Ask the readers: Satellite Radio in your life

After moving to DC and watching 99.1 WHFS go Spanish I went for XM. At that point I found my long lost Opie and Anthony show that I had used to listen to on YSP in Philly and cruising the Beltway listening to Harry Kalas totally rules. Going back to FM or an iPod would kill me.

I purchased my first radio in 2004.It was an orbiter and I was blown away by what was offered. I not only loved the commercial free music I got to listen to more kinds of it.In the days of FM I would usually listen to top 40 stuff.Now its alternative as well as top 40[BBC Radio 1] oldies and even standards and jazz.A big factor I didnt count on was the news/talk streams.I now listen to the BBC and WRN and NPR ,Catholic channel more than ever.Now with XM public radio it just got better. I listen more at home as my drive to work is 5 minutes.I listen on line at work. The Sirius 1 is in the car it works right for my needs there.I just got a Sportster 4 and new boombox.My orbiter is in use by another family member. And the Starmate by another still.Even the dog loves it.But every night where before I never listened to the radio to go to sleep its on all night and I lose a lot of sleep,Also I let my mood Im in pick what I want to listen to.Some nights ,talk,some nights news or classic radio. But my life changed as I got hooked on it from the get go as the content is like no where else and most importantly Im not commercialed to death.

Got my first in 2003, the XM PCR. Used that until 2005 when I got a Myfi. In 2007 I switched to an Inno and also added Sirius with my Pioneer head unit.

I rarely use the XM or Sirius online function, but I do download O and A shows just because they're already edited and I can start and stop them form the beginning as opposed to being on XM's replay schedule. Other than that, I pretty much stick to the radios since the other stuff I usually listen to is sports, and most of that isn't online anyways.

How has satellite radio changed my life? Well, that's simple:

My father died a couple of years ago. He didn't have much, but what he did have I inherited because I was the only family. I was still in college at the time and figured I'd put the money towards a house when I got out, but while I was still in school I wouldn't use it, I'd just invest it until I got done. I, of course, invested in the product I believed most in, satellite radio. I bought XM at around $17 a share figuring the worst case situation would be a 10% loss. I graduated in August of this year, just in time for the merger to close. As I'm sure most of you who have seen the stock know, I have been completely wiped out. I guess I should have tried to hurry and graduate in December of '07 instead of August '08. I would have sold then and been fine. My own fault for believing in this product I guess.

Who knows what would have happened if it wasn't for satellite radio? Maybe things would have ended up the same. Maybe they wouldn't have. What I can say is that if it wasn't for satellite radio, I wouldn't be contemplating putting a bullet in my head. I don't have any other solutions.

Thanks, Mel.

He's right satellite radio, rules!!!!!
Ok, I have no life, I admit it, but my situation is a huge part of that. I have a tumor, and just not any tumor. One in the center of my brainstem. It was discovered by accident when I was 19. It was only discovered because it grew so big that it started cutting off my vision. Doctors operated and were only able to reduce the size. Apperantly, the brainstem, is the "No-Go" area of the human body. Not getting to far of topic, let me just say, I have no job and listen to Sirius alot. If it wasn't for octane 20, I would have gone crazy months ago. I got my engineering degree, but haven't been able to secure a job. The reason, I enjoy satellite radio over terrestrial radio, is be cause of the no commercials aspect. Friends have told me that I could use an I-pod and just pay once for a song and be done. You know, their right, but then, I would need to create playlists and would never hear new music. Only hearing music that I already know of. I am piss broke, and am glad to pay $12.95 a month for Sirius. That is why I love it.

I first picked up my XM in my truck when I was in college and asked for one for Christmas (2002). I was kinda into it back then, but I didn't really get into it until I started commuting to my job and found this crazy radio show called Opie & Anthony. Prior to that it had been just there. Now its involved in my life. I have gone through 5+ radios, but finally settled down on the Inno and love it. I listen to the rock channels and record O&A replays at night and listen to it the next day. I will stay with the Inno until they get an interoperable unit on the market that has full Wi-Fi so I can stream the show at work while on the go.

I have 3 Sirius subscriptions. Two built in to each of my two cars. My other radio is a Stiletto 100 which I have set up to use at home and at my airport hangar where I spend a lot of time. I have WIFI in the house and use the Stiletto when I sit outdoors on the lanai or swim in the pool. I also use the Stiletto in the mornings with the head speaker antenna when I jog. The Stiletto now has the best of XM and I am experimenting with their stations as well. I was initially drawn to Sirius by Howard Stern and enjoy the product every day.

I've been with satellite radio for over 3 years first when I lived in Arkansas and then when I moved to northern New Jersey a year ago. The driving force was baseball--so I first had Sirius and when I found out they didn't have MLB I switched to XM. Outstanding programming and I have discovered many other channels that I would have never been drawn to otherwise. I live 30 miles outside NYC and never listen to local stations. There is no need! Have units in both cars (one XM, one Sirius) and an XM unit in my office. Could not imagine being without it.

I had almost 1,000 CDs and it was getting expensive. I found SatRad as the way to get all the music I just couldn't afford and easily collect. I found XM to have the best music for me with Fred and Music Lab as the main draws and hadn't bought a CD since. My CD collection covers only a fraction of what a channel like Fred can offer even though that's my primary taste.

I've since suffered through Jam being added to MusicLab and then the drop of the channel but the classic rock channels work for me. I've discovered so much more such as XMU, Lucy, Fine Tuning, The System, U-Pop, and more. I also discovered O&A and got addicted to that show.

