XM vs. Sirius and mounting options

What are the pro's and con's of XM vs. Sirius for satellite radio? Also please share any installation tips.

Thanks,

Dan

Hijacked from another thread
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=535&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

With sirius the monthly sub makes all their channesl available - XM has the option to subxcribe to premium channels.

The Sirius units have an XM transmitter built in to their docking stations, with XM (except the new roady) you need to get an additional transmitter unit if you want to pipe it through an FM radio. Both standards have a line out.

I run mine on a GS as loose components with an Autocom unit (everything gets dumped in the tankbag) and I draw power from the accesory socket with an adapter plug which allows me to use the standard cigarette lighter plug on the Sirius unit - I also use this unit in my car so I didn't want to cut any wires.

There are some neat fitment options available for the XM units if you look at the cyclegadgets website.

Cost is pretty much the same for both standards (Excpet the XM Roady unit which comes in a bit cheaper).

It's pretty much 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other.

I was debating the same choice a few months ago.

I finaly went with XM.

Because they are so close, I based my decision on the available channels. I found that XM had more channels for things that I was intersted in.

On a side not I also got the feeling that if one company was going to do better than the other it would be XM because they were making deals with MTV and VH1. Business decisions that to me, made them sound more sustainable.

I say look at each providers content and bast your decision off of that.

Since I installed XM into my car, I've listened to maybe 2 cds tops! It's like having the largest mix tape ever!

Xaque said:

On a side not I also got the feeling that if one company was going to do better than the other it would be XM because they were making deals with MTV and VH1. Business decisions that to me, made them sound more sustainable.

..

Click to expand...

Both providers have deals with the auto manufacturers to do standard factory installs. By the looks of it XM is more slanted towards the GM line with VW and Toyota thrown into the mix. Sirius leans more toward the Ford and Chrysler factories with their line of products with BMW and Mini thrown in to balance things out.

I thing both will be around for a while, one might absorb the other in a couple of years time if it comes to that but at the end of the day it all comes down to what your listening preferences are as you stated in your mail.

I love satelite radio - no more fidgeting with a radio to search for a station in the middle of nowhere - just pure clean music / commedy/ news / weather or whatever you feel like listening to while munching away the miles.

XM "roady" is very biker friendly and versatile. I switch it from bike to different vehicles regularily, plus they have Nascar.

I've installed the Roady on a couple of bikes.
Check out Hoonhardware.com for a nice install kit $30.
They also have a hardwire kit that I've used and like.
The roady allows you to plug into it with headphones, so you don't have to use a Autocom or etc.
Good luck

Hey Kevin is that you?
Cal

Hey Cal,
That be me.
IÔÇÖm going to be in your neck of the woods next weekend.
Leaving on Wed. then jump into Canada for a couple of days.
Are you going to make the big meeting?

I would look at the channels you like and make the decition that way, I found syrous had more channels and music types i like.

I chose Sirius...

I chose Sirius .... why? Here goes....

Pros
1) NHL Broadcasts ... having been born in Minnesota, hockey is in my blood.

2) NPR ... You don't get everything.... All Things Considered and Morning Edition being examples, but you do get Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Prairie Home Companion, etc. You can find the NPR satellite schedule on NPR's website.

3) It's not XM ... GM owns a ton of XM stock ... I think 40% of the outstanding shares ... and I just can't stomach that company.

4) NFL Broadcasts start this fall (Go Vikings!!!)

5) A co-worker has XM and Sirius (two different vehicles) and he finds the music selection and variety on Sirius a bit better.

6) The delivery method (# of satellites and their location) makes more sense Higher inclination means less blockage in the twisty canyons of the country....look up the article from the May 2002 article in Car and Driver

Cons
1) 3 bucks more per month when purchased month by month (but who is counting?)
2) the XM equipment is a little more trick (especially the Roady line).


But, then again, it all comes down to personal choice.

Something to consider...

XM is Delphi technology, Delphi is a "strategic partner" with GM.

XM has more than 1 Million listeners already (from huge celebration PR blitz on their channels)
Sirius has less than 50% (480,341 subscriptions) according to their quarterly SEC filing.

Given the experience of Dish, Primestar, DirecTV stuff during the twilight of the last century, I decided to go with the XM solution and have been fairly happy with it. The big thing I miss is the sports. Go Devils!

