SIRIUS Sportster 4 Satellite Radio Receiver with Car Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Long story short - Nice radio and programming with horrible FM modulation.Don't buy this unless you're going to wire it directly to your car's antenna or radio.

I bought this device last October to listen to college football games during long road trips.It is my first introduction to satellite radio.I've got mixed feelings about the product.

First of all, the unit was fairly easy to get working.I plugged the power and satellite antenna, turned it on, and selected an open FM station in the unit's setup menu.It's pre-tuned to a test station (national weather).I got a clear signal from the satellite just leaving the antenna resting on the dashboard.I activated it online after a couple of tries (didn't have the unit powered up the first attempt).

However, the FM transmission from the unit to my car stereo was awful, borderline un-useable.Even after choosing a completely clear FM station, turning off the car, waving the unit around until I found a sweet-spot, and crossing my fingers, there was always noticeable and very disruptive static interference.Based on what I've read, apparently the FM transmission strength for this unit way below previous models.I'm told the SP-TK2 model has a much stronger signal.I've not been able to determine whether or not that had anything to do with FCC regulations.

For my vehicle, I've overcame the FM transmitter shortcomings by connecting the unit directly to the Ai-net/Changer input on my Alpine radio and using the AUX function.This step eliminated all of the outside static interference and bypassed FM modulation completely.However, part of my attraction to this unit was the plug and play function.My friends and I have taken several road trips this year and I brought the Sirius unit with me.The cars we used did not have A/V inputs, so we had to make due with the lousy FM transmitter.We were able to fight through the static for the sports and talk radio stations, but music was un-listenable.

The unit itself is ok.It's easy to use and the screen has a lot of info.It keeps track of all the scores in sporting events, show and host for talk stations, and song/artist for music stations.It's awkward to mount though, because all of the wires plug into the back of the dock, not the bottom.You need clearance between the back of the unit and the mounting surface for these wires.My two options were to use an air conditioning vent clip or the windshield suction cup.I chose the vent because I didn't want the unit in the sunlight.At night, the unit is very bright.You can turn down the brightness of the screen, but the buttons are backlit with a piercing blue light that can't be adjusted.The rotary knob is especially bright.It looks like I have a big blue glow stick in my car at night.

The programming is pretty good.Sirius carries every NFL game, and nearly all the college football games, which is exactly what I was looking for.They also play a lot of the NBA and NHL games, but I've not paid much attention to them.They have three comedy stations, and several talk/news (including the BBC) radio and sports radio stations.On the other hand, all of their music stations do not meet my sound quality expectations.I have a decent aftermarket stereo, and the music stations sound worse than local FM.They're not terrible, but the difference between listening to a song on Sirius and on a CD is jarring.That said, they have a fair amount of genres represented.You'll hear songs on Sirius that you'll never hear on your local radio.

I've had limited customer service interaction, but it's been all bad.I chose the three month program to start off with.Sirius doesn't give you a very detailed invoice on the billing screen.It simply shows Subscription charge, Activation Fee, and Taxes.The Subscription charge on the invoice did not match what plan stated it should be, it was about $1 more.The Activation Fee was what I expected.However, Taxes came out to the 15% of the sum of Subscription plus Activation.There's not a state in the US that has a 15% sales tax rate.I called them to find out why it was so high.The lady on the phone had no idea what I was talking about.First she tried to explain why there was a charge for activation.It took quite a few minutes to get it across that my question was about the taxes, not the activation fee.Next, she tried to tell me that the tax rate was based on the Houston rate where she was located.The sales tax in Houston is 8.25%, not 15%.And besides, you are supposed to be taxed based on your local rates, not the location of the service center.After trying to get this point across (another 5 minutes) she went to speak to a manager.She came back and offered me a $15 dollar credit for the activation fee, without ever answering my question.I was tired of the conversation, so I took the credit and hung up.I'll try again to get an answer out of them when my three months are up.

All in all, the unit has sort of worked out for me.It works fine in my car, but travels poorly.I can listen to all the sports I want, but the music sound quality leaves much to be desired.It was easy to hook up, but looks silly just clipped onto my air-vent.If all of the short-comings I've described were addressed I'd be very happy with it.

