Just bought a new car but wasn’t patient enough to find or order something with satellite radio.
I have some exposure to Sirius (mostly) and XM and no real preference for either.
The factory stereo has an input jack on the front for an auxilary device… my question:
Isn’t there a small satellite receiver/MP3 player(recorder?) device that would work in this instance? Does anyone have any experience with it as their sole means of receiving satellite? I can imagine that the biggest down-side would be the small interface and that it wouldn’t display information on the dash.
You can go about this one of two ways. The majority of factory decks are satellite ready. This means you can buy an aftermaket reciever that is installed inside the car, out of view, and you’ll use it like you would a 6 disc changer or such as an aux input. Howmuch you see on the screen will depend on the stero in the car.
The other option is to purchase a seperate satellite reciever. They range from about $50 to $300. The higher dollar ones support MP3 playback and such. These seperate recievers usually have built in FM transmitters for ease of use, or you can attach a wire to your stero in the car directly. Some of these external recievers can have a docking station mounted in the car.
I just picked up This at RadioShack for $50.00 with a $20.00 rebate. (It’s over). I just stuck the thing on the under side of my dash and plugged it into my back AUX input with a cable $6.00 at RadioShack.
Quick, painless and cheap. There’s several online auction type places that have this and other models for around the same price. Not as “intergrated” as a deck unit, but for $30.00, plus subscription…I’m happy.
Yes, a lot of the newer units come with a built-in FM transmitter. I don’t have one, so I can’t comment on how they work. Many decks are satellite ready, but you have to buy a new deck and the receiver and you can’t use that anywhere else. For both reasons, when I went satellite two years ago, I got the previous version of the Delphi SkyFi, which allowed me to buy a home station and use the receiver both in my car and at the house. So there’s the car cradle, which is glued to my dash, which is connected under the dash with both the antenna in and the line out. The line out goes to a pretty powerful FM transmitter inside my dash. The antenna is on the roof and feeds into the car somehow. The entire thing is hooked directly to the battery. I got it professionally installed, so I can’t say exactly how it looks. The other options are to go with something like the Delphi MyFi, but that’d work best if you had a line-in on the front of your deck (which I see you have), or with something like the Delphi RoadyXT that can be easily, non-permanently mounted and with a built-in FM transmitter. The only MP3 player/satellite receivers I know of are the ones listed here. If you’re willing to pony up the cash, I’d probably get the Pioneer Inno and the needed accessories, if any.
What, I have the * Delphi MyFi* asterion referenced. It has an FM transmitter that’s surprisingly effective. It comes with a car mounting kit that includes a holder that clips to an A/C vent, cigarette lighter power plug, and antenna that goes on your dash or roof. It works quite well in the car. The monochrome display is large and easy to see in bright light all the way through darkest night. Delphi chose clear, legible fonts that are easy to read from a distance. And it comes with a remote control so you don’t even have to touch it!
It also comes with a base for home use (AC adapter, line cords for stereo, antenna with long cord) and antenna for portable use. A neat feature that I’ve never used is recording off the air. It’ll hold 5 hours. It’ll come in handy if you spend time in an area without reception, like cities with skyscrapers or sitting in the parking garage listening.