Sirius SDST5V1 Starmate 5 Dock and Play Radio with PowerConnect

by Sirius Satellite Radio

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 7.3 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003CYL50A
• Item model number: SDST5V1
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,442 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Never miss a moment of your favorite programs with the Sirius Starmate 5 Satellite Radio. You can pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of live radio. Do-it-yourself installation with PowerConnect is quick and effortless. The easy-to-read widescreen display, push button navigation, and features such as S-Seek--which lets you set alerts for your favorite artists and songs whenever they are on live radio--maximize the Sirius experience. It comes with everything you need to enjoy satellite radio in your vehicle. Add accessories for the home, office, or anywhere in between.

What-you-need-and-more Satellite Radio for Your Vehicle and Beyond

The Starmate 5 offers much more than traditional radios. This slick device shows artist name, song title, and channel information on a large color display. With the included Vehicle Kit, you can easily connect this receiver to your car speakers. The device lets you browse and explore other songs and artists without leaving your current channel. Pair the Starmate 5 with a Sirius subscription plan that best suits you and start enjoying all your favorite music, talk, and entertainment at the touch of a button.

---

Hardware Features

• Revolutionary Sirius Starmate 5 Satellite Radio works through your vehicle's radio* with easy do-it-yourself Installation. The color-coded Vehicle Dock makes it simple to connect.
• Pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of live radio.
• Set alerts so that you don't miss your favorite artists, songs, and sports teams when they are on live radio.
• View artist name, song/program title, and channel information on the easy-to-read widescreen display.
• Push-button navigation makes channel surfing and category browsing easy and intuitive.
• Browse channels, programs, artists, and songs without having to change the channel.
• Save and enjoy fast access to up to 30 of your favorite channels.
• One-Touch Jump to traffic and weather of the 20 most congested cities.
• Lock and unlock channels with parental controls.
• Complete PowerConnect Vehicle Kit included.
• Universal docking capability--add accessories for your home, office, additional vehicles, or even outdoors.
• Works on the Sirius Network.

*FM radio required, or use the included aux-in cable if your vehicle has aux-in capability. Will also work with cassette adapter (sold separately).

---

Welcome to the World of Satellite Radio

Only SiriusXM brings you more of what you love, all in one place. Enjoy commercial-free music from nearly every genre - including artist-dedicated channels. Get live sports play-by-play and 24/7 expert talk. Enjoy exclusive entertainment and comedy. Plus world-class news, local traffic and weather, and more. Choose between the Select, Premier or All Access programming package.

Subscribe to the All Access Package

It doesn't get any better than this - get every channel in the XM Premier package, plus listen anywhere with over 130 channels of SiriusXM Internet Radio on your computer, smartphone and tablet.* Simply ask for the All Access Package when you call to activate your radio.

See What's On

• Sirius Channel Guide

What's in the Box

Sirius Starmate 5 Radio, PowerConnect Vehicle Kit, remote control, magnetic-mount antenna, aux-in cable, user guide, quick start guide, Sirius channel guide, and Sirius Dock and Play accessories guide.

---

---

IMPORTANT SUBCRIPTION NOTE:

Hardware and subscription sold separately. Service will automatically renew and bill at the rates in effect at the time of renewal until you call us at 1-866-635-2349 to cancel. See our Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. Fees and taxes apply. All fees and programming subject to change. Our satellite service is available only to those at least 18 and older in the 48 contiguous USA and DC. Our Sirius satellite service is also available in PR (with coverage limitations). Our Internet radio service is available throughout our satellite service area and in AK and HI. Certain channels are not available on our Internet radio service, including MLB® play-by-play.

© 2011 Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. All other marks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Frank Sinatra photo © 1978 Sid Avery / MPTV.net. © EPE Reg. U.S. Pat & TM off.

Product Description

Powerconnect Fm Transmitter; Supports A La Carte Programming; Pause, Rewind & Replay Up To 44 Min Of Live Radio; 30 Presets; S-Seek Alert; Sportsalert Lets User Track Favorite Sports Team & Race Driver; One-Touch Jump To Local Traffic & Weather Or Favorite Channel; Universal Docking Capability

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't be happier, September 22, 2010

By 

AWBoater (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sirius SDST5V1 Starmate 5 Dock and Play Radio with PowerConnect (Electronics)

This little unit is a great item. I bought it for two reasons, first, it is plug-n-play, and second, it offers ala-carte selections.

What is ala-carte? For a cheaper monthly satellite bill, you can select up to 50 channels (minus the premium channels). I went for it, and actually struggled to find 50 channels I liked. Other channels such as Margaritaville are designated as premium, so they are a small add on cost. But all in all, expect to pay from 60% to 75% for the ala-carte cost than the full package.

Admittedly the ala-carte price has risen over the years, but its still cheaper than the full package.

I use this unit in 4 locations; which required the purchase of a couple of docking stations.

My boat. I have an Alpine iDA-x100 head unit with a compatible satellite interface so I can use this unit on the boat. Since the Starmate 5 is controlled by the head unit, the logical choice was to mount it inside a hanging locker in the rear cabin so it was out of the way. The unit hangs on the locker's wall; safe and secure. And the unit is locked onto the docking station. Depressing the docking station release, and the unit pops off.