**Update 12/19/2006**
Warning: The unit is dying on me less than three months after I purchased it.Sometime after around 10 minutes of use, the receiver will become locked into "acquiring signal" mode regardless of actual signal strength.Turning the unit off and then on again fixes it, sometimes.I've researched this issue online and apparently it's becoming a common problem.The recommended fix from Sirius is to either re-activate the receiver on-line or return it for a new unit.If I could, I'd knock another star off this review.

**Second Update**I eventually got SIRIUS to send me a replacement head-unit, free of charge.The second radio works just fine.However, I had to ship the original radio back to the manufacturer.A word of warning: if you ship something to Sirius, keep your tracking number.They tried to tell me that they never received my original radio and charged me for the second.I got on the phone and used the UPS website to tell them who in their warehouse signed for the package.The charge was later reversed.

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Product Description:
Get in the game with the plug-and-play Sirius Sportster 4 satellite radioreceiver, which sports a new slim profile while still maintaining the same great featuresfor which the Sportster series is known. Just like other Sirius-compatible receivers, theSportster 4 offers a large, easy-to-read display, a rotary tuning knob, and accessiblebuttons, but now moves seamlessly into your car, home, or boombox. More significantly,the Sportster 4 maximizes the listening experience of Sirius radio's broad sports lineup,with the ability to decode the incoming Sirius digital-quality signal from more than 120music, news, and sports channels. It's also easily transportable, and thanks to thebundled car kit, lets you listen to your favorite satellite radio programs while driving.
An easy-to-read, six-line display tells you the channel name and number, category, artistname, song title, and time simultaneously. The receiver also lets you program up to 30presets of your favorite streams, as well as search by stream, artist name, song title, orcategory. And with a quick press of the One-Touch Jump button, you can instantlyswitch between the traffic and weather reports for your city or any of the other music,news, or entertainment channels. Other programming details include an S-Seek functionthat stores your favorite artists and songs and alerts you when one is playing on any ofthe music channels, direct station tuning via the numeric buttons, and a channel lockoption. Time functions, meanwhile, include an onscreen clock, alarm, and sleep timer, aswell as a program alert that allows the unit to switch to a preprogrammed stream at aselected time.
The Sportster 4 really earns its stripes, however, with its variety of enhanced featuresdesigned specifically for sports lovers. The Game Alert feature prompts you when yourfavorite NFL or other sports teams are playing on Sirius. The Game Zone lists all of yourfavorite teams in one virtual category and lets you select a different team from each ofthe various sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, and college sports. And whatsports fan could do without the Sportster's instant replay function, which lets you pause,rewind, and replay 44 minutes of live radio? As soon as you tune to a channel, thereceiver automatically begins storing the audio for later playback.
The Sportster 4 also includes a built-in FM transmitter that sends Sirius radioprogramming to your vehicle's FM tuner, so you don't have to make a direct connectionto enjoy the full array of channels. Simply set an empty FM frequency on your radio andtune the Sportster 4 to the same frequency. This function also works with other FMtuners, such as the one on your home stereo, but is easily paired with the car thanks tothe bundled vehicle kit, which includes everything you need for listening to Sirius whiledriving. Components include a vehicle docking station, a suction cup mount, a ventmount, a DC power supply that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, a roof-mountantenna, and mounting hardware.
Sirius satellite radio is a subscription service that provides more than 120 channels ofprogramming, from digital-quality music to news, talk, and sports. It is available only inthe lower 48 states--not in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories. The Sportster 4, whichmeasures 4.5 by 2.9 by 0.6 inches (W x H x D), is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
Sportster 4 satellite radio receiver, wireless remote control, lithium battery, vehicledocking station, roof-mount antenna, suction cup mount, vent mount, cigarette lighterpower adapter, mounting hardware, installation guide, Sirius channel information card,user's manual.

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Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Roady XT has made some major improvements over the Roady2. First and foremost, artist names and song titles will now scroll if they are longer than 16 characters. Each will scroll twice at the beginning of a song. If you need the complete name/title further into the piece, the best way to trigger the scroll again is to to hit the "display" button five times. This takes you back to the same display mode you were using, and it will begin to scroll again within a few seconds.

The sports ticker is great also. I was able to set it up for every NFL team, so there doesn't appear to be any limit on its size. It's not instantaneous, however; it takes about 2-3 minutes for an actual change in the score to be reflected in the ticker.

There is also a "Jump" button which allows you to flip to the previous channel.

