XM radio....school me.........OT

[Roothawg]

Someone tell me the skinny......

I tried to decipher the options but I am confused.
I want to buy a portable type of unit that I can transfer from the house to the car etc. I just don't want to spend a grand on reciever equipment. Any suggestions?

[52Chief]

Look for sales/specials. I got Sirrius, (the other sat. radio company) I bought the headunit and the car kit and got the reciever for free. I'd imagine they could have the same deal for the removable ones as well. I know for mine, (Kenwood), the headunit I got was around $160 came w/ remote/MP3 player/detachable face, all those goodies, and the attenna was $50. I got it at Circut City, so I'd look in the Sunday adds and see what you can come up with.

Good luck, it's ewll worth the money!

[Roothawg]

I guess I don't have to hae a portable system, but I spend way more time out of the latemodel. It would be cool to move it in all my old cars.

[JK]

Come over and listen to my XM in the jellybean. I'll tell you everything you need to know about it.

[Roothawg]

You install it? Or did it come in the car?

[Tman]

Bill, our resident retiredguythathangsoutattheshop has XM in his hotrods and the truck he goes south in the winter with. All I can say is I like it. News,talk, Theme stations. We spent a day hauling projects around to vendors in town last summer and jammed on SALSA! A white haired 6 foot 5 dude and me singing SALSA witht the windows down in this town had to be funny!

[JK]

Root, I've got a Roadie, an FM modulator and a decent set of speakers all pumping through the stock head unit (my good CD player was "borrowed" by one of our local ner-do-well's (along with about 300 CD's) in Sept. Come by this weekend sometime. I show you my Merc, big boy! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Roothawg]

I wish I could....I am heading to Dallas after I get a bunch of packing and stuff done.

[modernbeat]

There are a few different ways to do it.

The cheapest quality way to do it is to get a Roadie Car kit for $150, get the home station cradle for an additional $50, and a few more car cradles - also for $50 each.

Don't use the crappy tape interface. If you're lazy and don't care about sound quality use a FM modulator. For decent sound, figgure out how to input an auxilary signal into whatever head unit you've got in each car.

That's it.

An empty cradle, an antenna, power source, and an auxilary input will stay in each car. The "head" of the XM will move from car to car or inside. The head has a serial code that has to be acitvated and you pay for each head that's active - so it behooves you to have as few active heads as possible - preferably one - and move it around to all the cars.

FWIW, once you find out how to do an aux input to your in car stereo, you can also plug in radio scanners, iPod, or whatever.

As far as doing the aux input, each stereo is different. Some are set up for easy attachment to a cd changer and that is usually the easiest way.

I got XM back in 2002 and I love it. Makes long trips across the Texas radio wasteland bearable. That trip from Houston to Dallas goes a lot easier with decent radio.

[Roothawg]

MB, I have a 6 disc changer in my 02. What would a guy do about the aux input on that? I may try to call XM and see what they say.
Thanks

[modernbeat]

I take it the changer is a factory install? It's got a single 6 pin plug or something similar - no seperate RCA plugs for the audio?

If so, then you can either search out an adapter - there are a lot of them out there. Do a google search for "auxilary input 2003 gmc" modified for your year and make of car. The do-it-yourself version is to figgure out which pins are the audio signal and which pins control the changer. Make up a pigtail that goes between the changer and the head unit. Splice a mini-din socket into the pigtail and a dual circuit dual throw switch into it to switch input from the changer or the xm. Stick the socket and switch into a blank switch panel. That's it. It may take a little digging at the electronics supply, or at a junkyard for connectors (or at the dealer if it's too new) but it's fairly easy. There may be some issues with line levels, you may have to add a pot to tone them down.

[Roothawg]

Yeah, it's a 2002 Ford with a factory 6 disc changer. I may call some at XM and see what's up with the adapters. I like this idea so much ...I may look into buying stock in XM. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[modernbeat]

After I got my XM, I bought stock.

There are lots of XM fan forums. I don't frequent them, but looked at them when I did my second install.

[Ryan]

I'm a closet sport truck guy. Don't tell anyone.

Aux inputs for late GM trucks:

http://www.jpcustoms.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=306

[tredboy]

my apologies to 52chief, but definitely go with XM as oppsed to Sirius. XM is pushing HARD in the marketing area, their systems are standard equipment on honda and acura cars, and soon on some gm models. XM has just added 20 more stations and with that comes more money, so consequently, they are financially better off, and the inside scoop is that Howard Stern will be signing with XM when he leaves free radio and that alone will increase subscriptions by an estimated 9 million plus, so the monthly fee may go down, probably not but it can remain the same for quite a while instead of a rate hike. (no, i did not hear this from the howard stern show) XM will be very liquid then, and who knows? maybe they will buy out Sirius.

i have access to some inside information on this one...

[Ryan]

I'm actually doing some work for XM right now... Let's just say there are some very cool things on the the horizon if you like digital audio files...

[junk runner jr]

[ QUOTE ]


i have access to some inside information on this one...

[/ QUOTE ]

Watch it there Martha...

Technology is developing quickly for both Serious and XM. Both are working on mobile video applications as well.

[Antibilly]

if you get it go to talk Radio and look up the MONSTERS..they rock some redneck fla shit big time

[GreggAz]

hey root, I have it in all my cars...

GO FOR DELPHI!!!
I have pioneer and Delphi,

I put a Delphi unit in our 04 MINI cooper S, and we love it!
we can take it out and listen to it in the house or the other cars. do not use the tape adapter or the modulator, find an adapter! or put in an aftermarket deck. its the best radio investment I have ever made.