XM question

[76_Bestbanker]

I'm looking at XM radio. How does the Roady 2 and home kit work? Seems like a PITA to have to have an antenna sticking out somewhere for reception. How is the reception? And does the power source have to be plugged in all the time? Another cord to have in your way? I can pick up both for $100 locally. I like the music. Tried the 3 day free trial online. Any downsides?

TIA

[CarlW53]

I only know about MyFi.

[ZSHOTS]

The home kit and antenna work fine - the unit must remain plugged in for power and the antenna put in a window, I could'nt get reception at the basement window - but upstairs it was fine. The antenna is small and square about 2-1/2x2-1/2" on an adjustable angle stand. I listen to it in the house at nite. XM is great !! I am thinking about getting the portable so I can listen at the gym too! Of course that will cost another $6.99 a month.

[Delirious Nomad]

I've got the SkyFi for the home, the car, and the "jam box".
My home and "jam box" reception are great. The reception in my car is not very good, but only because I have not taken my car in to get it installed correctly. I just use the FM Modulator and use the cigarette lighter for power. It works ok for what I need, but it's not great.

If you get the Roady for the car, make sure you have it installed directly to your car receiver or you will be disappointed.

p.s. - XM has gotten rid of their "liquid metal" (heavy metal) station. Now the hardest rock that you get is "The Boneyard" (80's and Hair Rock) and "The Squizz" (today's hard rock).

Just food for thought.

[CarlW53]

Boneyard at night....O and A during the day. Every now and then I surf the channels but its 57 channels and nothing on.

[earl]

you should really go with Sirius not xm

[Delirious Nomad]

you should really go with Sirius not xm


I'm about to..... :)

[76_Bestbanker]

Does Sirius have a free trial like XM. There are a couple of stations on XM that I really like, Deep Tracks especially. I don't think that my car is satellite ready but the hubby's is. You would thinkit would be having the top of line JBL that Toyota offers. He has the new EB Expedition and it's XM ready. I'm going to take mine over to Mobile One and have them look at it and show me how it looks installed. I don't want to fugly up my new 4Runner Limited.

[Delirious Nomad]

Here are the Sirius "rock" stations.
They have 3 "classic" rock stations.
All a little more focused than XM's "Deep Tracks".



EARLY CLASSIC ROCK
The top tracks from classic rock's most formative years.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
The Beatles
The Doors
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Led Zeppelin
and many more...



15 | CLASSIC REWIND
LATER CLASSIC ROCK
Classic rock's 2nd generation, with songs from the late '70s onward.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Police
Aerosmith
Journey
The Cars
Boston
and many more...



16 | THE VAULT
DEEPER CLASSIC ROCK
Deeper cuts from classic rock legends.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Jethro Tull
Pink Floyd
Genesis
Allman Brothers
Frank Zappa
and many more...



17 | JAM_ON
JAM BANDS
Improvisational, eclectic rock music from today's best jam bands.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
The Grateful Dead
Phish
The String Cheese Incident
Widespread Panic
and many more...



18 | THE SPECTRUM
ADULT ALBUM ROCK
40 years of world-class rock from adult album alternative artists.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Talking Heads
REM
Sheryl Crow
Tom Petty
Rolling Stones
and many more...



19 | BUZZSAW
CLASSIC HARD ROCK
Hard, heavy, stadium-shaking classic rock.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Led Zeppelin
Black Sabbath
Van Halen
Scorpions
Aerosmith
and many more...



20 | OCTANE
PURE HARD ROCK
Pure, high-powered hard rock that's loud, uncensored and in your face.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Linkin Park
Crossfade
Godsmack
Metallica
Nickelback
and many more...



21 | ALT NATION
ALTERNATIVE ROCK
The latest alternative rock releases and the best alt-rock of the '90s.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Nirvana
The Killers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Incubus
Green Day
and many more...



22 | FIRST WAVE
CLASSIC ALTERNATIVE
Alternative rock's pioneering artists and sounds.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
The Cure
Elvis Costello
Depeche Mode
The Pretenders
The Smiths
and many more...



23 | HAIR NATION
80S HAIR BANDS
Vintage rock from the big hair '80s.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Bon Jovi
Def Leppard
Poison
Motley Crue
Warrant
and many more...



24 | SIRIUS DISORDER
ECLECTIC/FREE FORM
Adventurous music for grownups, from a diversity of styles and eras.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
James Brown
Lou Reed
Tom Waits
Miles Davis
Bob Dylan
and many more...



