[OT] satellite radio

I'm finally going to get satellite radio and the sirius subscription package. I was wondering if anyone here on elf had experience with any of the different types of radios and how they work at home and in the car. I'm driving down to sw florida for the holidays (20+ hr each way, and yes, i'll be at the everblades tourney!) and this is a necessity. and to paraphrase trotsky.. use small words.. I only have an am/fm/cassette player in my car, I am mechanically dis-inclined and i'm too poor to even consider tivo.

So I have a few questions that i was hoping to get some feedback on before heading to the electronics store.

I would like a player that works in my car and at home.

according to the sirius website, for the part of indiana that i live in I just stick the home antennea on roof and point straight up. I live in a top floor apt with a small balcony with an open view to the west. do you think the signal would work if i just mounted it on the balcony rail?

how easy is it to install the player and antennea in the car and at home? (remember i'm mechanically dis-inclined... anything more difficult than changing a light bulb will be a challenge)?

Will places like best buy or circuit city install it for you?

does the satellite signal really work well in the car no matter where you are? ... for example in northern georgia where all you can get on the radio is gospel music and preachers expounding on how you will burn in hell? also I-24 between nashville and chatanooga is pretty much dead air space too. I plan on traveling on the weekend thus being able to listen to the nfl games is a key consideration.

with sirius does the subscription fee (~ $150 per year) cover *everything*, or are there tiers of service. from the website it appeared to be all inclusive (music, talk radio, sports, nfl, nhl and nba).

I was thinking of getting the Starmate Replay ST2? (best buy has a $60 mail-in rebate, thus instead of $129, it would be $69)

they also have the Sportster Replay for $40 ($169.00) more but I couldn't tell what the difference was between the two from the web descriptions.

does my sirius subscription also allow me web access? I don't think the satellite radio will work in my lab ... the lab is an interior room (no am signal, limited fm radio stations), and there is alot of equipment around. but if my subcription also allowed me to listen over the net, that would be an added bonus.

is there anything else i'm not considering or should ask the sales rep??

Thanks in advance for any advice or comments you can provide.
rita

I'll answer as many questions as I can, even though I don't have it myself. I've used it every now and then in a relative's car, and it's pretty sweet.

I haven't come across a single person who owns either Sirius or XM and doesn't rave about it. Everyone seems extremely happy with it, and you never hear any sort of mention to the effect of, "It's too bad you have to pay for it every month." Instead, people rave about what great music and other programming can be found on it. I'd say that especially if you're going to have a really long drive or live in an area with mediocre local radio, Sirius or XM would be a very good idea.

Reception should be fine in most areas with a clear view of the sky. Really, the only time I've noticed a gap in reception is when going through tunnels or under a very thick forest canopy. But for the most part, reception is very good.

From the sounds of it, if changing a light bulb is a challenge for you (and yes, I know that was a joke), it might be a better idea to have it installed. Best Buy and Circuit City usually include free installation. There are people like me who love to tinker with cars and install car audio systems and all that, and enjoy the satisfaction of having done it by themselves. That sort of thing requires a fair amount of troubleshooting and all that. You might want to just let someone with experience do it, unless you're willing to fearlessly dive in and take apart your car. It can be rewarding, but from the sounds of it, uh, steer clear.

I'm pretty sure XM allows you to listen over the web to the streams, but I'm not sure about Sirius.

Yea, Sirius has web stream that comes free with your subscription. Just got a sportster replay yesterday, haven't installed it yet. My fiance's dad has had Sirius for probably 6 months, great stuff.

Not that it should necessarily make a difference for anyone in choosing, but in case it does, at least one member of Sirius's ownership is a Cornell alum/hockey fan.

Beeeej

thanks to all who provided advice and comments....
I opted for the sportster replay unit and it will be installed in my car tomorrow by the best buy installation crew.

in the meantime i'm taking advantage of sirius's online access to work while bopping to classic 80's alternative rock... at least until it is time to play tonight's version of "all/some/ or no access". Once again i'll take 6:57 in the audio pool.

rita

I just stumbled on a press release from back in August that flew under my radar:

[www.ivyleaguesports.com]

[Q]SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI), the nation’s premier provider of live professional and collegiate sports events and sports talk on satellite radio, and the Ivy League announced today a multi-year agreement to broadcast a “Game of the Week” for football and men’s basketball, plus a select number of men’s hockey and other games from across the Ivy League sports landscape, on SIRIUS throughout the season.[/Q]

So, good choice, Rita.

And a funny take on this announcement:
[www.thestreet.com]