Sirius & XM Satellite Radio [Archive]

Amanda77

10-19-2005, 07:10 AM

I have Sirius with the home/car kit. I think I paid around $100 for it early this year, but that was with a coupon code. They seem to be having specials and good deals frequently, so I don't think it is that much anymore? The first subscription is around $12/mo, with additional subscription at 6/mo.

I really love having it, it has so much variety. My favorites are the new wave, 80's, 90's and alternative channels. DH loves the jam band channel:rolleyes:

Maggie8202

10-19-2005, 07:13 AM

My husband just got one installed in his pick up. He loves it. We got it installed at a place because it was a present from my parents. He got a top line one, and I *think* all together it was around $300. I bought him the year subscription for $12 a month. Whenever he comes in my car, he hates listening to the "regular" radio. I guess he will be getting me one for my car soon.

IrisHope

10-19-2005, 07:15 AM

Amanda thanks for answering. Do you recommend your model? Can you tell me which you bought? There are so many out there!

amorey

10-19-2005, 07:21 AM

I have XM radio. I went with XM because they were the only ones offering a portable radio. I have the Delphi MyFi:

http://xmradio.com/images/myfi/myfi_pop_1.jpg

It was $300 and includes everything to hook it up to your car, you home stereo, wherever. I listen to mine in the car, at work, at home, at the gym, everywhere! You can also record up to 5 hours of XM radio on it. I love the XM programming, too. My service is $12.95 a month, including internet service, which DH listens to on his computer while I've got my radio at work.

IrisHope

10-19-2005, 07:23 AM

I probably would have bought XM if Howard Stern wasn't going to Sirius.

amorey

10-19-2005, 07:30 AM

Gottcha. It looks like Sirius is coming out with a personal radio soon, too, the S50 (http://www.sirius.com/gs/s50/index_product.html). I would wait for that. It's worth it to be able to listen to your music wherever you want.

IrisHope

10-19-2005, 07:33 AM

Thanks Ann, that looks cool!

southhavenjen

10-19-2005, 08:13 AM

I have Sirius in my car and LOVE it! We each got it just before Christmas last year as a gift to each other. They were having some great promotion and we got our equipment for free. You might want to wait and see if they do something similar this year.

There are two things to keep in mind with Sirius that I didn't realize before getting it. I thought there would be no talking or commercials. Lo and behold, here is a DJ for each channel, they talk and introduce the songs. They will also chatter about upcoming concerts, etc. There are also very limited promotional blurbs about Sirius' own products - other channels, Howard Stern, etc. It's very limited and nothing like regular radio's commercials. It did surprise me though, but I don't mind it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will not get good reception unless the antenna is exposed to the sky. When I drive through heavily forested areas, where there is a tree canopy over the road, my receiver can't pick up the signal and keeps cutting out. That surprised me and is kind of annoying. I know it's not my particular receiver as I have friends with other receivers and they have the same problem.

Lil_Mrs_0702

10-19-2005, 08:38 AM

I have xm in my car and love it because I find out about so many more artist that way. I just got my dad a Sirius system and the guys are so impressed that they all want them too. (My husband also wants it so he can listen to Howard Stern in the warehouse all morning).

http://cdn.sirius.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobtable=ImageAsset&blobcol=urlimage&blobkey=id&

It's called the stream jockey plug and play. I got it at Target for $90 but they have it Sam's now for $70. It plays through any fm radio like the itrip does for the ipod. Dad uses it on his semitruck and doesn't have any problems w/ interference in the city.

MtySheera

10-19-2005, 09:06 AM

Just wanted to give my input, since I have XM in one car and Sirius in the other. Both were already in the cars.

Personally, I like XM better. The stations come in faster, and the information about the song and artist appears faster. It takes a few seconds for everything to show up on the Sirius screen. Also, I found a lot of stations I like on XM, but not as many on Sirius. It would have been great if both our cars had the same satellite radio, but Honda uses XM and Dodge uses Sirius.

Either way you go, you will love satellite radio. I really haven't paid attention to this on Sirius, but there are stations on XM that do not have any commercials. Some do, but not nearly as many as a regular radio station.

IrisHope

10-19-2005, 09:20 AM

southhavenjen

10-19-2005, 09:35 AM

If it plays through a regular radio does that mean you don't need a unit? I'm confused! :eek:

As far as equipment goes, you can get either a car stereo unit, which is a whole new stereo for the car. Or you can get the plug and play unit that plays through an FM station on your regular existing car stereo. Either way, you need some kind of Sirius equipment (special Sirius car stereo or plug and play unit) in order to get Sirius.

