Date:         Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:59:39 -0400
Reply-To:     caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
Subject:      Free Sirius satellite radio system
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

If anyone is interested, I can tell you how to get a free Sirius satellite radio system.  I have gotten two of them for free, and one of them is currently installed in my 89 westy.  The only catch is you have to agree to a one year subscription.  Satellite radio is pretty new and just starting to catch on - 100 channels of music, news, weather, and sports.  Pretty much all of the big auto manufacturers (Chrysler, GM, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, etc.) are either currently offering it or plan on offering it as optional or standard equipment in their 2003/2004 lineups.  There are two providers - XM (www.xmradio.com) and Sirius (www.sirius.com).  XM has commercials on a lot of their music channels, and Sirius is 100% commercial free on all 60 music channels.  You can see the lineup and listen to live feeds of the Sirius music streams at their web site.  I have had it for a while and it kicks butt (my wife made me order a second one for her car).  You can drive coast to coast and not lose a signal.  IMO, the Sirius comedy channel is worth the subscription price by itself (uncensored Richard Pryor, Cheech and Chong, Eddie Murphy, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seinfield, etc.).  Their classic rock channel (The Rock) is great, and they have many different types of rock, country, bluegrass, reggae, dance, pop, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, classical, news, sports (all NBA games were broadcast live on Sirius), ABC, CNN, BBC, ESPN, the Weather Channel, and a whole bunch of others.  Check out their website for a complete listing and to hear it for yourself.  If you spend any amount of time in your vehicle, you will soon wonder how you did without it.  It is basically like cable/satellite TV for your car.  The monthly subscription price is less than the cost of a CD or cassette, and the yearly price and/or second/third subscription is discounted.  I have not listened to AM/FM radio or CDs in any of my cars since I installed the satellite radios.  XM has been out a little longer is better known at this point and had better initial hardware, but in my opinion (as well as Sound and Vision magazine and Fortune), the Sirius service is better in both terms of sound and programming (Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar will be offering Sirius, not XM).  Check it out for yourself at their website.

To get the free system under the Sirius "Friends and Family" program go to the website www.siriusbackstage.com.  On the top right of the web page you will see a link to Sirius Backstage forums.  At that link you will scroll down to the Sirius Insiders forum.  You will need to register to access that forum (simple email and password registration).  At that forum you will find the details on how to get the free system (a phone call with the right offer code and employee name (provided in instructions) is needed to get a tuner, FM modulator which allows hookup to any existing radio, and antenna with no shipping charges at all) sent to your address.  The offer appears to be still on (if you act quick - read the messages), even though the initial message indicates that it has expired.  They are essentially clearing out first generation gear since the second generation product is out.  Believe me, the first generation works just fine.  Since you may have a choice of hardware, my personal preference would be Panasonic followed by Kenwood followed by Audiovox followed by Jensen.  Second generation plug-and-play devices (can move from car to home with appropriate docking station) are available for under $100 (tuner) and $50-60 (docking station, antenna) at Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, etc.  You can see both first and second generation equipment in person at these stores.

Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. will install it for you for $50-75.  I did both of mine since it is not that difficult (constant on, switched on, ground, antenna connections).  You do require a metal surface for the adhesive-mounted antenna to ground properly.  I mounted mine under the fiberglass luggage rack and it works fine (the antenna manufacturer tech support manager recommended this to me).  A friend of mine just has his antenna sitting on his dash and it works okay, although you are more likely to get occasional short dropouts.  My tuner is mounted in the cabinet under the sink, and the antenna to tuner connections pass through the corner of the zippered screen in the poptop.  I can provide pictures or installation advice if anyone is interested.

There is literally no comparison between normal AM/FM and satellite radio.  A recent analysis report estimated between 29-45 million subscribers (primarily from standard equipment auto OEM installs) over the next ten years.  Published reports from XM and Sirius indicate 650K subscribers now since they started 1.5 years ago.  Here's my disclaimer - I like the service so much that I have bought stock and I want to see the subscriber numbers grow.  I've made several people aware of this offer and none of them have been disappointed with the service after they got it.  In fact, three of them got second units for their other cars after only a month's experience with their initial unit, also because of their spouse's insistence.  Again, listen to the service for yourself first at the Listen Now link at the top of the www.sirius.com website.  I have verified that what you are hearing on this site on the music streams is what they are broadcasting live over the satellite at the same time.  The Rock is the best classic rock station you will ever hear.

caverat
89 Westy