I can't imagine my days without my Inno everywhere and is why I started xmvote.com to see what everyone else was liking. I've since expanded that to satradvote.com to include the Sirius channels I don't really know and currently don't get since XM meets my needs. I could switch to an iPod but I don't want to do all of the work of programming my own stations and knowing exactly what I've put in there. I actually like easily discovering new music (and new-to-me old music) and being surprised by my entertainment.

My Inno is on in my bedroom first thing in the morning, goes in my car to work, sits on my desk all day at work, and then back home to the bedroom. I wear it around some but primarily when working around the house. In the living room I sometimes listen online through my laptop. Outside of that I'm music and XM free. I haven't listened to terr radio or CDs in forever.

Sponsored by Best Buy? Can you get the geek squad to fix the text cut off problem?
I got my first SATRAD 4 years ago. I have owned the XMPCR, SkyFi w/ boom box ,SkyFi2 with boom box, 2 roady xt's, 2 roady 2's, an inno, and a sportster.
I can't read anything after "and where" so I dont know what to answer next, but SATRAD is fantastic. I hope it makes it through the credit crunch.

Our car came with xm 5 years ago. We loved it so much, we got a portable one a few years later. We set our boom box or radio to the fm freq. We use it in our back yard, the lake and at friends houses. We don't buy cd's anymore because you can zero in on the type of music you want to hear. We don't have to work our weekends around TV football anymore. It's on XM. Love it.

I was living in South Florida at the time and if you've ever lived down there, you know how limited the radio selection is. You've either got dance, reggaeton, hip-hop or top 40. I had almost been exclusively listening to mp3s or Fox Sports Radio.

Sometime in 2003/2004, the Miami Fox Sports affiliate dropped most of the nationally syndicated programming in favor of local shows. It was at that time that I got XM. I never really considered Sirius because only XM carried Fox Sports Radio and Sirius didn't.

I started with the Roady, replaced it with the MyFi, and replaced that with the Inno. I only have 1 sub, because I've purchased extra an extra home kit so I just take the Inno with me and dock it whether I'm at home or in the office.

Im a loser. Not afraid to say it. My life went to shit 10 years ago. Doctor's discovered a tumor in the center of my brainstem of all places. Why it never showed up early, nobody knows.

Trying to stay on topic, I believe it was 3 years later that I discovered Sirius Satellite Radio.

Until that point, I just used an ipod. But I am lazy and wasn't very interested in looking for new songs to download and creating my own playlists. So, I was happy to spend the little money I have on a Service like Sirius.

I have 3 units. My Stilleto 2 which I take to the gym. One in my fun car Mercedes Benz and one in my TV room.

Still with no job, but with a BS in Engineering, I spend my days listening to octane20 or maxim108.

All I can say, is that Sirius keeps me sane.

I got XM for the Christmas before the Steelers won the Super Bowl. I got annoyed to death from terrestrial since my favorite station's signal was being overlapped by a southern gospel station. So I would be listening to some classic rock, then have some old fat guy randomly singing about how great jesus was. I have an Inno in the bedroom which I listen to at all hours of the day. Another XM that came with my Honda, and a Sirius which came with the Dodge Caliber I got this year. And I never listen via computer since the programming and technology just isn't that great.

As far as how Sat Rad has changed my life (that's a heavy question), I would say I'm a better sports and music fan because of it. Music since there's so many genres I hadn't listened to before, and the brilliance that comes across XMU on a daily basis. And listening to the mastery on on Artist Confidential has so much good advice expertise it's amazing. As far as sports, it's hard not to really get into sports you usually hate after listening to the passion on Fox Sports Radio.

I listen to Howard every morning. I catch the news on my way home and the beginning of the show. If I don't like the guest they have I will flip through music or just keep it on lithium.

Luckily , rock music lives on , on satellite radio . It seems that rock music has disappeared from FM radio just about .

I first began listening to Satellite Radio a couple years ago. By this time, the channel lineups were pretty much rocking. I bought a Starmate 4 from Radio Shack for myself, when I was suppose to be out Christmas shopping for the family. Whoops.

But Satellite Radio changed my listening habits forever. Living in a small city, roughly 25,000, the available music channels are very limited. We have some country, oldies and a little pop, and of course a classic rock station. But I got Sirius and it opened my mind up to tons of diverse programming and realized how deprived my listening had been!

Currently, I listen to XM Radio in my new Chevrolet Cobalt. But while at home, I listen to both XM and Sirius, by taking advantage of the online stations.

I couldn't go a day without Satellite radio either. I also tend to listen to CNBC a lot, and I love that I can jump into the car and be connected to the market pulse, wherever I go!

I was 13 when I got my first satellite radio. My first radio was a XM Roady 2. I remember buying it at Walmart in October. My parents didn't want me to have Satellite radio, they thought it was a complete waiste... After a year they love XM. I had the roady2 it a few months then upgraded to the SkiFy 2 unit.

After a year of XM I switched to Sirius. I currently have 3 Sirius Radios the Starmate 4, Sportster 4 and Stiletto 2. All are active. My Stiletto 2 is in my office, Starmate 4 is in my bed room and my Sportster 4 will be for my future car. I used to have 2 XM Pioneer Innos but I'm with Sirius now. I have over 7 XM Radios sitting around the house too.

I listen over the satellite radio, I can't stand online radio of any kind. I have my Sirius Radio's on over 12 hours a day. I can't go a day without having them on. My favorite Sirius Channels are- The Pulse, The Spectrum, Starlite, The Coffee House, Hits 1 and The Strobe.