25 | UNDERGROUND GARAGE
GARAGE ROCK
The coolest rock 'n' roll records. Channel produced by Little Steven.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
The Ramones
The White Stripes
MC5
Electric Prunes
and many more...



26 | LEFT OF CENTER
NEW/COLLEGE/INDIE ROCK
The best in college, indie, alternative and underground rock.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Modest Mouse
Pixies
Franz Ferdinand
The Shins
Radiohead
and many more...



27 | HARD ATTACK
HEAVY METAL
The heaviest metal on or off the planet, from the ones that created it, all the way to the ones that are perfecting it today.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Pantera
Slayer
Slipknot
Sepultura
Black Sabbath
and many more...



28 | FACTION
PUNK, HIP-HOP, HARD ROCK MIX
Rock, punk, hip-hop and more, especially for action sports fans.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Snoop Dogg
System of a Down
NOFX
Bad Religon
Sublime
and many more...



29 | SIRIUS BLUES
BLUES
The many shades of authentic blues music, past and present.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Muddy Waters
Eric Clapton
Dr. John
Buddy Guy
Freddie King
and many more...



30 | REGGAE RHYTHMS
REGGAE
Reggae music from its '60s roots to today's exciting sounds.
ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Bob Marley
UB40
Third World
Shaggy
Dennis Brown
and many more...

[Delirious Nomad]

The XM website doesn't detail their rock stations as well, but here it is anyway. If you want more detail, just go to www.xmradio.com

Deep Tracks - XM 40 - 100% Commercial-Free
Forget everything you thought you knew about Classic Rock. Deep Tracks goes deeper -- playing the nuggets rarely heard on FM radio -- the landmark songs, lost gems and classic concerts. Deep Tracks plays careers not hits.



Boneyard - XM 41 - 100% Commercial-Free
Now you're in for it: killer Hard Rock and more insanity than you thought a radio channel could be. Get busy and get boned - with bands like AC/DC, Ozzy, Metallica, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Ratt and Guns n' Roses.



XMU - XM 43 - 100% Commercial-Free
XMU plays what's next...now! Imagine your favorite college radio station...add a couple of satellites, national coverage and a Dean of Music that shares your passion for new music...and that's XMU. It's indie pop, indie rock, electronic, down tempo and underground hip hop. It's XMU...it's about the music!



Fred - XM 44 - 100% Commercial-Free
Until now, the Alternative sounds of the 70s and 80s didn't have a home on the radio. Fred brings you Depeche Mode, Bowie, The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths, liberally seasoned with Seattle Grunge and Punk.



XM Cafe - XM 45 - 100% Commercial-Free
A mellow approach to modern adult Alternative music. . .Dave Matthews Band, Shawn Colvin, Tracy Chapman, David Gray, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison. . .all in a coffee-house atmosphere.



Top Tracks - XM 46 - 100% Commercial-Free
Nothing but the Big Ones. Hold up that lighter, because the band is about to hit the stage for the final number of the night. All the killer cuts from the supergroups of the 60s, 70s and 80s.



Ethel - XM 47 - 100% Commercial-Free
All of alternative rock music's monster hits. Bands like Blink 182, Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Stone Temple Pilot and Smashing Pumpkins.



Squizz - XM 48 - 100% Commercial-Free
Take a squizz at this: hard alternative in the post-grunge era, fusing metal-rap-funk-world with aggressive, heavy guitars. You'll hear everything from the pioneers -- Korn and Limp Bizkit -- to today's emerging stars -- Stone Sour and Trust Company.



The Loft - XM 50 - 100% Commercial-Free
An intelligent, eclectic mix of tunes by singer-songwriters who can craft a good lyric and then put it across. You'll hear artists like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Norah Jones, and Bruce Springsteen.



XM Music Lab - XM 51 - 100% Commercial-Free
Music Lab serves up an eclectic blend of progressive rock, jazz fusion and jam bands. You'll hear acts like Vida Blue, Galactic, Gomex, John Scofield, King Crimson, Dream Theater, Yes, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and the list goes on, including the entire library of Phish.



Unsigned - XM 52 - 100% Commercial-Free
Like nothing on the radio dial or anywhere else, Unsigned is the channel with the guts and soul to seek out unknown musicians making music in garages or knocking on doors in Nashville. Listen and hear history in the making.



Fungus - XM 53 - 100% Commercial-Free
Fungus 53, the nasty little hole in the XM lineup where old and new punk rock settles to the bottom. You'll also get ska, industrial, surf and other misbegotten DIY styles that the powers that be have railed against through the ages.



