What is my least expensive Sirius Radio option?

Question

I would love to have Sirius radio and do spend some time in the car but I would listen more to it while in my office or house. I like the price of some of the cheaper units $30-$50 and the $9.99/month fee is high but equal to the alternative. I don't like the $3 up-charge for Internet access to their music and the $12.99 for internet without hardware doesn't even make sense (but that is what they charge). It seems the perfect hand held players are cool but those things are $250+ and that is way out of the ball park.

A lot of the radio's say they come with a car kit and/or home kit but they don't really specify what that means. Is that an FM transmitter (my iPod ones suck) or the tape deck thing.

If I want to use one of these things inside or in another vehicle, what else do I have to buy? I don't want to spend $50 on a radio and $50 per kit for home, car and 2nd car.

Is there more than one plan to pick from?

Looking for solution ideas or pointers to helpful web sites.

Answer 1

Service is $12.95 for the first radio and $6.99 for each additional radio (up to four I believe).  You get internet radio included, unless you want the premium (higher bitrate) online service.

If you want a good radio for home and car, I would recommend the Stratus.  It should be around $40.  That includes the car kit.  The car kits do include FM Modulators, but they are very weak, due to the FCC's whining.  In order to use the FM Modulator, you would have to buy an FM Direct Adapter, which "turns off" your car's FM antenna when the Sirius radio is on.  Problem is, the FM Direct Adapter costs another $20-30.

If your car has a cassette deck, you can use a cassette adapter, and would get better sound than the FM Modulator.  Or, if your car stereo has an auxiliary input port, you can plug the Sirius radio into that.  Or, the best option is to have the Sirius radio hardwired to your car.

You would need a home kit or boombox to listen at home/office.  The home kit is probably around $50, and the boombox is around $100.

Answer 2

Dude, get an HD radio!  I've got one in both my cars...It's fantastic.  A lot cheaper in the long run.

Answer 3

9.99 a month?  It's 12.95 a month for the first system and $9.95 for each additional system.  

You get basic online SIRIUS for free which gets you all the channels but if you want "CD quality" there is an upcharge, I can personally care less about it.

(Car Kit) Going off my Sportster I got a while ago, the FM transmitter is an attached cord that has to be in the area of the radio to transmit.  The only downfall is sometimes if you go into different areas there may be a local radio station on that channel or one click above/below that will mess with the reception.  Easily fixed though by just adjusting the transmitter frequency.  You have to plug the car kit into a lighter receptacle for power and have to run the satellite attenna to the exterior of your car.

Have it professionally installed if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.  (But it really isn't that hard to do)

(Home kit)  I don't have one of those because I just play it off my computer.