Satellite Radio Antennas Are More Than Useful

What are satellite radio antennas and what are their uses? This is the question that many people ask themselves when they hear about satellite radio antennas. As you read this article you will get an idea on what a satellite radio antenna is. Also you will learn what are their uses, functions and a lot of great pointers on where to buy one, what types are there and how to take care of it.

In order for you to listen and watch your programs you need a satellite radio antenna. This allows the module that you are using to communicate with its home base; the home base includes all of the programs and it allows you to choose what you would like to view. This all sounds like something out of a sci fi movie, but it is not. Your television, radio, even your computer has a satellite radio antenna.

Now that you know what satellite radio antennas are here are some of their main functions and uses. When you turn on your satellite in order for you to watch any of your programs on it the main thing needed is the satellite radio antenna. It allows the base (your PSP) to communicate with the main base of the whole entire system. This gives you the ability to either listen to your music or watch your programs, which ever you may choose.

Many people wonder where they can buy satellite radio antennas. You may buy one in your local hardware store. There is no specific company you should purchase your antenna from because different companies make different types of these mechanisms.

The different types usually go based on the use of the satellite radio antennas. You may be buying it for your car, bike, and stereo system or maybe even just for your house. They all have the same functions and every company that makes them to does their best to suit you and all of your needs.

The best way you can take care of you satellite radio antenna is to keep it out of water, as we all know electricity and water are not what we could call the greatest of friends. Also, these should be kept out of the reach of any young children; if yours is already inside of something you should make sure that it stays in there but if not any young child can swallow it and cause much harm. If this does happen please alert the police department as quickly as you can.

Now that you know what satellite radio antennas are, their functions, where to buy one and how to care for it you are ready to buy your own. Always keep in mind that depending on what size and type of a satellite radio antenna will vary in its price range. If you buy something for cheap it won?t last too long but you did not spend that much money on it, but if you buy something expensive it will last longer even if you did spend that extra hundred dollars on it.

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Take Your Tunes With You Using A Portable Satellite Radio

People that have taken a liking to satellite radio are flocking to their local electronics store looking for a portable satellite radio. Why you might ask? Well thanks to the marketing of portable satellite radios, users can now take their favorite music, comedy, or sports where ever they go. Small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, these portable units give you access to the best satellite radio entertainment anytime anywhere.

Like a full size or car satellite radio a portable satellite radio has all the required equipment to decode the encrypted signal broadcasted by a satellite. OF course because the portable units are so much smaller then a full size, and can be carried around unlike a car satellite radio they?re the perfect accessories for those of us on the go. Whether you?re in New York or California, Colorado or Maine you can enjoy the same news, comedy, or music on the go 365 days a year.

When purchasing a portable satellite radio there are quite a few accessories available. Those that are most worth mentioning are the adapter kits available for most models. While we?re preaching of the benefits of using your satellite radio out and about, what about in your car or at home? Thanks to some accessories available for most units its possible to enjoy your portable radio on the go, and also at home or in the car. This adds great value to portable systems, because you can kill three birds with one stone!

Also available are smaller hand held radios. These devices pose to overtake the current Walkman am/fm units that most runners/walkers use. With a portable satellite radio you can tune into whatever radio content you?re interested in and not have to contend with the static of regular FM radios. Compared to a portable CD player there are no skips and a portable satellite radio uses far less battery life.

People that adopt these new innovations of portable satellite radio will find that the low monthly fee associated with the services is truly minimal. It costs a little as thirteen bucks a month for all the music, comedy and other entertainment you can handle. Add in the extra advantage of it all being commercial free, and the sound quality is the best available and a portable satellite radio is looking like the best piece of personal electronics you can invest in. So if you?re a true music lover, and spend a lot of time on the go take a look at portable satellite radios. You don?t know what you?re missing.

Learn more about portable satellite radios and satellite radios services at Satellite Radio roundup.

Satellite Radio vs. Digital HD Radio - And The Winner Is

There's a lot of buzz right now about satellite radio, largely because of Howard Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio.

While moving to Sirius might make sense for Howard because of his scatological language and on-the-air hi-jinks, it just might not make as much sense for most radio listeners.

You see, satellite radio is about to see competition from a new technology called HD Radio.

HD Radio is the digital system recently approved by the U.S. Government for multicasts of local AM and FM radio. This is, of course, broadcast radio ? meaning there is no fee and no subscription required.

The benefits of HD radio are:

AM radio sounds as good as today's FM radio.

FM sounds almost as good as if you were listening to a CD.

Multicasting means that stations can add as many as two additional digital subchannels to their primary broadcasts. And broadcasters have said that many of these subchannels will be commercial free -- at least initiallyi ? just like satellite radio.

HD radio includes text messaging so that you eventually will be able to receive real-time weather forecasts, traffic updates and other information right on your radio.

People who have been testing the first HD tabletop radio from Boston Acoustics have said maybe satellite broadcasters better start worrying. The Recepter HD radio measures just 4.4 by 7.6 by 6.75 inches, with an extension speaker that is 4.4 by 4.4 by 6.0 inches, but produces sound that can only be described as amazing.

