The Computer Revolution/Entertainment/Satellite Radio

Satellite Radios are the new hottest craze in the tech market today and are sure to be on many peoples Christmas list. As the name indicates satellite radio's are just that radio which receive there signal via satellite thus giving the user global access of the worlds radio stations. When users purchase a satellite radio they are actually purchasing a small mobile unit that can be installed in there car, boat, home, office or in some cases you can have a mobile unit that can be taken with you on the plane or on camping trips.

Price

Satellite radio costs $15.00 per month on a monthly or yearly subscription basis and the physical unit that will be installed will range anywhere from $150.0 to 450.00. Although this may seem obscured to be paying for radio which is available free if you value a broad selection of commercial free music then Satellite radio is a sure bet to leave the customer pleased.

Availability

There are two leading manufactures in the Satellite radio industry. XM radio and Sirus for further information please see the following websites.

• www.xmradio.com
• www.sirius.com

The following table is a direct comparison o f FM radio to Satellite radio it is a sample courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_radio

Radio format	Satellite radio	AM/FM	Digital television radio (DTR)
Monthly fees	$12.95 U.S. and up	None	Very low — DTR represents a small portion of the total monthly television fee
Portability	Available	Prominent	None — a typical set consists of a stereo attached to a set-top box
Listening availability	Very high — a satellite signal's footprint covers millions of square kilometres	Low to moderate — implementation of AM/FM services requires moderate to high population densities and is thus not practical in rural and/or remote locales	Very high1
Sound quality	Moderate2	AM: Very low FM: Low to moderate	High
Variety and depth of programming	Highest	Variable — highly dependent upon economic/demographic factors	High
Frequency of programming interruptions (by DJs or commercial advertising)3	Low to high — satellite radio features a mixture of commercial and non-commercial formats; most stations have DJs	Highest4	None to low — some DTRs have DJs
Governmental regulation	Low to none5	Yes — significant governmental regulations regarding content6	Low to none

¹ Except in the case of DTR distributed through digital cable services, for which availability is low.

² The sound quality with both satellite radio providers may not always be comparable to FM radio. This is because XM and Sirius must add many channels in the tight bandwidth limits the FCC has placed on both companies.

³ Some satellite radio services and DTR services act as in situ repeaters for local AM/FM stations and thus feature a high frequency of interruption.

⁴ Nonprofit stations and public radio networks such as CBC/Radio-Canada, NPR, and PRI-affiliated stations and the BBC are commercial-free. In the US, all stations are required to have periodic station identifications and public service announcements.

⁵ In the United States, the FCC regulates technical broadcast spectrum only. Program content is unregulated.

⁶ Degree of content regulation varies by country, however the majority of industrialized nations have regulations regarding obscene and/or objectionable content.]]

Do walkie talkies work without satellite? walkie talkies can work without satellite coverage by transmitting and receiving signals through radio waves. The range is limited by the strength of the radio signal and the presence of physical barriers.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Overcast days – forget it you ain’t getting no radio, there will be no rocking out on a bad weather day. Only rocking out on sunny days is permitted.

Passing by trucks – here’s hoping that you are not sharing the same signal as the local drivers, because if you are then you will be jamming to some awesome country tunes.

Remote parts of the world – if there is not need for a satellite for nuclear invasion then why would a satellite even exist there – again good luck, if you’re stuck in a remote area here’s hoping you know all the oldies cause that’s what you’ll be singing to yourself – that is so rad!

Station Availability

Please see the following link to view all the wonderful options for your listening pleasure.

http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/full-channel-listing.xmc

http://www.siriuscanada.ca/Channels-e.htm