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Is satellite radio worth it?

3K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  Jenn 
#1 ·
I've been thinking about getting myself xm satellite radio but I'm not 100% completely sure if I should. So I need some opinions..

Things I'm contemplating:

1.If I get it-should I stick with toyota and have them do the whole installation so warranty will still be good? OR should I go to some other place like circuit city?

2.Would I truly be getting my bang for the buck? I've seen the antenna for xm cost about $450 and the service for xm for one year is $271.

3.Should I just stick with my mp3s/radio and use that money for something else-if so what?


Help a sista out please!
 
#2 ·
Regarding price, I bought my receiver for $85 used. It fits in the cubby hole. My sevice is $12.95 a month, or about $154 a year. If you are the self-install type, you could buy the XM kit from Ken at TRDSparks for much less. I'm not sure if they are still doing the promotion where you get a free year of XM service with purchase, but it's worth checking out.

As far as installation goes, you could buy a new receiver at Circuit City or similar and have them install it and come out way ahead in terms of price (especially if you wait for a "free installation with purchase" special). I don't think you're going to have any significant benefit in terms of warranty by getting the dealer-installed XM.

I like my XM. I have had it for over a year now, and it's pretty much all I listen to, even though I also have an iPod and an mp3 disc player in the tC. I guess I just like the choice and randomness of XM.

Good luck with your choice!
 
#4 ·
i just installed my sirius last week, i mainly bought it for howard, i dont listen to mainstream music much, more of an underground guy, so the music doesn't really do it for me, with the exception of backspin that plays that oldskool hip hop, #### that i grew up on, anyway, i love the fact that sirius has nfl and nba games, xm only has baseball, i hate baseball, hope this helps, and if you don't want to stick that ugly antenna on your car, you can put it on the front windshield with some double sided tape and wire it through your firewall, there is already a hole from your engine bay to the inside of your car, i hate that ugly antenna on the back of cars and the "shark fin" is worse, hope this helps
 
#10 ·
I bought my Sirius Starmate from bestbuy, and it cost around $150 installed. Mounting was done cleanly and is to the right of my climate controls. I love it, especially since Radio out here sucks big fat donkey balls. As far as antennas go, all I have is a little dome to the rear of the stock antenna that mounts magnetically.
 
#12 ·
Originally posted by garrett420@Jan 11 2006, 04:18 PM
i just installed my sirius last week, i mainly bought it for howard,

snip rest

I have Sirius and love every minute of it. I have a mount on a bolt on the passenger's seat so it sits even with the AC controls. A PIE adaptor makes it work with the 05 HU. I ran the antenna wire towards the back and have it sitting on the fake shelf. Reception is excellent. I did it that way so that I can remove it and use it at home or in other cars. I guess some of it depends one whether you plan a permanent mount or a temp one.

Cheers!

 
#14 ·
I think so - the Sattelite antenna will plug in and there should be some programming on the HU... i think.
 
#15 ·
Uh, that may be the case with the '06 tC, but that's not what "satellite ready" means. Generally, "XM-ready" or "Sirius-ready" receivers still require a separate satellite receiver.
 
#16 ·
Oh ok.... yeah... TRDSparks says you need to buy the Receiver and fit kit.
 
#17 ·
One more thing to note, so that way you don't fall into the same trap I did. At first I went and bought a Sirius tuner for Pioneer decks, because I thought that it would work being that the scion's deck is made by pioneer. WRONG!! Toyota made it so that it has a proprietary adapter that you can only get through them. Which sucks, because the other way would have only cost $100 + install. I just thought I would warn you about this.
 
#18 ·
Originally posted by basilisk4@Jan 13 2006, 10:19 AM
Uh, that may be the case with the '06 tC, but that's not what "satellite ready" means. Generally, "XM-ready" or "Sirius-ready" receivers still require a separate satellite receiver.
He's right on that one. unless your bought the HU for satalite radio it dosnt come with the programed HU. You would have to still purchase it, install it, and get the service. It's all on personal opinion, if you get it tell us how you like it please!
 
#19 ·
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT!

After my last post, I was unable to get back on the forums because it got busy at work and then school started and then work and then my laptop went crazy and well, you know how that goes.

I was on the verge of buying the antenna online at circuit city and luckily i was able to read those posts in time to cancel my order. thanks a lot friends!!
Apperrrciate it!

 
#20 ·
My thoughts on SAT radio now that we have it in a car.

it freakin' rules.

why?

