WHICH XM RADIO????

[REALBOB]

Wife had been hounding me to give her an idea about what I want for father's day & my birthday. I've been thinking about an XM radio to use on my bike & in the car. Can somebody steer this ole fart in the right direction? What works well for you? I would like to have one that will work in the home too.
Maybe something that has a universal set-up. Your comments are welcome.

THANKS :!:

[Guitar4Him]

I've got a Delphi MyFi. It came with a cradle for the vehicle (mounted in my Expedition), a cradle for home (located in my living room) and a belt clip (mounted on my bike). I've used it for almost 2 years and love it. One of the nice features is the ability to store about 5 hours of music internally, which you can listen to at times when it's difficult to get a satellite lock.

http://home.triad.rr.com/tonemeister/pics/VTX-MYFI-1.JPG
http://home.triad.rr.com/tonemeister/pics/VTX-MYFI-2.JPG

[REALBOB]

THANKS KEN for your response. (A couple of questions).....Did you need some type of amp to run the speakers on your X? What equipment came with your set-up? Ooh, what do you pay a month to whom for the services? Thanks again :!:

Bob

[Retro Rocket]

The heck with XM. Go with Sirius . XM is in financial trouble and might not be around for very long;

[Guitar4Him]

THANKS KEN for your response. (A couple of questions).....Did you need some type of amp to run the speakers on your X? What equipment came with your set-up? Ooh, what do you pay a month to whom for the services? Thanks again :!:

Bob

The amps are built-in to these speakers (about 35W per side). I'm not sure what you mean by equipment. This is XM satellite radio. The monthly rate is something like $12.95. That includes your being able to listen to the music through your computer at home or at work (if your employer doesn't object).

[Scarecrow]

Bob,

I second what Ken says, as I too have a MyFi. I use it on two different automobiles, two bikes and at home. Another feature is its built-in recording capability, allowing you to listen, even when you cannot get a good signal.

If you go this route, Ken and I can also suggest an excellent antenna set-up.

Scarecrow

[Scarecrow]

The heck with XM. Go with Sirius . XM is in financial trouble and might not be around for very long;

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. What planet are you from.

XM has almost twice the # of subscribers, its stock is over 3 times Sirius per share, and the net worth is greater.

Actually, neither is in any real trouble. But the stock prices have dropped recently..............along with the entire market.

Scarecrow

[netdoug]

I too have the Delphi MyFi mounted to the bike. I glued the auto cradle to a RAM mount and then used the RAM kit to mount it to the handlebars. The small (auto I think) antenna magnetically mounts to the handlebars just inside the clutch reservoir. It stays in place and has a good signal stregnth.

I ran a power harness from the battery (fused) to the handlebars to power the GPS and XM radio. I also ran a shielded audio cable back to the riding position so I can plug my Shure earbuds in. The result looks invisible, provides great sound, and can be controlled by the radio (I wear a full-face helmet so external speakers didn't seem a good idea). I initally tried using a SanDisk AM/FM/MP3 radio as a reciever but got tired of changing batteries in the XP every 4-5 hours, hunting for a clear signal, and having to deal with poor fidelity. On the other hand, having 1GB of music storage can be helpful.

The XM has survived thousands of miles of riding, rain, and bird droppings without missing a beat. The only problems I have are neatening up the installation and keeping the DC power adapter connector secured into the radio (the radio will not charge the battery in DC mode.

Some folks like the sound of the pipes, others the peace of earplugs, but I like tunes when I ride. The Shure earbuds keep most of the outside sounds out and have great fidelity. I can keep the volume at just above the ambient noise and still have good hearing. The 5-hour recording feature is nice but it'd be _really_ nice to be able to upload 5-hours of MP3 music. You can't have everything.

I've also looked at the Roady2 with the optional battery and FM radio but it lacks features that the MyFi has so it's still in the closet.

Initally I hesitated about the $12.95/mo for the XM service but after a few hours I realized how nice it is to not have the drivel of commercials breaking up the mood. XM and any satellite radio service can play longer sets, have a far larger playlist, and less talk (you can read the songs and artist on the screen). I can program the radio to search out artists, listen to the Red Sox tank again, laugh to comedy, or get the latest road conditions. Woth 80+ commercial free channels, there's got to be something in your field of interest.

If I get really nostalgic I can always turn on the commercial stations or the commercial driven channels.

Doug

[Retro Rocket]

The heck with XM. Go with Sirius . XM is in financial trouble and might not be around for very long;

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. What planet are you from.

XM has almost twice the # of subscribers, its stock is over 3 times Sirius per share, and the net worth is greater.

Actually, neither is in any real trouble. But the stock prices have dropped recently..............along with the entire market.

Scarecrow

Read the projections for both companies the ask me what planet I'm from. Sirius will be the leader by years end.

[Scarecrow]

We'll see......................

Opinions vary, but figures never lie.

SC

[Scarecrow]

2. XM will regain the lead in new net subscribers over Sirius
One of my five predictions last January was that Sirius Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) would overtake XM Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: XMSR) in net quarterly additions by the fourth quarter of 2005. I was right. Now, I'm going to take that one step further by calling for XM to regain the baton during the second and third quarters of 2006 -- I am giving the nod to Sirius for the current quarter.

The fourth quarter will be up for grabs unless XM manages to ink the mega-celebrity kind of deal that made Sirius a legitimate contender when it brought in two media giants: Howard Stern behind the mike, and radio-programming guru Mel Karmazin behind the CEO desk. That leads to my third prediction of the year.

3. Both XM and Sirius will close out 2006 at higher prices
I don't think there are two companies more misunderstood than XM and Sirius. Even though the companies now combine for more than 9 million listeners paying for audio content, most sane analysts will tell you that the companies' valuations are as stratospheric as some of their satellites.

