XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle?
12-23-2005, 01:45 PM
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XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle?
i was looking at car stereo's today and saw just how cheap getting a new receiver/cd/mp3 player/XM receiver is. thinking about putting XM or Sirius in the truck sometime soon. do people that have it feel that it is worth it and that it makes the time go by faster? either one particularly better than the other?
12-23-2005, 01:54 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
I have XM and think it is worth every penny. My truck came with a cassete player only. I was looking at upgrading the head unit and whatnot. I figured that for $50 (at that time now they are cheaper) I could get a Roadie2 that plays through the cassete deck or over an FM station. For $30 more, I got a home kit that will play through the stereo out in the shop with the same receiver.
There is TONS of great music to choose from. You will never get bored with it. I am not sure about where you are at or where you will be towing to...it is mostly junk on the radio around here. I enjoy it so much and I am convinced that it helps make the drive seem shorter.
Another perk is that you get the service over the internet also. As long as you have a high speed connection, you can stream it to whatever computer you log in at.
There is TONS of great music to choose from. You will never get bored with it. I am not sure about where you are at or where you will be towing to...it is mostly junk on the radio around here. I enjoy it so much and I am convinced that it helps make the drive seem shorter.
Another perk is that you get the service over the internet also. As long as you have a high speed connection, you can stream it to whatever computer you log in at.
12-23-2005, 02:00 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (RexRacer19)
getting it through the net is pretty sweet.
in Kansas City we have good stations, but towing through iowa, nebraska, oklahoma, missouri, and illinois......they do not. i know i'm not going to keep this truck forever (diesel and 40' trailer is next, but a long ways off), but i thought it would make the drives more enjoyable, and the gf is more likely to come with me if i got it.
in Kansas City we have good stations, but towing through iowa, nebraska, oklahoma, missouri, and illinois......they do not. i know i'm not going to keep this truck forever (diesel and 40' trailer is next, but a long ways off), but i thought it would make the drives more enjoyable, and the gf is more likely to come with me if i got it.
12-23-2005, 02:10 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
You won't need a radio if you start bringing your gf along. You'll have hours upon hours to talk about stuff like Oprah, and people you've known for a long time and are gay but you didn't realize it, and feelings.
12-23-2005, 02:20 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (Batoutahell)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Batoutahell »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You won't need a radio if you start bringing your gf along. You'll have hours upon hours to talk about stuff like Oprah, and people you've known for a long time and are gay but you didn't realize it, and feelings.</TD></TR></TABLE>
no see jim that's the point....i get XM so we have stuff to LISTEN to, not TALK ABOUT.
no see jim that's the point....i get XM so we have stuff to LISTEN to, not TALK ABOUT.
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12-23-2005, 02:25 PM
#8
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
When I'm on a road trip is about the only time I use my XM as I'm a big NPR listener locally. As such I'm considering getting out. But once on a road trip, it's pretty good.
Handful of downsides, at least for my experience (note - I have not yet installed the antenna externally, it sits atop the dash). For one thing, it cuts out sometimes if I'm around very tall trees along the side of the road, and under some overpasses.
The second sort of headache is the way it installs. It has a built-in FM Modulator. It broadcasts at a handful of FM frequencies (there's like 8 of them available). Then you tune your car stereo to that frequency, there's XM. Your car stereo determines which frequency you use - it needs to be something that isn't in use wherever you are. Which introduces the actual problem - if you're on the road and get to where there's an FM station broadcasting at this frequency, XM craps out. Now you get to find a frequency that isn't broadcasting wherever you are, which isn't as easy as it sounds. It has to be on the XM unit's subset of frequencies, and again, it has to not be broadcasting locally - a chore to find, as you have to do it manually. Remember, Seek won't work for this. And you get to do it twice - once on your head unit, again on the XM thing. Bit of a chore while underway.
There's also a lot of commercials on the talk style channels. And they're very cleverly timed such that if you flip to another talk channel, there's...another ad.
The head units that have it onboard might solve some of these problems. I considered going that route, but didn't want to lose my in-dash CD Changer in so doing.
As far as picking a service, I suggest you go online, or go to Best Buy, and get the channel listings. Each has different channels with content you may or may not be interested in.
Handful of downsides, at least for my experience (note - I have not yet installed the antenna externally, it sits atop the dash). For one thing, it cuts out sometimes if I'm around very tall trees along the side of the road, and under some overpasses.