My car. I also have a docking station in the car, so it can be plugged into the car's stereo system. You really need an upgraded stereo system for this, as an FM modulator is not a good alternative - regardless of whether you are trying to listen to an iPod, satellite receiver, or any other audio device. The idea is that the FM modulator will play through an unused FM channel. But as you travel along the highway, stations come and go, which constantly interfere with the "unused" channel.

Some FM setups are capable of disabling the antenna for the car stereo, and that is the only solution I see as working. However, even if such as setup is used, the audio quality is suspect. Therefore, I would recommend a "proper" configuration, meaning low level RCA inputs. This may mean replacing your stereo, or buying a 3rd party adapter designed for your factory radio.

Ironically, I already have a factory XM satellite receiver in my car, which I used for awhile. But for billing purposes, Sirius and XM are still considered separate companies, so you do not get a multi-unit discount if you have one Sirius and one XM unit.

And I have found that the car's XM receiver, due to the geosynchronous satellite orbits, is prone to dropouts when you do not have a clear sky, such as driving behind a hill, in a city with nearby large buildings, or even a tree-lined boulevard.

Consequently, Sirius uses 3 polar orbiting satellites, and one of them is always in the neighborhood, which results in fewer dropouts. You can still get a dropout or two with a Sirius system, for instance you are downtown with high buildings, you may lose signal. But it is much less of a problem than XM as one of the satellites is generally at a higher overhead angle.

Perhaps the most difficult decision in the car is where to mount the satellite unit. I use a RAM-Mount cup holder setup which works great. Since the use in the car is temporary (when the unit is not home or in the boat), I simply pop the mount in the cup holder and plug the wires in when needed. This also allows me to easily and quickly remove the system when I park the car so it is not tempting to thieves.

Fortunately, my car has a set of RCA level aux inputs - conveniently hidden in the arm rest, so I can connect the Starmate to those and the cables are not hardly noticeable. But since I remove the whole shebang when not being used, this is not an issue.

Installing the antenna and docking station in the car was not even as hard as installing a car stereo. You do need some basic skills, and may need to figure out how to remove a panel or two along the way. But it is not difficult.

My home. I also have a home docking station that I can use the Starmate to listen to satellite at home. I even bought the remote antenna setup to attach to my house exterior. You'll find that most houses have some trouble with the proper reception of the signal, and the best advice if you want a home system is to buy a external antenna.

All of these solutions require plug-n-play docking stations, which are also available from the manufacturer of the Starmate 5.

Finally, I also have a portable "boom-box" adapter for the Starmate 5.

The best attribute of this unit - other than the ala-carte feature - is that it is portable, and the station ID is part of the unit itself. And with plug-n-play, you can move the unit from docking station to docking station and have satellite in your home, car, and boat without having to pay for multiple receivers.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good and bad....., February 2, 2011

By 

Onecooldad (Lyndhurst, NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sirius SDST5V1 Starmate 5 Dock and Play Radio with PowerConnect (Electronics)

I have been a subscriber to Sirius for quite a long time, before Howard Stern jumped aboard. I have had the same radio for that time, the Sirius Sportster replay. Recently, the lights on the radio went out, so I looked to replace it. I came across this radio, liked the way it looked, so I purchased it. Well, I have mixed feelings about it. I use the radio in 2 vehicles, one being a work truck. The Starmate 5 works great in my car, due to the use of the Aux input on the Starmate and my car's stereo. No noise, static.. crystal clear and wonderful. The issue I have is with the FM transmitter. When in my work truck, I need to use the FM transmitter. Well, this is a problem. On my old Sportster Replay, the FM transmitter was great... had no static on the FM station. Now, with the Starmate, I hear alot of background noise and static. Transmitter is weak, to say the least. I have tried multiple FM stations and have had no luck in silencing the noise. So, if you plan on using the aux input in your car with the Starmate, it works like a dream. Just be wary of the fact that the FM transmitter is weak, and you will hear noise over the FM station.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Starmate 5-Excellent Radio!, April 20, 2011

By 

S. Walton (middle Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sirius SDST5V1 Starmate 5 Dock and Play Radio with PowerConnect (Electronics)

I researched satellite radio for six weeks before deciding on this Sirius Starmate 5. There were several factors that made me purchase this item.

First, it is a 'dock and play' radio. I was looking to use this in several different vehicles and on a boom box and this one fit the bill. This unit goes perfectly with the Sirius Boombox SXABB1 and has wonderful sound.

Second, ease of installation. After reading another review, I went to tss-radio dot com and ordered a universal suction mount with short antenna. This allowed me to put this radio right on the front window (like a GPS) and not even mess with the long antenna wire that came with this kit. The only cords involved in my unit using this method is the power connect to the cigarette lighter. It is no problem to remove from one car and put in another one.

Third, ease of use. The Starmate 5 is so easy to use that my husband even figured it out :) ! It is also nice to have 30 presets. It has a record and replay feature but I really don't see the point in this extra technology.

Fourth, I liked that this unit supports al a carte programming. I used a $20 for 5 months coupon to begin with but after the initial time I will swap to my top 50 stations for under $10 a month (and it will be hard to actually come up with 50 stations that I will listen to ). This coupon was what made me choose Sirus over XM.

Last, the power connect feature sure was easy. I run this unit through a local unused FM number, using the same settings on car and radio. Sound is great (but not as great as the boombox) and it could not be easier to do. For those who complain, they must be pretty picky about their music quality. This, to me, is as good as an FM station.

The best price I found was right here on Amazon.com. They always stand behind their products and I like that (even though there is no problem with this unit).