How is it? How easy is it to use? Is it worth it? Just gimmie some info guys! I wanna learn! lol But really. Anything will help.

 

i like my XM better......more country stations........the only real reason i can see to getting Sirius is to listen to Howard Stern.....they are really close in price......

ease of use depends on what receiver you buy....

 

I have Sirius, I like it. It is real easy to use, real easy to install. I pay month to month and it runs like $12-$13 a month. What else do you need to know?

 

i have sirius, love it, no signal issues, i have that unit that connects to my head unit for 100$ its hidden and my head unit controls it.

i pay 13 a month. worth it. i haven't listened to regular radio in ages. or even CDs.

sound quality is pretty good too.

 

i know that sirius has better programming in terms of sports content... nfl, ncaa ect... im gonna get one on this friday since we are going home to miami for the holiday and my wife's family always goes shopping at 3 am on black friday

 

it said something about this in my FORD owners manual... that I can connect thru my stock radio...and keep it looking stock...guess I'd just need to add the antenna...

 

Sirius has some technical upsides and downsides compared to XM.

The Sirius satellite constellation has "geosynchronous" orbit that is not in the equatorial plane. This means that as the earth rotates and the satellite orbits, it appears to "wander" in a figure-eight pattern in the sky.

Sirius uses 3 satellites so that one is always in view and in fact more than one is in view and at different angles to the observer. Tremendous advantage over XM (which I have and like) because you may get coverage in areas where there are obstructions like mountains, hills, etc. to the south where true "geostationary" satellites hang. A geostationary satellite is a type of geosynchronous satellite that sits in one spot in the sky all the time -- which is what XM uses.

The disadvanatage of Sirius, which I expect is either a non-issue, or will become so with tech changes, is that it requires a slightly more versatile receiver to arbitrate between the various available signals. If you look around, you'll see that XM units can generally be make smaller and lower power than Sirius units. As chipsets for the Sirius system advance, I don't expect this to continue.

Programming is a personal decision and I like XM because of the Major League Baseball coverage -- the only sport I even half-way follow, lol.

Just thought I'd throw some info in there on the two from an overall technical standpoint. From a day-to-day coverage standpoint, I think Sirius is superior in their satellite system. Right now at least, the XM has the advantage in terms of small and low power radio design.

Some folks have tried to tell me that XM has a higher quality sound -- but I've listened to Sirius and like XM it depends on the channel: there are very high quality channels and some that don't sound as good.

It looks like the channels have different bit-rates (much like .mp3 files) and the different channels productions have licensed, bought, or been assigned different bit rates. Frankly, I don't think there's enough difference there to matter between Sirius and XM.

 

seems like you still have to add the tuner, this is only available from the dealer so prepare to pay out the

 

I wondered this, as there are a few music stations that are downgraded in sound quality or so it sounds (much lower sound, not as clear)

Every once in a while i get some fuzz in my music, then it goes away, but this only happens in town and when the weather is changing.

 

hmm... well I might just go buy one of the kits, lol deff. cheaper

 

I have the dash mount Sirius unit for my wife's car and it works very well. We never listen to the radio any more. Stern was and issue for us, and we're still very happy. We pay yearly to save a few bucks.

 

I might ask for one for christmas. Im getting really stoked about it.

 

As far south as you are, it's more off an option, Fernando. Down in Texas, the XM satellite is much higher above the horizon than it is up north here. This equates to more signal and less chance of terrestrial structures blocking the signal.

I hadn't heard that about Sirius rigs. Most folks up here seem to have better luck with them. My XM is only a problem in deep river valleys and on the north slope of mountains. In river valleys I get dropouts, and on the north slopes I lose the satellite completely.

Probably, like everything else about the 2 services, there's pluses and minuses to where you are geographically for which service you are using.

 

I can agree with that. Now what is the differences when you have a Big "CB" looking type Sirius Radio and One that is as big as your hand? I guess more memory. I'm just kinda looking into something not so big, but not soooo small.

 

Most units have no "user" memory for storing programming. The difference is between the older, more bulky receiver designs and the more modern "integrated" designs.

I would definitely get the newest receiver you can afford. My Delphi RoadyXT unit is TINY -- but usually XM units can be smaller.

There's lots of newer Sirius designs that aren't huge and you can get some of them for $50 or so if you look around. Walmart usually has satellite radio stuff pretty cheap and Circuit City has some OUTSTANDING sales from time to time. I got an XM Delphi Roady2 at Circuit City for $19.95 for my wifes Honda -- and that's the out-the-door price with no rebates to send in.

Keep an eye out and see what kind of deal you can get on a new one is my recommendation.

 

Will do. Just would like to get one for christmas. Proubly a Sirius

 

I am in Alabama right now, lisented to it from Michigan to Indiana and then from Indiana to Alabama. I have also taken a trip to Florida from Michigan and it was on the whole way with no signal issues.

 

When I had mine I used it from New Jerey to Ontario, Canada. 8 hours...no signal issues either

 

Indiana to FL no signal issues except for in the tunnel

 

I just cancelled my XM, Sirius is a possible replacement as I already have it with my Dish Network and I absolutely love it.. better music than XM.

 

that is why i choose Sirius i already had it with my dish account.

 

I have sirius and love it. There are no rock stations here so that was my biggest reason for getting it. I prefer the programming over XM, more defined genres and more choices....plus there's howard. I have the Starmate which isn't all that big and a second sat antena so I can take it in my work vehicles when i'm on duty. but like most people say, it's all about your preference.

 

Yes, the Starmate is a nice compact design.

I've never had signal issues on the highway. Between the way most highways run, and the fact that big cities often have repeaters, it's hard to lose coverage.

You'll find especially no problem with generally north and south bound roads. XM on the north side of a high mountain or ridge, at least at my latitude, can be an issue. There are places around Blue Mountain, PA where I vacation that are zones until I get around or gain some elevation. Probably wouldn't have as much trouble with Sirius there.

Well, as funny as he is, I've always had a problem with Howard for moral reasons -- so he was never a draw, lol. The primary reason I have XM is baseball, pure and simple. If MLB moves to Sirius, I'll probably switch!