I've got a couple questions regarding Satellite Radio and hooking up my iPod to my head unit. No worries about which provider you think is better, so you can sigh a breathe of relief there.

Currently I have a Alpine CDA-9851 in my truck with my iPod connected to it through a Ai-Net Connector wire.
Last night I bought a XM Roady XT cause it was cheap and comes with everything I need to hook it up.

Looking a bit closer into the whole situation, I can run Sat. Radio directly through my head unit, not even needing a outside Sat. unit since my head unit is Sat Radio Ready, just need either the XM radio adapter or the Sirius radio adapter.

First Question:
Both SAT Radio adapters connect to my head unit via the Ai-Net Connector, just like my iPod. Preferably I would like to have both connected to the head unit. Is this possible? Some sort of a adapter or separate way to connect the iPod?

2nd Question:
Is it better to run SAT radio through a Car Ready Unit or run it directly through your head unit?
-Easier interface with the XM display unit or is it easy enough to navigate through the head unit?
-Easy place to mount the display unit?

I've looked enough online to know what I need to order if I want to run either provider through the head unit (i think..... XM- XM Direct Satellite Radio Package, Sirius- SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO ALPINE SIR-ALP1), but wanting to keep the iPod hooked up at the same time I'm not sure if I can.

Any insight on this would be helpful.

 

if you use the SIR-ALP1 it has an Ai-net input so you will be able to use your aux input cable for your Ipod. I'm not sure about the XM adapter as I have not worked anywhere that has sold Alpine in a cpl yrs.
Go to a local Alpine dealer & check out the XM tuner & see if it has an input. i'm pretty sure it will have one but i don't know forsure
As far as the way you get sat radio sound wise there is no difference in sound as long as your useing a direct input to the head unit. Which you are. I like the direct units so much more then the portible units as you don't have something hanging off your dash or windshield.
However if you want to have one sat subscribtion & move it from car to car & in your house then the portible is the only way to go

 

i connect my sirius to my hu through its headphone jack using a wire that goes to my ai net.

you can use that wire, then get a Y connector / splitter and hook both up maybe?

 

There are multiple AI-Net connection blocks out there, just call a good local stereo shop and you can run it.

Additionally, the older AI-Net XM tuners like mine had a pass-through AI connection, so theoretically I could run a CD changer or Ipod in tandem with the sat tuner. But I personally hated the interface for the Alpine Ipod connector. When mine crapped out, I hooked my iPod directly to the radio via the AI-Net to RCA plug. Now I can use my iPod's interface instead of the painfully slow Alpine. YMMV.

 

Yeah, after some more looking around, I noticed that Sirius has the extra Ai-Net port, and for that reason, I'll be going that route soon. I'll either run the PIE iPod interface wire that I'm running right now (iPod interface) for the iPod, or I'll try out the iPod interface and go that route. Now it's just a priority factor of when it gets ordered. Nice thing, I can order the iPod interface later and just plug that into the Sirius box.