TSS-Radio Blog

Recently, we have had people calling in and telling us that they have engine noise when they are listening to their plug and play satellite radio inside their car. Every time they accelerate they can hear an engine noise or a “wine” through their speakers. Well, we have found a solution. Here’s the scenario:

• Listener is using a stock aux input located on their vehicles radio or dash.
• Listener is also using a standard car kit (ex: SUPV1, SLV2, etc)
• Listener has the car kit hooked up to their vehicles radio through the aux input via 1/8th inch aux cable.
• Listener does not have the power hardwired. They are using the cigarette lighter adapter.

Problem: When the listener accelerates down the road they can hear an increase in engine noise through their speakers.

Solution: We discussed this with a professional installer that used the PIE in-line 12 amp noise filter and it solved their problem. What they did was go behind the cigarette lighter and put the power filter on the live wire running to the cigarette lighter. This solved the issue immediately.

One way to prove this theory to is to plug in a regular MP3 player into the auxiliary jack on the radio and drive around. Even better, if you have a stiletto you can listen to recorded content through the aux input as well. You should hear no engine wine noise at all. If you do, then this is a completely separate issue. Most engine noise issues come from the fact that the unit is drawing off of the vehicles power through the cigarette lighter, or in rare cases, from a vehicle power hardwire kit. Both scenarios can be solved by using this PIE noise filter.

This review is courtesy of MichiganMade “MM” from his DigitalRadioCentral thread. You may find the original post HERE.

Ever since my wife got her 2008 Nissan Altima I have been trying to figure out a way to get Sirius and her iPod connected in a way that wasn’t obtrusive or gaudy looking. I wanted a clean look.

At that time there was nothing available. So I just connected her Sportster 4 to an FM modulator and hid it in the compartment below the radio. She just used an stereo cable to use her iPod through her car stereo’s front Aux input.

Then a few months ago Taylor said a solution was coming. Then two weeks ago my iSimple Kit from TSS Radio finally arrived.

After I opened the package, I was a little overwhelmed at first. It seemed like a lot of work. I was wrong. After opening everything and piecing the whole kit together, I knew the install would not take too long.

Before I took the dash apart, I followed the “quick install” directions from TSS and updated the firmware to the Media Gateway. This is a very important step. I simply had to go to a website and download the firmware. You need a micro USB cable to do so.

I was excited to just get the unit connected so I could see how it worked. After a few minutes of disconnecting the harness to the car radio, installing the new harness, connecting back the car stereo harness, plugging in the iPod cable, and the Sirius…I was ready to go.

This is where you have to follow the “quick install” directions. You turn the car to accessory and wait three minutes. This allows all the peripherals to talk to each other. After the three minutes, you turn the car off and back on to accessory. Then I pressed the “RADIO” button on the car stereo. I then hit “TUNE” immediately and I scrolled through IPOD, AUX 1, and SIRIUS. I will explain how these work later.

I unhooked everything and had to decide where I would mount everything. This, for me, took the longest. You have to find a place where the Media Gateway and the SCC1 Sirius Tuner can be secure and not move.

Close up of the iSimple iPod Connector.

After I got everything secure and plugged in to the correct spots, I tried the system out once more before I put the dash back together. All was well. Installation is complete!

Your iPod will look like this (of course I have Modest Mouse on there).

Your car stereo will look like this.

I cannot express how impressed I am with this system. This what so many people have been looking for. It’s what I have been looking for. I finally get my clean install. The sound quality is second to none. Sirius sounds so crystal clear, much better than before with the FMDA and better than in my car using Sirius with an Aux Input.

If you are looking for a clean setup, look no further than the iSimple solution at TSS Radio.

This review is courtesy of MichiganMade “MM” from his DigitalRadioCentral thread. You may find the original post HERE.

Have you ever bought a SIRIUS Radio with car kit and only wanted to use it your home?

Since most of the radios come with a car kit, the question is, How to make a car kit- that comes with your radio, work in the home? You will need a few parts to get that car kit working in your home.