Lucy - XM 54 - 100% Commercial-Free
Lucy is all about the most important and well known songs in the history of Alternative Music. While Fred, Ethel, Squizz and other XM Alt channels go deep, Lucy is about the encores...the giants...the defining songs of the generation.

[76_Bestbanker]

I checked out Sirius. They have a one day trial. They are also a lot more expensive than XM, about $30 more a year. I wonder how long that will last. Any rumors if they will start matching XM's rate? Found out the hubby's Expedition is Sirius ready. I need to look at their equipment for my 4Runner. Seems the '06 Toyotas will come XM ready but mine isn't. At least this way we won't have two different services. I like that Sirius has more rock stations to chose from I'll give them a try this weekend after my XM free trial runs out.

Can anyone recommend the best Sirius equipment? I want it to be portable so I can take it out of the car and put it in a docking station in the house.

[chinarain62]

I will never switch to Sirrius - I lived w/o O and A long enough!

[76_Bestbanker]

Ok, What's O & A on XM?

[76_Bestbanker]

Oops. I found it. All the way at the bottom. Opie and Anthony. Too much like what's on the radio, Walton and Johnson.

[76_Bestbanker]

I looking all over the net and the general consensus is that the FM modulators ****. And I want crystal clear sound. How does the cassette adapter work? I have one in my truck that just collects dust anyway.

[Delirious Nomad]

1 - I wouldn't go with adapters for the car. I'd get it hooked directly to the receiver if you want crystal clear sound.

2 - Sirius is not coming down to XM rates. XM rates are going up to Sirius rates.

3 - I don't listen to either O&A or Stern, so they are not factors for me. Sirius has the better music, so I'll be switching as soon as I get my income tax refund.

I still love XM and I will continue to have it through 2005.
I'm not knocking them.
Sirius is just a better choice for me personally.

:)

[GuitarPLYR]

Delirious Nomad, you are not alone. Now that Alpine offers Sirius along with XM, I will be making the switch as soon as my XM subscription runs out. I have to stick with Alpine or else it would cost me a fortune to switch out my stereo equipment in my car. I also received a letter from XM last week saying that they have raised their rates from $9.99 to $12.99 a mo. (same as Sirius)....so that kind of seals the deal for me!

My friend has Sirius and I have to say that, at least for me, they have much better programming for music....which is the ONLY reason I considered satellite radio in the first place. I can listen to talk and sports all I want to on commercial AM or FM.

Also, I have my XM connected directly to my stereo, so I am not familiar with the FM and Cassette Modulators. I can say that when it is connected to its own dedicated input, the sound is crystal clear!!!

76_Bestbanker, what ever choice you make, XM or Sirius, you can rest assured that either one of them will absolutely BLOW AWAY commericial radio.

[Delirious Nomad]

- My friend has Sirius and I have to say that, at least for me, they have much better programming for music....

- 76_Bestbanker, what ever choice you make, XM or Sirius, you can rest assured that either one of them will absolutely BLOW AWAY commericial radio.

Truer words have never been spoken.
:)

[76_Bestbanker]

Radio in N.O. just blows. I cannot believe how bad it is. Anyway, the hubby has a new Expedition with sat. ready radio but he's leasing it. We would still have to buy a tuner and antenna. I called Sirius and asked a bunch of questions. They said it still may be a good idea to get a PNP Starmate for the Exp. since it's a lease and would be cheaper. Just depends on if you want a bunch of wires and crap all over the place. And he could take the dang thing on the boat fishing. I found some promo codes on slickdeals.net that brings the cost of a Starmate down to $59.99 ($70 off). Not a bad deal. Nice site that slickdeals. They also clued me into a Dell deal for laptops. We were buying one this week anyway. $750 off of $1999, and so on. Not f'ing bad.

Anywho, I digress. So, if I want crystal clear sound, which I do, get it hard wired to the radio. But my radio in my 4Runner isn't sat ready. I would have to run an RCA cable to the aux port or cassette. I think that's what Sirius told me. Sounds like a lot of aggravating wires. Anybody out there have Starmate in the N.O. area? We don't have a lot of FM stations and the Starmate has 100 mod frequencies to choose from. Might not be a big issue.

TIA

[CarlW53]

I concur on the fact that New Orleans radio ****s.

XM has just signed to broadcast PGA tour events. Im sure everyone is as excited about that as I am.

[Delirious Nomad]

And he could take the dang thing on the boat fishing.