Satellite radio has a huge impact on my life, ever since I bought satellite radio, I've gotten so interested in Satellite Radio that I want to have a career in the radio industry. If it wasn't for Satellite Radio, I probably wouldn't be in radio.

I went to XM for Opie and Anthony. Since that day 4 years ago (Happy Anniversary Boys) ive purchased 4 CD's. And maybe downloaded 4 albums.

I catch all of O&A, and most of Ron and Fez every day.

Thanks to the merger i was able to hear Stern once again. And reaffirm just how lost and old his show is.

I love XCountry, Deep Tracks, XMX, The Verge. I listen to those stations plus 202 all day long. I watch far less TV thanks to XM.

Satellite rules.

I signed up primarily hoping O&A would end up there but was amazed to discover the amount of other excellent programming, not to mention to completely refreshing music. SDARS has replaced all other forms of entertainment as my #1. That's why I'm so passionate about the service maintaining that level of excellence in the future. I travel extensively so to be able to listen to my favorite stations no matter where work may send me is an incredibly thing. I hope the service doesn't drive itself into the ground and vanish.

I'm a route driver, so I'm on the road on average 8 hours a day. Some of my territory is in areas where the radio reception is awful and the local stations in those areas are awful as well. At first, I brought my MP3 player with me and put it on shuffle. After a few months of doing that, I decided I wanted to listen to more than just music and decided to get satellite radio. Even before I got this job, I had been considering it mainly because I was growing tired of "regular" radio due to several stations I listened to had swapped formats (in one case, one station changed formats 3 times in a year) and really cutting their playlists. I had a relative that was a Sirius subscriber (they tend to get into new technology before everyone else jumps on the bandwagon) back when they had a few hundred thousand subscribers and had listened to some of the programing and liked it. Like many people, I was torn between which of the two to subscribe to. My decision to go with Sirius was based on the sports offerings, mainly the NHL and the EPL. A few days after I started my subscription was when the XM announcement about the NHL came out. Had I waited a few more days to get my receiver, I probably would have gone with XM over Sirius.

I've been a Sirius subscriber for over three years now, and I definitely do not see myself canceling my subscription anytime soon. The only times I may listen to local radio is if a game I am interested in is only on radio (and their online feed sucks) or if I'm in a traffic jam and the Sirius traffic station for my area is still spouting the same report from 15-20 minutes earlier.

my first unit was a jvc unit (lifetime) gave it to my brother...other is an s50
sirius gave me a free boombox..bought stilleto 1 but cracked the screen working (my fault).now i have stilleto 2 with the best of package.i listen online on my mac but i listen to stilleto when i have a urge to try opie and anthony or streeming wifi

I started with XM, with a Sony plug-n-play I purchased back in 2002. I stayed solely with XM until 2005, when I switched to SIRIUS (with an XACT Stream Jockey, then an XACT XTR Replay). In early 2006, I purchased an Inno and became a dual subscriber. I upgraded to a SIRIUS Stiletto in early 2007, but disconnected it this past week and became a "XM Everything + Best of SIRIUS" subscriber (we're having a baby, so we needed to cut SOME costs...less toys, I guess!). The XM+BOS and my iPod keep me audibly stimulated to no end!

But I can't imagine not having SatRad...it's a passion.

I got my satellite radio in December of '06 just before Howard Stern went on the air at Sirius. I'm a big Stern fan and since I have been listening to him for many years, I didn't want to miss listening to him in the mornings so I decided to sign up. The second reason I got sat radio was for all the different music choices. The music radio stations in New York have become all but unlistenable. In fact, the only terrestrial radio I do listen to anymore is WFAN because I like the local sports guys. I only have one radio which is a Sirius Starmate Replay. It is one of the original ones with the great FM transmitter in it and I do not want to give it up. The only problem is that I have a little trouble with the power plug on the unit. I have to twist and play with it a lot when I plug it in for it to turn on. I looked into trying to get it fixed but it's virtually impossible to find someone who can fix these units. Overall, I probably listen more online than at work because I'm not in my car very long and at home, depending on the day, the signal cuts in and out due to where I have the antenna placed outside the house. I wouldn't say that sat radio has completely changed my life. I would say that it has made work more tolerable as I have something to listen to at my boring job.

I was working at a TV station here in Yuma, AZ, and we had a guy who was an engineer at a station in San Diego, but owned rental property in Yuma, stop by one day to show it off. This was within days of them going on the air (Sep '01). I immediately decided I wanted it, since I was getting tired of dealing with CDs in my car, and our local radio stations SUCKED.

So on October 6, 2001, I spent about $450 getting a Pioneer GEX-FM903 installed in my PT Cruiser. It lived for about three years, when I replaced it with a Roady XT, and added my wife with a used Roady (from my mom who switched to Sirius). After breaking the dock connector, I went with an Xpress, then when its connector failed I went with another XT. I have a Delphi boombox in the house too. The Roady's audio out connector went bad, so my wife now has a XR9. I just got rid of the PT Cruiser, and got a Tundra, and am working on figuring out how to mount it still.

I listen to online at work some days, and rarely at home.

I've always had a diverse listening style, so I've enjoyed the variety, and miss having stuff like OTR, Radio Taj, Ngoma, and, of course, SPECIAL X. Once interoperable receivers come out, I *might* consider upgrading, but probably only if some of the diversity is restored. If the selections stay how they are now, I may even switch down to a a-la-carte package, since I'm kinda bummed about a lot of the choices made lately, including the merger itself.

