XM & Sirius Satellite Radio

dormie1360

I have a 2004 Ford Sport Trac with a Panasonic 6 CD radio with satellite controls. Ford offers a dealer installed Sirius installation kit. Do you know if Ford is just installing the Panasonic CR-SRT100 receiver with an attenna or do they have their own proprietary satellite installation kit?

I guess what I'm really trying to find out is can I buy it myself, install it, and save some money.

Thanks
John

ezrapon

I have a new Yukon Denali. It came with the xm radio option. In fact every car on the lot had the XM system. This is marketing. XM is offered free for 3 months and is hooked up via the On Star system...very slick. The factory Bose system is the best factory set up I've heard and the xm radio only enhances it. I have not heard the cirrus so I can't comment on that other than facts I've read here (3 bucks more a month...36 per year, not worth it to me). However, had this not been a factory instal (with no modulator), I probably would not have made the leap, nor would have I ordered it. It was neat on our Florida trip, and I got to listen to the baseball play offs on ESPN radio...nice. Too bad my Cardinals were not in it.

stever

Anyone having recent reception problems with their non-GM XM radio? There seems to be a few XM problems recently with some GM owners.

Steve, Host

erickpl

I've a few instances where I hear a few click noises during a song or something, but nothing on any kind of regular basis, and VERY rare.

Alpine XM receiver,
Alpine RF modulator
Alping antenna

BMW 325xi

-Paul

montanafan

The only GM problem I have come across, in reading the handful of sites I go to, is the new Grand Prix where XM reception can be effected if the Sunroof is fully openned. Of course that could change depending on where you are in the US in relationship to the satellites. What have you been hearing?

I am south of Boston and on ocassion I seam to have reception problems with the XM channels above 65 (or so). Have a Delphi Skyfi unit at home with antenna in windowsill.

stever

Mostly just this one (one's a few, right?):

five0_4tluv "GMC Yukon/Chevy Tahoe" Oct 8, 2003 9:44am

Sounds like the radio or antenna, but I remember fade out reports from a year ago around buildings so thought I'd check.

Steve, Host

montanafan

Wonder where that guy lives. If he has no reception in the morning, wonder if it is a line of sight issue with the satellites. Morning driving one direction, no reception, Evening driving other direction, reception?

stever

Feel free to pop in over there and help him out.

Steve, Host

s852

I noticed that XM is available as a dealer-installed accessory on the new 2004 Toyota Solara and the Lexus LS430 only.
Does anyone know if it will be available from the factory and on additional Toyota and Lexus models by the 2005 models (ES/RX330, GX470, 4Runner, Sienna etc.)?

I noticed that XM was first a dealer-installed option on the 2003 Honda Accord and then later became factory installed for 2004.

Hopefully the same will happen for Lexus and Toyota because the dealer-install is expensive and ugly in the amount of labor required to integrate it into the factory radio. The entire dash has to removed for installation in the Solara.

dklanecky

Be careful, even when they "announce" that it's available.

Nissan announced that XM would be available from the factory for the 2003 Nissan Murano when the first announced the vehicle back in the fall of 2002.

35,000+ Muranos later, there still is not a factory (or dealer) option for XM on a Murano.

I had to go to Infiniti and buy the necessary hardware (designed for a G35) in order to get the full digital XM experience installed on my Murano.

It did require dis-assmbly of significant portions of the dash but was complete in about 4 hours. The entire process from buying the equipment was a major PITA, but it does work well now and was (IMO) worth the effort.

If the radios head units in the Toyotas are all the same and they have a SAT button built in to the head unit, it maybe possible that you could buy the hardware from Toyota and install it your self or pay the dealer to do it.