The "Tuneselect" feature now allows you to search for songs not only by the song title, but by the artist name as well. This is accessed through the menu screen. You do, however, have to pick one or the other.

Another big plus: The Roady XT now gives you access to virtually the entire FM spectrum (88.1-107.9) if you want to listen via the FM modulator. The "Jump" button also comes into play here as well. If you hold it in for a few seconds, it will bring up a screen showing the last 6 FM frequencies you used. You can then use the arrow buttons to go to the one you want, then hit "Select." And by setting your in-dash radio's presets to the corresponding FM frequencies, it makes it much easier to adjust the modulator if you start running into interference as you drive.

Tip: The XM antenna also serves as the FM transmitter. If possible, place it close to your regular car antenna.

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Product Description:
The smallest and lightest XM satellite radio on the market, the Delphi XM Roady XT comes with everything you need to enjoy more than 150 commercial-free satellite channels in your car while you're driving across town or across the country. The plug-and-play Roady XT is easy to install, with no wires or cables required. Simply dock it on your dash, where

The low profile lets the XT fit nicely on your car dash. it uses its built-in FM transmitter to wirelessly transmit the signal to an empty frequency on your FM dial. The device supports more than 100 frequencies, so even users in the busiest radio markets should be able to find several static-free channels.Once installed, listeners will have access to the full XM menu of music, sports, talk, news, children's, and entertainment programming, all without having to listen to a single commercial. The Roady XT also offers 21 advanced traffic and weather channels--yet another reason XM was named best radio service at the 2004 Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards.
To make the listening experience more informative, the Roady XT displays the channel name, artist name, and song title for each XM channel on the bright, high-contrast screen, which boasts seven vivid backlighting colors. Complementing the track info is the TuneSelect feature, which alerts listeners when their favorite songs and artists are playing on a specific channel. Meanwhile, sports and finance fans will delight in the customizable sports and stock tickers; the former runs through the latest scores and schedules for both college and the pros, while the latter keeps track of up to 20 stocks at once.
All the features come bundled in a sleek, innovative housing that's designed to ensure high sound quality while taking up a minimum of space. The diminutive size (it measures a mere 3.7 by 2.2 by 0.61 inches) fits easily in most jacket pockets or purses. This not only helps protect against theft, but also makes it convenient to bring the Roady XT inside for home use (requires the Roady XT home kit).
So don't waste another moment listening to cliche-ridden commercial radio--join the XM revolution today with the Roady XT.
What's in the Box
Roady XT satellite receiver, car dock, user's manual.

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Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was lucky I found the skyfi 2 this past weekend at a local store.The Skyfi 2 is an improvement in the Skyfi 1 in many ways.The Skyfi 2 has better sound and can be played in your existing car and home boombox cradle.From the beginning you will notice the sound is louder on this one than it is on the skyfi 1.I don't have to cut the volume up as loud now on my boombox as I did with my skyfi 1.The Skyfi 2 also comes with a brighter light for viewing during sunny weather.I can actually see this now when the sun is bright in my car I can still read it.The skyfi 2 has a choice of 2 colors.Black on White which is recommended when driving in bright sunlight or White On Black which looks kind of blue and not as bright but you can still adjust the brightness on both colors in the menu screen.This thing is really bright at night unless you lower the brightness.The Skyfi 2 also has a sport and stock ticker.You can see sports scores or stocks scrolling under the artist and song info.I'm hoping Delphi will add weather as well to this.The skyfi 2 is the first reciever to feature extended titles.If you have the scroll on which is in the menu the song will start out at 16 characters but go to 30 something depending on song.Note the scroll for extended titles isn't the same thing as having the artist and song scroll across in big letters.The scroll for extended titles is in the menu you can cut it on or off it just scrolls the longer titles to extended ones.The song artist big letter scroll is in the display mode you can pick between this and other ways to see the song artist info.This makes the reciever look better similar to Sirius reciever.The skyfi 2 also has a unique feature.It has an Fm modulator inside the unit.When you put it in your car cradle it will turn on.You can cut it off in the menu if you want to but this thing has over 6-12 frequencies.It features the lower frequencies 88-89 and the higher ones 106-107.This thing sounds much better than my wired mod in my car.Also this unit features a record feature.You do nothing it automatically records from the time you cut it on.This is a first for an xmreciever.Also you could put 20 favorite stations in the skyfi 1 you can put 30 in this one.Here is a summery of this unit.Also you can view info 4 ways on the reciever.You can still activate it to scroll in big letters if your at a distance.You can have just the song and artist like the skyfi 1 featured,You can have artist,song and stocks or you can choose artist,song and sports.