IrisHope

10-20-2005, 10:00 AM

Is the plug and play cheaper? Can you get a plug and play that has a home adaptor as well?

southhavenjen

10-20-2005, 10:23 AM

Yes, the plug and play receivers are cheaper. :)

One of the great benefits of plug and play is that you can get an adapter for home, and move the receiver back and forth from your car and your home and use it in both places.

IrisHope

10-20-2005, 10:27 AM

Awesome!! Thank you!

Kimberland30

11-01-2005, 08:17 AM

Bumping this up for a question.

I want to get my husband the XM radio for Christmas (he prefers XM over Sirius). Would it be better to get the portable type with a car kit so we can use it in the house too, or is a car installation type better?

Also, how do you use it if you just have the car kit? Does it plug into a special place? I don't know of anyone who has this, so I apologize if I come across as a total dunce...I am! :)

TIA for any help!

Sophia

11-01-2005, 08:20 AM

I'd go with a car kit (plug and play). Our Sirius receiver is a plug and play, and we have 2 car cradles and a home cradle, so we can move it around as we see fit.

IrisHope

11-01-2005, 08:25 AM

Thanks for bumping this back up. I have a new question :)

If you get a plug and play do you need to hardwire your car or does it just have a suction type of antenna thingie?

Sophia

11-01-2005, 08:31 AM

Frankly, I have no clue. DH got the receiver, one car cradle, and the house cradle, for christmas from his mom a few years ago. Then he bought the 2nd cradle on clearance (it's an older model).

I know one car kit has more wires than the other because one sends the signal to the car antenna and then goes through the speaker system that way, and the other has wires and a casette adapter in order to go through the car's speakrers. And I can't remember which is which (he tucked the wires behind the dash for the casette one).

As far as getting the satellite signal to the receiver, I'm stumped.

amorey

11-01-2005, 08:43 AM

Mine has a magnetic antenna that sticks to the top of the car. This also works to transmit the FM signal to the car antennae. The XM antenna has a cord that I ran though the weather seal on the front door. That plugs into a cradle that mounts to my dashboard. The cradle also plugs into the cigarette lighter for power. I stuffed the wires behind my dash, and I just plug my unit into the cradle and I'm good to go!

ManteoChik

11-01-2005, 11:22 AM

I probably would have bought XM if Howard Stern wasn't going to Sirius.

Howard's the reason both BF and I are switching to Sirius...so we can listen to him. You can get both it installed or the one where you can plug it in to the lighter and take it from car to car. I think BF will have his installed but my dad has the one where you can take it from car to car.

It's small, and plugs into the cig lighter. It also has a magnetic antena that you can put up on your dash and then you tune your radio to a certain station (I don't remember the # off the top of my head). Once you tune in, you are able to use the satellite radio and change stations using the sirius. That's the best way I can think to describe how my dad's works.

If you are interested in buying it I would act fast. We just saw a thing where you can buy the lifetime membership for around $400 (I think). It seems like a lot at once but it acutally pays off in the end because you pay monthly.

southhavenjen

11-01-2005, 11:28 AM

If you are interested in buying it I would act fast. We just saw a thing where you can buy the lifetime membership for around $400 (I think). It seems like a lot at once but it acutally pays off in the end because you pay monthly.

A caution on the "lifetime" membership. It is for the lifetime of your receiver, not your lifetime. If your receiver breaks, or if you decide to upgrade receivers, the "lifetime" membership ends at that point.

ManteoChik

11-01-2005, 12:34 PM

A caution on the "lifetime" membership. It is for the lifetime of your receiver, not your lifetime. If your receiver breaks, or if you decide to upgrade receivers, the "lifetime" membership ends at that point.

Good point southhavenjen I forgot about that. I just know that come January when Howard does the big switch I can see the price skyrocket because he has a HUGE following. Who knows, it might not happen but it seems like it would be an easy money maker for Sirius.

Kimberland30

11-01-2005, 03:21 PM

I was thinking the same thing about Sirius and Howard Stern, that the price may go up when he changes. We don't listen to his show, so it didn't matter to my DH which satellite system we got. His brother has XM and loves it, so we chose that one.

I've seen some pretty good deals at Best Buy, but I guess I'll have to go in to see what each system has to offer. I think I'll definately get him the one that goes from place to place.

jbenny75

11-01-2005, 06:20 PM

I got Sirius for Howard, too. I love it. We got the plug and play for the car, and then we have the boombox-looking thing for the house, and you just pop the facing on or off and move it.

