XAct XTR1UK Sirius Satellite Receiver with Universal Kit

by Xact

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 8.2 x 7.6 inches ; 10 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00067YSM8
• Item model number: XTR1UK
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy all 120 channels of Sirius satellite radio while driving in your car or sitting in your living room with XAct's XTR1UK plug-and-play universal kit. Equipped with an XTR1 satellite radio receiver, a universal docking cradle, satellite antennas for both your home and car, and accompanying power sources, the kit includes everything you need to enjoy satellite radio in virtually any location.

The XTR1 conveniently displays all artist, song, and channel information on its six-line readout, which also includes a satellite-updated real-time clock. Meanwhile, selecting channels and menu options is a snap thanks to the large, easy-to-access illuminated buttons. And drivers will delight in such bonuses as the 18 station presets, which let you quickly access your favorite stations, and the S-Seek feature, which lets you know when one of your 10 stored song titles is playing on a given Sirius station. You can even search the up-to-the-minute Sirius playlists by category, channel, artist, or song title.

The XTR1 sends its signal to your stereo receiver through its built-in wireless FM transmitter, which "broadcasts" the satellite signal over an unused FM frequency--no hardwiring required. As an alternative, you can also connect the XTR1 tuner directly to you stereo's input jack (if it has one) with the included patch cable for the best possible sound quality. And the docking cradle is versatile enough to work almost anywhere. There's no need to buy separate kits for listening in the car or at home, as this kit offers everything you need.

Additional features include a wireless remote for controlling the tuner from a distance; a sleep timer and traditional alarm; a lock function that lets you restrict access (via password) to Sirius' more off-color content, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for private listening. The XTR1 tuner, which measures 2.75 by 4.62 by 1.38 inches (W x H x D), is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Note: You must subscribe to Sirius satellite radio to receive the satellite radio signal.

What's in the Box
XTR1 satellite radio tuner, universal docking cradle, vehicle antenna, home antenna bracket, audio cables, AC adapter, 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter, wireless remote control, user's manual.

Product Description

Includes: home/vehicle docking cradle, home/vehicle universal antenna, home antenna mounting bracket, AC adapter, 12V car power adapter, remote control, & audio cables. Xact Sirius Satellite Receiver & Universal Kit - With this complete satellite radio package you can enjoy 120 channels of crystal-clear satellite radio on the Sirius network. Equipment is included to allow for home and vehicle installation! Giving you more options to enjoy Sirius's great programming line-up. You get 13 categories of entertainment, including music, news, sports, talk, & much more! 18 Channel Preset Capability Parental Control Satellite Updated Real-Time Clock Stereo, Line Level Audio Outputs Stereo Headphone Jack with Volume Control Built-in Lithium Battery Built-in Wireless FM Transmitter

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars XACT not User or Customer-Friendly, December 28, 2004

By 

Larry (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: XAct XTR1UK Sirius Satellite Receiver with Universal Kit (Electronics)

Sirius Satellite Radio is an excellent service, with extraordinarily rich and varied content, and therefore worthy of much more than XACT Communications offers in this "universal" kit. This review is ONLY related to XACT's equipment, and NOT to the Sirius service.

I've owned the receiver and kit for three months and I am now in the market for a replacement. Here's why:

1. The keypad interface is the least intuitive of any I've ever encountered. Although I pride myself on being something of a technophile, I must contstantly refer to the user's guide to figure how how to accomplish things with this keypad. You can't even enter a station by number directly! (You must select each of the 3 digits from a displayed list of digits using arrow keys and the enter button). Although the receiver boasts storing 18 "favorites," you can not get to any directly via the keypad; in all cases you must scroll through groupings (A through F) or lists first.

2. The user's guide has a few significant errors, such as how to store favorites channels.

3. The "universal" mount for vehicles comes with one small plastic disk with two-sided tape that adheres to the dashboard. The base unit easily detaches from this disk for use in the home. However, if you want to use it in a second VEHICLE, you need another of these little disks. XACT absolutely refuses to sell the disk alone, and insists that you spend another $50 (!) for another complete kit if you want to move the unit from car to car.

4. The display is too small, and often gets "stuck" with info from prior selections, requiring a reset.

5. Mobile reception is spotty, even in clear, unobstructed areas. I'm in the NYC suburban area, and lose the signal every ten minutes or so when on the road. A friend with an in-dash receiver for Sirius experiences no such problems.

6. In order to power this unit by batteries (for use like a walkman), you must purchase a huge, clunky wrap-around battery kit for $100 (!).

I recommend you definitely consider the Sirius service, but look for an alternative to any XACT hardware.

P.S. Since first writing this review, my XACT unit failed completely due to overheating, which I discovered is a very common problem with XACT equipment. Although the store where I purchased it provided a replacement, I fear the problem recurring after the warrantee has expired.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Okay Unit with Big Drawbacks, April 22, 2005

By 

D - See all my reviews

This review is from: XAct XTR1UK Sirius Satellite Receiver with Universal Kit (Electronics)

I bought the unit from a large retailer in Dec 2004, having been "sold" on the premise that the XACT unit had the most functionality for the price and was more portable than other units available - easily transferring from car to home to boombox, etc., if I elected those routes (with additional hardware). I liked the idea of portability and went with the XACT vehicle package.

I agree that the vehicle mounting unit is extremely limited. The actual mount has limited tilt and is cluncky with a screw that fastens to the back of the unit, making mounting and dismounting somewhat difficult. I ended up building my own base for the mount that fits in a cupholder, because the original mount wouldn't fit anywhere else. With my homemade creation, the setup works quite well. I keep my antenna on the dashboard and haven't had a big problem with reception. I even traveled 1200 miles across the county and the reception was fine. Of course, I did have to change FM modulator channels periodically from city to city, but that should be expected.

The unit is very limited overall. Scanning stations is very difficult while driving and I rely on my saved stations nearly exclusively. However, the keypad only gives access to 3 saved stations at a time and this can be annoying. I still haven't figured out the Memo/S-Seek button, even after reading the manual several times, and it seems usless.

Most troubling, in April, I returned to the big retailer where I purchased the unit (in Dec), to buy the home mounting dock. However, the retailer no longer carries XACT products in its stores. It is available on the web, but this is rather unsettling. I purchased the unit as the newest, best product less than 4 months ago and now I can't find it in any stores. I bought the unit for portability and versatility and it's already difficult to find the additional components for it.

In general, the redeeming quality of the XACT unit is that it allows me to listen to Sirius, which is an excellent service. Other than that, XACT offers poor functionality and design. If I were to do it again, I'd get a unit from a more recognizable company and definitely one with a dial.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok function and features - but not great by any standard, December 31, 2004

By 

Steven W. Schenck "Tech dude" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: XAct XTR1UK Sirius Satellite Receiver with Universal Kit (Electronics)

I have had the unit two weeks and worked hard to make it function as required. First the FM signal to my radio is so weak that there is too much noise, what happen to CD quality?

Due to the FM broadcast issue I had to have it mounted and setup with a hard wire into my system which cost an additional $100.

The screen and functions are managable, but not great. This is a pull over and reset unit, it is way to hard to manage this unit while driving because it is not designed for ease of use and the screen is so small and hard to read.

The unit gets very hot so you have to mount it accordingly. Holding the unit and using the keys is uncomfortable because of the heat, so the remote is a required tool.

The antena had to be on the roof because through a window it did not get enough signal.

Overall I liked the low price and have fixed most of the issues, but would not purchase this unit again if there were any other choice.