Has anyone tried XM Radio in your vehicle? Any problems?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), April 01, 2002

Answers

I need some type of satellite system for the radio in my house. Any ideas? Thanks!

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), April 01, 2002.

I haven't tried the satellite radio, but I did hear a trucker speak of it on a radio call in show. He loved it.

I guess if you normally can't get decent radio signal it would be great. I just can't see subscribing for radio signal, even if you could get the same programs nationwide. Think it goes for about $9 or $10 per month cowgirl. Should work great for you.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 01, 2002.

Sounds expensive to me. Why pay a monthly fee when AM & FM are free? Just doesn't seem like TV - radio is just background noise, and there are so many stations out there. The radio is too expensive, and the subscription is a killer. Just my thoughts.

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), April 01, 2002.

Cowgirlone, If you can get a car radio and use it through a transformer; with an outside antenna, the reception is usually way greater than a house type radio.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 01, 2002.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I get a total of three FM stations. Two are country and one plays the top ten music like Britney Spears. I can't take it any more!! For those of you that like Britney, I'm sorry but she drives me crazy. The AM stations don't come in at all. I live in a low spot and can't pick up anything on the TV so I have a satellite dish for that. I might give the car radio idea a try, I don't want or need another monthly payment. I have a good collection of music that I enjoy listening to, (old albums). I just thought it would be nice to be able to get a decent radio station sometimes. Thanks again for the info.

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), April 01, 2002.

I have seen some of the XM demo's. Radio are a bit expensive as is the antenna and required install fee's. $10/month might not be bad if they play the type of music you like. You do still get commericals on most XM channels.

The audio quality is great, the music choices are good. They have several nice channel. I wouldnt mind the $10/month but I do mind the $400 radio I have to buy.

Cowgirl. For you, You might want to check your satellite TV stations. dishnetwork has audio only music channels available with most of their packages. An outside antenna for both AM and FM can inprove station reception in some areas. XM radio also has a home unit, they also have a transportable unit that can be used in both the home and car. A bit expensive since you have to have docking stations at both locations but they are available.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 01, 2002.

Cowgirl, you might try a shortwave radio. Grundig makes one for $30, but it may not help you much as you are in OK. Here on the east coast, even with mountains, I get lots of great stations, including the BBC and Canadian Broadcasting, which I like very much. I use the Grundig Yacht Boy 400, I bought for about $120 years ago. Go to a local Radio Shack or similar and 'test drive' one in your area and it just might meet your need for variety. You can add antennas of course.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), April 01, 2002.

OK Cowgirl, I have the same problem, down in a hole and the receiption is poor. Not a perfect solution, but the best AM radio I've ever had is a CCRadio "Sangean". Get you a WX channel, FM, AM, and several TV voice channels, cost about $150. Havent tryed the transformer and external antenna for a car radio in the house, but I know it will work well.

-- susan norfolk/wy (susannorfolk@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

Cowgirl, if you have a sound card and a set of speakers, you can get quite a few radio stations, and of course lots of different kinds of music, on your computer. You'll also need some kind of media player to make things work.

Real Networks and Microsoft Media Player are two of the most popular media players. Microsoft just released v7.1 of their media player and it is available for free download from the Microsoft.com website. I don't care much for Real Networks, because of buffering problems that I've encountered with their products and because they are known to put spyware into their software.

Of course both outfits want you to upgrade to this or that. Sometimes I listen to the radio or music through my headset while working at the computer. Sometimes, I listen to stuff through the speakers, depending on whether or not the noise will bother my wife. One nice feature about online radio is being able to listen to radio broadcasts from other parts of the world and get a different perspective on the news. Also, listening to foreign music is fun sometimes.

Hope this helps.

-- Ed (ecpubs@lynchburg.net), April 01, 2002.

Cowgirl,

I have the same problem at my home, so I use my 'pooter to listen to online radio stations. just ran extra speakers from my sound card to other rooms.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 01, 2002.

Satellite radio for a house? Why not just get satellite TV? It has a ton of news, music, movies, ect. Here in Canada, its legal for us to "borrow" the American satellite signals, i.e. its all extremely cheap. Since we can use the U.S. signals, perhaps those in the U.S. can legally use the Canadian signals? (I have no knowledge of U.S. broadcast laws)

-- Nope (Im@nottellin.com), April 01, 2002.

Don't quote me but I think I heard (on my car radio) the other day that XM was possibly filing for bankruptcy. It hit me as strange since I had only heard of the concept two weeks earlier, (on my radio at work).

If you do listen on-line one of my favorite radio stations is a very ecclectic student station from Isothermal Community College here in western NC. www.wncw.org We are also in a mountaintop "hole" where the radio is limited and the TV is non-existent. We don't watch TV unless you can check the video out from the library for free. Don't miss the broadcast spectra a bit!!!

-- gilly (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), April 02, 2002.

My boyfriend is a trucker and absolutely loves his XM radio. He has had it since Jan. Big advantage to him is that he can listen to one station all the way from California to Mass. with no interrruptions. They have quite a selection of stations. It costs about $10 a month but the radio is pretty pricey. Total bill for installation and top of the line radio was $800 at circuit city. Way too expensive for me but he used it as a tax deduction and he is a radio junkie!

-- teresa (teresam@ascent.net), April 02, 2002.