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Hey, I'm JR, Sales team leader and trainer here at Crutchfield, where I've worked for
over 11 years. I'm a huge satellite radio fan. In fact, I'm a fanatic. I haven't listened
to regular AM/FM radio in over 4 years, now. Now, I regularly listen to XM and Sirius.
Why? Simple: the programming. My family and I take road trips, and when we do we listen
to XM Kids a lot. I personally am a huge fan of rock, so Sirius Octane channel 20 is what
I listen to most. Then again, all summer long, I'm tuning into XM to listen to baseball games.
And I confess, I'm addicted to the Howard Stern show on Sirius. Being such a fan, I
found that I want to be able to tune in, pretty much, whenever and wherever I am. So I use
a plug-and-play satellite radio to listen in my truck, at work or at home. There are
4 types of satellite radios, so you'll be able to get one that will allow you to listen
whenever and however you want. Car only, home only, plug-and-play, and handheld portable
radios. Let's take a look at which satellite radio best fits your needs. Lots of folks
start out looking to add satellite radio to their car stereo. If you're sure you'll only
want to listen in your car and you want a clean-looking installation, look for a car
only satellite radio. These small tuners are mounted permanently in your vehicle and they
connect to your factory or aftermarket car stereo with a cable like this. Now, they do
take a little bit of time to install, but the end result is you get to change channels
right from the face of your radio, and they provide the best sound quality. On the other
hand, if you're certain you'll only be listening at home, you can go with a component style
satellite radio tuner that connects to your A/V receiver. There are also stand-alone table
radios for the home. Most satellite radio fans, though, find they want the freedom to
listen in multiple places. That's what plug-and-play satellite radios are designed for. Plug-and-play
satellite radios work with kits. A kit comes with everything you need, including a docking
station or mount, a power connection, an antenna and a signal wire to get the music into your
car or your home stereo. And there are different kits available for each location. In addition
to their versatility, plug-and-play radios offer other benefits as well. Like a larger
display with more information. You can also listen to one channel while you surf around
on the other channels to find something else to listen to. Plus you can use the built-in
memory to pause, rewind and even record live satellite programming. If you want the most
versatile type of satellite radio, then take a look at the the handheld portable radios.
Unlike a plug-and-play, a portable satellite radio has a built-in antenna, so you can listen
to satellite radio outside and on the go without a kit. Portable reception can be spotty, though,
depending on your environment. You won't pick up signals indoors, through roofs or walls
for example. Most portables also let you upload your own mp3 or wma files, for even more listening
options. Portables also work with kits, so you can connect them to your car or home stereo
or even a boombox. Alright, let's review the 4 types of satellite radios. Car only radios
are small boxes that you connect to your car stereo and install permanently in your trunk
or under a seat. Home only radios are component style radios that connect to your home A/V
receiver. Plug-and-play radios are versatile units that connect to different kits, allowing
you to listen in different locations, such as in your car, at home or at work. And handheld
portable radios are the most versatile style of satellite radio. They can be used without
any kit, to listen on the go, and with a kit to listen in your car, at home or work. So,
to choose the right type of radio, consider where and how you'll want to listen. Me? I
love the Sirius Stiletto, so I can finally listen to some Octane 20 while I'm out mowing
the grass. For more details on satellite radio, check out crutchfield.com/satelliteradio or
give one of our expert sales advisors a call at 1-800-955-6000.