A vote for XM and Hoon

I chose the XM Roady because of its size and ease of use. Sean Franklin, owner of Cyclegadgets.com, did the installation in his Plymouth, IN shop.
We looked at a couple of options for my K1200GT and decided on the Hoon mount that bolts to the top of the brake fluid reservoir. The Hoon mount has a little platform for the magnetized Roady antenna. Sean hard-wired the power source into my accessory plug, so all I have to do it snap the Roady into its mounting bracket, pop the antenna onto its platform and plug in the power, antenna and output. The only minor problem I've found with this setup is that my body sometimes blocks the signal when I'm riding due north.
I use custom molded in-ear monitors that also act as very efficient earplugs and I was delighted to discover that the Roady's output needs no further amplification. Actually, the default Roady output signal (you can adjust it from the on-screen menu) is a bit too loud, so Sean set me up with an extension that has an in-line volume control.
I was out for 18 days in July and came home with a serious XM addiction. It made for the easiest traverse of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and eastern Colorado that I've ever experienced.
There are a couple of features I especially like:
<B>Memory </B>which saves song and artist information for later recall in case you hear something you'd like to track down in a CD store.
<B>Tune Select </B>which lets you tag favorite songs when you hear them. The next time they're played on any of XM's channels, you get a beep and a chance to push a button to switch to your song.
Prior to converting to XM, I spent most of my drive time listening to NPR. Sirius has some NPR programming and XM is edging onto NPR's turf. They'll launch a new XM Public Radio Channel on Sept. 1 with lots of NPR-style programming. Bob Edwards, who was fired last March after nearly 25 years as host of NPR's <I>Morning Edition,</I> will host the <I>Bob Edwards Show</I> on the channel, beginning Oct. 1. They're also buying a bunch of programs from Public Radio International (PRI) and American Public Media (APM), the production and distribution arm of Minnesota Public Radio, and Boston public radio station WBUR.
We'll even be able to listen to those snotty Brits obsessing about the post-colonial Third World on BBC World Service.
Delphi just introduced the Roady2, which has the additional features of a stock ticker that you can program with up to 20 of your favorite stock symbols and an internal transmitter that will send direct to a nearby FM radio. This has resulted in big discounts for the original Roady, so if you don't care about stocks or the internal transmitter, this could be a good time to snap up the original Roady.

Re: A vote for XM and Hoon

IndyGT said:

... neither carries NPR ...

Click to expand...

Not exactly true. NPR does have an official presence on Sirius. It's not the same thing as your local affiliate, as explained above, but when you want to listen to the 6:00pm Eastern broadcast of Prairie Home Companion, it's there.

For more information, go to: http://www.npr.org/about/schedules/.

A vote for Sirius

I've been using Sirius on my bike and in my house for more than a year now and I am still impressed!
I went with Sirius for two main reasons:
1. NO COMMERCIALS. Sirius is the only one that has entirely commercial free music channels. The way I see it, if I"m paying money to listen, I shouldn't be subjected to ads.
2. NPR. There are three public radio channels on Sirius while XM has none.
Oooh, I ust thought of another one!
I am about 90% sure that sirius is the only one that lets you listen to all of thier channles on the internet. This really makes the workday more enjoyable. I log onto thier website, enter my password and viola! Satelite radio at my desk!

I had no problem building a mount for the unit on the handlebars of my K75. I bought a 1" u-bolt and a small shelf bracket, and attacted the ball and socket clamp of the reciever to that. It's been on there for over 20000 with no problems. If you have one of those shelfs above your gauges you could screw the reciver to that (it has holes in the bottom for just that reason) The antenna is magnet mounted to my headlight.

I really think Sirius is the way to go!

Sirius: NHL, NFL, and talk radio... That's enough to make me happy.

XM went to commercial free music channels about 6 months ago.

XM Sound Quality via Helmet Speakers

Can anyone out there comment on the the typical sound quality of music on XM radio through helmet speakers while going say 70 MPH on a GS?

My helmet is quite loud and I wear ear plugs. So, I am wondering just how reasonable the final audio quality is while crusing down the road.

Any information would be appreciated. Also, when the works are installed in a tank bag, how much room does it take up?

Thanks

Chatterbox vs Autocom

It depends on the helmet speaker. I currently have chatterbox that I use to play my mp3 over the helmet speakers. The sound quality leaves a lot to be desired, If you know the words you can probally hum along and fill in the blanks from the speakers. I recently listened to the sound quality form autocom and was greatly impressed.
I had a set of earplug speakers custom fitted last year and use them extensively while travelling. They block out the wind noise and reproduce the sound very well. They don't bother me on extended trips provided I make sure there is no strain on the cords. If you strain the cord and tug the earplug just a little bit they can become quite uncomfortable.

Indy GT has a nice setup described in this thread. You can plug your earphones into the Roady and not have to use speakers.

One thing I found out at the rally is that at least one of the Satellite radios uses a 6vdc input. A cyclegadgets customer tried cutting the plug off the power cord and hard wiring it to his bike. He was having problems trying to operate his radio on 12-14vdc.

The solution was to wire a cigarette lighter type accessory outlet into the bike and then plug a new power cord into the outlet. The dropping resistor is built into the plug on the power cord.

XM Audio

Thanks for your imput -- helps a lot!

Delphi warranty service

My original Roady developed a problem with the output (headphone) jack. I sent it to their warranty service contractor and got a new unit (at no charge) in today's mail. Total turnaround time - 8 days!!!