My Experience With XM Satellite Radio
I’m a big music listener and frequently chose to listen to the radio instead of watching television. With XM satellite radio the variety of channels is enormous with over 150 channels featuring everything from rock to bluegrass music. Some of my favorites are the 80’s and 90’s channels as I’ve heard many songs I had completely forgotten. They bring back such fond memories of my teenager years. Music channels are not the only offerings of XM satellite service as there are numerous talk radio channels. I enjoy the XM comedy and the XM kids channels. The talk channels are varied with every point of view represented and have some of the most popular talk shows on the market.
Since this was a gift for my husband, he picked out the Delphi XM MyFi receiver which has plenty of bells and whistles. You can use this receiver inside the car or outside on a walk. While the receiver comes with a car and home kit, it also comes with a personal antenna which allows you to take it while you go for a stroll. The MyFi has internal memory that allows for five hours of programming to be recorded and played back at any time. There are many presets for you to use for accessing your favorite channels. Another neat feature is that when a song comes on you like, you can store it in memory, and MyFi will let you know when it’s playing on any of the XM channels. The display of the MyFi receiver also shows the artist and name of the song.
We also purchased a Delphi XM Roady 2 for me that we mainly use at home. The Roady 2 comes with the equipment to use in an automobile so we had to buy separately a home kit. While this receiver pales in comparison to the MyFi it comes with some nice touches. You can change the color of the display background, and it also is packaged with several faceplates for an alternate look. There are 3 preset banks for storing your favorite channels. The Roady 2 also has the capability of storing song information into memory. Many additional accessories can be bought for the XM satellite receivers. The remote control for the Roady is lightweight and works wonderfully.
Once you are an XM subscriber you can listen to XM radio through the Internet. This makes it very convenient to listen to XM radio at work or in your home. There are 75 channels that can be accessed through XM Radio Online. This service is available to anyone for $7.99. It is free if you are already an XM subscriber.
The cost is fairly reasonable. Since we are new parents, the entertainment fund has been sitting quietly collecting dust so there is a little wiggle room. The first receiver is $14.99 a month. The XM family plan allows for up to four additional receivers to be added to a plan for $6.99 each.
My XM satellite radio keeps me company the whole day. The commercial free broadcasts mean more music with fewer interruptions. Many of the songs on XM radio receive little or no play on mainstream radio. There is a lot of great music that has been produced and a vast majority of it can be heard on XM satellite radio. While I might have been skeptical of satellite radio, I am now a believer. It’s a great way to listen to the radio.