Ask lots of questions first however!!

five0_4tluv

i have been posting all over the internet. i live in Austin Tx. it is happening almost every morning leaving my garage. here is the latest. if i leave the XM on with "no signal" in about 10 minutes it will magically start to work. of course my dealer is farther than that so i cannot take it in while it is not working, like they suggested. i drove this weekend 2 hours north to Waco and it worked flawlessly. leaving Waco no worky. i will test tomorrow just sitting in my driveway to see if it will start to work without leaving a "bad" spot. i doubt it is a line of site issue because it happens everywhere (but the dealership). i also read somewhere that after activation you should turn off the radio before shutting off the vehicle. i tried that for a few days and no problems until last Friday morning, worked 4 days in a row with no issue. it just really upsets me that i paid extra for something i may not now activate. thanks for any input.

ezrapon

I find myself getting away from my cd changer and spending more time on the xm band. I hear old songs I forgot about (top\tracks) and new ones I've never heard. You hear a strange song and hit the tuner button and it gives you the artist and songs name. That helps with forgotten songs and new artist. It has taken my music appreciation to another level. Weird thing: at sun rise, the radio will cut out for a spilt second about 200 yards after I go under a certain underpass. Normally it will work under bridges, in garages, or under most over hangs.

dan_m_power

Looks to me like XM is better then Sirus. Now XM has the XM Roady ($100) which is ready to be instaled on a car. But i was wondering could you buy one roady and switch it from car to car?

drssyoon

I have the SE model, but without the DVD/NAV option. I found out from my dealer that in order to install the satellite radio so that the "SAT" button works on the stock radio, it is going to cost over $600 dollars. Sounds a bit excessive. Has anyone put in an aftermarket satellite radio? What brand/model works best with the Quest? Thanks.

stever

Check out XM & Sirius Satellite Radio too.

Steve, Host

aitchpee

Dan, the XM Roady is not tied in to any one car, it can be switched from one car to another with no problem. It is like a car-ready portable CD player with an antenna attached.

sdradioguy

I've had my A4 for a little more than a month, and I just now got the XM to work. I went through a lot of back-and-forth with the dealer over whether the module was really in the car (it was) and whether it was connected correctly (it wasn't, but it is now).

I haven't spent too much time playing with it yet, but here are some early observations:

- I'm surprised by the variance in volume/sound quality between the channels. Some channels are close to CD quality, others are barely as good as FM radio. At least the channels seem to maintain consistent levels from song-to-song.

- I do NOT like the part of the activation process in which I have to leave the receiver on the preview channel for a whole hour so all the channels can download. You'd think XM could find a way to make the preview channel a little more interesting, instead of playing the same 45 to 90 second loop, telling us how we have to leave the receiver on the preview channel for a whole hour so all the channels can download. How about throwing in a song or two, or at least snippets of what we could hear on other channels? It's a good thing one can turn the volume down, and just watch the clock.

The XM band on my radio could certainly use more than just 15 presets. How many XM presets are normal for head units? You'd think with 100 stations from which to choose, you'd get more presets.

Lest this entire posting make me look like someone difficult/impossible to please, let me say I'm glad to finally have the XM up and running. Despite the nits I picked, it's still a lot better than local radio (except for AM news, of course).

mlm4

When I activated my Sony Plug-n-Play radio way back in March 2002, it only took about 20 minutes. In any event, you only need to do it once. The preview channel used to have promos for the various channels, which I thought was a great idea. When I was still discovering what XM had to offer, I'd go to Channel 1 for "suggestions." Don't know why they did away with that.

Not all the channels have the same bandwidth, so some will not sound as good as others. Mostly the news and talk channels are of lesser quality.

erickpl

I had a trip to St. Louis this weekend and when I picked up our rental Cadillac, I was listening to the radio, and my wife said, HEY LOOK! IT's GOT XM!

Definitely made the trip nice and didn't have to search for local radio (though I remember them all from when I was younger).

It is sure nice to have it integrated like that. It would sure be nice to have XM and Sirius both as options from most manufacturers.

-Paul

montanafan

(Based on GM car experience) I believe they changed the channel 1 to the short loop when they went to a 5 or 6 sample channel system. The cars were able to get the sample channels without activation and would change on the half hour. The hour for activation, is an over estimate. I have seen it take less the fifteen minutes. My brothers car had the XM already activated by the dealer when he took delivery.

A new change has taken place during October. Now the full XM channel line up is activated when the car arrives on the dealers lot. So it can be sampled on test drives, and is ready to go when sold.

GM radios only have 12 presets available.

