SIRIUS radio

[pontifex]

I'm looking into getting SIRIUS satellite radio. What receiver should i get? I don't want anything super expensive and it doesn't need to have all kind of extra features.

how does it play through your speakers? is like those FM transmitter things or do you have to wire it to the car somehow?

 

[nsafreak]

Well I have the Audiovox SIR-PNP2 but that model is obsolete but I believe they have a newer model the SIR-PNP3 or something along those lines. Nice, simple and inexpensive Sirius radio receiver that works well. Insofar as to how it plays through your speakers it can do it through an FM transmitter but I would recommend hooking it up to the auxilary inputs on your car radio if you have them. If not you may still want to consider getting a FM modulator and hooking it up through that so that you get better sound quality.

 

[foghorn67]

There are two ways you can go, and with that several options for one of the ways.
1-Head unit (uh-huh, I said head unit) that is Satellite Radio or at least Sirius Ready. Just need the tuner and ant. package, and you can control it with the deck.
2-Add-on. Control unit and everything else seperate. Mount with stick ons, hardware or suction cups. Depending on kit.
To hook it up.
Wireless FM transmitter: Set the transmitter to a weak station, tune deck to the same station. Worst quality, might be okay at best. You have to mind batteries. And if you drive distances, might have to fuss with station selections to get signal.
FM Modulator: Wired transmittor. Better. Not great, but you don't have to fuss with stations when driving. Just set to one station and forget it about it. I had this before my sat. ready pioneer deck was installed.
Auxillary in: Your deck might have a 3.5mm (headphone sized) or RCA auxillary input. Plug into here for better quality then the transmitters.

 

[pontifex]

checking out the site and they have a thing called sirius one. small unit with minimal features. if i do end up getting sirius radio, its proabbly gonna be that one unless someone can give me a good reason why not to buy it.

i have a default saturn radio/cd player so it doesn't have any auxillary ports

 

[JohnAn2112]

I have this one installed in my car. It has a built in FM transmitter that you can set in the menu, but I hard wired it into the AUX port on my cd deck.

 

[nsafreak]

My 2 problems with that are:

1) Display is too small. I have a nice 2 line display for my receiver and most newer models have 3 lines. I don't think I'd like anything less
2) FM transmitter only. Yeah it'll be simple to setup but you aren't going to get the best sound quality. Believe me I know from experience as I had mine hooked up that way before I switched to a FM modulator.

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: nsafreak
My 2 problems with that are:

1) Display is too small. I have a nice 2 line display for my receiver and most newer models have 3 lines. I don't think I'd like anything less
2) FM transmitter only. Yeah it'll be simple to setup but you aren't going to get the best sound quality. Believe me I know from experience as I had mine hooked up that way before I switched to a FM modulator.

I have the Starmate and don't mind the 2 line display.

As for the FM Transmitter, it actually has a really good one. I can put the unit in my bedroom and pick up the signal in my bathroom, with little static, which is probably 15ft and through 2 walls.

I also have a Kenwood with a built in receiver in my car and it's been great.

 

[nsafreak]

Originally posted by: pulse8

Originally posted by: nsafreak
My 2 problems with that are:

1) Display is too small. I have a nice 2 line display for my receiver and most newer models have 3 lines. I don't think I'd like anything less
2) FM transmitter only. Yeah it'll be simple to setup but you aren't going to get the best sound quality. Believe me I know from experience as I had mine hooked up that way before I switched to a FM modulator.

I have the Starmate and don't mind the 2 line display.

As for the FM Transmitter, it actually has a really good one. I can put the unit in my bedroom and pick up the signal in my bathroom, with little static, which is probably 15ft and through 2 walls.

I also have a Kenwood with a built in receiver in my car and it's been great.

Sorry I wasn't clear on my post but I was referring to the Sirius One that the op was referring to not the Starmate. I have a friend that has the Starmate and it's worked well for him although he has his hooked up through aux inputs. We're both fairly picky about audio quality and if I had some spare cash I'd probably put in a new deck just to get aux inputs since it would sound even better.

 

[pontifex]

hmm...i'm not liking the info about how to connect it to get good quality.

was just talking to a guy here at work who has xm ansd he said he had to run wire for an antenna. do i have to do this with sirius?

 

[CPA]

Just buy a new Dodge Charger (or other Dodge vehicle) with it already built in.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: CPA
Just buy a new Dodge Charger (or other Dodge vehicle) with it already built in.

lol, yeah...wouldn't mind a new car but my bank account would.

 

[nsafreak]

Originally posted by: pontifex
hmm...i'm not liking the info about how to connect it to get good quality.

was just talking to a guy here at work who has xm ansd he said he had to run wire for an antenna. do i have to do this with sirius?

Yes you will need to run a wire for the antenna. It's typically pretty easy to do on most cars though.