IrisHope

11-02-2005, 06:42 AM

Thanks all! I want to get the plug and play with the magnetic antenna. We were not sure if we wanted to get anything that you have to install since our lease is over next year.

Heidi9771

11-03-2005, 04:18 PM

I probably would have bought XM if Howard Stern wasn't going to Sirius.

Seriously...I am thinking about getting it because I love listening into Howard on my drive into work...and the show no doubt will be better than ever!

pride&prejudice

11-12-2005, 02:14 PM

bump

Kimberland30

11-13-2005, 06:38 PM

southhavenjen

11-14-2005, 03:19 AM

I was going to get DH the plug and play for his birthday (Dec. 8th), but now he says that he rather get the type that is installed. He doesn't know he's getting it yet, he's still trying to "convince" me that he HAS to have it...not knowing I planned on getting it for him months ago. :rolleyes:

I'm still thinking about getting the plug and play, just because we can hook it up to any radio. We have digital cable so we get digital stations through our TV, but that's only in one room, and we have to turn it up LOUD to be able to hear it on our back patio - for the nights we light the fireplace and hang outside. (damn that's a long sentence). :)

We have the plug and play and it's not quite as flexible as you'd think. We found that we had to buy additional wire and mount the satellite antenna on the roof in order to get a consistent signal. Otherwise, the radio would be constantly cutting out. So, since we had to so elaborately (and permanently) hardwire the antenna, we can't move the unit from room to room. It is stuck where the lead for the antenna comes out of the wall. ;) I know some people have had luck just putting their antenna in a window and being able to move the unit from room to room in their house, but it definitely didn't work for us. Not complaining, but just telling you our experience.

littlemia

12-01-2005, 01:06 PM

Does anyone have any recommendations for plug and play radios?

Secret_Squirrel

12-01-2005, 02:03 PM

I'm getting DH Sirius radio for Christmas.

But I'm having a hard time deciding which reciever to get.

He wants it for the Sports programming, so I thought I'd go with a Sportster Replay. But now I'm reading about the S50 portable reciever. I think a portable system would be cool so DH could listen to sporting events while he's out of the car.

How portable are the receivers like the Sportster? I see a "boombox" option for sale... anyone used one of those? The S50 is $300, more than we usually spend on one gift now that we have a house.

Kimberland30

12-02-2005, 04:11 AM

We have the plug and play and it's not quite as flexible as you'd think. We found that we had to buy additional wire and mount the satellite antenna on the roof in order to get a consistent signal. Otherwise, the radio would be constantly cutting out. So, since we had to so elaborately (and permanently) hardwire the antenna, we can't move the unit from room to room. It is stuck where the lead for the antenna comes out of the wall. ;) I know some people have had luck just putting their antenna in a window and being able to move the unit from room to room in their house, but it definitely didn't work for us. Not complaining, but just telling you our experience.

Thanks for posting this! I bought him the SkyFi unit because it's not only more user friendly than the RoadyII (which is only $40), but because it records programs too. Plus he can install it in his car so I know he'll like it.
http://www.xmradio.com/images/skyfi2/skyfi2_prod_3.jpg

Plus Best Buy has a $50 rebate on it, so I got it for only $75.00.

icedwhite

12-02-2005, 08:29 AM

i have a question since you ladies seem to be quite knowledgable:

i am a big howard stern fan and would like to get sirius. i want to be able to listen in my car and at work. i work in an office environment so i would need to listen with headphones. which radio/set up should i get? i want to be able to take something out of the car and into work. i tried looking at the different products on the site but i just got more confused! :confused:

would i need a regular radio at work to "tune into" and just plug headphones into the radio? does that make sense?

i'd appreciate any help! thanks!

ETA: someone mentioned the "S50" a few pages back. from what i understand you can listen to live radio using the car dock. but if you take it with you, you can only listen to stuff that you have already "recorded." is that right? so i couldn't listen to howard stern live once i remove it from the dock?
http://www.sirius.com/gs/s50/index_product.html

southhavenjen

12-02-2005, 08:46 AM

i have a question since you ladies seem to be quite knowledgable:

i am a big howard stern fan and would like to get sirius. i want to be able to listen in my car and at work. i work in an office environment so i would need to listen with headphones. which radio/set up should i get? i want to be able to take something out of the car and into work. i tried looking at the different products on the site but i just got more confused! :confused:

would i need a regular radio at work to "tune into" and just plug headphones into the radio? does that make sense?

http://www.sirius.com/gs/s50/index_product.html

You can listen to the Sirius streaming on the web at work.