And as far as sound quality, more the source of the music and way it was originally recorded make a potential difference?

hydra2

xm was offered on the bose radio (cass & cd)in the 2002 dts. Unfortunately I didn't opt for the xm option or the nav. Is that factory integrated system available as a retrofit?

If not, are the only options available similar to the skyfi and roady fm modulated, non-integrated solutions for the 2002 dts?

stever

"Pay radio is up and beaming from XM and Sirius; what's unknown is how many people will sign up.

It's an extremely niche product. I think you're going to see a huge churn rate. Given their serious financial issues, whether they can sustain a serious business model and withstand financial pressures will be interesting to see."

A sound future? (Sunspot.net)

Steve, Host

s852

They really need to do something about this and integrate it better into the designs of the cars.
I saw a new Malibu that had XM and On Star antennas on the roof, It was extremely ugly. Imagine a car with XM, OnStar AND GPS navigation antennas!
They should start combining them or something.
In an SUV or minivan, they could probably integrate the antennas into the roof racks in away that it would be invisible unless you were actively trying to find it.
They really need to stop randomly tacking ugly antennas onto cars that had the XM installed at the factory in a way that looks like an afterthought!

erickpl

BMW is doing this now with their integrated unit on their newer (2003+?) cars. Look at the little fin-like thing by the rear window.

The link below is the BMW site showing the new 5.
http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/5/530iSedan/gallery.htm?dNav_loc=_- root.c5.c530isedan.gallery

-Paul

berzins

Ok well this may come as a surprise to some, but my great Government, because of Canadian laws say we can't get XM or Siruis radio because there is no Canadian content. Dont get me started, thats not the reason for this post.

I purchased a 2004 Nissan Quest SE (fully loaded), and it does indeed have the SAT button, but says NO SAT when I hit the button. My question is this.... What is missing (if anything) to make this system work. I know that probably everything is there for wiring etc but???

Anyone have any ideas?

Dave...

drssyoon

You have the button, but no radio. My dealer quoted me a price of around $600 for factory satellite radio. Far more than what you would pay at an electronic store. The only advantage is that the SAT button will work on the factory radio.

dklanecky

Nissan vehicles that have the SAT button on the radio faceplate should be SAT capable.

Capable means that to get a full digital SAT connection, you need to buy a SAT receiver (Sirius or XM) and a SAT antenna.

The only ones (full digital ones) currently available in the states are from the Infiniti dealers and are sold as add on's to the G35 sedan and coupe.

They retail for about $350.

You need to install the SAT receiver and the SAT antenna. The Bose radios usually have a connector on the back of the radio to accept the SAT cable. This cable runs all the way to the back of the vehicle and terminates somewhere, (It's in a slightly different location in all Nissan/Infiniti vehicles) usually in the trunk or under the rear most seat.

This is the tricky part.

If your vehicle is pre-wired (meaning the SAT cable is already attached to the back of the Bose radio and run to the back of the vehicle) then the installation is pretty simple. You just plug in the end of the SAT cable from the head unit to the SAT tuner and then plug the SAT antenna cable into the SAT tuner and your in business.

The Nissan/Infiniti head unit controls the SAT band just like another radio band, so you'll have AM/FM/SAT radio bands.

This topic is very confusing for first timers (understandedly so because the dealers are very poorly informed about their products capability).

If your interested there are other sites on the internet that have dozens on pictures explaining in great detail exactly how to go about installing SAT in Nissan and Infiniti products.

Here's one for example that deals with the Nissan Murano:

