|
 SIRIUS
has emerged with the new Sportster radio receiver that is geared for music
and sports fans alike. The Sportster is a compact, detachable unit designed
to work in the car, home or on the go. The unit plays all 120 Sirius satellite
radio channels and lets you store up to 20 of your favorite songs and artists,
and alerts you when one of them is available on a channel. The Game Alert
feature lets the user know when their favorite NFL or other sports teams are currently
playing. The unit can also notify the listener if a particular artist or song
(previously saved) comes over the air. Pressing the Memo button stores
a song, artist, sports team or city for later notification. The Category
buttons are used to select the genre (Pop, Rock, Electronic/Dance, R&B/Hip-Hop
Country/Christian, Jazz/Blues/Standards, Classical, Latin/International, Sports,
Entertainment, News/Talk and Traffic). We had both the car kit and home kit for
this review and they worked perfectly in their respective environments. The vehicle
was a 2000 Toyota Sienna using the stock radio for playback. The cassette adapter
worked best for us, but users can also make use of the FM modulator built within
the Sportster. Los Angeles has very crowded FM bands, so finding one that
does not cause occasional noise can be a problem. Rural areas with fewer FM stations
allows the Sportster's FM modulator to perform at its best.
The
face of the Sportster has a large backlit display with 10 buttons for tuning
favorite stations. Three sets of presets (30 in all) can be selected or the user
can manually enter the station number. Both the display and the button backlight
color can be independently selected from amber or green. We found that the amber
color offers better contrast, making the buttons easier to read in the dark. However,
the green color has a more pleasant look. Remote
 The
25-button IR remote included with the unit is ergonomically designed, but small
in overall size. The small design makes it a challenge to use, yet the most frequently
used buttons (station up/down, category select and volume) are larger than the
others. It is actually fairly easy to remember the button locations after using
the remote for a while. The Menu, Band, Direct and Memo
buttons are located next to the volume controls. The Mute and Jump
buttons are near the bottom of the remote. A full set of numeric keys are available
for selecting any of 30 preset stations (using three groups) or using the direct
channel entry. A red transmit light illuminates when the remote is sending an
IR signal. The remote is powered from a single lithium battery (CR2025). We could
control the receiver from at least 20 feet away with no problems.  Car
Kit
One of the docking options available for the Sportster is the Car
Kit (SP-C2), which includes the mobile docking station, a suction-cup mount, a
DC power (cigarette lighter) adapter, and a magnetic roof-mount antenna. The long
20-foot antenna cable allows for flexible mounting options using the magnetic
base. This kit is ideal if the user plans to mount the unit to the windshield.
The adjustable arm makes it easy to move the unit to a desired position. If you
prefer to dash mount the radio there is an alternate Car Kit (SP-C1) available
that includes an adhesive mount.
Home
Kit
 Moving
the Sportster receiver unit to your home audio system is no problem with
the SIRIUS home kit (SP-H1). The SP-H1 ($49.99) includes the stable base unit,
a 120V AC power adapter, an antenna with stand, and a patch cable for connecting
the audio signals. Connecting the base unit to your existing home sound system
is simple and allows the user to enjoy the same quality programming in the home
or car. In addition, Sirius offers a portable boombox that allows users to take
their Sportster virtually anywhere a signal can be received. Conclusion
The SIRIUS Sportster is a great design that has a host of features and
is simple to use. No longer do you have to rely on local broadcasts for premium
radio channels. In addition, the same programming is available no matter where
you travel in the country. The large backlit display is easy to read and contains
detailed information about the channel. Programming from Sirius Radio costs $12.95
per month for more than 120 digital radio channels. Up to three additional units
each costing an extra 6.99 per month can be enabled. Once you get used to having
Sirius programming, it is difficult to give it up. -
Kevin Nakano |
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