Always heard about Xm and got the first editon Roady in Oct. 2004. Fell in love with the channels and eventually graduated to a MyFi and now a Helix. Alot of changes have taken place with XM but I still remain loyal for now.
I just hope that feeling of exciment comes back to SatRad since alot of people have gone to other types of audio entertainment.

When did you get your first satellite radio? I got my First XM radio in 2005 How many do you have, and where are they? I have 10 XM radios. But only 2 are active. I use My Inno and SkyFi3 on the go walking Do you listen more via your computer or via the radios (or both equally)? I rarely listen via online. And most importantly... how has satellite radio changed your life? I've become a satellite radio addict. I enjoy getting all styles of music anywhere I am with no commercials. I love XM radio.

I initially thought paying for radio was stupid, and then 2 things happened that changed my mind. The first was the change of my favorite radio station to Hip-Hop and then the purchase of a motor home. I liked the idea of being able to listen to the same channels wherever I went and being able to listen to my favorite genre of music again.

After doing multiple online trials of both XM and Sirius I went with XM for the depth of their playlist. I purchased a used MyFi and became quickly addicted. I quickly added aRoady XT for my girlfriend so I could listen when in her car. I then purchased my mom a Helix and subscription for Mothers Day. About the same time I gave my Sister and Dad a radio each.

I presently have 2 Innos, A MyFi,and the Helix on my account. Last weekend I totaled my car and the Inno in my card smashed into the windshield landing near the passenger side airbag. The window was shattered and the Innos top separated but it still works, I'm actually listening to it right now. If it dies I will probably pick up the new receiver coming out as a replacement.

I subscribed to Sirius when it first launched and I still have the original "Streamer". Since then I have SIRIUS in two vehicles, my office; work vehicle and computer so I listen pretty much 24/7. It's one of the best investments I've made.

I got my first XM radio about 2003, the Delphi SkyFi with carkit and home boombox. I used it mainly driving to and from school, now its all i listen to, i currently have 2 setups, one that stays in the car and another 2 home-kits for one radio set with one in the bedroom and one at my computer (wired to go through the computer speakers). I have listened on the computer before, but most of my listening is to Talk Radio 165, which unfortunately is not broadcast online...hence the setup at my computer...so 2 radios in 3 different locations. I cant imagine life without it, and when i get a new car in the next year or so, it will be one with XM built in.

Sam

I first got my Inno in October of 2007. The reason I got it was that my local talk station (WKRK at the time) flipped formats from hot talk to sports talk and my favorite show (Opie & Anthony) was dropped completely. I currently have just one radio which moves between my car and my house though it is predominately used in my car. I listen via the internet more than via the radio mainly because my favorite channel, The Virus, being available and I have multiple computers in my house. It's not uncommon for me to come home and go directly from the radio to the computer to continue listening to the same program. I don't know how "satellite radio has changed my life" but I do enjoy it. I could live without it but it's better with it.

I also started with the XM Sony Plug-n-Play back in 2001, and I currently have a Roady 2 in my car, and an Inno (1st gen) in my house.
I picked XM over Sirius back in 2001 basically because of the equipment that was available back then, and I still think XM has the best (smallest and lightest) hardware out there.

I went with sat radio because of the area I live in (South Bend, IN) just has horrible radio. I was so sick of the same playlists, constant commercial breaks, and Bob & Tom just wasn't cutting it for me for a morning show.

In fact, I was really into the Tony Kornheiser radio show on ESPN Radio at the time, and our local ESPN Radio station was a very low power AM station, and I just couldn't get Tony in good reception, so XM was a godsend at the time.

I had XM before Opie and Anthony came to XM, but ever since they've come to XM (as well as Ron & Fez) I haven't turned off XM 202. I'm not going into who's better, O&A and Ron & Fez or Howard, but I find O&A and the people on their show a lot more in line with my sense of humor. I'm not sure if I'm going to subscribe to the Best of Both, but I'm glad (so far) that the merger isn't going to disrupt my daily routine.

If I'm ever in a car that doesn't have Sat radio, it's the longest drive of my life.

I received my first XM radio on Father's Day 2004. I had been eying them for several months, and I kept trying to decide whether I wanted XM or Sirius. I chose XM for two main reasons: Upop and the BBC World Service. BBC was slowly dropping its shortwave service in the US, and at the time Sirius did not have a world hit music station on its system. In July '04 (late Father's Day present!) I set up the Roady to my car, and sent off for the FM transmitter and the home system (which took months before I got them!). Living in Northeast Arkansas means mostly Country music. XM gave me the first variety of stations I had heard in years. Upop and the BBC are still my favorite channels, but I listen to several stations throughout the day.

Because I used to live in Britain, I was used to national radio. I thought it could catch on in the US, provided the timing was right. SatRad finally provided my wish! Since my family live in other states, the XM provides us a lot of listening variety to the long drives, and no frustration finding a station that won't fade out within a few miles. It took a long time to decide to buy it, but it was a decision worth keeping.

This is almost like a therapy session. I blame XM for making me like Cinemagic.

The purchase of ANY electronic device, especially if it's portable, definitaly impacts lifestyle. And be careful about the amount of WORK it adds to your life.

On a slightly different note:
I've decided that the recent merger of XM and Sirius is a non-event, at least compared to when Howard went from regular radio to Sirius. I was just out shopping for an XM radio (to replace my sirius) and none of the stores I checked have anything in stock, the kind you'd stack on your stereo system. So evidently no one's expecting a surge in sales. The merger mainly affects the accounting office, yielding certain obvious business efficiencies, but not really benefiting consumers. This is because satellite radio is basically all about Howard Stern, and anybody who wants him ALREADY HAS HIM. The new programming and pricing options actually complicate things, and many people will actually be paying more. Plus the dilemma of whether to purchase XM or Sirius STILL EXISTS!