The second sort of headache is the way it installs. It has a built-in FM Modulator. It broadcasts at a handful of FM frequencies (there's like 8 of them available). Then you tune your car stereo to that frequency, there's XM. Your car stereo determines which frequency you use - it needs to be something that isn't in use wherever you are. Which introduces the actual problem - if you're on the road and get to where there's an FM station broadcasting at this frequency, XM craps out. Now you get to find a frequency that isn't broadcasting wherever you are, which isn't as easy as it sounds. It has to be on the XM unit's subset of frequencies, and again, it has to not be broadcasting locally - a chore to find, as you have to do it manually. Remember, Seek won't work for this. And you get to do it twice - once on your head unit, again on the XM thing. Bit of a chore while underway.
There's also a lot of commercials on the talk style channels. And they're very cleverly timed such that if you flip to another talk channel, there's...another ad.
The head units that have it onboard might solve some of these problems. I considered going that route, but didn't want to lose my in-dash CD Changer in so doing.
As far as picking a service, I suggest you go online, or go to Best Buy, and get the channel listings. Each has different channels with content you may or may not be interested in.
12-23-2005, 02:32 PM
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Re: (bosco500)
I have XM roadie2 and I have to say I'm not crazy about it. The problem I have is that when you get on a road that has trees even slightly close to the road the reception keeps fading in and out. If you are in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, etc....I'm thinking it won't be a problem.
I bought a 20 gig I-pod and I like it a lot more for travelling.
I use XM radio mostly in the house now.
Shawn
I bought a 20 gig I-pod and I like it a lot more for travelling.
I use XM radio mostly in the house now.
Shawn
12-23-2005, 02:34 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (krshultz)
that does sound like quite an annoyance karl. you're saying that if i get an in-dash unit that's already setup for it all i would have to do is select the XM 'source' just like i would choose am, fm, or cd?
12-23-2005, 02:39 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tnord »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that does sound like quite an annoyance karl. you're saying that if i get an in-dash unit that's already setup for it all i would have to do is select the XM 'source' just like i would choose am, fm, or cd?</TD></TR></TABLE>
I guess I'm saying "I would hope integrated sat radio would solve that problem, but I don't know for sure that it does." I mean all the stuff is onboard, I should think it's hardwired.
If you're gonna go with a head unit with it built in, take a careful look at the ergonomics of it and especially the display. The add-on units like the Roady2 have nice big displays. The single-DIN head units, not so much...and then there's those impossibly small little buttons, only now there's that many more of them. Yet another reason I tried the add-on Roady2.
I guess I'm saying "I would hope integrated sat radio would solve that problem, but I don't know for sure that it does." I mean all the stuff is onboard, I should think it's hardwired.
If you're gonna go with a head unit with it built in, take a careful look at the ergonomics of it and especially the display. The add-on units like the Roady2 have nice big displays. The single-DIN head units, not so much...and then there's those impossibly small little buttons, only now there's that many more of them. Yet another reason I tried the add-on Roady2.
12-23-2005, 02:51 PM
#12
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (krshultz)
for most radios you can get an adapter thing that will allow the external xm reciever to feed music into the cd changer input...
thats how we have it setup, works really well
thats how we have it setup, works really well
12-23-2005, 03:03 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (JDogg)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDogg »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">for most radios you can get an adapter thing that will allow the external xm reciever to feed music into the cd changer input...</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah I stumbled into that and it would work really well. Unfortunately mine's an in-dash CD changer, so...no changer inputs.
Apparently there are FM Modulator solutions that piggyback onto the antenna lead; I have not pursued them. Perhaps I should.
Yeah I stumbled into that and it would work really well. Unfortunately mine's an in-dash CD changer, so...no changer inputs.
Apparently there are FM Modulator solutions that piggyback onto the antenna lead; I have not pursued them. Perhaps I should.
12-23-2005, 03:03 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (krshultz)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krshultz »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If you're gonna go with a head unit with it built in, take a careful look at the ergonomics of it and especially the display. The add-on units like the Roady2 have nice big displays. The single-DIN head units, not so much...and then there's those impossibly small little buttons, only now there's that many more of them. Yet another reason I tried the add-on Roady2.</TD></TR></TABLE>
that's exactly the thing i was concerned about and was hoping someone had tried it. i even threw up a thread in the audio forum. eegad
If you're gonna go with a head unit with it built in, take a careful look at the ergonomics of it and especially the display. The add-on units like the Roady2 have nice big displays. The single-DIN head units, not so much...and then there's those impossibly small little buttons, only now there's that many more of them. Yet another reason I tried the add-on Roady2.</TD></TR></TABLE>
that's exactly the thing i was concerned about and was hoping someone had tried it. i even threw up a thread in the audio forum. eegad
12-23-2005, 03:04 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (JDogg)
I have a Roadie 2 in the tow vehicle and like it well enough that I bought a second antenna for the daily driver CRX so I can move the Roadie car to car. I'm travelling in Hilton Head over the holidays and am enjoying it on the on the drive and locally. Yes, if there is a local station that is stong enough it can horn in but I just program 88.1, 88.3, 88.7 into my car radio preset buttons and can roll the Roadie from station to station while driving. Sometimes really, really big trees or mountains can briefly make it cut out but it is usually for only a few seconds and even in the West Virginia or way Eastern Virginia mountains it still does pretty good. Much better than radio recepion would be and much better programming selection.
