Most of us like to preset our favorite radio stations into our car radios and switch through these to find an entertaining or interesting program as we drive to work, around town, or on long trips. In the United States, aside from terrestrial radio, you can get satellite radio providers like XM and Sirius.
What is a terrestrial radio?
Terrestrial radio is a radio that can receive a traditional broadcast from a radio station. With terrestrial radio, you can listen to broadcasts from local stations offering local news, talk shows, music choices, and more. However, you have to be within 30 or 40 miles of the source station to get good reception. When you drive in areas away from the signal source, you may not be able to enjoy uninterrupted listening.
The signal can fade into static, and you may have to keep changing radio stations to find something to listen to. Another problem with terrestrial radio is that there are too many distracting commercials, and these can ruin your enjoyment.
What is satellite radio?
Satellite radio is a radio that can receive signals that satellite radio providers send up to satellites and which then broadcast them down to Earth. The signals broadcast by the satellites remain unaffected by the terrestrial range of the radio station. So, even if you are 20,000 miles away from the radio station, you can listen to their programs with complete clarity. The chances of encountering static or distorted sounds to ruin your listening pleasure are low.
The two types of satellite radio in the United States are XM and Sirius. Most current car models come preinstalled with satellite radio receivers or offer you the choice between a Sirius or an XM kit for car.
XM satellite radio
XM satellite radio is based in Washington, DC, and broadcasts its signals through two satellites—Rock and Roll—that are located over the Equator in a geostationary orbit and transmit signals to a repeater network on the ground. You can install it with an XM radio kit for car. With a paid subscription service, you can get access to a range of commercial-free channels that allow you to listen uninterruptedly to news, entertainment, music, talk shows, sports, weather forecasts, traffic reports, and more.
Sirius satellite radio
Sirius satellite radio, which has headquarters in New York City, broadcasts its radio streams from three satellites—Sirius 1, Sirius2, and Sirius1—that orbit above the North American continent in an elliptical geosynchrony. There is also a fourth satellite, Sirius 4, that the company stores as a ground spare at the Space Systems/Loral facility in Palo Alto, California. If you decide to get a Sirius satellite radio for your car, you can either install it yourself or hire a professional for the radio installation work.
Reasons to choose Sirius satellite radio
You may want to choose Sirius satellite radio for these reasons:
• It is a satellite radio provider that offers coast-to-coast programming in the United States.
• You can install the Sirius satellite radio system in your car with the dock and play system.
• There are different subscription plans to choose from, and you can get one that suits your budget and activate it over the Internet.
• Once you get the subscription, the satellite radio broadcasting network will work non-stop. You can get programs streamed to you 24 hours a day.
• It has an extensive and also exclusive range of original programming that exceeds what XM offers. You can access over 130 channels, including music channels, entertainment channels, sports channels, news channels, financial news channels, and more. With such a wide choice of listening options, it is unlikely that you will ever run out of something to listen to while you are out driving.
• Another great thing about the Sirius satellite radio is that it will not subject you to a bombardment of commercial advertisements. You can listen to your favorite programs without any annoying interruptions.
• You can also get more listening device options than with the XM radio kit for car. Sirius offers simple to complex car kits and other devices that are compatible with your car stereo and can transmit wirelessly to it.