I got my first XM Radio as a Christmas gift, just after they launched service in 2001. Since then, I've gone through MANY an XM receiver. I currently have three active on my account, but one of those is a mini tuner that moves between three different receivers itself. I have another five sitting around collecting dust (MyFi, Roady2, 2 x PCR, Skyfi). 95% of my listening is via radio, not internet. The remaining 5% is when I want to listen at work but forgot to bring the mini tuner with me.

Satellite radio has changed my life significantly. The 80s, 90s, and Lucy let me relive my days as a child/teen, XM Cafe brings me new music I'd probably never hear on FM (or I'd hear first there if it does eventually get played on FM)... and why would I want to wait for a dance music program once a week on FM, when I could just tune to BPM anytime? Of course, when I first got XM, they had NASCAR as well, which I enjoyed then, and am once again enjoying via Best of Sirius.

While I still have my iPhone (and am patiently waiting for XM Mobile!!) and my iTunes library, it's only intended to be a holdover for those times that I am not able to listen to XM. Plus I've used XM as a means to discover new music that I've then bought from iTunes, exposing me to more work by the artist other than the song that I heard on XM.

Satellite radio has changed my life, and I can't see myself without it at this point... Assuming that more of the unique channels that make satellite radio what it is don't continue to disappear from the airwaves.

I am really impressed with the comments on this post.

For me, it started with buying some stock and a decent commute to work. I subscribed to Sirius when the service was first released to the public and it has truely made my commute tolerable. I have even found myself sitting in my car for a few extra minutes when I get home. Heck, listening to the NFL channel pays for my subscription with office football pools and fantasy football!

I just wish they would make a simple commerical to reflect what I am reading from fellow subscribers. A commerical that switches between different subscribers showing how satellite radio plays a role in their daily life..............I have seen similar ads by Nike.

Instantly hooked in 2004 when I got my first satellite radio receiver and was an XM junkie for about three years. Now I'm bored with it. That feeling started when XM added terrible DJs on 20 on 20, 90s on 9 (Priestly and Michelle), Flight 26 and Boneyard. Soon I found myself doing A LOT of channel surfing. Currently listening more and more to terrestrial radio (KFI, Air 1, KDUV) and considering dropping my two subscriptions.

I started with XM a little over two years ago. I "bought" a Samsung Helix with my American Express points. I chose XM because it did NOT have Howard Stern on it. As a life long music lover, I am truly gratified at the broadening of my musical horizons that this tiny device offers. Like most boomers who were weaned on 1960s and 70s music, it is easy to become stuck in a rut. And terrestrial has done nothing to bring forward new talent, or stop playing "Stairway to Heaven" for a moment to sample any music from that era that did NOT make the Top Ten. XM cures both dilemmas once and for all. What is also satisfying is the rekindling of my love for jazz. Almost a non-entity today on terrestrial, the Jazz channels on XM have awakened a long dormant appreciation for this great American music.

My interest in Satellite has also exposed the utter decrepitude of our government in managing media and technology issues. The FCC's handling of the merger is a portrait of how far we have sunk in miniature.

Thanks to: Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Earle Baily,Leigh Hamilton, the "Broads," Leo LaPorte, and even Reach MD. Think of this amazing little device in the palm of your hand pulling in this new world from a satellite in space. Thanks!

I remember I got my first XM in April of 2005 the first week of the baseball season and I love baseball and I got the audio phase skybox at Best Buy for just 100 bucks. I guess they were just trying to dump them as fast as possible.

I heard Phil Hendrie that night after the Yankees lost to the Orioles and the rest is history. Now with the Merger and a my-fi and Inno Later, the experience has never been better.

June 3 2005 5:00pm the day that my local oldies station WCBS-FM went jack is the day I got Satellite Radio and never looked back.You couldn't PAY me to go back to old fashioned radio.

I have to go along with JS as I too am inpressed with the comments here,our life styles have changed dramatacally over the last 6 years.I also got to thinking that satellite radio is an alternative to an even bigger medium.TELEVISION.This just happened last night.I was watching a movie and all of a sudden as always when the good part is ready to roll, POP up comes a commercial.I am so sick of the late nite mini mercials,like Extenze and now SHAMWOW and the PHONE JACK.Holy crap enough!!!.So I looked at the dog and said Bed?.Dog Agreed and we went to bed early and popped on Sirius.What a relief to substitute NPR for Shamwow.I thougfht this works faster than Alka-Seltzer,I listened to the radio and read a magazine.I think Im going to keep going in this direction.For the small monthly fee we receive a lot of pleasure and a great alternative to other forms of electronic entertainment.I sincerely hope the best of each service just keeps getting better.

I was researching satrad because I was traveling all over the place and was tired of adding music to my ipod. Then I got a job working with XM and got it free. What a deal! I no longer do that job but have kept XM - I can't live without it.

My first taste of Sirius came in May of ’03 and I have never doubted since that satellite radio is my best in vehicle friend. My fleet of satellite radios has grown to more than too many as I have several in the house, one in the boat, all four cars/trucks, office and my boat mechanic’s dealership (I always go to first in line for service). Several of my key clients have Sirius radios/subscriptions at their respective offices that were gifts from me. I want them to think of me and my services every time they turn on the radio. I started this practice in 2004 and these clients are still “key”.

