Satellite Radio?

[Smitty1]

Hey Guys

 

I do a lot of travelling to and from work so I am thinking about getting satellite radio - I would like to get something I can use in the house as well as my boat when I go fishing...so which one do I choose? I have heard XM and Sirus have actually merged - but they still offer the 2 different models. Anyone have experience with either?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

thanks

Edited November 20, 2008 by Smitty1

[DRIFTER_016]

I have had both. I started with an XM when I lived in Ontario and switched to a Sirius when I moved North.

The XM satellites are lower in the sky and reception suffers in the far North.

The Sirius I find has better programming than the XM. Pricing is about the same and you can listen to Sirius online when not listening to your radio, (XM was charging to listen online). I believe there are more accessories for the Sirius radios as well, you can get extra in car kits, home kits, boom boxes so you can take it any where.

Oh Yeah, they don't work well at all in the mountains. All that darn granite blocks the signal!!!! I lose my signal when I head into the Yukons St. Elias Mountains on the way to Alaska and I don't get it back until I return from my trip!!

One more thing, Sirius has the NASCAR Channel!!!!!

[Dave2]

I have Sirius and it is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! Really enjoy it.

[muskeybugged]

I have Sirius....

 

Sirius' only down sides..... IMO...... No NHL games.

 

and...

 

If in the Toronto area, you may want to consider an alternate to the FM transmitter for playing through audio system. It can be hard at times to find a empty radio channel without interference.

 

The whole merger thing should be interesting to see what comes of it, I have not even looked into it yet...sorry

[TJQ]

I have Sirius.... I love it for the drive up to camp and at camp.. and HOWARD RULES!!!

[jdmls]

Depends on what you like listening to....For me XM has the channels I perfer...I will agree with Drifter_016 as I do loose reception here and there, but hardly notice it... Once you get it, you won't live without it !!

[kingjames_2nd]

Oh Yeah, they don't work well at all in the mountains. All that darn granite blocks the signal!!!! I lose my signal when I head into the Yukons St. Elias Mountains on the way to Alaska and I don't get it back until I return from my trip!!

 

I listened to Sirius all the way through the rockies from Jasper to the south of Banff and found the reception was excellent the whole way. Maybe this is because of a more southerly latitude?

[Doctrt]

I've had the Sirius Stiletto 2 (Portable unit) for about a year now and I don't know how I went without it. When I'm notu sing it docked at home or in the car I can listen on the boat or on the river (portable). It also picks up wifi and acts as a mp3 with 2 G of memory. If you like Stern, like I do, you can set it to record shows at night and listen while you're fishing. Fantastic device! Only downside is the cost of all the setup and accessories.

[Flappn]

Sirius is the way to go. I use it in the City and up in Hunstville area, reception is great. I have the getto blaster for home, the unit from the car slips into it and I can listen at home.

 

80% of the time I'm listening to Howard..one thing xm doesn't have.

 

They merged in the US but out glorious FCC wont allow it in Canada.

[Stern Rules]

I have Sirius and it's great. I only really listen to Howard Stern but there are some great channels and you can listen online like mentioned before.

[Nemo]

Do you pay a one time license or is it monthly like your cable after you purchase the equipment?

[BITEME]

where did my buzzsaw go

[Bitsmith2k]

Bubba's been getting me through my drive home for a couple years now.. great show

 

where did my buzzsaw go

 

didnt they change the name to Boneyard?

[DRIFTER_016]

I listened to Sirius all the way through the rockies from Jasper to the south of Banff and found the reception was excellent the whole way. Maybe this is because of a more southerly latitude?

 

 

XM was terrible as soon as you got near the 60th parallel. It would start to cutout as you went over small hills and in Yellowknife the reception was worse. Most of my drive to and from work it was out.

Sirius is way better here. It doesn't cut out at all and only cuts out in the Northern Mountain Ranges. It's fine in BC's Northern Rockies, it doesn't start to cut out until you are further north in the Yukon.

In Alaska it gets very little reception due to all them mountains and Northerly Latitude.

Sirius even works when I'm up at Great Bear Lake!!! I'm unsure just how far North it works well, but it is much better up here than XM.

 

 

 

Do you pay a one time license or is it monthly like your cable after you purchase the equipment?

 

 

You pay a yearly subscription fee.

[legacey]

Bubba's been getting me through my drive home for a couple years now.. great show

didnt they change the name to Boneyard?

 

I miss it too......it's now AC/DC full time.

 

I like them but sure do miss the great tunes they'd play on Buzzsaw.

 

I have my subscription thru the US. Don't know if that makes a difference though being that I'm in Canada.

 

Cheers

[Smitty1]

Well it sounds like Sirius is the one to go with - ok next question - where do I get the best deal - I have been looking at Satellite Radio Source.com - there prices seem good...any others?

 

I am in the Ottawa area.

 

thanks

Smitty

[babaganoush]

i have xm and love it

i have the myfi receiver and its portable and can record up to 8 hours of music

best part of this receiver is you can get portable speakers and antenna and can pick up live music anywhere....i use it on my boat and in the home

[walleyejigger]

once you go satelitte you'll wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.

 

i have sirius and have listened to xm a few times. for music they're pretty much the same, it's the other programming you have to way on, like Howard Stern, or Nhl and the like,

 

as for merging i noticed some of the channels now say both companies, ( "you're listening to sirius xm 20 octane")

 

for me Howard Stern got old fast, maybe i bombarded myself with too much of him when i first got the radio (i have one of the first models) I am now addicted to Jason Ellis he plays on faction (i think 28) at 3pm, some of his bits are "Worlds greatest wednesdays" "Dude is it gay" "Dude am i a sl^&t" quite childish for some but i can't get enough of it

 

you can pay monthly, yearly, or even lifetime

 

for 2 radios i pay i think 26.40 a month, worth every penny

[muskeybugged]

Do you pay a one time license or is it monthly like your cable after you purchase the equipment?

 

Sirius has a lifetime option too I think ..... in the $500 dollar range, not sure exactly though..

[tschirk]

I bought the SL2 & dock kits for home, cottage, car & boat, I got the boombox for it too. Buy the lifetime subscription it pays for it's self after 3.5 yrs

It's a MP3 player with micro SD memory slot for expansion

It records the last 100 hrs of what you listen too

and you can record favorite songs off satellite

 

very kewl

[ctdd2006]

Be careful with the "lifetime" thing. I've had mine now 5 years and my fine print reads "lifetime or the life of three radios." I opted for the lifetime and am now on faceplate #2! I've already gotten my $ worth....but the "lifetime" is a little misleading.

 

Also, as for the nhl games....you can pay a little extra and get them.

Edited November 21, 2008 by ctdd2006

[jjcanoe]

I have Sirius....

 

Sirius' only down sides..... IMO...... No NHL games.

 

and...

 

If in the Toronto area, you may want to consider an alternate to the FM transmitter for playing through audio system. It can be hard at times to find a empty radio channel without interference.

 

The whole merger thing should be interesting to see what comes of it, I have not even looked into it yet...sorry

 

88.7 seems to work in most areas west of Toronto unless you get down towards Windsor. Line in cable eliminates channel searching

 

jjcanoe

[luv2drift]

stupid question but I am a shift worker and love listening to late night conspiracy radio on 640 Am. Does XM or Sirius get this channel???

 

Would love to know!