Wall Street sees two companies with iffy balance sheets, gobs of share dilution, and mounting losses, and it can't fathom why XM and Sirius would be willing to pay so much to acquire radio listeners who shell out a mere $12.95 a month. I'm not sure why the Street can't take the logical step of figuring out what these companies will look like in the future. Just as your cable bills creep higher every year, XM and Sirius will likely be charging more in the future. Tack on premium offerings and next-generation receivers that will blow the earnings potential through the roof -- by allowing for everything from digital downloads to immediate responses to sponsored pitches -- and I really believe that in five to 10 years, a lot of the bears will be licking their self-inflicted wounds for missing this obvious play into a promising duopoly.

XM was recommended to Rule Breakers newsletter service subscribers last year, and I see both stocks appreciating in 2006 as the market begins to pay more attention to the road ahead and less to the rearview mirror.


http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2006/commentary06011807.htm

It seems to me that Howard Stern was what put Sirius up in "gains", but they still lag in overall customer base numbers.

However, I believe both will be successful in the future. So the real choice is the programming. I happened to like XM's programming better (like NASCAR coverage). And I liked the MyFi for its versatility. But.............

Opinions vary!

Scarecrow

[Guitar4Him]

Howard put Sirius up in terms of net new subscribers, but that came at a great cost to Sirius. Somehow, they have to recoup over 5 million dollars over the next few years to pay his contract. Somehow, I just don't think he will bring in that much new business.

[REALBOB]

Howard put Sirius up in terms of net new subscribers, but that came at a great cost to Sirius. Somehow, they have to recoup over 5 million dollars over the next few years to pay his contract. Somehow, I just don't think he will bring in that much new business.

Boy :!: I appreciate the discussion guys. Personally, if Howard Stern is a deciding vote on the selections offered, I'd certainly be going with the XM subscription. It sure sounds like someone in Sirius's cadre was void in judgement here. JMO

Bob

[jlfrench]

Howard put Sirius up in terms of net new subscribers, but that came at a great cost to Sirius. Somehow, they have to recoup over 5 million dollars over the next few years to pay his contract. Somehow, I just don't think he will bring in that much new business.

I'm thinking you meant 500 million, plus the 200 or so million in stock options that viacom sued him over.

I'd also say go with the myfi, I've had it for about two years now, and the 5 hour memory is a nice bonus. They've just released 3 new units, the inno, nexus, and something else. Two of the 3 have 50 hours of memory that you can split and put your own mp3's on as well.

Downside, I think those are still running a few hundred more than the myfi/tao recievers.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

If you decide to go with the Sirius, I like the looks of the S50, however keep in mind that it will not recieve live signals while not in the home or car docks. Although I believe it can record 25 hours or so.

If you get the XM check out channel 202.

[Guitar4Him]

Sorry folks....I was incorrect on the figure....thanks for correcting me.....it's 500 million dollars that Sirius has to pay him. I just don't see how they are ever going to recoup that much money. Remember, there's virtually no advertising dollars coming into the satellite radio companies....just subscription dollars.

[Retro Rocket]

Well at 4.5 million subscribers times 12.95 a month it wont take long. :lol:

[Scarecrow]

Bob,

One of the places you can get the MyFi now is Sam's Club. Pretty good prices too.

SC

[Guitar4Him]

Well at 4.5 million subscribers times 12.95 a month it wont take long. :lol:

True....IF Stern was their only operating expense......

[Scarecrow]

Bob,

Is you are serious about Sirius ( :lol: ), here is an option to the XM MyFi.

http://www.xtremerevolution.com/Store/showproduct.aspx?siteid=1&productid=1249&aid=10108&campaigntype=email

Scarecrow

[jlfrench]

very competetive pricing as well as reviews and pictures of the XM units can be found here.

http://www.myradiostore.com

[Scarecrow]

very competetive pricing as well as reviews and pictures of the XM units can be found here.

http://www.myradiostore.com

They also offer antenna adapters that allow the use of a car antenna on the MyFi unit. A must for good reception. That coupled with the 1' car micro antenna make for a very compact package.

Thanks for the link jl. I forgot about Ziggy's place. :oops:

Scarecrow

[Guitar4Him]

The micro antenna with the 4' cable, designed for use with the MyFi works really good. I have one on my bike. No adapter needed....it just plugs straight into the antenna port on the MyFi and uses a little-bitty cable and connector....very tidy. It's magnetic and sits on the bar right next to the clutch master cylinder (Thanks Scarecrow for the helpful hint about locating it there).

[b]I have the MyFi mounted on a RAM mount and it works great. I use the helmet speakers with both the XM and the GPS for listening to MP3s and the talking directions. I wished I'd found a hardwired power supply for the XM instead of using the lighter plug. In the future I'll redo that, but for now it's OK. 8)

[Scarecrow]

I have the MyFi mounted on a RAM mount and it works great. I use the helmet speakers with both the XM and the GPS for listening to MP3s and the talking directions. I wished I'd found a hardwired power supply for the XM instead of using the lighter plug. In the future I'll redo that, but for now it's OK. 8)

One thing I found quite by accident is the speaker/headphone output on the MyFi is greater if you use an external 12V/120V power source vs the internal battery. Probably designed that way to conserve the battery life. However, I found the output off battery power too low to hear over the road noise, using just headphones.

Just something else to know.

[b]Scarecrow

The output isn't very loud, but if it were louder, I'd probably be totally deaf by now. The output on the GPS is a lot louder and I listen to that more since I have the GPS on all the time. 8)