http://muranosat.avapl.org/index2.html

berisimus

Read your post with much interest. I have spent a lot of time on the Nissan Armada site and just placed an order for an LE 4 by 2 with Technology. Was told by Nissan corporate that the Armada Bose Radio was not "pre-wired" and to add an aftermarket XM radio kit would be exceedingly difficult and expensive (not sure the customer representative really knew what he was talking about). Anyway, not to be dissuaded, I contacted an Infinit dealer in Texas (I am not sure I am allowed to post their name)whose name was provided to me on the Armada site. This dealer claims to have sucessfully installing XM kits (with pre-wire harness) in Muranos and Quests with no problem and can do same for the Armada. XM can be activated and operated with controls on steering wheel (just like factory install (if it were available) - a must for me. Only one small drawback I am told is that you have a take a few more steps to activate (locate) XM since there is not SAT button on the head unit. I understand that you must scroll down the FM 1 and FM 2 until the display on the Bose unit says Satelite (or something like that - I'm not exactly sure of the procedure). Before placing my order for the Armada I had my stereo shop call the Infiniti dealer to make sure everything was on the up and up and that I would not be charged out the wazoo for installation (The kit itself costs around $350.00). He called me back and said "no problem" and to go ahead and order the kit from the Infinit dealer. My question is does this make sense from your experience? My goal is to have XM work seamlessly with the stock Bose radio and, most importantly, to be able to use all the steering wheel controls when navigating XM. Also, if this kit works will I see a display of the song name, title, etc. on the small display screen on the bose head unit even though the radio was not originally pre-wired and does not have a SAT button?

Any info would be helpful.

dklanecky

Very good questions!!

I was not aware that the Armada didn't come with a SAT button.

In my mind, without the SAT button, (on my Murano it's in the same control group with FM/AM-CD-TAPE-SAT)I'm guessing that the Armada will not have the connector on the back of the head unit to accept the pre-wire connector that leads directly to the SAT receiver.

This connection is critical because it's what truly integrates the SAT into the headunit to enable the display of the channel/artist/song name, as well as the functionality of the audio controls from the steering wheel.

If this is the case, I would be very careful about ordering the pre-wire cable and SAT kit from your Infiniti dealer. They typically don't allow returns without re-stocking charges and in some case don't allow any returns on electrical parts.

The FM1/FM2 solution from your local shop sounds to me like an FM modulated solution (since FM1/FM2 are the pre-sets on the radio tuner).

There is a huge difference in a direct digital connection and an FM modulated conection, both in sound quality and in controls.

The FM modulated solution will require a second control unit to actually change the channels on your SAT tuner. The headunit (also steering wheel controls) will control the volume, tone, balance, ect, but that's it.

The FM modulated solution is commonly sold at places like Best Buy and Circuit City and will be significantly less expensive to purchase and easier to install, but you really do get what you pay for in this case.

I think I would wait until you actually get the Armada and can pull the headunit out to check for that connector. It's just the price for being one of the first with a new vehicle.

The direct full digital connection is really outstanding and worth the extra effort and cost IMO.

Here's an Infiniti source (in Dallas) that has been very, very helpful to all of us Nissan customers who can't get straight answers from Nissan.

He was instrumental in getting the full digital direct connection SAT radio up and running in the Murano, which Nissan still says can't be done.

I suppose I can't give out his name here (due to forum rules) but he is in the Parts department at Grubbs Infiniti, here's the web page address:

http://www.infinitiwholesaleparts.com/en_US/

Edit: Just checked the web site and they indicate that the Armada can be retro fitted with the direct digital SAt tuner and pre-wire cable that so many have installed in their Muranos.

If you want to send me an e-mail, I will share his name and phone number if your unable to make contact through the web site. He may actually have some knowledge and first hand experience about the Armada headunit already!

berisimus

Thanks for the information! It turns out I (and my stereo technician) had both called the very same Infiniti dealer you mentioned before I placed my purchase order for the Armada. Regardless, after reading your post I am going to call once again so that they can explain to me in lay terms how the kit operates when I do not have the SAT button on my Bose head unit. I think everything is OK but I want to make sure. I'll let you know if the story changes. I too am very curious if they (the dealer) have installed the kit and know from first hand experience that it works exactly as it does with the Murano (and, if so, how do you manage that without the SAT button).

h20ski

Why would you spend all of that money on an expensive, great vehicle like an Armada and put in XM when Sirius is the premium satellite radio service? You can opt for that instead. Sirius has totally commercial free music and 3 satellites not just two and they orbit overhead not blocked like XM's. Sirius is in Mercedes, BMWS, Lincoln, etc... Plus Sirius gives you a password for their website so you or the family can listen via the computer for free! The other guys charge for equipment to do that. We all have Sirius and absolutely love it!!

ashutoshsm

XM vs. SIRIUS. Been there done that, and for my listening preferences, combined with awesome available hardware support for SIRIUS (Pioneer and Alpine!) - XM won.