 

[imported_Mike]

This X-mas Sirius will release a portable unit much like XM's Myfi. The S50 was not a competitor to the MyFi, but this guy will be. I am told much better, though no one could tell me in what way, so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Pepsi90919]

i have a JVC deck with the sirius tuner, can't beat it.

join the revolution 1/9/06.

 

[Hammerhead]

Originally posted by: JohnAn2112
I have this one installed in my car. It has a built in FM transmitter that you can set in the menu, but I hard wired it into the AUX port on my cd deck.

Can you use a cassette adapter with that model? I saw it at Costco for $120 and includes home and car kit

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Hammerhead

Originally posted by: JohnAn2112
I have this one installed in my car. It has a built in FM transmitter that you can set in the menu, but I hard wired it into the AUX port on my cd deck.

Can you use a cassette adapter with that model? I saw it at Costco for $120 and includes home and car kit

Why would you want to? It has a powerful FM modulator. I have one in my car and it works beautifully and is much stealthier than using a cassette adaptor. You can set the modulator to any of several FM frequencies, so I don't think you'd ever have a situation where no frequency was free. That said, I'm pretty sure you COULD use a cassette adaptor if you wanted to.

 

[GrammatonJP]

get the good one, i have the sanyo, stuff fell apart, antenna, car power, all broke.. sent back for repair.. takes 3-4 weeks

 

[Unheard]

Head unit integration FTW. If you can't do that, the sportster replay is a nice little unit. On something like that you dont have to run a wire for the antenna, as it is just a little pigtale that comes out the back of the dock.

 

[altonb1]

Your best bet is to buy an XM Unit.

/flame away

Seriously though, i don't know much about the Sirius units, so i can't comment. I've had XM since 12/03 and have no plans to switch. MY XM units, though, were factory installed. I did have a SkyFi unit for awhile and that used a cassette adapter and it sounded fine. I assume Sirius has something similar.

 

[Hammerhead]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: Hammerhead

Originally posted by: JohnAn2112
I have this one installed in my car. It has a built in FM transmitter that you can set in the menu, but I hard wired it into the AUX port on my cd deck.

Can you use a cassette adapter with that model? I saw it at Costco for $120 and includes home and car kit

Why would you want to? It has a powerful FM modulator. I have one in my car and it works beautifully and is much stealthier than using a cassette adaptor. You can set the modulator to any of several FM frequencies, so I don't think you'd ever have a situation where no frequency was free. That said, I'm pretty sure you COULD use a cassette adaptor if you wanted to.

I've just had bad experiences with fm mods used with ipods.

 

[GrammatonJP]

I got both, nothing really good on xm.. got 1 year promotion from my car.. for 3 bucks a month

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Hammerhead

I've just had bad experiences with fm mods used with ipods.

Hmm. I don't know of any stand-alone FM modulators as powerful as the one in a Starmate Replay. It will broadcast throughout a house, for example, and mine works great even though the unit is mounted just behind my shifter, and my antenna is built into the glass of my rear window. I doubt you'd have the same problems with it you've had with your iPod transmitters. I guess you never know until you try, though.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: Mike
This X-mas Sirius will release a portable unit much like XM's Myfi. The S50 was not a competitor to the MyFi, but this guy will be. I am told much better, though no one could tell me in what way, so take that with a grain of salt.

Wow, so only 2 years behind?

As an XM user, I would try to steer you to XM. Whatever you get though, try to get a direct connect kit so you can plug directly into your receiver instead of using the ungodly horrid tape deck adpater or fm modulator.

 

[Hammerhead]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: Hammerhead

I've just had bad experiences with fm mods used with ipods.

Hmm. I don't know of any stand-alone FM modulators as powerful as the one in a Starmate Replay. It will broadcast throughout a house, for example, and mine works great even though the unit is mounted just behind my shifter, and my antenna is built into the glass of my rear window. I doubt you'd have the same problems with it you've had with your iPod transmitters. I guess you never know until you try, though.

Thanks...yeah I think I'll just go ahead and pull the trigger. If I'm not happy I can always return it to Costco

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: BDawg

Wow, so only 2 years behind?

As an XM user, I would try to steer you to XM. Whatever you get though, try to get a direct connect kit so you can plug directly into your receiver instead of using the ungodly horrid tape deck adpater or fm modulator.

In all fairness I imagine it will be a much better unit than the MyFi (based on the excellent design of the S50). I haven't seen a single review of the MyFi that didn't pick it apart for its spotty reception. I don't see this as XM's fault, exactly, in that satellite broadcasting generally requires line-of-sight, but they are the ones who brought it to market. I will be curious whether Sirius can do better. Theoretically I guess their "statistical multiplexing" and ground repeaters may help, but I have to wonder whether a portable satellite radio can ever work flawlessly.

Personally I am a huge Stern fan, and would never have considered XM, but obviously YMMV. It seems to me XM's loss of truly commercial-free music (apparently an outgrowth of their partial ownership by Clear Channel) would be annoying, as well. To each, his own, in any case.