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(More customer reviews)I chose the Kenwood because of the look (sleek, blue screen) and reputation of their other products. This product does not live up to their standards. I was really disappointed, and here's why:
When I received the unit, I started with the in-home docking station. I hooked it up right away and basic set-up was easy. You'll know right away whether you can get a signal from the satellite on channel 184 before you subscribe. The instructions about antenna placement was clear... it needs a clear view toward the midwest. That was a problem in my house because of its layout, orientation, and trees on the property. The signal from the satellite was weak and cut out from time to time. The antenna wire was not long enough for my home layout--windows provided too weak a signal, and the roof was out of the question. Eventually, I moved everything around the house until I found a sweet spot. What an ordeal, already.
Second, the FM modulator was very weak. I tried to tune in my home stereo to the freq on the sirius and found that the sirius tuner had to be within one foot of my receiver to get any signal, and then it was weak. With the hard wires--the RCA plugs into AUX on the home stereo--sound was clear and loud. Music at last!
I tried the car kit, and found that the satellite reception was weak there too (here a signal, there a signal and in between... silence). It changed dramatically as I drove across town. The placement of the sirius unit in the car was critical. I tried it on the front of the dash, on the console, in the passenger seat, and all over the windshield. There was only one position in the car where the sirius could talk to the receiver, and that was low-center of the wind shield. Everywhere else was nothing but static. Even in this "sweet spot" I got a poor, static filled signal. Changing freq was easy, but didn't help. No problems with interference from other stations, since there are few in my area.
I was even disappointed with the display. The blue was nice, but the station info was more than could fit and the scrolling was distracting. Changing the setting for display size didn't help: there are two settings for the screen: big and really big. (Audiovox screen for example shows more info on one screen without the need to scroll).
My wife experienced how wonderful and trouble-free Sirius can be with an "older" Streamer, so I'm going to stick with this service and try a different tuner.
The Kenwood is going back.
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Kenwood System-H2EC Sirius Here2Everywhere Satellite Radio Tuner with Car Docking KitEnjoy more than 120 channels of Sirius satellite radio in your car with this comprehensive docking kit, which includes everything you need for vehicle installation. The kit comes with a Sirius Here2Everywhere portable radio tuner, a remote control with batteries, a car docking cradle, a cigarette lighter power adapter, a magnetic mount antenna, a windshield docking base, and an extra power supply cord with fuse. The Here2Everywhere tuner is the centerpiece, with the ability to receive 65 commercial-free music streams and 50 sports, news, and entertainment streams regardless of whether you're driving in a major urban area or on an isolated rural road. Channel information is conveyed on the six-line, 128-by-64 LCD display, which offers three adjustable font sizes, depending on your taste, along with a dimmer and contrast control.
Channel surfing is easy thanks to the intuitive control knob, 30 station presets, and channel skip and lock functions. Listeners can also use the five search modes to find a favorite stream, artist, song, preset, or music genre. Should you happen upon a favorite song, you can even store the file within the unit's 24-song/artist memory bank, and then recall it later when the time is right. Additional features include a clock with an alarm (and a snooze button), an auto shutoff function, and a built-in wireless FM transmitter that broadcasts the Sirius stations on an empty FM frequency.
The car docking kit offers the option of installing the Here2Everywhere tuner on the windshield or console, depending on which location is most convenient. Once installed, the tuner receives its power through either the cigarette lighter adapter or the power supply cord, which fuses directly to the vehicle's 12-volt battery line. The remote control, meanwhile, offers the same functions as the front panel, making it easy to control the unit without losing sight of the road ahead. The Here2Everywhere tuner measures 4.3 by 2.91 by 1.18 inches (W x H x D).
Note: The kit requires an active subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio services.
What's in the Box Here2Everywhere tuner, remote control, two AAA batteries, car docking cradle, cigarette lighter adapter, car magnetic-mount antenna, car windshield docking base with suction cup, power supply cord, warranty card, user's manual.
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