XM Radio

Recently, I installed XM Radio in my car. It took me 8 months to take the plunge. Why? Well, for one, I was uncertain how XM antenna looks on my car. Two, my limited dash space makes it hard for me to place the unit anywhere practical. Three, I really did not want all the wires hooked up to the XM visible in the interior. Finally, I was reluctant to pay the $9.99 monthly subscription fee and the initial investment for hardware. I knew I wanted the Roady unit due to its smaller size, but I was not keen on its cassette tape adapter which runs another visible wire harder to hide. So, I had to get the FM modulator which drove up the initial cost.

About 3 weeks ago, XM started to run a promotion which includes the $30-$40 FM modulator with the Roady unit. When I saw the promotion, I began a serious search on the Internet for photos of cars with XM. After seeing some photos of other installs, I decided to give it a try.

My friend Alex and I installed the unit ourselves. We managed to hide all the wires out of sight and located a suitable spot to place the Roady unit on my center console. Since my car is a 5 door wagon, I was able to install the antenna with ease by running the wire through the gap of the hatch. The new XM micro attennas actually look pretty cool on the car. I was happy with the look from the outside and inside of our install.

The total installation took under 2 hours. Most of that time was spent deciding where to place the Roady unit. We finally stuck the included mounting arm on the ashtray of the center console. Yes, we sacrificed the ashtray which I was using as a change tray for XM. I was a bit sad to see my change tray go, but I got over it rather quickly.

It took only minutes to activate the XM service via its web site. Soon enough, my car was thumping XM broadcasting. By the way, activating the service via the web site is $5 cheaper than activating it via its 1-800 number.

After using XM for several weeks now, I absolutely love it. It is worth the $9.99 monthly subscription. I do not listen to any local radios any more (besides, my local radios suck). In fact, I have also taken out my huge CD folder that I have always carried in all my cars. I did leave 6 of my favorite CDs in the changer just in case I got the craving. So far, I have yet to switch to the CD player after XM.

XM is amazing with over 100 channels of programming ranging from Rock, Hip-Hop, Broadway to Talk shows, Comedy, and News. It is a bit strange listening to CNBC in the car or any TV broadcasting since you cannot see the TV commentators or the commercials.

About 95% of the time, the reception is excellent. There is a few spots around town where my XM would cut out but only for a short second or two. The FM modulator's reception is excellent as well. It gives you six different channels from which to choose. I normally use FM 88.7 as my XM. There are times that I would use another frequency depending on location and city.

The Roady unit itself is well constructed. However, the buttons on the unit are a bit too small making them hard to distinguish and press. It is also lacking some functions of its big brother, the Ski-Fi. I ended up buying a remote for the Roady which solved the ergonomic problems of the Roady.

I recommend XM Radio to anyone who commutes daily via a car. Being stuck in traffic does not seem that bad any more. In fact, I sometimes take the long cut to work just to finish listening to a particular program or song. I should of gotten XM sooner.

More photos of my XM

XM Radio's Main Site