snap-on

Im a stickler for quality. Id like to get sat (sirius) but wont spend the $$ for the hardware. (i was hopping Stern would be giving a bunch away and i could get lucky but no)

anyway from what limited sat radio i have heard it sounds like very poor MP3's. not even close to FM broadcast quality much less CD quality. I can definetly hear the compression artificacts in it.

They have the ablity to change that, but figure people would like the sound of 8,903,456 channels to choose from as opposed to 50 or 60 that acutally sounded good.

dgold

Maybe another easy way to do it would be to mount it to the back of the hood (instead of the roof) and pass the wire through one of the vents or the firewall?

4-RUNNIN' FREAK

After 6 stores, I finally went to a small local speed/sound shop after the national chain stores and found one last Reply. All the chains said it's nationally sold out (Sirius Replay and Sportster)

Time to activate it and kiss FM goodbye.

For those around the country, the "free" radio in the NYC area really sucks, and now 92.3 Krock, now WFNY is all talk. One of the last decent stations gone. All the rest is rap, pop, and Spanish.

WFNY? I wonder what the F stands for.

Thanks for the info everyone.

EDIT: EVERY show has some $1,000 gimmicks going on to keep the listeners.
I have to turn it off now. Goodbye FM.

Epic Ed

Well, if you're using one of the portable units, you're still getting FM quality. All of them use FM modulation to pipe the signal into your stereo system. It's not bad, but not optimal, either.

I have a Siruis receiver and Sirius compatible head unit in both of my 4Runners. I also have a portable XM Roady2 that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. The sound quality with the Sirius compatible head units blows away the quality on the portable XM. If you go the route of using a portable unit, and you have multiple vehicles, do yourself a favor and buy a second antenna. Permanently mount the antenna in both vehicles and then all you have to swap between rides is the portable unit and the power supply.

XM made this very easy to do recently -- $17.99 for an entire Roady 2 kit! I bought two kits which gave me two antennas, and was able to then run the antenna discretely and do a clean, professional, permanant install of that long, unweildly cable. Makes a lot of difference in how the interior looks.

If I had to make a choice about doing satellite with one receiver and one service, I'd pick Sirius over XM and buy a receiver that connects directly to the head unit via RCA cables.

Ed

4-RUNNIN' FREAK

Well... I really really like it.

I am getting some static, but I am guessing it's from the antenna being inside the cabin and the rain/sleet/snow going on right now.

If all goes well, I can always add the service from the head unit I get for the XRunner for less $$$, and give this to my g/f's father since he likes it for the oldies stations.

I am streaming it on the net, and it just sounds awesome. No hiss like I get even from cd's.

Mad Chemist

Just got the Sirius Starmate set up this weekend, and love it! I've got a 45 minute commute, and it just got a whole lot more fun. Being in junior high/high school in the 80's, I particularly like the Hair Nation station, I heard Stryper on the way home and it had me rocking out. I can't see ever going back to fm.

Bumpin' Yota

In that case, take some time, turn off the DSR and cruise around and find a COMPLETELY open radio station. It might be 87.7 and it might be 102.4 or whatever. Just take your time to find one that has absolutely nothing. Then set your FM transmitter to broadcast at that frequency and it should alleviate your static.

With XM and Sirius (I have both personally) you KNOW when your DSR antenna is barely picking it up as the voices and sounds become VERY mechanized as opposed to staticy.

Another option would be to buy a WIRED fm modulator. This improves signal quality to the best FM you can have.

The next best would be if your CD player/Radio had an Aux Input, OR a cd changer input. If you have the CD changer input, but no changer, check out USA Spec international for their adapter that gives you 2 aux inputs.

The best bet (what I have) is an after market deck with the tuner box. 100% digital quality DSR.

Mad Chemist

What's the best bet for recording MP3's off of satellite radio- logging into their website and recording off there? I haven't figured out a way to record off my home stereo (can you connect the audio output of the stereo into the microphone input on a laptop?)

Bumpin' Yota

Yes however you do have that digital to analog to digital conversion via that damn 1/8" jack. But if you ahve a sound capture program, yes you can do it.

Yota4runner

Anyone have thier receivers custom mounted in their rigs? if so Mind posting up some pics?

Mad Chemist

Yeah, I'd be interested in seeing how people mounted their units (don't take that the wrong way! ).

jimrockford

I have a Sirius Sportster Replay, and don't get me wrong, I love it. I haven't listened to FM in my 4Runner since I got Sirius. But sound quality is not one of its strengths.

I started with the built-in FM transmitter and couldn't stand to listen to music on it. The sound was "warbly" (I think I made that up) and "sss" sounds had too much sibilance (I may have made that word up too). So, I ordered a wired FM modulator and hooked that in through the antenna input. I listened both ways and couldn't make out any difference whatsoever in sound quality. They sounded exactly the same.

I started having problems with my deck (5 year old Eclipse) and bought a Kenwood XXV-01D to replace it. It has an auxiliary input so I ran the Replay through that. I compared that to the FM modulator on the new deck and found a pretty prenounced difference. It definitely sounds better. Maybe FM quality--maybe a little better--but nowhere near CD. Some of that might be the deck since it's newer and has a lot more audio processing options but when comparing between the hard wired input and FM modulation, hard wired definitely wins out.

However, today I listened to Howard 100 a little on my way home. Anyone else with Sirius think they have the low end on 100 and 101 boosted too much? I had to turn my sub way down to make it listenable.

jimrockford

Not exactly a custom install, but:

Mad Chemist

Thanks for posting a pic. I will agree that the sound quality I'm getting right now with my stock radio and the fm modulation isn't the best- I notice alot more with talk radio shows, not so much when I've got the music on (less gaps in the sound to hear the background noise).

Mad Chemist

One thing I just realized on my way in this morning- part of the interference I was experiencing was a radio station that doesn't broadcast near my house, but comes in about half way to work. Switching to a different frequency without another station on nearby frequencies to prevent bleed over helps quite a bit to minimize this.

highway74

I just ordered the new Sirius Streamster Replay, can't wait to get it!! It just came out yesterday, it's supposedly an updated Sportster Replay.

4-RUNNIN' FREAK

I think mine has something to do with the HU in my trucks or the metalic tint may have something to do with it. (Faraday cage type effect maybe?)

It works fine in all the other cars and trucks I take it in.

I have no clear stations, they are either all static, or very weak signals from far away, so I use a Spanish station.

Bumpin' Yota

BINGO! and that is the key with FM modulation, including using a wired unit.

incidentally we have a sirius tuner by audiovox (2nd gen). goes btwn mom's clinic and her F250 powerjoke. SQ kinda stunk imo in the F250, that was until I went out and bought an alpine AI net to aux in adapter. Nice improvement in sound. (Mom has an alpine cda-9831)

Mad Chemist

How do/can you hardwire the fm output of a Starmate directly into the car's coax?

Bumpin' Yota

You have to get a wired fm modulator. The biggest thing that will do is prevent interference from surrounding radio stations.