Pro's
Extended Titles-This is the only xm reciever to feature this but it will eventually be available in newer models too.XM is just starting to get into listing more than 16 characters for artist and song.

Brighter Light for viewing in bright sunlight.It doesn't get washed out.

Stock Tickers and Sports Scores Note you must go into the menu and pick your favorite stocks and sports teams.

Better Sound

Built In Fm Modulator and it lets you choose over 6 frequencies.Also although xm recommends you buy the new car cradle it works fine with the old car cradle.

30 Presets features A,B and C were you can put at least 10 channels on each.

Pause and Record Feature-The Skyfi 2 automatically starts to record when you cut it on.You don't have to do anything not even pause.If you want to hear a song again that you liked real good or missed when you was away from the reciever you can just hit the reverse arrow.It can hold up to 30 minutes of songs.You can also go foward by hitting the foward arrow.If you want to hear live programming what is playing now just hold the foward arrow it will then beep and display live on the top.Note once you cut it off all memory will be lost.When you cut it back on it starts to record again from the first song.This is a great feature to have if your reciever is in the house and you have to go outside for something.When you come back in you can just push the back arrow and go back to the songs.And the recorded songs sound live you can't tell a difference in sound quality.You can also pause the music if you want to.

The Skyfi 2 features a clock.You can either view it in 12 or 24 hr time.

The Skyfi 2 can also alert you when your favorite artist or song is on.For example if your favorite artist on Sunny channel 24 is Percy Faith if your on another channel you will hear a beep when they play Percy Faith.You can put at least 10 favorite artist or songs in.

The Skyfi 2 is lighter than the Skyfi 1.Even thou their the same size the Skyfi 2 isn't as heavy as the Skyfi 1.

The Skyfi 2 comes with a remote.Note the skyfi 1's remote will also work on the skyfi 2 if you want to cut up or down the volume,change channel or put in numbers.The sky 2's remote has additionel keys and different batteries.

Cons
It doesn't feature a variety of colors for your mood like the roady 2 does.

Even thou it says you can pick it up on any Fm radio inside the house you can't.The Fm mod only works on the car cradle.It's not in the menu when it's on the boombox.

The sky 2 remote is heavier and takes 2 aa battaries instead of a long life lithium like the sky 1 remote.Also the sky 2 remote is slightley larger than the sky 1.

The skyfi 2 is worth the extra money.I highley recommend it.
I also recommend the protective satellite radio reciever case which is cheap to keep this in.It will protect the lcd screen from scratches.

Also Xm has an emergency channel on 247 which monitors tornadoes,hurricanes,volcanos,floods,blizzards etc.It came in handy this past summer with the Florida Hurricanes and this Fall with the eruption of Mount Saint Helens.They give evacuation routes,watches,warnings,school and business closings and other info.This is yet another reason to get xm.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Delphi SA10101 SKYFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Remote Control

Product Description:
Using leading edge technology, the exclusive Replay/Pause feature continuously and automatically saves the last 30 minutes of programming a including programming from multiple channels.* Exclusive Replay/Pause a continuously records 30 minutes of the selected XM station for flexibility. Built in FM Modulator a SKYFi2 can wirelessly transmit XM satellite radio to any FM radio a no need for wires or complicated connections TuneSelectTM a select channels and programming in several different modes - TuneSelect mode automatically finds favorite programs too! Preview Mode a allows you to see what's playing on other channels Direct Channel Entry a from main unit or remote control 30 Channel Presets a store your 30 favorite channels easily Jump button a switch between 2 channels with ease Built-in clock a Set the sleep time, auto on/off Personalized information tickers a stay up-to-date on your favorite stocks, sports and XM guides as the tickers scroll on the bottom of the receiver's display Advanced display a display up to 5 lines of text on a white screen concurrently showing channel, song, artist and title information Backward compatible a will operate with original SKYFi accessory kits Remote control included *Listening kit and subscription to XM radio required

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Sony MEX-BT3800U In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA/AAC Player with Bluetooth Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)You get a lot for your money with this unit. Between the front auxiliary in, USB, and Bluetooth you have plethora of connectivity options so you should be able to connect anything to this unit for a long time. That's the unit's biggest plus. In fact, it can be a little bit annoying to have to switch through so many inputs via the source to get to the one you want (you can turn off aux in the settings though). You can also add optional HD Radio through an expensive adapter. I don't mind the lack of HD Radio since from what I've read, the execution isn't great yet with radios switching back and forth between the HD and analog signal and the signals themselves not being in sync.