IMnsHO, SIRIUS had boring playlists, while XM was much more entertaining. This is thoroughly subjective, so go ahead and listen to snppets of both on the website and at your local stores.

Coming out and saying SIRIUS is better JUST because you can listen to ad-free music is just one side of the story. And online music - there a millions of ways to hear that. Very tiny advantage, having the SIRIUS stream online.

Admirable attempt, using psychology, though, to convince someone to justify your own decision (Great car ... what a foolish audio add-on). Let people do their own research and make their own decisions. If the buyer decides XM programming doesn't do it or them, then so be it (Of course, they'd be wrong, but that's another story ...)

erickpl

I know the newer Grand Cherokees can handle Sirius, but I want to put XM in my current 2000 JGC. Does anybody know if there are any connectors on the back of the 2000 JGC Infinity systems so I could directly into it or would I need to go the modulation route like I do with my other car?

The modulation works fine for me, thought it isn't quite as crisp. But it would sure be nice to have in this car as well.

-Paul

h20ski

talk about psychology, you just tried it in your post #395. I agree people should try it for themselves- wouldn't they do that naturally?
While the competition has short snippets, SIRIUS lets you listen to their live service so you really can get a feel for the great programming, not something crafted or canned. Make your own decision, but I always like the best, that's why I chose SIRIUS!!

ashutoshsm

we're beginning to sound like broken records. Like those they play on SIRIUS

Which reminds me (and people will jump in to object!) - a test of the audio quality and frequency response/reproduction by XM and SIRIUS showed SIRIUS seriously lacking. This was a while back, so things MAY have changed. But I love my XM

lobsenza

I just got Sirius and found the audio quality very good. I also like the music streams. I picked Sirius because:
* Commercial free music
* Special equipment promo available
* Lifetime subscription available (until Jan) for $400

h20ski

you picked the only article to say so- probably paid off by XM. You are contradicting your own words- let people decide. I agree. My personal opinion is that Sirius is much better and that is what the majority of the press/ reviews are saying.

jmack253

I just bought a 2004 Solara SLE. It did not have the XM radio feature when I bought and dealer did not know anything. I now find that it is available from the parts department, but they want $545.00 for PLUS installation. Does anyone know of a comparable XM radio that will work with the JBL stereo that does't cost so much?

joey_b

I have a Sony portable XM player that I use for both home and car. Most of my listening is at home, but I sometimes use it in the car with the cassette adapter. I paid about $250 for my Sony but that was when they were new. You can find a player for under $100 now.

I just bought a Solara and eventually want to add the XM receiver. I'm going to wait a little. The price will probably come down over the next year, depending on demand.

jmack253

I too have a Delphia portable unit. It was fine hanging it off the dash in my 10 year old car, but I really do not want to do that with the new car. It seems that JBL or Harmon would have some compatible unit that can be obtained from somewhere other that the car dealer to avoid the rip-off price.

h20ski

I believe only SIRIUS has product with a wireless FM modulator. Either the Audiovox or Streamer portable units. The competition makes you use a crappy cassette adapter which counds terrible and what if your vehicle only has a cd player- you're out of luck. Sirius is much better.

dc661

XM also has FM modulator. This is a very old technology. You should not make a definitive statement without knowing what you are talking about.

lobsenza

I initially tried my Audiovox with the FM modulator prior to a direct wire connection. There is no comparison in sound quality, the direct wire sounds like a CD and the modulation sounds like FM. On the other hand, the modulation does allow a quick install into a rental car.

h20ski

I stand corrected if true. XM has caught up to Sirius then. However most rental cars do not have cassettes anymore so that will not work. If you like inferior programming and commercials then that's great, listen to XM. I like commercial free music and free internet streaming so I chose Sirius!

Kirstie_H

XM has commercials and Sirius doesn't? This is something I did not know. We were considering purchasing a satellite radio system for the lack of ads.

What about portability? I've seen ads that make the radio look like it's easy to move from one vehicle to another, or use in the house. Fact or fiction?

