XM Sportscaster Satellite Radio

XM SPORTSCASTER SATELLITE RADIO REVIEW - Sports, More Sports... Oh, and Some Music Too

February 2007 By Stephen Krasowski

Unless you have the radio hardwired into your audio system, you’ll be using the Sportscaster’s FM transmitter to send the signal to an unoccupied FM station on your car radio. With regards to FM transmission, I really had no problems. Of course, with any satellite radio, you’re going to experience loss of signal on occasion if driving in an area where you’re surrounded by large buildings. I only experienced the loss of a signal in a five block radius around where I work in the center of town, where there are just too many competing FM stations. However, as soon as I passed this five block radius, I was as good as gold. It’s worth noting here that XM is phasing the wireless FM transmitter out of the Sportscaster and all of its plug-and-play radios as per an FCC mandate to turn down the power of said transmitters—apparently they interfere too much with other nearby FM radios, like the one in the car next to you at the traffic light. By the time you read this, the Sportscaster will have a second wire that clips to your car’s outside radio antenna to send the XM signal to your car stereo.

I would definitely recommend this XM radio to any sports enthusiast, even if your hometown team is going through a bit of an early-season slump.