You will need:

Home AC Power adapter

audio cable

metal antenna stand

Here’s the location of the items:

1.) Find the Model number of your SIRIUS Radio. Usually located on the back of the receiver or near the barcode on the box.
2.) Log on to www.tss-radio.com
3.) In the center of the page you will see a box labeled “Click Here to Find Accessories“.
4.) Find and select your radio’s model number from the drop down menu or Scroll down and select your receivers picture.
5.) After selecting your radio, scroll down and look for “Home Kit Power Adapter”-add that to your cart.

For Audio cables simply click on “SIRIUS Accessories” on the left hand column, select “Home Installation Parts“, and scroll down and find the appropriate audio cables for your application.

To find the Metal Antenna stand, just click on this link: Metal Vehicle Antenna Stand. This stand allows for your magnetic antenna to sit upright and face any direction you desire, for optimal signal reception.

Of course to expedite all this-just give us a call 773-772-4340 and we can set you up with a great solution!

We found this solution out after some of our customers, who were either given a radio or purchased one from a store and wanted to use it in their home. A lot of our tricks and tips really come from our own customers providing us feedback. We love satellite radio and we know you do too!

Our Staff knows SIRIUSXM Radios and accessories inside and out and we can create a setup that is perfect for you. Have a question? Just give us a call! or Send us an Email(sales@tss-radio.com).

TSS-Radio has a large selection of In-Dash SIRIUS Kits, but we had added even more kits to our inventory! Covering more vehicles and more years than ever before.

We are always adding kits and interfaces to supplement our inventory. If you do not see your vehicle listed please feel free to comment below and I can help either-find a solution or give you a development status on the conversion kit you desire.

Having In-Dash SIRIUS is great, however some vehicles cannot have SIRIUS integrated into their radio. In these cases there is several different solutions TSS-Radio offers to help.

For Cars not listed or not compatible:

The New Universal SiriusConnect Controller System is a great way to put semi-integrated SIRIUS Radio into your vehicle. The small display unit can be tucked away or put in a semi-hidden area of the dash so that you do not have a Dock and Play radio on the dash, but still retain many of the Dock and Play features.  This is a great way to achieve a OEM look and still have SIRIUS.

Dock and Play SIRIUS Radios

These units can be mounted in several different places on your vehicle’s dash and have a large selection of various features depending on model. A great solution if you plan on bringing SIRIUS into your home, just add a compatible SIRIUS Boombox.

Here is a brief list of all the vehicle makes we now have SIRIUS In-Dash Kits for:

Select your Make vehicle below:
In-Dash SIRIUS for Acura Vehicles

In-Dash SIRIUS for Audi Vehicles

In-Dash SIRIUS for BMW

In-Dash SIRIUS for Buick

In-Dash SIRIUS for Cadillac

In-Dash SIRIUS for Chevrolet

In-Dash SIRIUS for Chrysler

In-Dash SIRIUS for Dodge

In-Dash SIRIUS for Ford

In-Dash SIRIUS for GMC

In-Dash SIRIUS for Honda

In-Dash SIRIUS for Hummer

In-Dash SIRIUS for Hyundai

In-Dash SIRIUS for Isuzu

In-Dash SIRIUS for Jaguar

In-Dash SIRIUS for Jeep

In-Dash SIRIUS for Land Rover

In-Dash SIRIUS for Lexus

In-Dash SIRIUS for Lincoln

In-Dash SIRIUS for Mazda

In-Dash SIRIUS for Mercury

In-Dash SIRIUS for Mini Cooper

NEW—In-Dash SIRIUS for Nissan

In-Dash SIRIUS for Oldsmobile

In-Dash SIRIUS for Pontiac

In-Dash SIRIUS for Scion

In-Dash SIRIUS for Saab

In-Dash SIRIUS for Saturn

In-Dash SIRIUS for Suzuki

In-Dash SIRIUS for Toyota

In-Dash SIRIUS for Volkswagen

I’ve have compiled a list of 10 Presets on SIRIUS to use for your workout. If you own/work at a gym try these out and see how people react.

Preset 1-Channel 38 Area 38: features mainstream electronic dance mixes. Peppy and upbeat great for a cardio workout or circuit training.

