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Ryan
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 Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: XMFan Review: XM Passport Mini-Tuner |
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The XM Passport Mini Tuner is finally here. After being announced at CES in January, the product was put on a slight delay. It has finally arrived!
What is the XM Passport?
The XM Passport is a mini XM Radio tuner. It's the exact size of a Compact Flash card that you may use in your digital camera. Small enough to store on your keychain (see pictures below). This mini tuner can be used with all XM-Ready devices, such as home theater receivers, boomboxes, and clock radios. Later on this year, you will also be able to use the XM Passport on any XM-Ready aftermarket car stereo.
Why the XM Passport?
This amazing technology is a tiny XM Radio tuner with a Radio ID. You can use a single passport on multiple XM-Ready devices and only have to pay for 1 subscription. For example, with one monthly subscription fee, you can listen to XM Radio while docked in your Samsung Nexus home cradle, take the passport with you, dock it in your vehicle cradle, enabling XM programming on your Pioneer XM-Ready headunit, then listen to XM on your Yamaha home theater system, and even listen to XM on your Timex alarm clock--- all with one subscription!
More Antenna Options:
The old Connect & Play Antenna used a special connection, which prevented you from using upgraded antenna installation options, such as outdoor antennas. The new XM Passport uses a standard home antenna. Now you can finally use products such as the Terk XM6 outdoor antenna with your XM home theater install. Also compatible with the XM Passport is the XM Signal Repeater. If you have your XM-Ready home theater receiver setup in a room without a southern window, you can now wirelessly receive the XM signal using the XM Repeater System and the XM Passport home kit.
XM Passport Mini Tuner replaces the Connect & Play Antenna:
If you have an XM-Ready devices that uses a Connect & Play Antenna, the XM Passport and the Passport Home Kit functions exactly as a Connect & Play Antenna. Audiovox has discontinued the Connect & Play Antenna (as you may have noticed with shortages on that product), and replaced it with the Passport Mini Tuner.
XM Passport Mini Tuner replaces the XM Direct vehicle tuner box:
Later this year, Audiovox will release the vehicle adaptor kit for the XM Passport Mini Tuner. This vehicle adapter kit allows you to replace your XM Direct box with the new small keychain size XM tuner. Your Smart Digital Adapter will connect directly to your Passport vehicle kit, which connects to your XM antenna. Soon you will be able to use your same monthly Passport subscription in your car!
Future XM-Ready products:
The XM Passport will work with any current XM-Ready device, and all future XM-Ready devices. Starting later this year, new products will hit the market containing a slot for your Passport to slide into, enabling XM Radio service on the device. These devices will not require a Passport Home Kit, which all current XM-Ready devices do require. One of the first
Passport-slot-enabled devices expected to hit the market is a portable DVD player from Jensen, which will be able to also play XM Radio programming by inserting the Passport chip.
The XM Passport Mini Tuner is in stock and now available at XMFanStore.com
Passport Home Bundle:
http://store.xmfanstore.com/xmpassportbundle.html
Passport Tuner Only:
http://store.xmfanstore.com/xmpassport.html
Passport Home Kit Only:
http://store.xmfanstore.com/passporthomekit.html
The XM Passport Mini Tuner next to a Compact Flash storage card:
Passport Mini Tuner docked in included keychain holder:
XM Passport docked in the Passport Home Kit, next to the discontinued Connect & Play Antenna:
Passport docked in Passport Home Kit, with included Home Antenna:
Passport Installed behind home theater receiver. Dust cover installed:
Passport Installed, Listening to XM Programming on Home Theater Receiver:
XM Passport using the Delphi XM Signal Repeater:
XM Passport next to the old XM Direct tuner box:
Retail Packaging:
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Last edited by Ryan on Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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orbitalcomp
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Joined: 05 Nov 2003
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Location: San Antonio, TX
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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Nice review, nice product! It's finally here, the perfect accessory for the Nexus...seems like a very reasonable price, and that dust cover is a nice touch for the mess that usually hides behind stereo systems.
So now that you have them in stock, Ryan, would it be possible for you to hook up the patch cable to the Nexus dock and see if it functions as a Passport dock on a home stereo? I have been dying to know if this works, and now we can finally know with the right cable finally available.
If it does indeed work, I would buy the home kit just for the cable...if it doesn't, I'll still get a kit anyways 
Thanks in advance!