Katy

12-04-2005, 12:25 PM

I'm still considering XM for the hubby (I like their programming better). But since he has short a relatively short commute and is an NPR junkie, he doesn't really need a unit in HIS car. So I'm thinking of either getting a plug-n-play type unit for my car and home (since we almost ALWAYS take my car when we got ANYWHERE). Or, I'm considering the totally portable, Delphi XM MyFi (http://www.xmradio.com/myfi/) - I figure it would cost the same as buying the unit, a car system and a home system (even with rebates).

Any thoughts on the pros and cons with the two different systems?

Also - there's this older XM unit (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=977947791&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3Jldmlld3M=&product_uid=150626) on sale for $10! :eek: if anyone is interested.

Katy

12-05-2005, 11:45 AM

:bumping: this up hoping to get some insight or suggestions

amorey

12-05-2005, 11:53 AM

Katy- I went with the MyFi because I like the portability. It has an internal antenna which isn’t perfect, but works well in a lot of areas. I have the magnetic car antenna on my car but I can throw it on the dashboard of DH’s car and listen to it pretty well. It also goes to the gym with me. I don’t get good reception in the gym, so I listen to songs that I’ve recorded. The MyFi is also great for work. The other XM receivers require some kind of radio to plug into, but you can plug headphones right into the MyFi. If you live/work in a larger city, you’ll get better reception because XM has terrestrial repeaters all over in big cities. I can be in tunnels in Minneapolis and still get a signal.

The major con is that the MyFi is expensive, but it does come with all the car and home accessories. It’s also first generation technology, so it has a few bugs and quirks.

Katy

12-05-2005, 07:48 PM

Thanks Anne. The MyFi is advertised for $149 (after a rebate) and if I were to buy one of the plug in units, a car adapter and a home adapter, I'd still be looking at about $150. Is there anyway to boost the reception if you're inside (like the house or office)? When you listen in your hubby's car, do you have the car adapter going, or do you just "listen" to it?

amorey

12-05-2005, 09:18 PM

It's $149 now? I paid $350 for it last year right when it came out! :eek:

It comes with an antenna for indoor use. It also comes with a little antenna you can clip on your shirt if you’re out jogging or something.

You can hook the MyFi up to the car radio with a cassette adapter, a line in, or have it play to an FM station. The MyFi unit itself doesn't have any speakers.

Katy

12-06-2005, 12:35 AM

very cool. Thanks for the info :D

LTJC

12-12-2005, 10:54 AM

This might have already been answered, but is it possible to use a plug and play it in two different cars? DH uses his car for work, but for weekend driving, we use my car. TIA!

southhavenjen

12-12-2005, 01:17 PM

This might have already been answered, but is it possible to use a plug and play it in two different cars? DH uses his car for work, but for weekend driving, we use my car. TIA!

Yes, it is possible. You will need to buy a second car kit for the second car, though. An extra car kit for our particular unit was around $50. It consists of a cradle and the car antenna. Then you can move the receiver back and forth between the cars.

APCullip22

12-28-2005, 06:54 PM

For christmas I got xm radio, so currently it's my addiction! I am enjoying many of the great channels and all the choices :) I was just wondering..do any of you have your favorite channels? What are they??

sublime311

12-28-2005, 07:07 PM

I love the naughty comedy station on 150 - it's usually what's on. I also love:

8 - The 80's
44 - Fred ("classic alternative")
45 - XM Cafe ("mellow alternative")
47 - Ethel ("alternative hits")
50 - The Loft ("singers and songwriters")
54 - Lucy ("classic alternative hits")
73 - Frank's Place (american standards)
75 - Hear Music ("the voice of music at Starbucks")
113 - XM Pops ("classical's greatest hits")
116 - XM Kids (a constant when my stepson visits)

DH also loves the MLB stations during that season.

Do you listen on your computer, too? I love to just leave it on and go about my day.

Katy

12-28-2005, 07:31 PM

I'm going to merge this with the other XM/Sirius thread.

APCullip22

12-28-2005, 08:13 PM

Sorry I didn't search better Katy...thanks so much for merging this!! :)

DisneyGirl

12-29-2005, 12:06 PM

Howard Stern starts his radio show on January 9th.