Preset 2-Channel 1 SIRIUSXM Hits 1- features Pop to Hip-Hop and Rock to R&B. Great for free weights or stair steppers.

Preset 3-Channel 19  Boneyard-Hard and Heavy classic rock-Great for when you need to dig deep and finish that last set.

Preset 4- Channel 50 The Heat- Mainstream R&B- Great station for any kind of workout.

Preset 5-Channel 71 Watercolors- Contemporary Jazz. Great of stretching, yoga or slower paced workouts.

Preset 6- Channel 105 Laugh USA-Comedy for everyone. Great, if you like to burst out laughing while in the middle of the workout.

Preset 7- Channel 133 HLN-News and Views- Great for people who like to keep up-to-date with world news, while in the gym.

Preset 8- Channel 120 ESPN Radio- Love the gym and sports? Keep on the cutting edge of Sports talk with ESPN Radio.

Preset 9-Channel 36 BPM-Today’s Dance music hits. Upbeat and driving music to keep you going.

Preset 10- Channel 12 The Pulse-Pop music from the 90’s and Now. Great for any workout.

These are just a few presets that I think could help you with your workout in the gym. If your gym plays normal FM radio, ask them to try out SIRIUSXM Radio (besides cutting out commercials they may find people flock to their gym just to listen to SIRIUSXM!).

If you do not already have a SIRIUS portable Radio, Check out the Stiletto 2 Receiver or hit me back in the comments for a special deal!

And if you have a Stiletto 2 already, do you have an Armband Case?

Thanks Everyone!

As some of you may have heard, the new SIRIUS Satellite is up and running. Across the web, blogs and websites are announcing the new satellite being activated, however here at TSS-Radio, we would like to know: Has your Signal changed today/recently? Have you experienced any kind of signal strength increase?

We would like to find out from as many people possible,  how the new satellite is helping people enhance their signal-a simple way to judge is to check you SIRIUS Radio’s Signal Indicator.

Checking your SIRIUS Signal is simple and can help you diagnose any Signal issues you may have, here is how you check your signal:

1. Turn your SIRIUS Radio on

2. Press the Menu button (on some radios, you may have to press and hold the menu button to access the menu)

3. Scroll down til you see SIGNAL, SIGNAL INDICATOR, ANTENNA AIMING, or ANTENNA.

4. Select that option

5. You will now see two different gauges, One says “TER” or “T” the other is “SAT” or “S”

6. Note how many bars are filled in

The “TER” means your Terrestrial signal-basically the signal that comes from on the ground SIRIUS repeaters in your local area. The “SAT” mean Satellite signal-bascially the signal that comes from the SIRIUS Satellite orbiting overhead. The “SAT” should be the one affected with this new satellite turning on.

If you could send us your findings and the area you live in, that would be fantastic. We are curious to see the affect and what we can look to expect from the new SIRIUS Satellite. Thank You.

Hey everyone!

I uploaded a new podcast for everyone to check out.  This podcast touches on national news stories and Sirius updates as well as what is new at TSS.

-Jimmy

Here is a breakdown of what was talked about

-World/National news (DJAM,Ebay purchasing skype,Disney purchasing Marvel)

-Volvo offering 3 month trial of Sirius for Pre-owned vehicles

-Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” Censored by Clear Channel Radio

-New SiriusXM radios coming out (Onyx,Stratus 6)

-XM SkyDeck and Power Connect FM transmitter

-Woodstock Channel

-TSS Radio new products/news

Hey everyone!

I got a chance to take the Jensen docking station and clock radio for I-Pod/I-Phone home this past week and incorporate it into my daily life.  First I must tell you that I am the guy that does not wake up to a little buzz or beep on a standard alarm clock, so when I learned I had the chance to both; charge my iPhone ( A task I rarely perform until it dies when I need it most) and wake up to blaring guitars of Van Halen’s: Eruption, I gladly took it.