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

h20ski

yes you can get the portable Sirius systems at Circuit City, Best Buy, Crutchfield, etc... The new Audiovox is really cool, my friend has that one. Sirius' music is 100% commercial free, XM has many commercials. Plus Sirius gives you free streaming from their web site live, so it's like a second subscription for free! Enjoy!

erickpl

To say XM has a LOT of commercials is inaccurate. Yes, some of the channels have commercials, but they don't last more than perhaps a minute then you are back into the music for a long time before the next ones. One channel is a feed of KISS FM in LA and you get some of their commercials, but I live in LA and hate KISS anyway.

I don't find the minor interruptions on the infrequent basis enough of an annoyance. It just gives me a chance to check out some of my other favorite stations. I timed one of our Clear Channel stations one day and found about 13 minutes of commercials before the music kicked back in. You will find NOTHING like that on XM.

I can handle a minute. Not a lot to me.

As for modulators, I thought most(or all) of XM's modulators wired in somehow, even if it is into the antenna jack.

-Paul

h20ski

SIRIUS has zero commercials, so XM has a lot. I understand why people who already purchased XM are the first to defend it. But for the people who have yet to buy why don't you let them take a look at Sirius. It's amazing! except for $3.00 more per month Sirius has the advantage in every aspect. let me review then hopefully you will let the new customers decide for themselves:
(1) Sirius has 3 satellites in high orbit (XM only has 2 and they are very low, fixed angle subject to blockage).
(2) Sirius' music is 100% commercial free
(3) Sirius uses S-Plex so all the channels sounds great; XM only picks the popular channels to have good sound quality
(4) Sirius gives you free internet streaming which is like a second subscription for free; XM does not.

I did my homework, you do yours.

erickpl

When I purchased XM, Sirius was barley afloat. That was my main consideration.

Personally, I don't care if a user gets XM or Sirius. For satellite radio to succeed, they both need to do well.

My commute is 1 hour each way, so 1 or 2 minutes for commercials is no biggie. If your commutes are short, it is a larger percentage, so I can see where you may have issue with it.

For me, I only want a clear signal with no static, be able to hear the bass and treble cleanly, and be able to hear a song all the way through. XM does that. I'm sure Sirius does that too. I'm not the type of person who worries about how many decibles my satellite radio will receive and at what frequencies and volumes distortion becomes a factor. If I want superior sound quality, I'll listen at home. Vehicular radio is to me nothing more than a way to pass the time while driving. If I get my new BMW, I'll put Sirius in it so it will be integrated better with the system. If they only had XM from the factory I would choose that.

Satellite radio is about choice, simplicity, and clean sound. Both options have that.

I was NOT willing to install equipment in my car only to have to worry about whether 2 or 3 or 3000 satellites were going to be broadcasting to it 1-2-3 years down the road. At the time I purchased it, Sirius was in serious trouble. XM wasn't doing great, but it was darn sure doing better than Sirius.

People are free to choose what they want. Hopefully users will come here to get informed opinions of either service. If NOTHING else comes from this discussion, it is easy to see that people are almost fanatical about their satellite radio choices. Both have strong points; both have weak points. All we can do is present what we like and/or dislike about each to those who ask.

I won't pretend to know everything about data streams from satellites to vehicles. I won't pretend to know all the nuances of Sirius. I know XM and how I've been using it. For what I do, it works just great.

To each his own.

-Paul

dklanecky

The point I'd like to make is that some folks here (one in particular who constantly profess that Sirius is better than XM in every regard) probably have another agenda.

Namely, to make sure that enough new people choose Sirius over XM to keep Sirius afloat and in business so that their own personal investment in equipment remains functional.

The new (and total existing) subscriber rate for Sirius is far lower each and every month than for XM.

This subscriber count (revenue) will eventually determine whether or not both service providers will continue to be in business.

I certainly hope that both continue as I like paying the relatively low monthly fee for the outstanding programming that I enjoy on XM each and everyday. I'm concerned that if only XM survives, they could have a monopoly on their hands.

Any new potential subscriber to either service should make their decision only on the programming, not on an obviously biased opinion who only professes his services agvantages while not pointing out any of the dis-advantages.