SIRIUS ST4-TK1 Starmate 4 Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio Receiver with Car Kit

SIRIUS ST4-TK1 Starmate 4 Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio Receiver with Car Kit

Great for work

I was initially discouraged by reports that the FM rebroadcaster on these satellite radios did not work, but I went ahead and bought the Starmate anyway. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked, contrary to other reviews the unit will overpower all but the clearest FM signals even without hooking up the rebroadcasting antenna. I have encountered some areas where the satellite signal cannot be acquired; as my job requires me to drive all over New England, I assume that this is when a mountain is between me and the satellite. I have also noticed some static, but nothing like as bad as a radio. I would recommend this product to anyone who is stuck driving a company vehicle with no CD player, it really makes the long trips bearable.

great item, especially for the price I paid!

The Sirius Starmate 4 is loaded with features, and though I have some experience in installing auto electronics, was relatively easy to install myself, despite doing so on a big truck with it's additional problems. It is easy to use, and sounds great!!

Good device

I have had this radio and associated service for a year now. I have docks in 3 cars, a cradle for my home stereo, and the boombox on my desk at work. I listen to it about 10 hours a day. Pros: presets! 30 of 'em! I can't fill them up, but that keeps me going back to the station directory and checking out new stuff. Adjustable brightness on the display. Used to keep it at full brightness (default from factory) but that was too bright at night. Dimmed it down and it's fine now. ease of use. Sure a dial would be nice, but navigating by button isn't bad and you can surf categories as well as move up and down a channel at a time. Good sound quality - with a direct connection. Audiophiles have dissagreed on this, but I have it in a '95 convertible where CD quality sound would be unnoticed due to noise from wind and loose car parts. Headphones on the boombox sound just fine to me, and I can crank the home stereo and it still sounds good to me. Durability. It has neatly withstood a year of daily switching between multiple docks and the plugs are not worn or loose. A carry case to protect it in my bag would be a nice accessory though. Song Alerts. Always nice to be able to catch my favorite songs/artists no matter what channel they are on. Cons: Build quality. Some of the buttons are quirky. The "Down" button initially didn't work at all, but later kicked in and has been intermittent since. FM transmitter. Useless. Shouldn't even include it as a "feature". In the cars I use tape adaptors in two and a direct AUX connection in the third and sound is great. Now that I have had it for a while, I can say I am happy to have this unit and the service.

Don't buy this, no FM transmitter

I had the original starmate, worked great except the plug wore out. It Then I bought this Starmate 4. It doesn't transmit. The new improved, "joke" antenna wire is set next to my car antenna & it still works poorly. I'm bringing it back. Don't know what to try next?

I have mixed feelings

I've had Sirius Radio for almost a full year now. It took a couple weeks to grow on me, I prefer it over terestrial radio for the most part, but I still have some issues with it. Pros: 1. Less commercials, always good. 2. Lots of music and talk options. There's even comedy stations. 3. BBC News; no frills, straight news 4. "Left of Center" and similar channels can help introduce you to music you may not have found otherwise. 5. No more losing a good station as you're travelling! 6. The "Radio Classics" station! Cons: 1. Despite having less, the commercials are pretty stupid. 2. While good if you like basketball, football, or baseball, Sirius sucks for Hockey fans. 3. There's a lot of weather stations by city, but you have to memorize the station, or scroll for a long time to find yours. 4. If you're in a big city with lots of radio, you'll find yourself having to keep selecting a different frequency... sometimes you're always plaqued with interference. 5. While there is a lot of great talk, there's no local talk which is considerabley more interactive and accesable to the audience (well, in Pittsburgh at least). 6. I find myself staring at the screen trying to find out who, or what, I'm listening to... might be hazardous to your driving. I recomend buying the windsheild suction mounter. 7. Some of the music stations are no different than regular radio (i.e. repitious, only plays the hits, etc.) I do love the Sirius, especially for longer drives. I really hope the merger goes through... I'd be irrate if it didn't. In the meantime, I'm glad to have Sirius, cons and all.