Help me with satellite radio

[justsomeguy]

I'm thinking of getting satellite radio for my car. I like the idea of radio without commercials and without hearing the same songs over and over again - and I don't mind paying $15/month for the privilege. But I have a few questions...

1) What do I need to know about installation? Not that I would install it myself, but I have two years left on my lease, so installation in my current vehicle is rather temporary - are there any issues I should be aware of?

2) Does satellite radio include local radio stations, and/or are satellite radio and conventional radio mutually exclusive? I would hate to lose the Sens games on the radio, as I'm on the road a lot in the wintertime.

3) Is there really a lot of variety in the playlist for each station? I have eclectic tastes and I've never really been a Top 40 guy - I like radio stations that throw a lot of different stuff at you. I don't want to choose between a station that plays Led Zeppelin 3 times a day EVERY FRICKIN' DAY and a station that plays Three Days Grace 3 times a day EVERY FRICKIN' DAY - even though I like them!

4) From what I can see, Sirius and XM have virtually all the same stations. Is the only real difference between the two related to pricing and hardware? Any pros and cons between the two?

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm really hoping that with satellite radio I can at least capture some of the breadth and variety of my album collection...

[Wilster]

Sat radio is brilliant , but there are some issues with the install.
First you need to run another antenna from your current radio to your current antenna , which will mean running a cable under your car headliner or trim ,the supplied antenna is magnetic and will sit somewhere on your car roof. Once installed it is barely noticeable but my advice is to get it done professionally . (unless your car has it pre-installed ?)
Once your install is complete your new head unit will be mounted somewhere on your dash and this controls your channel selection , you simply tune in your car radio to a preset fequency and listen to your sat radio on one fm channel.
So therefore you don't lose any of your local radio stations
There is every type of music , chat shows , sports on sat radio, you won't be disappointed by the selection, and as for Sirius vs XM , they share pretty much the same programming now , so its a bit of a coin toss as to what is better , though XM did update a lot of their hardware recently.
Look in the flyers from bestbuy and futureshop for the best deals , and try to get the install done by a pro.

[jeffc]

I rented a car with Sirius last month and loved it. Found a great 80's station and the variety and quality of the music was great. It would be great for road trips.

[goochy]

I have sat radio in my car. Not sure about how tricky install is because in came already installed but i can tell you it is fun.

You can listen to conventional radio also...they are not mutually exclusive, at least not in my car.

The variety is pretty incredible. Music wise I usually listen to CDs but sat radio has a brilliant choice of news and talk radio, including NHL games and a PGA channel. I listen a lot to the BBC World Radio which I think is great. There are music stations for every choice by decade or style and of course yo never lose the signal no matter how far you drive.

I have XM but I think they and Sirius are pretty comparable. Hope you enjoy

[alejgonz]

I'd say, every new car comes with satelite radio option now... this is, in the radio, there is an extra button/option for satellite... like AM, FM, there is one as XM for satellite. New cars come with 3 months "free" satellite radio included.

Now, if you already have a radio... it's better if you take a look at this link: http://www.tech-faq.com/install-xm-radio-in-car.shtml as there are various options for connecting/installing XM to your existing radio (specially if it's temporary, I'd go with the "wireless FM modulators".

Good luck,

[fundonny]

Had satellite radio since it came out. Some advice... Use a USA address so you can get the US subscription. XM vs. Sirius is really all about your preferences. I love the NFL, naturally I went with Sirius. Love the content and have no interest in getting the best of XM subscription. I bought a lifetime subscription back in the day, which was a risk but now that the company is no longer in any danger of going under I say the lifetime is the best thing to buy. I got a place on MacArthur in Vanier area to install, cost me $75. I use an FM transmitter since my car is 2004 and didn't have any input/outputs. I still get local radio any time I want, but I never listen to local radio. Truly one of my best purchases of the decade. Even bought a second subscription and have Sirius patched into my home system, speakers in most rooms and in the backyard.

[justsomeguy]

Thanks everyone for your help!

Went out to FS today and bought the Sirius Sportster 5 - on sale for half-price at $49.95. The installation fee was $80 and there is a waiting list, so I'm going to try to self-install when the weather clears up a little. It doesn't seem too complicated, but I guess I'll find out tomorrow...