I listen more and more online as the widgets improve, but 75% of my listening is in the vehicle. With the Sirius Internet Radio premium service the SQ is great (best $2.99 I spend per month). I really like the StarPlayr2 for Mac and can’t wait for the official Sirius XM application from the Apple Store. I will trade in my Blackberry for an iPhone.

The additional enjoyment from Sirius and XM has added to my quality of life from the entertainment value to the being the first to know regarding breaking news. I do not know of any other service that can provide the value of live news from multiple national and international services, traffic/weather updates, Elvis or Jimmy Buffet on demand (my personal favorites among many others available), live sports coverage of my favorite collegiate and professional teams. I bought an XM radio in ’05 just to watch my stock of interests scroll by while driving. I am glad I did have an XM radio as I love my Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers and no longer live in the area.

How has satellite radio changed my life? Satellite radio has made life more fun, period!

I had been listening to Howard Stern for 20 years, so it was imperative that I purchase a satellite radio. I bought a Sportster Replay the day before Stern started on Sirius (Jan "06) and was amazed by the content. It was then that I realized just how horrible terrestrial radio was - the same songs OVER and OVER, not to mention the 20 minutes of commercials EVERY hour! It was liberating to hear Stern without censorship, and I have been laughing my ass off for almost 3 years now. His show has helped to preserve my sanity in an insane world. The phony phone calls alone are worth listening to the show; absolutely hilarious! I am a fan of many genres of music, from classic and alternative rock to jazz and standards. Where else can I hear everything that Frank Sinatra ever recorded? The answer is.... Nowhere. It is an incredible service, and I feel it is a bargain at the price. The same people who claim they can't afford it are paying a small fortune every month on cell phones, cable TV, video games and bottled water. What really bewilders me are the people who bash the product, having never listened to it and knowing nothing about it. These are the same people who love the vast wasteland that is terrestrial radio, and are too ignorant to understand that satellite radio is a quantum leap in content and entertainment. For free, you get nothing. For less than the cost of a pizza, you get a whole month of satellite radio. You might like it so much that you will do what I did; stop watching the utter trash that is on television 90% of the time. America - stop looking at screens and pull out those obnoxious ear plugs ( I-pods - Ich!) and you might just discover that there is more out there than hip hop, rap, and top 40 drivel. You know - all that stuff that marketing and hype has brainwashed you into believing that it is actually music. My satellite radio is dollar for dollar the coolest thing that I have ever purchased, and I can't imagine being without it.

I first got hooked on Sirius in '05, The display model of the Xact in wal-mart always got my interest, I played around with it all the time, and my girlfriend at the time liked the idea of it too. And since I didn't have a car at the time, she said she wanted a radio, so for christmas of '05, I bought the XTR7, and boombox for her, along with prepaid sub.

Ever since, I fell in love with it, and since then, we upgraded the in car radio to a starmate replay, and then I invested in a stiletto for myself. Since then, Me and the girlfriend split ways, but we both were still hooked on Sirius, so I let her keep the starmate I had bought, and I re-subbed my stiletto for myself. Since I subbed up in '05, I've become a big stern fan, and love the music. I listen every day, and can't imagine a day without it. I just upgraded to premium internet streaming, and couldn't be happier.

I bought an XM radio several years ago to listen to the BBC but now I listen to many of the news and talk channels on both XM and Sirius. Also I listen to the jazz channels when I listen to music. We don't have A decent jazz channel here where I live. I have two subscriptions of each and it's well worth the money.

My first interest in Satellite radio was in September of 2006 when a friend of mine got an XM sub to listen to MLB. Shortly thereafter I got a Roady XT free from XM and then my love of Sat Radio began to blossom. Today XM is almost my sole provider of news, talk, sport and music. Not that I don’t watch TV, or baseball when I have the time to sit down and enjoy them, but the medium of radio allows me to do so much more with my time than just sit on the couch and watch the tube. One of my favorite channels, XM 110, XM Classic is wonderful for the variety of classical music that they play. There are two main reasons that I chose XM over Sirius, and they the depth of the channels and the playlists that XM had, and XM 175 for the depth of baseball coverage they have. I would never find neither one of these of terrestrial radio. A couple of months later I would buy the My Fi, but I wanted some thing that recorded individual songs so I got the Inno. About 6 months ago when the Xpress R came out I got one and I think that it has been the best unit I’ve purchased.

I believe that I could live without XM between all of the internet radio choices that are out there and the music that I have on my iPod, but I don’t think that I would as informed as I am today because all of the programming options that are available through XM.

I've had XM since November 2003 mainly because I met Hugh Panero (former CEO), after doing some computer work for his wife. I had heard about satellite radio, but hadn't taken the time to learn more. I was impressed, to say the least. What did I like specifically? Channel 165 - I was a huge Art Bell fan at the time and kept it mainly for that. As I found that Sirius had (and has) a channel dedicated to gay and lesbian talk, I got a Sirius radio (in 2004, I think). I also enjoyed Howard on Sirius. For a while, I had both. Now with the "Best of" on both, I will keep my XM, because the sound quality of the music channels are far superior to my ears (and yes, I have a line in for my amp - no cassette or fm modulator), and I prefer the graphics on the XM products. Also, the delivery of the DJ's is more like 70's radio used to be like, and I like that. Channels I listen to. the 70's, CNN, 165, Howard 100, the 40's.

kurt.

I live in an area of Texas where my choice of terrestial radio stations is slim due to poor reception. Half of the ones I do get clearly are in Spanish and the stations I get in English are loaded up with commercial advertisements. Terrestial radio away from the big cities stinks. Since I'm retired and sit by my computer most days I subscribed to Sirius Internet Radio and think it's great. What a terrific variety of programming to have available for $13 bucks a month. It's well worth it.

