xm/fm radio

[weephee]

I would like to install a xm fm radio in my boat. Does anyone have any advice as to what is a good manufacturer and how is the reception. Any info good or bad appreciated.

[belizesailor]

Where do you plan to cruise?

They dont officially have service outside the USA, but the footprint of their satellite covers some areas outside the USA.

[weephee]

Sailing on the great lakes and perhaps Florida in the near future

[GordMay]

➥ Top 5 Sirius Radio Receivers - Reviews

[jdazey]

I have an old SkyFi II using the cassette antenna connector. Reception is good providing there is exposure to the southern sky. Quality of rogramming content is in the ears of the beholder. I use it to get Mariner games when I'm in Alaska and not much else.

[ohdrinkboy]

I've got XM on my sailboat (dual) and pontoon boat (sony). Both work fine. I'm a lake sailor.

Love having XM on the boat and will definitely have it on my cruising boat.

[a64pilot]

I used to have XM, still do for aircraft wx, but now we use the phones and Pandora, obviously only works within phone range, but XM isn't really an offshore thing either.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by weephee

Sailing on the great lakes and perhaps Florida in the near future

Coverage should be fine then.

Ive got two Sirrius heads, one at home back in Guatemala where I have less than perfect Sirrius coverage (I assume Sirrius and XM have sorted out their technology issues by now and are basically one in the same) and one on the boat...now in Panama with no Sirrius coverage.

Both are just basic Sirrius brand name heads hooked to the Aux In of a car stereo (pioneer & kenwood respectively IIRC).

[Roy M]

Here's a map of coverage for North America:

Sirius & XM Satellite Radio Coverage Map? - Dead Zones

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I used to have XM, still do for aircraft wx, but now we use the phones and Pandora, obviously only works within phone range, but XM isn't really an offshore thing either.

We use Pandora almost exclusively ashore now. Like it much better than Sirrius...which is still stuck in the old broadcast radio model. Really like the way you can set up a mix on Pandora, not an option to my knowledge on Sirrius/XM.

But, Pandora requires decent Internet service and away from shore on a cell modem can chew up data plans fast.