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Lets talk about satellite radio equipment

afroman006

afroman006

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Well I think I am going to finally take the plunge and try out this fancy satellite radio stuff. I figure I drive long distances enough and the kind of music I like isnt played on many stations (Texas/Outlaw Country) and my roommate really likes his Sirius. I need to decide on what equipment to get. I have a stock headunit in my 98 Chevy K3500 and I dont really want to replace it. I've been trying to find a Crutchfield catalog around the house but there dont seem to be any. So, any ideas?
 
I have a Sirius XACT Stream Jockey II, I like it a lot. I can hook it up to the home stereo, or put it in the K5 where it put's out an FM signal. I like the Roadhouse and Outlaw Country stations. The part I like best is, when I'm at my hunting cabin, with the blazer parked outside, I can have the Sirius reciever on and I can pick up the FM signal inside the cabin on the boom box radio we use in there. It rules because at the cabin, the only stations that come in really good are crappy modern country garbage. I'm betting that if you were road tripping with another vehicle, if they stayed close enough, 50 feet or so, they could tune to the FM signal and listen to Sirius radio also.
 
You will get MUCH better quality reception with the head unit/sat box combo as opposed to the portable units that broadcast over FM or plug into your FM antenna.

Downside is that you can't take it from house to car etc.... and you will pay the extra subscription price (app $12 for the 1st, 1/2 that for each addition to your account).
 
2Dogs said:
You will get MUCH better quality reception with the head unit/sat box combo as opposed to the portable units that broadcast over FM or plug into your FM antenna.

Downside is that you can't take it from house to car etc.... and you will pay the extra subscription price (app $12 for the 1st, 1/2 that for each addition to your account).
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Yeap, my head unit is Sirius ready. Just added the Sirius unit and it sounds great.
 
Those portable units (fm modulators) work ok on a system that is not real high on a sound quality standpoint, i have one i use in the semi-truck at work, (Sirius) and it works out just fine, but then again, with the roar of the Diesel engine, the whining of the turbo, the leaky windows, rattles and a cheap stereo unit, i can't hear the slight hiss from the transmitter, or the lower FM quality sound.

Now, i hooked this unit up in the burb, where i have spent some pretty decent money on components, sound quality, and power,,,,and i was very upset at the quality of sound it gave me.....

JUST LIKE FM, granted i would have the commercial free music, but with a "system" i have to have the sound quality with it.

I have the XM headunit, with the receiver box under the seat, (hardwired) and the music quality that comes from that is CD quality
 
I am running a slightly older XM-Roady2 sat receiver, hard wired in to my headunits aux input and I love it! I don't think I have used AM/FM sence the day we installed the XM! as far as XM vs Sirus....look at the line up and see who offers more of what you want..prices/quality are too close to call one better than the other there. The XM is in my wifes car right now, and I will be adding it to my truck soon, then my truck will have XM and MP3 as only sources of music.

I thought about doing the CD changer thing in my truck..but MP3 don't skip...ever! My trucks head unit is a Apple 20gig I-Pod. :bow:
 
We run XM, wife has the older XM SkyFi unit in her Subie, runs via tape deck and she likes it. We have the XM boom box to take out when we want to use it at the park and such (the XM unit from the car plugs into the boom box.) I have an XM Roady2 in my Burb, have it running via my AUX input and its nice. I agree with Uncle Fester, I havent used the AM/FM on my headunit much since we got XM, and like Fester... I run an iPod for tunes when the XM isnt in service (mostly AudioBooks on road trips.)

I also listen to XM at my office via the XM website, its a nice touch and is included with your subscription.
 
I use the cheapo Roady and it is great in the truck. Like everyone else said, the ambient noise is loud enough that the sound quality does not really matter. In my car, which I don't want to modify, I notice that the sound quality is not CD quality, but the thing only costs $30 and transmits through the FM radio (no, its not plugged into anything) so its great at the price.
 
cbbr said:
I use the cheapo Roady and it is great in the truck. Like everyone else said, the ambient noise is loud enough that the sound quality does not really matter. In my car, which I don't want to modify, I notice that the sound quality is not CD quality, but the thing only costs $30 and transmits through the FM radio (no, its not plugged into anything) so its great at the price.
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I couldn't handle a "hiss". The stereo system in the Alero is all aftermarket, not a single component of the craptory stereo system remains.
 
Z3PR said:
I couldn't handle a "hiss". The stereo system in the Alero is all aftermarket, not a single component of the craptory stereo system remains.
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yeah, see that's what i am talking about, that hiss, can't be heard in the semi truck with all the other background noise of the engine, turbo and wind,,so it works out just fine in there, or in a not so "perfect" stereo system.
 
My Sirius Stream Jockey II has a hardwire audio output that I plug in when I use it on my home reciever, no fm signal required, I guess I could hardwire it into my car stereo too, if ther're aux inputs, which there prolly are. All I'm saying is it's really nice to listen to satelite radio at the cabin, on a crappy old boom box. I don't care if it's not auditorium quality, I get to listen to cool tunes, as opposed to chitty ass modern country.
 
Yeah, i forgot about those AUX plug in dealy thingies, you could go that route i guess,,,,i don't know how they sound, as i don't have those connections,,,so i'm out of this one :D :crazy: :p:
 
How does yours attach through the Kenwood , rca plugs ? Same thing as AUX in to me . You can attach a cd changer , XM unit , Sirius unit , anything with rca's ..... so you know how AUX in sounds already :thumb:
 
pauly383k10 said:
How does yours attach through the Kenwood , rca plugs ? Same thing as AUX in to me . You can attach a cd changer , XM unit , Sirius unit , anything with rca's ..... so you know how AUX in sounds already :thumb:
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ME ??

I don't have a Kenwood,,,,

Pioneer along with the Pioneer XM receiver under the seat, which uses a special cable from the box, to a specific plug just for the XM receiver.....no RCA plugs except for the amp.
 
Oh yeah , you had a Kenwood in the Iroc ... oops my mistake .

Is this what you got ? I'm gonna look next time I see ya truck .

terk-pioneer_small.jpg
xmdirect_1_lg.jpg
 
Same type of plugs, but alittle older model i think,,,,this is what i have...

you gonna look next time you see my truck??? going to be very interesting, because it's under the passenger seat, half covered with carpet :D
 
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Ok I see what Pioneer does now , their bus and audio share the same cable . I don't know if I like that as much as discrete audio outputs .

Damn that Xm box is HUGE doood !!

The pioneer specific Sirius box is small enough to hide under the dash :thumb:
 
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