Know Your Satellite Radio Receiver Pt. 1: Delphi MyFi XM2go
Hey everybody. I thought you might be interested in a little consumer-report style action. If you don’t already have XM or Sirius satellite radio, there’s a lot to know about services and receivers. There are a ton to choose from, so it’s not always obvious which one is right for you. So I’ve decided to start a multi-part series on Satelink called “Know Your Satellite Radio Receiver.” Today, I’m going to be talking about the very first truly portable receiver, the Delphi’s MyFyi XM2GO receiver.
The Delphi MyFi is the original portable receiver, and probably still the best. It’s $350 starting price tag has been deeply discounted in the past few months to an easily-managable $140 (or sometimes less).
For those of you who are not familiar with the MyFi’s features, it is capable of picking up XM radio on the go, and transmitting it to any FM radio (i.e. the one in your car). You can also listen via headphones, or speaker system. The MyFi comes with a car and home kit.
When in its home cradle, you can set it to record up to 5 hours of XM radio. Why would you want to do this, you ask? A lot of reasons, but first and foremost, because you can’t always get reception on this thing. If you are in an urban area blocked by high buildings, if you are on a subway, or if you are in any other place where a cell phone would not normally get good reception, neither will your MyFi. But with 5 hours of recorded radio, that shouldn’t be a problem. You can set two recording sessions at a time.
Bonus Round: Other Portable XM Receivers
There are a number of other truly portable receivers to choose from. The Tao TXM1020 portable receiver is a little less expensive than the MyFi, but the sound quality is not quite as clear and strong. On the other side of the spectrum the Pioneer Airwave is a little more expensive than the MyFi, has great sound and even stock/sports tickers. The interface is a little more challenging, but nothing you can’t handle.