I have happily taken rental car upgrades what have XM built in. I actually have found that channel 150 stand up comedy is the best mileage killer that I have found, even better than music for making long mileage melt away. The language on that channel is pretty foul so it isn't for the kids to hear though.
I was given the Roadie 2 for Christmas last year and it is probably the only Christmas present that I am still using. I also took it in the Koni truck for the drive out to Topeka and back for Solo II nationals. I can confirm that satellites do reach Kansas and the dreaded Kansas mountain scapes didn't cause too much issue.
I have happily taken rental car upgrades what have XM built in. I actually have found that channel 150 stand up comedy is the best mileage killer that I have found, even better than music for making long mileage melt away. The language on that channel is pretty foul so it isn't for the kids to hear though.
I was given the Roadie 2 for Christmas last year and it is probably the only Christmas present that I am still using. I also took it in the Koni truck for the drive out to Topeka and back for Solo II nationals. I can confirm that satellites do reach Kansas and the dreaded Kansas mountain scapes didn't cause too much issue.
12-23-2005, 03:21 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
I've had XM for about two weeks now, and am pretty happy with it. XM is a lot bigger than brand-S, but the main reason I got it is that XM didn't hire Howard Stern. Neither my ears nor my dallars will ever go his way. What an *******.
I've got the Roadie XT or XL, I think, and have been using it with the cassette thingy so there are no FM freq. issues. Now that I know I like it, I'll hook the Roadie up to the stereo in the garage and get a hard wired unit for the Golf TDi beater-car...
XM stations I listen to:
Fred, Ethel, Lucy, BBC World News and Sonic Theater (sometimes featuring Joe Frank...)
I've got the Roadie XT or XL, I think, and have been using it with the cassette thingy so there are no FM freq. issues. Now that I know I like it, I'll hook the Roadie up to the stereo in the garage and get a hard wired unit for the Golf TDi beater-car...
XM stations I listen to:
Fred, Ethel, Lucy, BBC World News and Sonic Theater (sometimes featuring Joe Frank...)
12-23-2005, 03:25 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (CRX Lee)
I have a Roadie for XM. I tried it for six months and decided to cancel my subscription. The issue isn't whether it's nice to have; of course it is (and, in my experience, it worked fine, almost no problems at all, like cutting out under an overpass once or twice per 1000 miles, which isn't bad). The issue is whether it's worth paying $10-15 per month for your subscription, in addition to whatever you pay for the hardware. I just decided that, given how much I was using it (almost never around town where I enjoy our local stations, only on an occasional cross-country trip), it wasn't worth the subscription fee. I was also REALLY disappointed in the music channel I thought I would like best, which was IMHO grossly inferior to broadcast radio stations in that genre. Obviously all of this is going to depend on your personal preferences, how you like your local radio or your CD/MP3 collection or whatever your alternative is, etc.
As for the choice between the two services, check out the websites for XM and Sirius to see what they offer, special deals, etc. If there's something in particular you enjoy - Howard Stern, Major League Baseball, etc - that may sway you towards one service or the other. I also found the comparison website http://www.xmorsirius.com to have a lot of helpful advice.
As for the choice between the two services, check out the websites for XM and Sirius to see what they offer, special deals, etc. If there's something in particular you enjoy - Howard Stern, Major League Baseball, etc - that may sway you towards one service or the other. I also found the comparison website http://www.xmorsirius.com to have a lot of helpful advice.
12-23-2005, 03:27 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (krshultz)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by krshultz »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah I stumbled into that and it would work really well. Unfortunately mine's an in-dash CD changer, so...no changer inputs.
