It's time for me to get Sirius

[GarageMahal]

I have been getting Sirius radio at home as a Dish network subscriber for a while now and I simply can't wait any longer to get it in my car. Now the question is how do I want to go about it.

I found one possibility that I need to research more but I like it in concept. Visteon (http://www.evisteon.com) makes an in dash unit that looks right at home in the MM dash. There web site does not say that it works specifically with the MM but I am planning to call them and find out for sure. Depending on this price, this may be what I do.

Another choice is to get an interface cable from P.I.E. (http://www.pie.net/pcford.htm) Model FRDW/PC-KNNSR allows me to replace the CD changer in the trunk and add a Kenwood Sirius receiver. I like this option because of its simplicity and price ($100 for the converter and ~$70 for the receiver. The biggest drawbacks are the loss of the CD changer (which could be replaced by a Kenwood CD changer or music keg) and the lack of display information on the head unit. I don't exactly know how the controls work with this setup either.

Yet another possibility involves replacing the head unit. There are lots of choices here and I just may end up going this route but I am having a hard time finding one that fits both physically and aesthetically.

I am planning to upgrade the speakers anyway but I would rather try to keep the factory amp/sub and want to do as little wire cutting as possible.

I just wanted to post what I am considering and see if anyone has any comments or past experiences to share.

jta

[GarageMahal]

I made a call to Southern Electronics (http://www.carradio.com) in Virgina. They sell the Visteon equipment and first told me that they can put together a complete kit (head unit, sat tuner, antenna, and special cable) that will simply replace the factory head unit for under $1000.

I forgot to ask if it would still support the existing changer in the trunk and called back only to discover the original information was wrong and that the Visteon unit will not work in the MM. :cry:

Glad I called back ...

jta

[SergntMac]

Excuse me for butting in here, but I have one of these for sale for 600 bucks, and it's XM Radio ready, just add the concealed reciever and antenna. I don't see XM and Sirius as much different than each other, and I've been very pleased by XM. This isn't my auction, but you can check specs and features. If interested, e-me at SergntMac@aol.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48603&item=5725075028&rd=1

[Paul T. Casey]

As a long time stockholder of Sirius, I am pleased with your decision.

[Petrograde]

As a long time stockholder of Sirius, I am pleased with your decision.


:lol: same here... Please buy Sirius!

[bigslim]

I did the Sirius but only added a FM modulator.

[scareme]

i had xm custom installed in the spot where the sunglass holder is. out of site yet cool when you look up at it.

[bigslim]

Just installed a Kenwood system in my PT today. Radio is Sirius ready and a ten-disk changer. Got the Sirius hooked up and since I was already a subscriber I get the second unit for only $6.95 a month. The whole shot installed was under $700.00.

[gnorrell]

I have had Sirius for a little over a year. The Kenwood FM modulator is the way to go. You can get everthing you need from www.crutchfield.com for $187 and have it installed for another $100.
tuner Item #113SR903
FM modulator Item #113R71FM
antenna Item #113CXSR40

[Directedby]

Remember that in Jan of 2006 HOWARD STERN goes to Sirius not XM.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[bigslim]

Also this month Eminem starts his new station called "ShadyRadio" on Sirius.

[2003_MM_FYRE49]

Just my .02 but I think XM blows Sirius away. I have XM in the Marauder (aftermarket unit) and Sirius (factory unit) in the Mountaineer. I wish Ford would switch thier backing to XM and install those radios in the vehicles instead of Sirius. But like I said that is my opinion of what I like.

[bigslim]

Just my .02 but I think XM blows Sirius away. I have XM in the Marauder (aftermarket unit) and Sirius (factory unit) in the Mountaineer. I wish Ford would switch thier backing to XM and install those radios in the vehicles instead of Sirius. But like I said that is my opinion of what I like.
Please enlighten us on why you like XM better. The reason I chose Sirius over XM was because at the time XM had some comercials on some of their stations. I wanted comercial free listening.

