Reception with Sirius is great, but with all satelite radio, it doesn't work in tunnels (unless they have a repeater inside tunnel) or under gas station covers. It works great in the middle of nowhere, that's the reason I have satelite, no good radio programming. the Kenwood unit is great I have the 5025, wife has 3025. Satellite reception is much like GPS use, if you can see the sky, you will get reception. I understand Sirius has 3 satelites, while XM has 2, and from what I heard (no idea how truthful this is) Sirius technologially is better and akin to beta video tapes vs. XM more popular and more like VHS. I will say though Sirus has a fairly long cache of memory so if you go under freeway underpasses it doesn't cut out unless the underpass is like 4 lanes each direction with a wide median. I think you'll like satellite for your long commute with no good radio reception. I used to drive 200 miles to see the future wife with dozens of radio stations coming in and out of reception along the way.

 

Actually, there are a lot of different factors that go into determining whether a particular satellite technology is better than another. As a satellite communications engineer, overall I'd say that I like XM better, technology wise. There are plusses to both, and in the end either one will deliver a reasonably reliable digital bit stream to the receiver on the ground.

What then matters most is the content placed on that bit stream. Some listeners will prefer the Sirius programming and some, like me will prefer XM. So I bought an XM radio.

But in the end which ever one wins will come down to whoever captures the most subscribers and has the best support in terms of receiver manufactuers.

 

I did the same thing except with an XM SkiFi (Delphi) unit on a bracket mounted in space above the radio head. Took out the stock radio, replaced with smaller sized unit that left a cubby above. Same antenna routing. Love it.

You should check the two websites and compare programming. Also costs.

Anyone know of someone with BOTH sat radios?

 

But, the three Sirius sats move in relation to the earth to keep a blanket of coverage on the continental US. The two XM sats (Rock and Roll) are stationary and cover east and west jointly. Haven't heard anything about the Beta/VHS thing...interesting though.

 

Not your lifetime, but the lifetime of the reciever unit, right? Big difference (we hope).

 

that is the problem right there...

that lifetime is the life of the radio.
if that radio is broken or stolen or whatever it's lights out for you .
the lifetime membership is not transferable on a lifetime subscription if the radio is broken, stolen, etc.
they will transfer membership on an anual subscription ,but not on lifetime.
and that is why I don't have one.
so ,...
if you buy it ,pay the lifetime money and a week later you break it...,T.S.
this info is on the sirius web site .
their reason for this is " how do we know if the radio was really broken ,stolen, etc."
so they cancel the subscription.
but, apparently if that happens on a anual subscription they won't fight you and will transfer the subscription to a new radio.??????????

 

Just got my wife a 2004 Explorer. She wants the XM but INSIDE the radio, not the attachment doo-hickey that you mount to the dash somewhere. How do I go about accomplishing this??? Do I need to get an aftermarket XM-compatible radio + the tuner + the antenna ???

Thanks for any help FTE'rs!!!

Daryl

 

That's right, you'll need an aftermarket in dash unit that is XM ready. It is possible to remotely mount the Delphi radio and use the wireless remote but that would be a bit cludgey.

 

I have both the xm and sirius radios. On my older truck I had the xm, and I put in my wifes car when I bought my new truck. The xm has a much better selction of programming, but a lot of the music tends to be female oriented. Also, you can remove the delphi unit and put it in a boombox and take it with you. On the new truck I put the sirius sattelite compatible tuner, and mounted the additional tuner you have to buy behind the seat. I do not care for the sirius, the programming is repetitive. I wish I hadn't spent the money on the sirius equipment, or I would go back to xm.The reception tends to be better with the sirius though. I find that the xm cuts out a lot more. I think the xm programming is more for the older crowd where the sirius is more for the younger crowd. The delphi unit is much easier to operate than the sirius tuner, and the display is easier to read, a big plus when driving. The cost is about the same for both systems. The monthly fee for sirius is 12.95 and xm is 9.95. Everybody's taste is different though, just my two cents from having both.

 

had genereicly put mine in myold f250 nothing fancy. now its in my cobra

 

I installed an XM Roady in my 03 SD. Used a Pro-Fit bracket, ran the antenna out the third brake light, and installed an aftermarket head unit so I could have a direct line in, instead of using the FM modulator (which stunk). Sounds great.

XM also has all of MLB for the next 11 years, so how do you go wrong!