Sirius Xm Radio should try to get this message out to the rest of the public.

When did you get your first satellite radio?

2006 - Roady II got for my birthday. But I was listeining (subscribed) to XM online since 2004.

How many do you have, and where are they?

3 - 2 are active. The Roady and a MyFi. I had bought an Xpress for my parents for their road trip from Montreal to Florida. I just gave them my Roady to use in the house and the car and kept the Myfi for me. The Xpress was one too many for us at this point.

Do you listen more via your computer or via the radios (or both equally)?

Both. I usually listen online in the morning (Opie and Anthony). I'll put the radio on at night as background music when I'm going to bed. As well, I record the first two hours of O&A on my MyFi and listen to that at lunch time (and to and from work from time to time)

And most importantly... how has satellite radio changed your life?

I just don't like my XMs....I LOVE THEM!!!!!
I haven't listened to regular radio in years. Here in Montreal here are way more French stations than English, and at that, the English ones at quite bad. I love to be able to listen to the music I like on the specialty stations. (i.e.: Lucy & The Boneyard) and hear the mix songs I actually like instead of all the "typical" ones played on regular stations.

Ultimately, I guess I could just rip my CDs and download all the MP3s that I want to an MP3 player, but XM has pretty much done the work for me...I don't have to do the hours of ripping and creating play lists. Just turn it on and find a station you like and voila! It's all there.

For the record my father is totally addicted to the 50's channel. He has stopped listening to regular radio station he had listened to for years..and I don't think he will go back.

I have a pretty decent 2 channel stereo (what real music lovers use to listen to music, but don't get me going). I have my Sportster Replay docked into the amp, and I'm listening to some great music as I type this. Very peaceful, no commercials, no idiotic local lame DJ's. Just wonderful satellite radio in all it's glory - no bullshit! My life is a piece of crap, my chick dumped me ( after cheating on me with a skinny little bookworm that had the personality of a mannequin), and my Sirius stock has lost over 70% of it's value. Yes, I put most of my money into it, so if you want to help a brother, get a subscription and please buy radios this holiday season for all of your friends. I'm down, no doubt about it, but so are a lot of other people. I really love satellite radio, and it would be a shame if it doesn't succeed. I invested in the company because I believed in the technology and loved the product - I wasn't motivated by $$$$. When I first hooked it up and turned it on, I was flabbergasted. Mesmerized. I was hooked, baby! I haven't listened to terrestrial radio in almost 3 years, and I don't miss it. It SUCKS. My point, boys and girls, is that you are missing out if you only listen to this great service while in the car. It is a cinch to hook it up in the house, the only tricky part finding a decent location for the antenna. I am lucky to have a skylight window in the ceiling; I get great reception. I bought the 50 ft. extension for the antenna and it helps a lot in finding an adeqate position to place it. I listen to my cd's less than I used to, and the best thing is that I watch much less television. Television is mostly garbage, and it just makes you stupid as you passively sit there. You can almost feel your brain cells rotting as you are hypnotized by the endless supply of crap that bombards you. Get that radio in the house, my fellow sat rad aficianodos. You will be glad you did.

Got my first XM for Xmas 2004 after finally feeling safe that O&A weren't going to get fired after I made my $300 investment. I got a Skyfi2 and two boomboxes, one for home and one for work. I have to say that the station choices and shows made it so worth it. O&A, Glen Beck, Old Time Radio, Mike McConnell and then the multiple format stations of my wide music tastes...I can't work without it now! I had to deal with no XM for a time when I got a new job and that was the longest two weeks of my life.

I work odd hours (4am-12) so listening to show repeats of Beck, O&A replays, ESPN...you can't be UNhappy with a radio on your desk. Terrestrial radio would get me off to the worst start of the day and keep me in the doldrums. XM will never leave my desk at work or my end table at home!

I have four radios. Two innos for myself (I use one to listen to while the other records at night - that way, I get to skip past the music and interviews that don't interest me). I have an older radio which I lent to my mother to get her hooked (she is! She says she can't go to sleep without it now) and I have another older model I keep "just in case."
I do not have cable television. In fact, my tv never goes on unless I have a rented dvd to watch. XM is turned on from the moment I walk into my house and it doesn't go off until I leave in the morning (and then, I take my inno into my car. I seem to drive better with "the system" playing).
I think XM is worth every penny that it costs. I have gotten at least a dozen people to subscribe to XM because of their exposure ot it at my house and in my car. I know it is not for everyone - some people just do not love music or talk radio and are happy listening to the same 50 songs and 20 minutes of commercials every hour you hear on regular radio. I consider my xm subscription and my gym membership to be the best two things I use my discretionary income on. Frankly, I think it is underpriced (but don't tell XM!).

I got XM Myfi for christmas in 2004. I don't spend a lot of time in the car, (15 minute drive to and from work) so I wanted it to record stuff to listen to at work.

I rarely listened to regular radio except for Fox Sports radio, and our local affiliate was always pre-empted with some baseball game, so I was leaning towards XM from the start, even though the draw of the NFL was a plus for sirius.

To be fair, I got a few three day online trials of each, and I found that with Sirius' Music channels were repetitive, hearing the same songs during an 8 hour shift at work, while XM had a deeper playlist. Between that, and a lack of a portable, recordable player at the time from Sirius, I decided to go with XM.