Oakley

06-20-2006, 06:48 AM

ajb524

12-01-2006, 10:34 AM

bump- considering this as a christmas gift :D

Heidi9771

12-01-2006, 11:01 AM

love, love, love my sirius! Are you a big Howard Stern fan?

mgmhmj

12-01-2006, 01:55 PM

I absolutely LOVE my Sirius!!! In fact, I just got my car back 2 days ago from being repaired from a wreck. I've had a rental car that's nicer than my car for nearly a month, but I was so happy to get my car back just because I missed Sirius so much!!

amorey

12-01-2006, 02:14 PM

I am super excited about XM’s second generation of portable radios. They play MP3s, too, and you can make play lists with songs you recorded off XM and your own MP3s. I have a first generation XM portable, but it’s big and it doesn’t play MP3s. The new ones are iPod sized.

I really want a pink Inno, but I’m waiting for them to come down in price.

http://shop.xmradio.com/images/10294/products/panel/Pink-Inno-Default_250.jpg

salysaturn

12-01-2006, 02:30 PM

We have XM. We had the car kit that just installed into your tape deck, but DH's tape Deck went. We got the one now where you pick it up off an FM frequency on your radio. Not AS good as the tape deck, but still good. We also have a home kit. That works well.

We recently got one of those portable ones. We pay every 2 years. Our bill will come in Jan, and 2 years ago it was about $180.00

AttyGrl74

12-04-2006, 08:29 AM

I have Sirius - DH got it for Christmas for me last year and I LOVE IT!

I'm listening to it at work right now.

AttyGrl74

12-04-2006, 08:29 AM

We got it installed in my car. I don't know how much it was. I think he is getting me the docking station thingy this year.

Emilie

12-04-2006, 01:08 PM

Bumping this up.... does anyone have the SIRIUS S50 radio (http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=control/StoreItem.vm&ctl_nbr=2640&siId=601930&catLevel=1&scLevel=0&thisCatLevel=&oldParentID=7870&catParentID=7870&scId=7874) ?

I was going to get my husband an iPod for his birthday, but since he loves Sirius I thought this might be better. Does anyone know if I would need a second subscription to Sirius if I got this? Thanks!!

Yep, I have it! I love my S50 - I take it to the gym and us it as my MP3 player. For a while I was making regular trips between Cleveland and Lexington, KY and I swear it kept me sane. What better way to pass 6 hours than to listen to E! True Hollywood story? :D

As far as the new subscription, I am not sure. You might call and see if you can transfer the current one to the new S50.

icedwhite

12-07-2006, 02:32 PM

Bumping this up.... does anyone have the SIRIUS S50 radio (http://shop.sirius.com/edealinv/servlet/ExecMacro?nurl=control/StoreItem.vm&ctl_nbr=2640&siId=601930&catLevel=1&scLevel=0&thisCatLevel=&oldParentID=7870&catParentID=7870&scId=7874) ?

I was going to get my husband an iPod for his birthday, but since he loves Sirius I thought this might be better. Does anyone know if I would need a second subscription to Sirius if I got this? Thanks!!

i LOVE my S50! i've had it for about a year. right now you can get one for a steal! at best buy they have them for $80 (after $100 rebate). that's a great deal considering they were originally $250. you might be able to transfer your subscription to your S50. good luck!

jeepgirl

10-15-2007, 12:19 PM

I'm bumping this up because we desperately need a stereo system in our home. If we get something new it would be silly not to include satellite radio. But, I have no idea where to begin!

Any suggestions are appreciated!

MrsBeckyLP

11-21-2007, 10:14 AM

So this question was asked earlier, but I didn't see much of a response. What are your favorite XM stations?

Mine are:

105 - Music City Holiday (Country Christmas music; I'm lovin' this right now!)
16 - Highway 16 (Country)
65 - The Rhyme (Old-school hip-hop)
70 - Real Jazz
155 - Take Five (Talk Radio)

I usually listen to Dr. Laura on Take Five. She's such a bitch, but for some reason I like listening. I think I get a kick out of people's problems, or what they perceive to be problems.

Rancid13

11-21-2007, 04:39 PM

What are your favorite XM stations?

I have 3 XM satellite modes in my car with 6 presets each, so I have 18 preset XM channels. I'm constantly scrolling through all the channels since my steering wheel has the preset buttons on it. My faves:

4- 40's music
9 - 90's music
20- Top 20 hits
21- Top 40 hits
22- The Mix (variety/hits)
25- The Blend (adult contemporary)
26- Flight 26 (modern adult hits)
27- Cinemagic (movie soundtracks)
44- Fred (classic alternative)
47- Ethel (new alternative)
48- Squizz (hard rock)
53- Fungus (punk)
54- Lucy (90's alternative)
110- XM Classics (classical)
113- XM Pops (classical)
150- Comedy (uncensored)
205 (thru 209 but I only have one of them on my preset)- NHL hockey
222- Los Angeles weather/traffic