[hdwrench]

i have one of the sirius units that i can take from my car to work, boombox etc.

it has a built in wireless fm modulator so no need for any fancy wiring on ur factory head unit.

the fact clear channel has a huge stake in xm... i wouldnt touch that with a 10 foot pole.

[bigslim]

i have one of the sirius units that i can take from my car to work, boombox etc.

it has a built in wireless fm modulator so no need for any fancy wiring on ur factory head unit.

the fact clear channel has a huge stake in xm... i wouldnt touch that with a 10 foot pole.
Good point!! I don't them to censor my listening.

[mrjones]

Please enlighten us on why you like XM better. The reason I chose Sirius over XM was because at the time XM had some comercials on some of their stations. I wanted comercial free listening.


I'll throw my $.02 in here, too. I bought an XM Roady in March of this year, specifically because the Roady seemed to be the easiest to move from vehicle to vehicle, plus, at the time XM looked to be stronger, with about 3 times the subscribers of Sirius. I've really enjoyed it, especially on long trips, at least with the tape adapter. The FM modulator really sucks. Maybe it's better on the Roady II.

Since I got the XM, though, Dish has been carrying at least some of the Sirius music channels, and I like the format of the channels better on Sirius. It's just a personal opinion, though. Dish doesn't carry any of the Sirius news or sports channels, so I don't know how they compare.

If I were doing it again, I'd probably go with Sirius because of my music preference.

[2003_MM_FYRE49]

Please enlighten us on why you like XM better. The reason I chose Sirius over XM was because at the time XM had some comercials on some of their stations. I wanted comercial free listening.

No problem Big, I'm not sure what the ratio is but I do know that XM has far many more stations to choose from than Sirius. XM has commercial free music, like Sirius, XM is a lot cheaper than Sirius, but I feel that XM has better quality programing than Sirius does. Plus XM is a heck of a lot easier to deal with than the a-holes at Sirius. I was so pissed dealing with the jerk offs at Sirius that I almost had my Sirius receiver removed and replced with an XM system before I even listened to it for the first time. I think if Sirius wants to compete with XM they better get a better quality programming, more channels, charge less, and get rid of the obnoxious jerk offs that work for them. If Ford ever decides to offer XM in their vehicles I can tell you that I,ll switch in a heartbeat. Again. my .02

[bigslim]

Thanks Tim.

[GarageMahal]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I have decided to try the interface cable with a Kenwood tuner first and see how I like it. If I decide I really need to see the song name I will most likely end up with a new head unit.

Additionally, one of the key reasons why I picked Sirius is that subscribers get access to the service via the web without any additional fees. All of this because of one station that plays exactly what I want to hear all of the time :LOL:

jta

[GarageMahal]

I got my new Kenwood Sirius tuner and P.I.E. cable yesterday and had it installed in under 30 minutes. I simply had to unplug the cable going into the factory changer and plug it in to the P.I.E. adapter. No additional wiring at all (unless you count routing the antenna wire into the trunk).

So far I love it. The sound quality is fabulous. I think it sounds better than CDs through the changer.

The drawback with this setup is the controls and display.

The controls are like having a CD with 180 or so tracks on it but there is a way to skip forward and backward several channels at a time. The steering wheel control allows you to go to the next channel up using the skip button.

The display is no big deal either, basically you get the last two digits of the channel number as the track number. This means you can't tell if you are on channel 16 or 116 on the display but its easy enough to figure out because Sirius groups similar channels together. I don't really care that I can't see the artist and track information, less things to distract the driver.

So for about $200 I have a Sirius tuner controlled by my factory deck. I'm happy :)

jta

[cyclonecj]

Sirius has crappier reception by far, it cuts out around trees, buildings etc. while XM is much better. There is way less variety in their programming, the rock stations all have the same playlist, I have heard the same song on 4 stations at once on Sirius.

XM is cheaper, has far better reception and more variety. Stations are more unique than Sirius.

I put the Sony modular unit under my front seat. I can change stations by pointing the remote at the back window. Didn't drill any holes in my new baby!