# Just got an S50 w/Home Kit



## oblio98 (Sep 17, 2002)

In order to get "Howard", I signed up for SIRIUS. Bought an S50 and a home kit from Crutchfield since they had a 15% off deal. The home kit was back-ordered, but it arrived today, so I powered it up and activated it for the $499 lifetime deal, once I read that the lifetime deal can be transferred to a different radio in the future for a "$75 processing fee".

Anyway, I have not installed in the car yet (too cold), but the home kit is neat. It's very small. The S50 has a real nice display.

However, I am totally bummed about one thing. The FM transmitter is only in the Car Adapter, it's not in the unit itself. And, the home adapter has no FM transmitter. This SUCKS!!!  

I was planning on leaving the thing hooked up to my main Home Theater system, then beaming the audio to FM radios in the house, esp the one in the bedroom so I could wake up and hear the Stern show. But alas, NFW, as there is no FM transmitter in the base station.

What a rip! How could they do this? (Maybe I'm wrong, but when it's in the home dock, the menus to set/change the frequency are not available.)

So, the thing is expensive, but slick - yet it's annoying that the FM piece is not in the unit itself, like it is in the MyFi for XM.

Arrrrgggghhhhhh!!! :nono2: :nono:


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## Art7220 (Feb 4, 2004)

Shoulda got the Xact Visor setup. Can't beat it for under 50 bucks. And it has the FM broadcaster unit all in one. Not sure how far it broadcasts though.

Since you did mention Stern I assume you signed up for the US service. When I signed up, they talked me into doing that too. There is no activation fee if you signed up for the Canada service, but then you don't get Stern.

-A-


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## Santinelli (Oct 6, 2002)

Yeah, I actually use the CAR kit in the house for my Jensen PNP, so I can broadcast on FM throughout the house. 

Get the right power adapter for your car kit, and you'll be able to broadcast.

(Of course I have the Starmate in the car as well)

Steve



oblio98 said:


> In order to get "Howard", I signed up for SIRIUS. Bought an S50 and a home kit from Crutchfield since they had a 15% off deal. The home kit was back-ordered, but it arrived today, so I powered it up and activated it for the $499 lifetime deal, once I read that the lifetime deal can be transferred to a different radio in the future for a "$75 processing fee".
> 
> Anyway, I have not installed in the car yet (too cold), but the home kit is neat. It's very small. The S50 has a real nice display.
> 
> ...


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

The distance covered by the FM transmitter on my unit is VERY short range, probably by design. The antenna in my car, a Hyundai Santa Fe, is in the rear side window and the transmitter when sitting up front works very poorly. Because of this I use a cassette adaptor. I suspect the range is so short so you won't interfere with other Sirius systems in the neighborhood or adjacent cars on the road.


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