Anyone use a Sirius/xm add-on?

[achiro]

One of those things that gets the signal then you tune your Fm radio to a specific station that picks up a signal from the tuner deal? How do you like it? Any issues with it at all? Any recomendations of brands/styles?

[mdklatt]

One of those things that gets the signal then you tune your Fm radio to a specific station that picks up a signal from the tuner deal? How do you like it? Any issues with it at all? Any recomendations of brands/styles?

My dad and my sister both have one of those. They use them in the car, but they have a style that can be plugged into a home unit--basically a docking station with speakers. If you want one for the car you're going to have to at least get an antenna installed, and probably a mounting bracket for the satellite tuner.

[Partial Qualifier]

I've installed two of the XM dealios you describe. There are several options for connecting the XM receiver to your car stereo: it can be tuned-out to an FM signal so that your FM radio picks it up; it can be hard-wired into the stereo itself; and finally there is a cassette-deck option which uses one of those fake cassette "tapes" which goes into your cassette player. Oddly, the last option is supposed to be the best quality signal transfer to your car stereo. I went that route on my car, but my wife's car doesn't have a tape player so I went the "FM signal" route on her car.

I didn't want to try the "direct-wired" route because I have no idea what I'm doing and would probably ruin my dashboard and stereo in the process.

The tape player signal does indeed seem noticably stronger/better than the FM signal route. Also, the FM signal route involves sticking a tiny signal transmitter on the inside of the back window so that it is touching your FM antenna. . . so if you have a telescopic antenna, the FM signal route might be too 'messy'.

The drawbacks to the Tape player options are thus: an extra device & wire cluttering up your dashboard area, and at low volume levels you can hear your tape player trying to "turn" the tape cassette. You can sometimes hear a little clicking sound... can get annoying but usually I have the sound turned up high enough to drown that out

Both times I used the XM "Express" model, simply because it's a good mix of price & features. I'm happy with it.

[Boarder]

I have a Sirius Sportster playback and love it. You can pause and rewind the music which is cool. In the car, you basically run the antenna up the pillar post and out the door where it magnetizes to your roof. You can weave the wire down to the middle of the dash. When I want to use it in the car I plug in the dock to the antenna wire and the cigarette lighter plug and it's good to go. Everything is out of the way when not in use. The suction cup on the window doesn't work for crap.

I have an antenna wire ran in my boat, older truck, and wife's car, too, so it's easy to go from one to the other. It works great with the built in fm tuner. The dock has a line out so in my new truck and wife's new Tahoe you can use the input jack on the stereo. The older truck and boat use the FM.

I have one of the "boomboxes" in my office with the antenna wire ran outside. that's what I listen to all day. then I just undock the controller and go to the car when I leave.

Works like a charm. I thought it'd be rinky dink but I've had it for almost a year and really like it. And, they're pretty cheap.

[Okla-homey]

I have XM. The new Jeep has a port for an auxiliary input (iPod or XM). I just plug the XM control head into the ciggy lighter, plug the input lead to the auxuilliary port on the radio, put the antenna dealio on the dashboard and viola!

before that, I had the broadcast thingy in the doofer that plugged into the ciggy lighter. It worked fine. Lost a little clarity on music, but since I generally only iten to XM ch 150, I didn't mind.

[bluedogok]

I have the Sirius radios and have the FM modulator in both cars, I tried the first week I had one a few years ago to use the FM transmitter in Dallas and it was worthless. It is pretty easy with the new Sirius FM modulator, all you have to do is plug it into the the antenna port in the radio and plug the antenna into the modulator, the first one that I had required power and the new ones get power from unit. I am sure that XM has one that works the same way.

I have Sirius for the sports and they added OU sports after I bought it. We are going to buy another Starmate 4 tomorrow (on sale at Circuit City for $49.99 tomorrow) for my wifes car and move my old Audiovox unit to my father-in-laws pickup.

TSS Radio (http://www.tssradio.com/) has some great vehicle specific mounts which makes installation easier. I no longer have to fabricate my own.