Since then, I have become a fan of Opie and Anthony (i am sure if i chose sirius, I would listen to Howard)and record the replay so i can listen to it the next day at work--Sometimes I am away from my desk, or need to have it turned off to concentrate, so recording the show allows me to pause it when I need to. Once I get done listening to the show that I recorded the day before, I login online and listen to Lucy, or ESPN radio, or catch a little Ron and Fez. We have also added a unit in my wife's vehicle, as we usually take that on our long road trips.

I wish Sirius would put Pittsburgh Traffic and weather radio back on. They changed it to Las Vegas 1.5 years ago.. Other than three Streets wtf do you need traffic and weather for. Hell I could give the weather in Vegas.. Today dry and sunny and warm upper nineties.... rewind repeat.

I hate to say it but they need to ditch probably 30% combined from both services and make ONE powerhouse satellite radio company. I already noticed a change in the rock programming. Buzzsaw is/was my weight lifting channel, I have been going to Litium and Octane now a little more. It is somewhat different now... Did the rock channels get a new PD? It seems they are playing deeper album cuts.

Still love it though... Congrats to Howard and Beth O'Sternsky

When did you get your first satellite radio?
My wife had asked me several times during 2004 and 2005 about satellite radio. She said I might like it. I told her "No. Why would anyone pay for radio you can get for free?". Finally, at the end of 2005 she said she would get me one for Christmas. I agreed and chose an Airware for XM because it was the only portable available. I was addicted the first day I listened. I added a Stilletto 2 for Sirius last December.

How many do you have, and where are they?
I have 5 active radios (4 XM & 1 Sirius) and 3 inactive XM radios. I have XM in my car. My wife now has an Airware (XM). I still have my old Airware (XM) but use it only occassionally at work (I may replace this one with the XMP3). I have a Tao (XM) which I use occassionally for porable use but primarly as my alarm clock. And I have my Stilletto 2 which is my portable and MP3 player. My inactive radios are the XM part of my clock radio, a RoadyXT I used in an old car, and a commander I bought for the antenna (it was cheaper than a spare).

Do you listen more via your computer or via the radios (or both equally)?
The radios almost 100%. I have used the SL2 in WiFi mode at the occasional hotel.

And most importantly... how has satellite radio changed your life?
100%. I started listening to the radio again. It has re-awakened my passion for radio. The portable part of it worked to help my walk to the GO station again. It has actually helped my health as a result. I love satrad and would not give it up for anything. If satrad fails, I would never go back to FM radio.

Have had 2 subs for XM since 2004, initially got it for O&A, but now listen to O&A, Fon & Fez, Home Ice and America Left. But this was the first weekend (and since I got my iPhone 3G) that I started to listen to alternatives for music (Pandora, AOL Music) while working in the garage, seems the music channels just aren't what they once were. Although I DO NOT see any reason I would drop XM.

Started with satellite radio (XM) in January 2003. A week after I laughed at my coworkers and vehemently vowed never to pay for radio. I did some research and found out that there was something special about satellite radio, so the next week I was at Best Buy getting a SkyFi installed. Sirius came into my life about 5 years later out of curious fascination, still love XM more though.

Not counting the ones collecting dust in the closet (7 radios), I have 3 XM receivers active and 1 Sirius unit active.

My listening is 99% radio receiver. The only time I use the internet feed is when I'm in need of listening, or if there is a special channel which might be online only for whatever reason.

Overall, XM radio didn't have most of the nuances that terrestrial radio had. Bigger playlists, fun channels, and it was non interrupted by driving out of range of a FM station. Even things that an FM station might do, XM does better...you're not going to find an FM station that plays all summer music on the first day of summer, all Irish music on St. Patrick's Day, or all Halloween music for Halloween. It's unique. There is a lot of choice (multiple Christmas channels, multiple Pop channels, multiple Rock channels....) that It's just a great service, and there's no way that terrestrial radio can even compete...so therefore I'll keep it, even though sometimes there are some (program) decisions that I might not necessarily agree with.

I just hope the "merger" allows services to retain some uniqueness.

There might not be a Sirius XM soon.... The stock is at $.46 (cents)
OUCH!!

I started with a Roady2 in 2005 when they were real cheap. Upgraded to an Xpress and then an XpressRC. Gave the wife the Xpress. Now we both have XM built in to our cars (Accord and Sonata). I never listened at home so the cars are the only two radios. I will occasionally listen online when at work. I just got tired of crappy radio and constant commercials on my morning commute. At least with SatRad, you can find some content all the time.

My family has 5 radios. The primary one is a Polk XRt12. I like the live announcer shows with call-in audience interaction like Matt The Cat, Kilroy, & Phlash but I listen to a great number of the channels including CNBC. I have been a stockholder (of both companies pre-merger) for many years & have lost quite a bit of money.

I am hopelessly addicted but forget about me, the real story is my family. Every member from 17 years old up to 83 years old really loves satellite radio…..different channels of course but they are all big fans. My wife is the only family member who listens on-line. She listens on her office computer while she is at work.

This has gone way beyond entertainment for us. It is a quality of life issue. We can’t imagine ever going back to terrestrial radio.

……and yes we do roll the car windows down and sing along with the XM Chan. 6 top of the hour music power jingle.

We've been an XM family since 2003. Delphi Roady, Pioneer Airware xm2go, an Audivox XR9 and 2 Jensen jXR9's. We haven't listened to terrestrial radio since. Our favorites include the talk and college sports channels, Opie and Anthony, Lucy, Big Tracks, Boneyard, 80's on 8, 20 on 20, Hitlist, The Heart, Audio Visions, Watercolors, and Cinemagic. I use XM Radio Online at work, and my coworkers get to enjoy the tunes too (usually Top/Big Tracks or The Blend).