# Greater Toronto Area dopers: Satellite Radio? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045 "2007-02-21T02:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/1 "2007-02-21T02:31:03Z")
I do a lot of driving in my work and personal life. It is not uncommon for me drive 1500 km a week. So I am considering getting satellite radio, my first thought is Sirius (mainly because they have the NFL, and I can already listen to the leafs on local radio), but I have a couple questions: 1. Is there much interference from regular radio? 2. Can you switch back and forth to satellite and local radio? 3. Hi Opal! (I just wanted to put this in, see I had never actually seen a post by this Opal person until recently and I always thought she was a mythical poster) 4. Installation - how does it work? Where does it get the power? Do you use a radio frequency that isn’t other wise used? That is it for now, thanks for the info all! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/2 "2007-02-21T04:20:24Z")
No experience with Toronto, but I had a Sirius equipped car in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago. It worked perfectly, no problems. Switching between FM and SAT was one push of the button. Sirius Rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/3 "2007-02-21T04:22:26Z")
Oh, I forgot to answer question #4 Mine was a factory installation. Aftermarket installations get their power from different places. Generally either a hardwire installation, or a 12V power socket. (cig lighter). It would depend on the unit you choose. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/4 "2007-02-21T07:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=Queuing] 1. Is there much interference from regular radio? [/QUOTE] I have an older model serius sportster which has the fm transmitter, instead of the factory install indash. If I have the antenna on the roof , almost no interference from local fm stations, but if the antenna is inside the car on my dash, i do get some bleed through. > [@](#): > > 1. Can you switch back and forth to satellite and local radio? This is part of ansewer number four ,but you are going to have a radio preset on your carstereo just for the freq that the Sat is using, switching is simply a matter of changing the dial. > [@](#): > > 1. Installation - how does it work? Where does it get the power? Do you use a radio frequency that isn’t other wise used? Several installs depending on how you want your system configured. Mine is the older model so i have to keep it on the dash and it comes with a holster that has a suction cup that attaches to the window. Right now i have to find a way of cleaning the suction cup as it has a tendency to separate from the windshield at inopportune moments. They will have a cigarette lighter adapter and the fm transmitter just simply broadcasts and your normal stereo recieves, or if your stereo has a aux input then its even simpler. Um as for the last , southern ontario has a full fm radio spectrum so your not going to find a lot of free space, so its going to be a matter of experimenting with presets to find the best available. Declan ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/5 "2007-02-21T14:41:07Z")
I heard on the news yesterday that Sirrius and XM are planning a merger - so you won’t have to make that choice if the deal goes thru. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greater-toronto-area-dopers-satellite-radio/393045/6 "2007-02-21T15:18:50Z")
Yeah, but even if it is accepted it won’t happen for a long time. Thanks for the answers so far.