Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-08-2010, 08:20 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,555
XM radio

Ok satellite radio experts out there. I recently got a new car that has built in XM radio in it. I have decided to go ahead and extend it for a couple of years. The problem is, my wife wants us to get it for her car now, and to use it when we go camping in the Suburban.

Does anyone have a preference for what type of radio we should get for her car? Also, does anyone have a general idea of the cost of the subscription for the second radio. They say they discount the second account some, but I can't find out the amount on line, and I am not ready to deal with a sales person on the phone just yet.
__________________

Hokiehall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2010, 08:26 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
powerboatr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: homebase Quitman Texas at Lake Fork
Posts: 1,399
i used to have a small roadie that was super portable between the rv and the truck
i thin best buy had it for under 25 dollars a few years ago,
it uses a cigar lighter plug for power and has an option to hard line to your cars radio or transmit over a few fm preset channels, which made it easy going to the rv, it even had a desk stand thing and separate antenna for when it was in the rv or out in the open

programing costs.......everything is negotiable
i canceled xm and they gave to me for free for a year

my new truck has sirius which is xm or is it the other way ? which i plan to renew but not until they call with a low price...
any who you can get an ala carte thing of x amount of stations like the ones you listen to for less $ and

trick is dont take no for an answer with pricing
i think when i had xm it was 11 per month
and when they finally let me go it was 6 a month.....
__________________
Living in the Piney Woods of Texas.
powerboatr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2010, 09:35 PM   #3
Now a "Top Member"
 
EdJunior's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Roman Forest, TX
Posts: 4,322
If you want to go between her car and camping (portable), one of the Roadie's (or whatever the new little portables are called) are your best bet. But the sound quality suffers significantly running through your FM antenna. The best bet is to get a new in-dash unit for each one. With your primary account, you can get a "Family Plan", and each additional radio is $6.99 a month. But you can only have a total of 5 radios.
__________________
Ed and Sharon
2010 Wildcat 28RKBS
2019 Ford F-250 XLT - AWESOME Truck!
Retired AF MSgt

I thought I was wrong once, but I was wrong!
EdJunior is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 06:29 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 168
i have the factory xm in my truck and purchased a roady xt for the wifes car with a home kit. this way i have a base, power cord and antenna in the car and i have the home antenna,home power cord(120volt) and base in the trailer. al i have to do is grab the roady and throw it in the trailer with the remote. the remote came with the home kit as well. the home antenna picks up just fine from inside the trailer right through the roof.
skidoonut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 07:50 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 855
I have had built in XM and Sirius radios. And I have consistently let the subscriptions lapse. Instead we bought two Pioneer Inno radios. Battery powered so it can be used portable, has memory so I can record lots of music. And best of all, being portable with a car or home kit it can be used in car,truck,fiver,home. Far better than having a dedicated radio for just the car.
donn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 08:04 AM   #6
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Quad Cities
Posts: 40
One Trick on the Roady XM is if you did not dumb down the signal on your Roady as XM was pushing folks to do due to a FCC signal power violation I park my Suburban forward to the front of the TT and leave the Roady plugged in and tune the TT radio to the FM signal and play my XM through the TT radio off of the signal from the Roady in the suburban. Don't even have to move the thing and unplug all those wires etc.

Oh Hi Hoakie, I decided to join this forum also

Bill
macbwt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 11:07 AM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Farmington, MN
Posts: 12
I have the original SKYFI and it still works great. I pass it between the house the truck and a portable stereo that came with it. I bought the lifetime subscription (radio not mine) I was a little nervous because it was more money up front but it has more then paid for itself in the last 6 years.
go4maroon&gold is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 11:36 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
rohlingerrv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: south carolina
Posts: 133
I was lucky, my new 5th wheel came with a xm radio all I had to do was buy a docking station for my car so now I can switch radios between my car and camper. But my truck radio does not have a AUX to plug in docking station and I tried using the FM converter buts its too much trouble. I going to buy a new radio for my truck so I can use the XM in all 3 vehicles
rohlingerrv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 12:22 PM   #9
Moderator Emeritus
 
acadianbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Posts: 3,365
I've had both XM and Sirius (have Sirius right now) and they seem equivalent to me. We bought CHEAP ($30) Sirius units, 2 car units, that are identical. One is permanently installed in our F150. The other I put in the trailer and plug it into the input port on our Jensen (which replaced the Concertone). BUT, we only have a subscription for one head unit. I just trot it back and forth between the trailer and truck. In the trailer, the docking station just plugs into the 12 volt receptacle in the TV area. Then run a line to the Jensen. Then just run the antenna out the trailer through the door. (not a permanenet placement). Works GREAT!!
__________________
https://i421.photobucket.com/albums/pp297/acadianbob/IMG_2757.jpg
2021 F350 Lariat 7.3 4X4 w 4.30s, 2018 Wildcat 29RLX
2012 BMW G650GS, Demco Premiere Slider
1969 John Deere 1020, 1940 Ford 9N, 1948 Ford 8N
Jonsered 535, Can of WD-40, Duct Tape
Red Green coffee mugs
acadianbob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 12:35 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,555
Sirius and XM are merged and most programing is simulcast, but the radios are still different from what I have learned so far. There is still some programming exclusive to each that you can pay extra for to get on the other service (if you really need Howard Stern which is Sirius only). Since I have XM, I have to get an XM equivalent radio.
__________________

Hokiehall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 01:06 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
rohlingerrv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: south carolina
Posts: 133
I had a sirius in my car but my camper was XM, the problem was the accounts are different so I had to cancel my sirius account and open a XM account(because my sirius would not fit in the camper docking station) which was a pain but I don't really see any difference in the two radios. I have the "family" account which has all I really want, I don't need all the adult sites.
rohlingerrv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 02:43 PM   #12
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Eagle Creek B.C.
Posts: 33
Our new Rockwood 8315BSS came wired for XM and with the SKYFi3 radio, It also has the home docking station so we use it in the house as well as the trailer. MW Chevy Malibu came with the XM wired in and I have an XM Roady xt that I use in our truck and my shop. We really enjoy it as where we live is quite rural and not many stations (2) during the daytime. Our subscription for all 3 is around $400 Cdn. for 3 years.
__________________
2010 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8315BSS
2003 GMC Sierra HD Crew Cab
Duramax Diesel Power
DonJP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 05:32 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
mjones12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Lexington, NC
Posts: 2,621
Kim: I have factory XM/Sirius in my truck and a Sky-fi add-on unit in my car, which can be removed and placed in a boom-box for camping. The boom box runs on batteries or AC and has its own antenna with a very long cord so I can locate it exactly where I need it. It works great. I think I got the boom box at Circuit City for about $99. Can't remember how much the Sky-fi was. I get a better deal by paying annually, and I think the second unit is maybe 60 or 70 percent of the rate for the first unit. Also, all XM/Sirius subscribers can get service for free on their computers. I hook some pretty good speakers to my laptop, and it sounds pretty good. So there lots of options.
__________________
2018 Coachmen Apex 249 RBS
2010 Silverado LT 5.3 V8


The world is a great book, of which those who never stir from home
read only a page. - St. Augustine
mjones12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2010, 05:46 PM   #14
Moderator Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 800
Quote:
Originally Posted by acadianbob View Post
we only have a subscription for one head unit. I just trot it back and forth between the trailer and truck. In the trailer, the docking station just plugs into the 12 volt receptacle in the TV area. Then run a line to the Jensen. Then just run the antenna out the trailer through the door. (not a permanenet placement).
That's what I would probably do if I ever go the satellite route.

When FR was talking about making the suggestion that they'd give me a sat' receiver to overcome my radio reception issues, I asked which brand & it was XM. The added cost of the subscription, plus the fact that they didn't have the NASCAR coverage, I passed.

Last year when we went to Charlotte in a rental truck. My buddy just put his Sirius head unit on the console, plugged it into the lighter & put the antenna on the dash. No problems w/ reception from southern Ontario to NC.
__________________
2017 Chevrolet K2500HD
2009 Rockwood 2106 Mini-Lite

https://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/3...600x600Q85.jpg
revrnd is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:39 AM.