The two main players in the satellite radio field are XM and Sirius. XM is the #1 satellite radio service in the US with almost 5 million users, about twice as many as Sirius (although Sirius will soon have Howard Stern and will likely rapidly grow their subscriber base). They have music, sports, news, talk, and comedy channels that go wherever you go. You pay a monthly subscription fee ($12.99/mo) and your receiver will pickup the satellite broadcast wherever you go, commercial free. Some of the most popular current satellite receivers (small radios) are the portable ones you can carry, use at home, or use in your car or office.
They all follow the same technical specs, called XM2go, developed by XM. Various manufacturers license this design and then build their own consumer products around it. A popular XM radio model is the Pioneer Airware - a small handheld unit that lets you carry it anywhere you go. The AirWare comes with:
AirWare portable XM receiver
car adapter kit
home adapter cradle
earphones
30-channel preset memory
rechargeable battery
belt clip
wireless remote
five-hour recording capacity
built-in wireless FM transmitter
six-line backlit LCD display
XM Radio Reviews
The Pioneer AirWare XM has a 5 hour integrated rechargable battery and head phone jack for personal listening. It has a large 6 line LCD screen, making it easier to browse music and channels, and read stock quotes or sports tickers. There is NO built in speaker, so you need to use headphones or plug it into your home or car stereo to listen to it. The Pioneer AirWare XM2go comes with a built in antenna that does a pretty good job of picking up a steady satellite signal, although it still will not work if you are completely blocked from satellite view.
The Pioneer Airware XM satellite radio stores up to 5 hours of programming on its internal flash memory, allowing you to save or record satellite progamming that you want to listen to later. Just push a button to switch between LIVE and MEMORY mode. This works great if you are listening to a talk show or something in your car - once you get to your destination, just have the Airware unit keep recording and it will be waiting when you get back. Or have it record your favorite programs at night while in its docking station, then take them with you and listen to them whenever you choose during the day. The home docking station comes with an audio patch cable for connecting it to your stereo system, and their is a signal strength indictator to help you position it for best reception.
Specifications:
4.5 in. H x 2.8 in. W x 1.2 in. D
Weight = 7.2 oz
Battery = 3.6V li-ion rechargeable
Audio out = 3.5mm standard headphone jack
Getting a Pioneer AirWare XM2go XM satellite radio
Check out JJElectronics.com for all things XM. They have all the lastest and greatest XM satellite radios, including portable units like this Airware XM2go. You can also purchase directly from XM, at XMRadio.com - they offer the AirWare XM2go satellite radio for $125 (with $50 rebate price). Many of these can also double as home models -they plug into your existing stereo and bring in all the satellite channels you want for commercial free music, news, sports, whatever. All units come with a wireless FM transmitter to play back through your existing radio in your car or home.
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