Apparently there are FM Modulator solutions that piggyback onto the antenna lead; I have not pursued them. Perhaps I should.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Karl,
If you're interested in the hardwire Fm wire I'll sell it to you. I have it for my sirius and am switching to the RCA style. The FM hardwire pretty much just gets rid of interference when you go through cities where the fm station you pick has a station already. I still don't really care for the FM modulators because you still get a pretty bad signal to noise ratio. I think the RCA's will clear that up for me.
I love my sirius and haven't even brought it on trips yet. I do my own installs and custom made some brackets so the install is much nicer than the one you'd get at a best buy/circuit city/etc. I wouldn't really want one just sitting on top of my dash. I also got the reciever free after rebate so just couldn't resist.
Apparently there are FM Modulator solutions that piggyback onto the antenna lead; I have not pursued them. Perhaps I should.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Karl,
If you're interested in the hardwire Fm wire I'll sell it to you. I have it for my sirius and am switching to the RCA style. The FM hardwire pretty much just gets rid of interference when you go through cities where the fm station you pick has a station already. I still don't really care for the FM modulators because you still get a pretty bad signal to noise ratio. I think the RCA's will clear that up for me.
I love my sirius and haven't even brought it on trips yet. I do my own installs and custom made some brackets so the install is much nicer than the one you'd get at a best buy/circuit city/etc. I wouldn't really want one just sitting on top of my dash. I also got the reciever free after rebate so just couldn't resist.
12-23-2005, 03:33 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (thawley)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thawley »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've had XM for about two weeks now, and am pretty happy with it. XM is a lot bigger than brand-S, but the main reason I got it is that XM didn't hire Howard Stern. Neither my ears nor my dallars will ever go his way. What an *******.</TD></TR></TABLE>
That was my deciding point for sirius. While he may be an *******, he's a funny one.
That was my deciding point for sirius. While he may be an *******, he's a funny one.
12-23-2005, 03:36 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
If you want to get a sampling of what XM stations play, let me know and you can listen to my online account.
12-23-2005, 03:38 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (thawley)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thawley »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> but the main reason I got it is that XM didn't hire Howard Stern. Neither my ears nor my dallars will ever go his way. What an *******.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Amen. I can't think of anyone who goes up my spine like Stern. Rush Limbaugh and Dick Vitale round out for me the ultimate trio of oxygen wasting, self-perpetuating blowhards who should be launched in a rocket straight for the sun in order to spare the ears of humanity. At least with Vitale, we only have to hear him in the month of March and on Hooters comercials.
XM
if for no other reason than it is a Stern Free Zone.
Amen. I can't think of anyone who goes up my spine like Stern. Rush Limbaugh and Dick Vitale round out for me the ultimate trio of oxygen wasting, self-perpetuating blowhards who should be launched in a rocket straight for the sun in order to spare the ears of humanity. At least with Vitale, we only have to hear him in the month of March and on Hooters comercials.
XM
if for no other reason than it is a Stern Free Zone.
12-23-2005, 03:45 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (CRX Lee)
I'm a little late to this thread, but I've have Sirius for about 6 months or so. It works awesome and really made the tow to California nice last August. I have the external receiver that works through the factory radio.
12-23-2005, 03:51 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (CRX Lee)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">At least with Vitale, we only have to hear him in the month of March and on Hooters comercials.</TD></TR></TABLE>
If only that were true. You don't get much of Vitale during March except during the NIT, since he's not on CBS. ESPN/ABC does put him on just about every game of consequence from October until the ACC championship game. At least we're in the JP sports ESPN blackout area here in SC, though.
If only that were true. You don't get much of Vitale during March except during the NIT, since he's not on CBS. ESPN/ABC does put him on just about every game of consequence from October until the ACC championship game. At least we're in the JP sports ESPN blackout area here in SC, though.
12-23-2005, 03:55 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (tnord)
I have had XM radio im my Silverado for 2 1/2 years now... It came factory installed and I was able to get the prices lowered because at the time I didnt want it. They gave me a month free and I have been a paying customers since. I no longer even listen to regular radio at all! It's perfect for long trips.. or just around town. As far as it cutting out, the only time it does for me is when I am sitting under a overpass at a light... I can deal with that (mine is factory installed with an antenna on the roof). Of course I dont have the problem about picking up a FM station since my is built into my factory radio.
for XM
for XM
12-23-2005, 04:04 PM
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Re: XM/Sirius worth it in a tow vehicle? (MarkosMotorsports)
as for the built in stuff.. honestly i wouldnt get a head unit with xm built in.. get something like the delphi roady or skyfi so you can do other things with it. we hook it up in the house, we have a docking station for it on the boat, etc... if you're gona pay a monthly fee for it, you should be able to use it whereever you want.