Ch 4 The 40s Decades Big Band/Swing/40s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 5 The 50s Decades 50s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 6 The 60s Decades 60s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 7 The 70s Decades 70s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 8 The 80s Decades 80s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 9 The 90s Decades 90s Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 10 America Country Classic Country Show Schedule Listen
Ch 11 Nashville! Country 90s/Today's Country Schedule Listen
Ch 51 XM Music Lab Rock Progressive/Jam Bands Show Schedule Listen
Ch 52 (un)Signed Rock New/Emerging Rock from Canada Listen
Ch 53 Fungus Rock Punk/Hardcore/Ska Show Schedule Listen
Ch 54 Lucy Rock Modern Rock Hits Listen
Ch 60 Soul Street Urban Classic Soul Show Schedule Listen
Ch 61 The Flow Urban Neo Soul Show Schedule Listen
Ch 62 Suite 62 Urban Adult R&B Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 64 The Groove Urban Old Skool R&B Show Schedule Listen
Ch 65 The Rhyme Urban Snoop Dogg's Classic Hip/Hop/Rap Show Schedule Listen
Ch 66 RAW Urban New Uncut Hip-Hop Show Schedule Listen
Ch 67 The City Urban Urban Contemporary Show Schedule Listen
Ch 70 Real Jazz Jazz & Blues Traditional Jazz Show Schedule Listen
Ch 71 Watercolors Jazz & Blues Smooth Jazz Show Schedule Listen
Ch 72 Beyond Jazz Jazz & Blues Modern Jazz Show Schedule Listen
Ch 73 Frank's Place Jazz & Blues American Standards Show Schedule Listen
Ch 74 Bluesville Jazz & Blues Blues Show Schedule Listen
Ch 75 Hear Music� Lifestyle The Voice of Music at Starbucks Listen
Ch 76 Fine Tuning Lifestyle Eclectic Show Schedule Listen
Ch 77 Audio Visions Lifestyle New Age Show Schedule Listen
Ch 80 The Move Dance Underground Dance Show Schedule Listen
Ch 81 BPM Dance Dance Hits Show Schedule Listen
Ch 82 The System Dance Electronica Show Schedule Listen
Ch 83 Chrome Dance Disco Listen
Ch 90 Alegr�a Latin Reggaeton/Latin Hits Listen
Ch 92 Aguila Latin Regional Mexican Listen
Ch 94 Caliente Latin Tropical Listen
Ch 95 Luna Latin Latin Jazz Listen
Ch 100 Air Musique World New & Emerging Music - Broadcast in French
Ch 101 The Joint World Reggae Show Schedule Listen
Ch 102 Sur La Route World Pop Hits Broadcast in French
Ch 110 XM Classics Classical Traditional Classical Show Schedule Listen
Ch 112 Vox Classical Opera/Classical Vocals Show Schedule Listen
Ch 113 XM Pops Classical Popular Classical Show Schedule Listen
Ch 115 Radio Disney Kids Radio Disney
Ch 116 XM Kids Kids Children Show Schedule Listen
Ch 121 FOX News News FOX News
Ch 122 CNN News CNN News Show Schedule
Ch 123 CNN Headline News News CNN Headline News Show Schedule
Ch 124 ABC News & Talk News ABC News & Talk
Ch 125 The Weather Channel News The Weather Channel Show Schedule
Ch 127 CNBC News CNBC Show Schedule
Ch 129 Bloomberg News News Bloomberg Radio/Business Show Schedule
Ch 130 MSNBC News News Show Schedule
Ch 131 BBC World Service News BBC World Service
Ch 132 C-SPAN Radio News C-SPAN Radio
Ch 133 XM Public Radio News XM Public Radio Listen
Ch 134 CNN en Espa�ol News CNN in Spanish
Ch 140 ESPN Radio Sports Sports
Ch 141 ESPNEWS Sports The Definitive 24-hour Sports News Network
Ch 142 FOX Sports Radio Sports Sports Talk Show Schedule
Ch 143 Sporting News Radio Sports Sports
Ch 144 NASCAR Radio Sports NASCAR Show Schedule
Ch 146 PGA TOUR Network Sports Golf Talk Show Schedule
Ch 147 XM Deportivo Sports Spanish Sports Talk Show Schedule
Ch 150 XM Comedy Comedy Uncensored Comedy Show Schedule Listen
Ch 151 Laugh USA Comedy Comedy Show Schedule Listen
Ch 152 Extreme XM Talk & Entertainment Extreme Talk Show Schedule
Ch 153 Laugh Attack Comedy Uncensored Comedy
Ch 155 Take Five Talk & Entertainment Women's Talk & Lifestyle Show Schedule
Ch 162 E! Entertainment Radio Talk & Entertainment Entertainment Show Schedule
Ch 163 Sonic Theater Talk & Entertainment Books & Drama Show Schedule
Ch 164 Radio Classics Talk & Entertainment Old Time Radio Show Schedule
Ch 165 Ask! Talk & Entertainment Experts Talk Show Schedule
Ch 166 America Right Talk & Entertainment Conservative Talk Show Schedule
Ch 167 Air America Radio Talk & Entertainment Progressive Talk Show Schedule
Ch 168 FOX News Talk Talk & Entertainment FOX News Talk Show Schedule
Ch 169 The Power Talk & Entertainment African-American Talk Show Schedule
Ch 170 FamilyTalk Talk & Entertainment Christian Talk Show Schedule
Ch 171 Open Road Talk & Entertainment Truckers' Channel
Ch 172 Franc Parler News Sports & More - Broadcast in French
Ch 175 MLB Home Plate� Sports 24/7 Major League Baseball Channel Show Schedule
Ch 176-189 MLB Play-by-Play Channels Sports Play-by-Play MLB Action
Ch 190 MLB Play-by-Play en Espa�ol Sports Play-by-Play MLB Action en Espa�ol
Ch 191-193 College Sports - ACC Sports ACC Sports Show Schedule
Ch 194-196 College Sports - PAC-10 Sports PAC-10 Sports
Ch 197-199 College Sports - Big Ten Sports Big Ten Sports Show Schedule
Ch 200 XM Live Talk & Entertainment Concerts / Festivals / Special Features
Ch 202 High Voltage Talk & Entertainment Opie & Anthony! Show Schedule Listen
Ch 204-209 Home Ice Sports NHL Talk and Play-by-Play Show Schedule
Ch 210 Boston, MA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 211 New York, NY Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 212 Philadelphia, PA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 213 Baltimore, MD Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 214 Washington, DC Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 215 Pittsburgh, PA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 216 Detroit, MI Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 217 Chicago, IL Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 218 St. Louis, MO Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 219 Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 220 Seattle, WA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 221 San Francisco Bay Area, CA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 222 Los Angeles, CA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 223 San Diego, CA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 224 Phoenix, AZ Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 225 Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 226 Houston, TX Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 227 Atlanta, GA Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 228 Tampa, FL Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 229 Orlando, FL Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 230 Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL Traffic & Weather Local Traffic/Weather
Ch 244 Canada 360 News News & Information
Ch 245 Quoi de Neuf News News & Information - Broadcast in French
Ch 247 XM Emergency Alert 24/7 Traffic & Weather 24/7 Emergency Information


