a program you really enjoy (like "Car Talk" on the NPR channels), you can just press the "Memo" button and if your Sportster is on, a beep and on-screen message will tell you whenever your song or program is playing.You can store 20 songs and/or programs this way.
There are some technical issues with the Sportster.I've spoken to several tech reps, and it seems some of these problems were due to the early car cradles for this unit (car cradles allow installation of the Sportster in your car and feature a "line out" jack for direct connection with head units offering auxillary inputs).I had to swap mine out a few times to get one that would work.
One problem that hasn't been solved seems to be common to all Sirius receivers using the new chipset.Sometimes the unit will play at a slower speed (like a 45 record played at 33 speed) when you turn it on.This is always resolved by turning the unit off and on again, and it happens very infrequently.
I chose to buy a 4-year, over-the-counter-swap service agreement with my Sportster, and I highly recommend a service contract to anybody who buys a Sportster (or any other portable satellite receiver).
I do experience signal loss while driving around town.I lose the satellite signal (which is line-of-sight) about every sixth time I drive under a bridge or overpass.The addition of more ground repeaters, which amplify the signal on the ground, will solve this problem over time.
Sirius is currently only officially available in the continental U.S. due to licensing issues.But I have driven over 1,000 miles south from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas (at the tip of the Baja Peninsuala in Mexico) with excellent reception throughout both trips.
A home kit, boombox and additional car kits are available so that you can listen to your Sportster virtually anywhere.Of course, with either you will need an unobstructed location for the antenna.The most difficult part of setting up your Sportster is running the antenna cable to the unit.Though the cable is very small, you do have to find a path for it, and this can be particularly difficult in a car where the antenna must be outside and the radio inside (some people do locate the antenna on the dash, but results seem mixed--external mounting is much preferred).The car antenna included with the Sportster car kit is magnetic (the magnet is very strong).
Sirius satellite radio is as valuable as cable TV.Once you have it, you won't want to do without it.And this Sportster unit allows you to take full advantage of the vast programming Sirius offers.I would have given 5 stars if it weren't for the ongoing (infrequent) technical issue.But with the service contract, I know I'll always be able to switch to any redesigned unit.
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Product Description:
Get in the game and join the future with the plug-and-play Sirius SPR1 Sportster satellite radio receiver. In addition to all of the capabilities Sirius receivers are known for, the Sportster maximizes the listening experience of Sirius' broad sports lineup. Just like other Sirius-compatible receivers, the SPR1 decodes the incoming Sirius digital-quality radio program information from more than 120 music, news, and sports channels and delivers an audio signal to your radio or other audio output equipment. It's easily transportable and, with the use of Sportster kits, enables you to listen to satellite radio programs at home, in your car, or during the backyard barbeque.
An easy-to-read, 6-line display tells you the channel name and number, category, artist name, song title, and time simultaneously. To suit your environment, you can control the contrast, dimming, and color (amber or green) of the display. Program up to 30 presets of your favorite streams, as well as search by stream, artist name, song title, or category. With the touch of a button you can switch between the traffic and weather reports for your city and any of the other music, news, or entertainment channels. Enter up to 20 of your favorite songs, and the receiver will alert you when they are playing on any of the music channels. Listing and search options let you search by channel name, artist name, song title, category, and presets to find your favorite programming. Time functions include an onscreen clock, alarm, and sleep timer, as well as a program alert that allows the unit to switch to a preprogrammed stream at a selected time. A full-function remote control lets you select channels, browse categories, or change display settings quickly and easily.
The Sportster earns its name because it has enhanced features specifically designed for sports lovers. The Game Alert feature prompts you when your favorite NFL or other sports teams are playing on Sirius. The Game Zone lists all of the play-by-play games and scores on Sirius by league (MLB, NFL, NHL, etc.). And what sports fan could do without the Sportster's personalized team logo startup and shutdown screen?
The Sportster has a built-in FM transmitter that allows the music received by the unit to be transmitted to a nearby FM tuner. Simply set the frequency from which you would like the Sportster to transmit and tune to that station frequency on your conventional radio. Now you've got satellite radio playing anywhere! Note that the Sportster must be used with one of the following adapter kits:
Sirius SPB1 Sportster boombox
Sirius SPC1 Sporster car kit
Sirius SPH1 Sportster home kit
Sirius satellite radio is a subscription service that provides more than 120 channels of programming, from digital-quality music to news, talk, and sports. It is available only in the lower 48 states--not in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories.
What's in the Box
Sportster SPR1 satellite radio receiver, remote control, user's manual.
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