So I called to cancel today...

[Casual Fan]

...and they're sending me a new radio for free. I've owned three radios in just over six years and they've all died. The display died on my Kenwood H2A (the best of the bunch), the Starmate just stopped recognizing the antenna one day, and my current Xact Visor keeps telling me "acquiring signal" while under open blue skies. So, I called CS to cancel, and they offered me a Stratus 5 for the cost of shipping to stay on. What the hell, why not? I like the service, but paying $13 a month for no signal wasn't cutting it, nor would buying yet another radio.

 

[limegrass69]

Well done!!

Glad you are still on board.

 

[Bandwagon03]

Woah, just think, you wouldn't even been Casual Fan anymore, more like, NoFan, or whatever...

 

[HecticArt]

You go Tater Chic!

 

[JoeTan]

My sub expired the other day and I lasted about 10min with out stern before I couldn't take it anymore.

HARD to live with out Stern in the morning. There's just nothing else worth listening to.

 

[Casual Fan]

Woah, just think, you wouldn't even been Casual Fan anymore, more like, NoFan, or whatever...

I've always wanted to be Bandwagon03, but some jackass took it!

I'd still be a fan of "digital radio," just not a subscriber. But they have me, at least until the Stratus 5 dies.

 

[Casual Fan]

You go Tater Chic!

It's an anagram of "A Calf Anus."

 

[Argji]

I don't get it. We had a starmate v1.0 in use for almost 5 years and a Sirius One for around 4 and they were both kicking until I pulled the plug on them last month and upgraded our equipment. We never moved them around though. I guess these things are more fragile if they get yanked in and out of docks and such?

 

[HecticArt]

It's an anagram of "A Calf Anus."

Anagram name huh?

Is that like:
Howard Stern = Retard Shown
Clint Eastwood = Old West Action
Ronald Wilson Reagan = Insane Anglo Warlord
Saddam Hussain = Humans sad side
Jay Leno: Enjoy L.A.
Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler
Dick Cheney = Needy Chick
David Letterman = Nerd Amid Late TV
Elvis = lives
Justin Timberlake = im a jerk but listen
Mel Gibson = Big Melons
or
Jennifer Aniston = fine in torn jeans

 

[JoeTan]

I don't get it. We had a starmate v1.0 in use for almost 5 years and a Sirius One for around 4 and they were both kicking until I pulled the plug on them last month and upgraded our equipment. We never moved them around though. I guess these things are more fragile if they get yanked in and out of docks and such?

This is why my sporster replay still works. I NEVER shut it off I NEVER take it out of the dock. This goes for my S50s too. NEVER use them as a portible. Just leave them be and they never die. (actually haven't had a problem with either s50 for about a year now that they cut the crap with the firmware "fixes")

 

[Kryptonite]

Anagram name huh?

Is that like:
Howard Stern = Retard Shown
Clint Eastwood = Old West Action
Ronald Wilson Reagan = Insane Anglo Warlord
Saddam Hussain = Humans sad side
Jay Leno: Enjoy L.A.
Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler
Dick Cheney = Needy Chick
David Letterman = Nerd Amid Late TV
Elvis = lives
Justin Timberlake = im a jerk but listen
Mel Gibson = Big Melons
or
Jennifer Aniston = fine in torn jeans

It's Hussein

And actually, Jennifer Aniston is even better out of torn jeans.

 

[Grüpsaar]

My oldest radio is an Xact XTR7 that was in use since xmas of '05 and went strong with daily use in a boombox for two years, and even got a lot of car use in and out of the dock. It got retired for about a year, but late last year I resurrected it and it still works the same as when I first got it! Keeps ticking! It's been in the car during hot summer days, and during cold winter nights too. I think it's glad to be sitting snuggled in the boombox as of late. I think it's traveling days are over since it was primarily my ex's radio and used in her car all the time.

 

[HecticArt]

It's Hussein

And actually, Jennifer Aniston is even better out of torn jeans.

He's dead

and

Damn right!

 

[TSS Taylor]

The moving of the radios, and antennas and cords will definitely take a toll on the radios. We find a lot of people have radios that last 3-5 years, and some that go through radios in less than a year.

A lot of times the common problems is the antennas get moved around and the wire crimps maybe just on the inside and it's not visible for one to see.

SIRIUS XM often will give out a radio depending on the situation. I'm glad they took care of you on this.

 

[Jon]

The moving of the radios, and antennas and cords will definitely take a toll on the radios. We find a lot of people have radios that last 3-5 years, and some that go through radios in less than a year.

A lot of times the common problems is the antennas get moved around and the wire crimps maybe just on the inside and it's not visible for one to see.

SIRIUS XM often will give out a radio depending on the situation. I'm glad they took care of you on this.

Which is exactly why the most likely scenario for me getting the service again would be through an OEM when I buy a new car. No wires, no moving, no troubles. And have the iPhone app at the ready when I feel like doing some mobile listening. Beyond that I'll never buy another piece of hardware from either side.

 

[DAB]

The moving of the radios, and antennas and cords will definitely take a toll on the radios. We find a lot of people have radios that last 3-5 years, and some that go through radios in less than a year.

A lot of times the common problems is the antennas get moved around and the wire crimps maybe just on the inside and it's not visible for one to see.

The smart thing to do if you plan to move one around is to install at least the antenna on each vehicle so that you don't have to move that antenna. These things fail without being moved much, but add the moving factor and your chance of failure quadruples.

I am finding with the Skydock (which I move 2 times a week Mon to company vehicle and Thur to personal vehicle) that the antenna plug and aux-input plug are heavy duty compared to most PNP radios. They apparently figured this one would or could get moved around a lot more. I've had no problems whatsoever thus far, but it will be interesting to see if it holds up over time.

I give the XM Skydock high marks for its design, though there are some that wish the stalk were longer or different due to where their cig lighters are located.

I've had OEM's and most of them are crap. I'd do without it before I'd deal with the limitations that most of these OEM radios have. Though they have gotten a bit better, still not on par compared to most PNP's.

 

[Jon]

If you don't need all the stuff on the PNP models, than the OEM's are plenty sufficient. I had all the artist select, song select, stock quotes, sports scores and everything else on my old Roady XT. The only thing was, I never used them. Especially when it got to a point where my stations were being eliminated and all I did was listen to news/talk/sports, etc. Which is likely what I'll do if I return. Lord knows I've got plenty of other options for music. Except to fill the gaps in where other services like Slacker are lacking (Classical, Opera, and a few others off the top of my head).

 

[VinnyM27]

I had a problem with my old car/boombox radio. It was an Audiovox PNP, and they also gave me a free radio even though I was pretty sure I would not use it. The Audiovox was my first and I loved it but it didn't work and it was not worth buying another. Because my car is old, I never bothered to set up the free radio they gave me, which is still in the box! Sadly, I have gone through about three stilettos and only one was replaced by a warranty!

 

[DAB]

If you don't need all the stuff on the PNP models, than the OEM's are plenty sufficient.

If you are okay with a 16 character text limit, which I absolutely hate and you want no features we agree, otherwise not so much so!

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

If you are okay with a 16 character text limit, which I absolutely hate and you want no features we agree, otherwise not so much so!

I have one of those crappy OEM models. I thought I would really hate it given I had PnPs in the car before. But adding the steering wheel channel changer makes up for the loss of all the cool features. And you can listen to XM in the car without the wife complaining about wires.