So, if I want crystal clear sound, which I do, get it hard wired to the radio. But my radio in my 4Runner isn't sat ready. I would have to run an RCA cable to the aux port or cassette. I think that's what Sirius told me. Sounds like a lot of aggravating wires.


Both systems have units that you can take onto a boat in the middle of the ocean. I'll get to the hardware in a minute.

If you want "crystal clear" sound in your car, and your car isn't satellite ready, then you can buy a car kit. Both XM and Sirius have them. The car kit must be wired directly to the receiver to get the sound you want. The downside to hardwiring it, is that it's pretty much permanent. You can't take it in and out of your car.

The alternative is running the car kit through the cassette or through the RF Modulator. The cassette should sound better than the RF Modulator, but neither is as good as the hardwiring. And yes...it's lots of wires running from your unit. 1 to the cassette, 1 to the power source (cigarette lighter), and one on your dash for the antennae. If you don't like wires, don't do it.

The reason you don't get great reception is because when you hardwire your unit, the satellite radio is pulling from your car's antennae. When you run through the cassette or the RF Modulator, you have a separate antennae. You set your radio station on 1 of 8 frequencies. You just have to search for the best one, or basically, hopefully 1 or more of these frequencies is not being used already in your area. Because of this, your satellite antennae is fighting reception with your car antennae.

When you travel across country, you may leave an area that has a decent frequency for you, but the area you're moving into may be using that frequency. Then the fight gets nasty. I live in Houston and 6 of the 8 frequencies are just about taken. So I move in and out of 2 or 3 frequencies, whichever serves me better at the time.

I use the RF Modulator. The reception is not that good, but the upside is I can take my unit in and out of my car as I please. I can take a trip with my buddy and put it in his car. I can loan it to my parents or sisters when they take a trip. I can take it on my buddie's boat when we're on the lake. I am sacrificing quality for portability.

Now, what I'm going to be doing soon, is buying a second car kit. One I will hook up permanently, and then one that I can take with me.

Both XM and Sirius have similar components. It's the music stations that are swaying me to Sirius.

Although XM still has 1 BIG advantage over Sirius and that is the XM MyFi. That is the portable "walk-man" type device that you can wear on your arm and take XM wherever you go.
The way I see it, Sirius will be coming out with one shortly.....at least I hope.

Hope this helps.
Good luck.

[76_Bestbanker]

Great synopsis Nomad. The Starmate has 100 radio freq. instead of 8 so it's suppose to be a big improvement on the RF mod problem. Plus we just don't have a lot of stations in the N.O. area, hence the problem in the first place. I think I'm going to try the RF mod way first and see how I like it. Then if it really ****s, I can go to the hardwiring. I'm kind of anal about sound clarity. The downside on the Starmate is that it doesn't have a boombox player like the Sportster but it does have a home kit. But I can't see needing the home kit since you can listen online and I have a killer sound card and speakers on my desktop. I have some promo codes that work today (disclaimer) that takes $70 off the cost of several units by buying on the Sirius website. Codes are 171, 456, and 459. Dome jerf-off is selling them on Ebay and a good detective can find them by doing a Google. I guess some people just don't know. There was a deal that ended on the weekend that had the Starmate free. I missed it of course. Got the codes from slickdeals.net.

[Delirious Nomad]

If you're anal about sound clarity, I don't think you'll be happy at all with any kind of RF Modulator, but it's worth a shot if you have the money to spend.....I would do it too.

I find great use out of my home kit.....although I don't listen online.
I have my home kit hooked up directly to my computer. Then I have software that lets me record anything coming into the computer. So I can record anything off of satellite radio and then burn it to CD. I can edit my recording in anyway that I want, so if I record an entire concert, I can separate all of the individual songs.

I love having the ability to do that.
:cool:

I LOVE the boombox, too. When we go to the lake, I can take my satellite radio down by the lake. I got REALLY tired of taking the same old CDs down there all the time. Year after year, we have to put in the same stuff so that EVERYONE can be happy. Now....everyone enjoys listening to satellite radio.

[ZEBRAFREAK]

I Have The Roady2 And The Car Kit And It's Awesome... I Listen At Home And The It Takes 2 Seconds To Disconnect From Home And 5 Secs To Reconnect In The Car... I Put The Antenna On The Dash And It's Fine... O&a All Day!!! Just Watch Out For The Monster Rain!!!

[CarlW53]

Now you have the O and A virus.

[chinarain62]

It's great to have the O & A virus

[CarlW53]

There is no cure, only more virus.

Tomorrow is supposed to be Ozzy and Rob Halford. I will hold comment on that one.