The Clock/Docking station right out of the box is definitely a sight for sore eyes who are used to a standard alarm clock or in my case, one of those garfield alarm clocks I have had since I was 7. With a silver and black casing, it will sleekly blend in with all of your nightstand’s accoutrament and the bright blue LED lights are incredibly powerful to where I woke up a couple times in the wee hours of the morning and through cloudy,sand filled eyes exclaimed,”oh nice…6:30, I can sleep for another hour or so”.  Bright lights aren’t always good though for people trying to sleep, that’s why the dimmer switch on the radio provided me with a great way to sleep in on the weekend.

Speaking of sleep, the sleep function on the radio proved to be a great way to nap when I had the chance.  I would set the function for twenty minutes and have my ipod playing some ambient music, perhaps some Enya.  Within ten of those minutes, I was asleep like a baby. This combined with the fact that my radio had shut off when I asked it to, was a great feature on the Jensen piece.  Since I needed to wake up an hour later for a meeting, I set my alarm for 830pm however I didn’t need to change my normal alarm time which was 8am as the Jensen has TWO alarm settings.  The sleep and snooze functions were basic alarm clock ettiquette and worked out well for this late sleeper.  One thing I also liked is the Crescendo function of the alarm that would have me gently waking up to my tunes starting at a quiet-loud volume and not blaring like a fire alarm, starting off my day right.

Let’s get to the good stuff. You wonder, “How does it sound?”.  The answer is this.  I have used several other ipod docks and this one is hands down the best.

First off,you get no interference when using with an Iphone, UNLESS someone calls you. This can easily be avoided by switching on the airplane function with your iPhone.  The sound is brilliant. Since it has two small powered subs within, it packs a little punch yet still sounds clear and crisp with no harsh popping or distortion. I listened to everything from hip hop to country on this bad boy and had a sound comparable to any smaller bose speaker system.  One thing I will tell buyers to keep in mind is that your FM antenna placement has to be pretty well placed to avoid any static through the radio function, but this sounds great as well once you correct that.
Other features were the headphone jack/aux jack which both were pretty standard but still luxuries to have on an alarm clock, as well as an automatic time zone setting which was an added bonus.

Overall, the Jensen Clock radio and Iphone/Ipod dock is a great purchase for those of you who need a multifunctional speaker system or an alarm clock OR both!  You won’t be dissapointed in any aspect of it’s functions and will see it might be one of the best bedroom companions you will have!

If you are in the market for a new plug and play satellite radio, there are a few options to choose from. The real question you have to ask yourself is, “What additional functions do I want from my satellite radio?” There are several different radios that have many different functions to use that will help you enjoy your satellite radio more. Since no two radios are alike, though some do share the same functions, it is important to know what the radio is capable of doing so you can fully experience the power of your satellite radio. Here is a brief break-down of the newest 5 series radios out now and their functions.

For the heavy satellite radio listener that has to have all the bells and whistles, the Sportster 5 is ideal for you! With it’s full color customizable screen, personalized sports tracker, 30 presets and replay functions, it is the high end of all of the satellite radios. The Sportster 5’s sports tracker is a unique feature that will constantly scan the channels and will alert you when a team or car (NASCAR) you stored in memory is playing a game or running a race, or when there is a score update for a team. This feature is unique only to the Sportster radios and cannot be found on any other radio.

Now, for the moderate satellite radio user the Starmate 5 is an ideal route to go. Much like the Sportster 5 it also has 30 presets, S-Seek alerts for your favorite artists and replay functions. The Sirius replay function is highly sought after in satellite radios because it allows you to pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of content. Also, the Starmate 5 is the only radio that supports the new A La Carte programming package from Sirius.

And finally, for the easy going no fuss, no thrills user the Stratus 5 is a simple an easy route to go. The Stratus 5 only has 10 presets and even though a remote does not come with the kit, it does have the capability of being operated by a remote (T030R). Even though it is a simple no thrills radio it is still capable of receiving the full Sirius programming and can even be subscribed to the best of XM.

It is important to note that all of the 5 series plug and play radios come with a car kit.

Shopping for  new radio can sometimes be difficult, but hopefully this simple outline of the 5 series plug and play radios will give you an idea of what to look for and expect in a radio. if you have any questions concerning any of these radios or compatibility, please feel free to contact us.