bottom line? what do you want to listen to? it is there. i am feeling very passionate about this now.
 
#23 ·
Don't want to make this a Sirius vs XM thing..

But as a Sirius owner I am happy as hell I bought it.

Raw Dog, Hard Attack, First Wave, Faction, Stern/BTLS -- these things rock IMO.

The only thing that irritates me is that I'd have probably never bought the toyota sat upgrade had I known I wouldn't be able to read the full PDT. There's only about 9 characters or so on the HU screen, and I haven't found a means to make it scroll.

And even if it would scroll, to get to different parts of the info you have to keep hitting the Text button.. a regular aftermarket sat receiver displays multiple lines at once.

Just a gripe of mine.

But I don't listen to regular FM ever anymore. MP3 CDs and Sat radio is pretty much it.
 
#24 ·
I got the idea from somebody that did this on clubsciontc. It was pretty cheap and easy to install. I think i paid like 70 or 75 dollars for everything, including the subscription. My conclusion: It is worth every penny


Yea, I know, I should really vacuum it. I have to do it like once or twice a week too. That gets old.








Beleive it or not but, my ipod is a black one. The case is a clear plastic stuff, and the flash made it look white.



The only cables I could find that would connect to the ground loop isolator were 6 foot, and of course I needed 2 of them. At first I just shoved all the excess into the armrest compartment in the console, but that looked awful and there was no extra space in there. I finally decided to do something about it, so, I ran it off the same side as the antenna and power plug wire, then I put it under the console in the same place you sat your ground loop isolator. After that, since I still had plenty of spare wire, so I just left it under the console. I looped some of the wire around the left side of the console and into the auxillary port in the armrest. Lol, it actually worked pretty nicely to do that. It looks less cluttered than it would if both wires came in the same side.
 
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