The display is easy to read at a glance, and RDS (displays what is currently playing on the tuner) makes finding new radio stations easy. The iPod controls on the unit are a bit too complicated to bother learning, especially since you can use the iPod's own controls if you switch to "passenger mode". The buttons on the bottom of the unit used to switch stations and perform other operations have kind of a sharp edge a the bottom, which can make them sometimes a little painful to press if you don't aim high when you hit them. The USB will charge your iPod or other device fine.

The Bluetooth connectivity works really well, and sounds great. I use the Bluetooth stereo to stream music from my Motorola Droid with no problems. The Bluetooth hands free functionality is a bit basic since the unit won't display who is calling you, just that you have a call. Not that big of a deal at this price point. My phone will automatically pair the hands free profile when I turn the stereo on, but seems kind of hit or miss with pairing the Bluetooth stereo profile automatically. From using my phone with another Bluetooth speaker, it seems like it's more of an issue with the Droid.

One thing I find really strange with this unit is the remote functionality. If I use the head unit controls to turn on the unit / change source, the only control on the remote that will work is the off button. Vice versa, if you turn the unit on with the remote, all the remote functions work perfectly fine, but you can only use the volume controls on the head unit. Seek buttons, etc will not work. It took me a while to figure this out and at first I thought the remote control was defective. Again, this is not that big of deal to me since I would hardly use the remote, I just wish it was documented somewhere.

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Product Description:
Sony's MEX-BT3800U is a great way to add Bluetooth and media power to your vehicle, with 52 Watts through four channels. Make hands-free calls or stream audio from your compatible devices. You can also play back CDs and CD-R/RWs, along with MP3/WMA/AAC files. A front auxiliary input is great for connecting external devices, and you can enjoy full iPod control right from the receiver.


A Bluetooth receiver that will play your digital music files. Click to enlarge.
Detachable faceplate for added security.
Front panel auxiliary input and USB port.
Detachable Faceplate
The MEX-BT3800U features a detachable faceplate for added security, with a 1-line, 13-segment LCD display and blue control illumination.
Bluetooth Functionality
The MEX-BT3800U features Bluetooth hands-free with an integrated microphone (or through an external microphone), as well as audio streaming functionality using your compatible Bluetooth music device.
USB 1-Wire for iPod, iPhone, and Other USB Devices
USB 1-Wire lets you directly connect, charge, and control your digital music player via the USB jack in the front of the unit, as well as view metadata like song title and artist on the front display.
Quick-Browzer Technology With Jump Mode and ZAPPIN Features
Quick-BrowZer lets you search and select songs by category, including artist, album, genre, or playlist. Jump Mode gets you closer to the song you want by allowing you to fast forward through a music category in 10 percent increments. With Zappin, you can play music in six-, nine-, or 30-second clips until you find the song you're looking for.
MP3/WMA/AAC Playback With DM+
Multi-format playback lets you play CDs, CD-Rs, or CD-RWs loaded with hundreds of MP3, AAC, or WMA songs. Hear the music on your recorded CDs and MP3s in their original vibrancy with DM+ (Digital Music Plus), an original Sony codec enhancer that reproduces detailed and high-frequency sound from compressed audio.
Satellite and HD Radio Ready
The MEX-BT3800U integrates seamlessly with satellite radio Sony Bus adaptors (sold separately) so you can receive digital satellite radio broadcasts. HD Radio capability lets you receive digital audio broadcasts when used with an optional HD Radio tuner.
Radio Data System (RDS)
The Radio Data System (RDS) feature displays radio broadcast information such as artist, title, and album.
Front Auxiliary Input
The front auxiliary input lets you connect almost any portable audio device to your car's sound system.
EQ3
Customize the sound with Sony's EQ3 feature, which includes 7 preset tone curves and a 3-band equalizer.
What's in the Box
MEX-BT3800U, Installation Hardware, User's Manual

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