It’s been three weeks now and I’m feeling a bit serious about the Sirius satellite radio. I have found myself parking my car, turning off the engine, and leaving the radio running in order to finish the song, talk show, or even a comedy sketch. I’ve done this even when I’m late to my destination because I feel that being 2 mins earlier is not worth wondering what was the end of that Richard Pryor joke or how E! True Hollywood Stories Alyssa Milano ends.
Sirius does a decent job with programming, I would have liked a bit more variety, but I’m one of those who always wants more. Drives from San Francisco to San Jose and back gave me a solid hour or so with the Sirius radio to see what it was really made of. The unit really warmed up after an hour of use, but performance was acceptable.
Click on the picture to see a video of Sirius channel surfing:
My Pros for the Sirius Sportster Satellite Radio:
Installation: Easy, Quick (took me 10 mins with no screws in the dash)
Appearance: Pretty, I like the color changing capabilities
Display: Large and in charge
Hardware: Sturdy and robust, I feel like it could take a nice fall and keep on going.
Favorite Stations: Area 63 (Electronica/Dance), E! Entertainment, and Raw Dog Comedy
Reception: Random 2-3 second losses, but overall many times better than FM radio
Coolness factor: Just saying “I have Satellite radio in my car” raised more eyebrows than you’d believe.
Discovery: I’d always discover something new be it channel, song, or news fact while tuning in.
Commercials: I only heard commercials on E! Entertainment, but all others I listened to were commercial free. The only break in music I found came from a DJ’s song announcements.
Cons for the Sirius Sportster Satellite Radio:
FM Modulator: Low quality audio
Size: Just a bit too big
Listening on the go: Impossible, you aren’t using this on the bus or on a walk.
Who is this for?
Sirius Satellite radio is just that, for the serious radio listener. If you don’t mind jamming to FM stereo commercials (by far the most annoying thing on the planet), listening to the newest pop songs every hour, and getting that snow-static-fuzz from regular FM radio, this is not for you. If you like a rather wide variety, crystal clear sound, and a read out of who’s singing and what song it is, then pick one up today –you’ll thank me for it. I will be happy to get back to my iPod because there’s songs on there that I don’t feel anyone else in the world likes but me, so Sirius would never play them. But I Siriusly am going to miss the Sirius Sportster Satellite Radio.