Posted by KenK on November 28, 2009, 11:55 am
$gd1.11628@newsfe05.iad:
> Anyone familiar with satellite radio.
I've has XM for several years at home. I love it. Listen to classical and
jazz. But there's tons of other stuff available. I've not found good
world news so listen to NPR news on FM.
> I've been reading Sirius has a
> 50 channel a la carte subscription for $7/mo. They appear to have
> two units (Starmate - 5 @ $130 and Stratus 6 @ $70) that can be used
> both at home and in the car with this a la carte subscription.
>
> Are they easy to hook up? Is the reception acceptable while driving
> (do trees, buildings, etc significantly interrupt the reception)? How
> difficult are they to switch between home and the car? Is an extra,
> special outdoor antenna needed for home use?
I use the little antenna (an inch or so square) supplied with the radio.
I live in a mobile home and it sits next to an east-facing window. Works
just fine there.
> Any feel for why one unit
> is twice the price of the other (what are the useful options)?
--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner
Posted by ranck on November 30, 2009, 12:38 pm
wrote:
> Are they easy to hook up? Is the reception acceptable while driving
> (do trees, buildings, etc significantly interrupt the reception)? How
> difficult are they to switch between home and the car? Is an extra,
> special outdoor antenna needed for home use? Any feel for why one unit
> is twice the price of the other (what are the useful options)?
I got XM when I bought a new car in 2006. Being next to a tall building
will block the signal, though in major cities they have repeaters set up
to cut down on that problem. For example, I had no trouble getting
continuous reception while driving in New York City, but driving through
very steep valleys in West Virginia it will lose signal. It's mostly
great, though. Trees, in full leaf, will sometimes block the signal
but not often.
As far as ease of hookup, it's about the same as any other stereo
component. The antenna does need a view of the South or Southeast
sky. The satellites are geo-stationary, so once you get a good signal
you won't have to move the antenna. Through a window should work,
but outside is better. I got a home unit for my wife and the antenna
cable is very small diameter, so you don't need to drill a big hole for it.
Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.
Posted by George on November 30, 2009, 7:19 pm
ranck@vt.edu wrote:
wrote:
>
>> Are they easy to hook up? Is the reception acceptable while driving
>> (do trees, buildings, etc significantly interrupt the reception)? How
>> difficult are they to switch between home and the car? Is an extra,
>> special outdoor antenna needed for home use? Any feel for why one unit
>> is twice the price of the other (what are the useful options)?
>
> I got XM when I bought a new car in 2006. Being next to a tall building
> will block the signal, though in major cities they have repeaters set up
> to cut down on that problem. For example, I had no trouble getting
> continuous reception while driving in New York City, but driving through
> very steep valleys in West Virginia it will lose signal. It's mostly
> great, though. Trees, in full leaf, will sometimes block the signal
> but not often.
>
> As far as ease of hookup, it's about the same as any other stereo
> component. The antenna does need a view of the South or Southeast
> sky. The satellites are geo-stationary, so once you get a good signal
> you won't have to move the antenna. Through a window should work,
> but outside is better. I got a home unit for my wife and the antenna
> cable is very small diameter, so you don't need to drill a big hole for it.
>
Both XM and Sirius satellites are in a very elliptical geosynchronous
orbit so depending on how your home antenna is sited the radio can loose
reception as the satellite changes location during the day.
> Bill Ranck
> Blacksburg, Va.
Posted by KenK on December 1, 2009, 9:04 am
$X01.42259@newsfe07.iad:
> Who knows, I may end up dumping the cable TV.
>
I did in around 1992 when my cable company doubled its price. After a few
weeks I didn't miss it a bit - and especially in the recent years that I
have had satellite.
--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner
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