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Ryan
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Joined: 14 Aug 2002
Posts: 24293
Location: St Louis, MO
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| orbitalcomp wrote: | Nice review, nice product! It's finally here, the perfect accessory for the Nexus...seems like a very reasonable price, and that dust cover is a nice touch for the mess that usually hides behind stereo systems.
So now that you have them in stock, Ryan, would it be possible for you to hook up the patch cable to the Nexus dock and see if it functions as a Passport dock on a home stereo? I have been dying to know if this works, and now we can finally know with the right cable finally available.
If it does indeed work, I would buy the home kit just for the cable...if it doesn't, I'll still get a kit anyways
Thanks in advance! |
the "patch" cable is actually built into the passport home cradle. It's not a removable cable, so it can't be tested on the Nexus home cradle
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sosha
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Tell me more about this "included" mini keychain holder........ |
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Ryan
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| sosha wrote: | | Tell me more about this "included" mini keychain holder........ |
alright. It's black, it's hard rubber, and it has a hole to put through a keychain
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orbitalcomp
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Ryan wrote: | | orbitalcomp wrote: | Nice review, nice product! It's finally here, the perfect accessory for the Nexus...seems like a very reasonable price, and that dust cover is a nice touch for the mess that usually hides behind stereo systems.
So now that you have them in stock, Ryan, would it be possible for you to hook up the patch cable to the Nexus dock and see if it functions as a Passport dock on a home stereo? I have been dying to know if this works, and now we can finally know with the right cable finally available.
If it does indeed work, I would buy the home kit just for the cable...if it doesn't, I'll still get a kit anyways
Thanks in advance! |
the "patch" cable is actually built into the passport home cradle. It's not a removable cable, so it can't be tested on the Nexus home cradle |
Thanks Ryan...I was hoping it was removable, but oh well...you'll be getting my order for the home kit...
One other question: any particular reason they left the back of the rubber key ring case open? I can see the back label, and the Radio ID in particular, of the Passport getting all scuffed up and unreadable after banging around against the other keys in a pocket. Only reason I can think of is to poke the Passport out of the case...
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TheGunslinger
Developer of SatAmp - Hates Vegetables
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
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Location: was here
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| Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Ryan wrote: | | sosha wrote: | | Tell me more about this "included" mini keychain holder........ |
alright. It's black, it's hard rubber, and it has a hole to put through a keychain
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Yeah
Whoa, for a minute there I thought you were your describing Portnoys Complaint; but you through in the part about having a hole in it, and I knew it was just me. 
Anyway; this looks awesome.
And I am looking forward to seeing a car kit when they come out.
| Quote: | XM Passport Mini Tuner replaces the XM Direct vehicle tuner box:
Later this year, Audiovox will release the vehicle adaptor kit for the XM Passport Mini Tuner. This vehicle adapter kit allows you to replace your XM Direct box with the new small keychain size XM tuner. Your Smart Digital Adapter will connect directly to your Passport vehicle kit, which connects to your XM antenna. Soon you will be able to use your same monthly Passport subscription in your car!
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It should come with a quick disconnect for the keychain; so you can stick your Passport© into your car kit, And start your vehicle. They thought of that? Right? 
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sosha
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| Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| I bought the Nexus and the car kit.....didn't see this fancy little keychain holder in any of the packaging. Where can a person get one? |
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Ryan
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| Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| sosha wrote: | | I bought the Nexus and the car kit.....didn't see this fancy little keychain holder in any of the packaging. Where can a person get one? |
only comes with the retail packed Passport
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sosha
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| Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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| well, shewt! |
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superxm
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| Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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Can anyone ID the radio (receiver/display unit?) on the packaging for the Passport? Looks like a nice home unit with a decent size display.
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Ryan
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| Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| superxm wrote: | | Can anyone ID the radio (receiver/display unit?) on the packaging for the Passport? Looks like a nice home unit with a decent size display. |
it's not real. It's a fake radio they put on the package to show you what exactly the Passport does
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superxm
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Ryan -- just my luck. I'll wait until this Fall when some new hardware comes out that uses the Passport and take a second look. I'm not interested in buying yet another XM radio with a unique ID, but I will buy more radios that allow me to swap Passports back and forth.
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sosha
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Ryan,
Will the power cable with the home kit you have work with the Samsung Nexus Car Kit? Thay would be cool.
Also....any idea on new radios coming up between now and Christmas? Sounds like someone has some ideas.......
BTW...... what do ya want for that keychain fob for the passport? I got stuff to trade  |
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Ryan
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| Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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the home kit requires no external power. It's powered from your XM-Ready device
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