XM Radio

[GAC]

Being one of the last to get rid of his 8-tracks, I am investigating getting XM radio. But I honestly know little about it.

I want something inexpensive and portable that I can use in both my home and car.

I have nothing in my home (stereo-wise) that is XM-ready. I did recently put a nice Pioneer stereo super-tuner CD system in my car. I'm assuming that it can be adapted to receive XM?

Once I get the euqipment, then I have to pay a monthly subscription price right? Around 12.95/month?

Is the XM lineup pretty much a set lineup (like cable TV)? Or would I be able to pick up radio stations such as WLW700?

I'd appreciate any input and assistance.

[Reds Fanatic]

The XM lineup is a set lineup. They sometimes will add a station but it does not happen too often. Here is the current channel lineup:
http://www.xmradio.com/programming/f...sp?sort=number

The price is 12.95 a month for a subscription.

As far as a portable unit you can use in both your home and car I would recommend a Myfi which is a portable unit that comes with a home kit, car kit and you can also use it as just a portable unit with headphones.

Other cheap units include the Roady2, Skyfi2. With those depending on how they are sold you have to buy seperate home kits or car kits.

As far as hooking into your stereo I am not sure exactly what kind you have but these radios can play over an FM frequency in your car or if you have an AUX input they can be hooked up through that or through a cassette adapter.

A very good site for XM info is XM411.com. That site also includes a store which is probably the best place I have found to buy XM equipment. They have good prices and always ship items out quickly. You can also buy XM equipment at Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, Walmart and others.

If you have any other questions let me know.

[GAC]

The XM lineup is a set lineup. They sometimes will add a station but it does not happen too often. Here is the current channel lineup:
http://www.xmradio.com/programming/f...sp?sort=number

The price is 12.95 a month for a subscription.

As far as a portable unit you can use in both your home and car I would recommend a Myfi which is a portable unit that comes with a home kit, car kit and you can also use it as just a portable unit with headphones.

Other cheap units include the Roady2, Skyfi2. With those depending on how they are sold you have to buy seperate home kits or car kits.

As far as hooking into your stereo I am not sure exactly what kind you have but these radios can play over an FM frequency in your car or if you have an AUX input they can be hooked up through that or through a cassette adapter.

A very good site for XM info is XM411.com. That site also includes a store which is probably the best place I have found to buy XM equipment. They have good prices and always ship items out quickly. You can also buy XM equipment at Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, Walmart and others.

If you have any other questions let me know.

In my car I have the following Pioneer model....

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-RgdXkh0...p?i=130DEH2800

It looks like it is not adaptable for XM, so I'm probably SOL there.

How about recommendations on a portable home unit?

Would going the route that cumberland did above be the best route?

What is XM radio Online?

http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp

Probably not what I want if my main goal is to listen to Reds/baseball?

[dabvu2498]

What is XM radio Online?

http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp

Probably not what I want if my main goal is to listen to Reds/baseball?

Only the music channels are available online.

[Reds Fanatic]

In my car I have the following Pioneer model....

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-RgdXkh0...p?i=130DEH2800

It looks like it is not adaptable for XM, so I'm probably SOL there.

How about recommendations on a portable home unit?

Would going the route that cumberland did above be the best route?

What is XM radio Online?

http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp

Probably not what I want if my main goal is to listen to Reds/baseball?

The kit he mentioned is one thing you can use. One thing I like about the Myfi is it comes with car kits and home kits. Currently they are selling that for $129 through that XM411 site. With home kits they come with antennas and you can hook them up and play them through your receiver at home. A lot of radios like the Audivox or the Skyfi and Roadys have boomboxes you can buy to use them with.

With your car stereo you will probably need to use the FM frequency in your car to play the XM. The car kits come with different mounting options you can put it on your dash or clip it on your vents.

XM radio online comes with your account. That allows you to listen to most of the XM stations on your computer. The online includes the music stations and some other stations. The live MLB games are not carried online.

[cumberlandreds]

I bought XM back in March. I have really liked it. I went cheap and got the Audiovox for the car. I was like you and didn't have anything XM ready for the home. So I bought a boombox. I bought all of this at Wal-Mart. The receiver and car kit was $49 and the boombox was $99. They offer nearly every kind of music you can think of. I like the 40's,60's,70's and 80's stations and the easy listening station on channel 78. Of course they all MLB games. This was the main reason I bought XM. It's great being able to listen to the Reds or anyone else when the game is being played. I will probably upgrade someday to their new receiver and MP3 player. IIRC it's about $300 now, so hopefully it will come down in price in the future. I think the $12.95 a month is well worth it and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

[GAC]

I bought XM back in March. I have really liked it. I went cheap and got the Audiovox for the car. I was like you and didn't have anything XM ready for the home. So I bought a boombox. I bought all of this at Wal-Mart. The receiver and car kit was $49 and the boombox was $99. They offer nearly every kind of music you can think of. I like the 40's,60's,70's and 80's stations and the easy listening station on channel 78. Of course they all MLB games. This was the main reason I bought XM. It's great being able to listen to the Reds or anyone else when the game is being played. I will probably upgrade someday to their new receiver and MP3 player. IIRC it's about $300 now, so hopefully it will come down in price in the future. I think the $12.95 a month is well worth it and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

That sounds right up my alley cumberland.

I'm assuming, since my car stereo system is not XM "capatible", and I therefore want to go with a home setup, I just need to get a receiver and Boombox with an auxilary jack?

[cumberlandreds]

That sounds right up my alley cumberland.

I'm assuming, since my car stereo system is not XM "capatible", and I therefore want to go with a home setup, I just need to get a receiver and Boombox with an auxilary jack?

If you have an FM radio in your car and a cigarette lighter you are set. You just plug in the cradle to the cigarette lighter and tune your fm radio to the best frequency. Mine is 107.9. Your owners manual will tell what frequencies are best. Everything you need for the boombox comes with it. It can be battery operated or electric. FYI the Batteries don't last long so going the electric route is best. You can also use the Roady receiver in the boombox if decide to buy that type of receiver. I think the Roady is about the same price as the Audiovox.
Like others have said you can activate online cheaper and it only takes a few minutes to kick in. XM online only has music stations,no MLB games or talk radio. I haven't used it very much. Enjoy!

[reds1869]

Is the XM lineup pretty much a set lineup (like cable TV)? Or would I be able to pick up radio stations such as WLW700?

It's a set lineup, but one of the stations is 700 WLW. I love my XM; I'm listening to Baseball This Morning as I type this. I have one of teh original Delphi receivers and it works just great. Whatever you get--even the cheapest kit--will be wonderful. My dad has a Roady and loves it.

[dabvu2498]

It's the better of the two, an not just because of MLB. I have both (I know... I'm a geek). I love MLB, but I also love the SEC and Sirius has the SEC contract.

Get the XM... I have the Roady with the boom box and I also have it in my new truck.

I'm not 100 percent sure, but I believe if you activate online, they wave the activation fee and it's only 9.95 a month. At least it was when I got my Roady this past Christmas.

[GAC]

How about this one guys?

http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/in...WPROD&ProdID=9

All I would need then, for in the home, is to buy a boombox right? But the boombox has to be "XM ready".

I'm also looking at something like this to (if it would work)...

http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/in...OD&ProdID=1964

[Reds Fanatic]

How about this one guys?

http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/in...WPROD&ProdID=9

All I would need then, for in the home, is to buy a boombox right?

That one looks like it comes with a home setup and you have to add a car setup. That one is one of older XM units. The new ones are much smaller. I would probably recommend against that one just because it is harder to find a good place to mount that one in your car because of its size. That one does not have a boombox.

This one on that site you were on has a car kit and a boombox for the Audiovox.

http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/in...OD&ProdID=2036

Also that connect and play antenna is only good for home use if you have a receiver that is already XM ready. Some of the newer home stereo systems come XM ready and you just need to add that antenna. That is really the only use for that would be if you had a receiver at home that was XM ready.

[GAC]

This one on that site you were on has a car kit and a boombox for the Audiovox.

http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/in...OD&ProdID=2036

Hey! Now I like that one - just for the boombox and being able to listen in my home.

But I don't think the car kit will work in either one of my cars because the systems are not XM Ready.

I have a 97 Mercury Sable with a stock cassette/CD player... and in my other car (which I drive mainly), I just put a new Pioneer system in (see my above post on that). And it too looks like it won't take XM or is XM Ready.

[dabvu2498]

Hey! Now I like that one - just for the boombox and being able to listen in my home.

But I don't think the car kit will work in either one of my cars because the systems are not XM Ready.

I have a 97 Mercury Sable with a stock cassette/CD player... and in my other car (which I drive mainly), I just put a new Pioneer system in (see my above post on that). And it too looks like it won't take XM.

With the Audiovox receiver, all you have to do is pick an FM frequency for your car stereo and match it up with the XM receiver and the XM comes out through your car stereo... that doesn't make much sense, does it???

EDIT: All you need is any FM stereo receiver.

[Reds Fanatic]

Hey! Now I like that one - just for the boombox and being able to listen in my home.

But I don't think the car kit will work in either one of my cars because the systems are not XM Ready.

I have a 97 Mercury Sable with a stock cassette/CD player... and in my other car (which I drive mainly), I just put a new Pioneer system in (see my above post on that). And it too looks like it won't take XM or is XM Ready.

You can play that in either car. The one with the cassette player you can use the cassette adapter that comes with the car kit. For the one with the Pioneer system the XM radio play through your FM. On the XM radios you pick a FM frequency like 97.9 for example then you set your Car radio to that FM frequency and the XM plays on that frequency.