Besides being free and offering great sound, HD radio has another important feature that satellite radio can't match. Its programming is local. Satellite radio may be commercial free, but there's no local weather reports, no traffic updates, no local news, no local personalities.

The battle between satellite radio vs. terrestrial radio is not going to go away. Satellite radio will grow in popularity. And terrestrial radio is about to get a second life ? thanks to digital HD radio.

So, the real winner in this war won't be either. It will be us consumers. We will be able to choose satellite radio, conventional AM or FM radio, digital HD Radio or all three.

It really is a case of ?the more choices, the merrier.?

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Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive, an avid golfer, the author of numerous articles on HD radio, and the Internet and the publisher and webmaster of http://www.hd-radio-home.com

The History Of Portable Satellite Radios

The history of portable satellite radios is short compared to traditional over-the-air radio, but it has rapidly changed the face of radio listening like no other technology in recent memory. The two major satellite radio services, XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio, offer a stunning array of programming and compete fiercely for customers.

Their popularity has stunned many in the radio industry and with the advent of new, smaller, more convenient portable satellite radios, some industry veterans worry about the future viability of traditional broadcast radio.

How did satellite radio get started and what is its future? Let?s take a look.

The Beginnings of Satellite Radio

The history of satellite radio begins in 1992, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to set aside a portion of spectrum to be devoted to nationwide distribution of digital radio service via satellite. SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio bid huge amounts of money (at least $80 million each) for licenses to use this new allocation of spectrum, which were eventually awarded to them by the FCC.

Owning the right to use the spectrum, though, was only the first step. Even if they could start delivering satellite radio signals right away, there were no consumer-accessible portable satellite radios to receive the signal. Additionally, there was substantial debate within the radio industry about whether consumers would be willing to pay for new hardware and then pay a monthly subscription fee for radio service. After all, AM and FM radio broadcasts were available free all over the country.

Making a Business out of Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio set out to overcome these obstacles and make a real business out of portable satellite radios and satellite radio programming. They knew that to attract the most consumers they needed to offer a variety of hardware components that could be used in a variety of locations ? home, work, and especially the car, where most radio listening occurs.

Working with electronics manufacturers already trusted and recognized by consumers (Sanyo, Panasonic, JVC, Kenwood, etc.), hardware development got underway. The results included portable satellite radios, receivers, and ?plug and play? components for nearly every consumer application. Manufacturers built satellite radio receivers for cars, homes, offices, trucks, RVs, boats, and even airplanes.

On the programming side, XM and SIRUS put together an assortment of niche music stations that would have something to offer consumers with nearly any musical taste. Each station was programmed to appeal to a specific type of listener, and most were commercial-free. Programming originated primarily from New York, but also from other locations, plus XM and SIRIUS entered into collaborative agreements that would allow popular musicians, entertainers, personalities and others to perform live from the originating locations. This would give the services another unique selling point to attract consumers.

Dealing with resistance to a monthly fee, though, required a broader array of marketing, public relations, and strategies to communicate the benefits and advantages of portable satellite radios. XM and SIRIUS knew that the key to their success would lie in convincing consumers of the value they would receive while making the hardware widely available and affordable.

Spreading the Word

Portable satellite radios began to show up in a variety of places where consumers would find it easy to use them. One of the most important places for XM and SIRIUS to gain entry for the hardware was in cars and trucks, where consumers do the vast majority of their radio listening.

They collaborated with car and truck manufacturers to make portable satellite radios standard on many high-end luxury vehicles, and an affordable option on most other mid-range vehicles. For most of these consumers, the cost of a monthly subscription would not be prohibitive and by making it easy for them to access their services, XM and SIRIUS could entice consumers to try it out and start spreading the word about its value.

Portable satellite radios were also placed in boats and RVs, and standard receivers were heavily marketed for use in homes and businesses. Another innovation, introduced in November 2004, is the handheld version of XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers. These devices were designed to appeal to people who want access to satellite radio services while running, walking, or otherwise moving out and about in locations other than their cars, trucks, homes or offices.

Another important component of spreading the word was establishing partnerships and marketing agreements with electronics retailers such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and other well-known names. Working closely with retailers, XM and SIRIUS have greatly increased their presence with consumers and sales have steadily increased.

Why Pay for Radio?

Still, the bottom line question for most people is why pay for radio? The answer is in the benefits received with a subscription to satellite radio. Some of the most popular benefits include:

More channel choices (up to 150) Commercial-free (music channels) Live audio streaming of sporting events Weather and traffic information (in major markets) Clear, crisp digital signal Signal available with no fading when driving long distances Niche music stations to suit any musical taste Assortment of sports, talk, and news stations

Coming Soon

Satellite radio service is in its infancy so it is inevitable that the technology and the features will continue to develop. XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio will have to devote resources to such innovations if they are to attract enough subscribers to become profitable.

For example, one feature that will soon be available in some areas real time traffic information delivered via satellite directly to the navigation system in the car. This information will appear as color-coded displays of the average speed of vehicles on specific roads, allowing the driver to select the travel route that is least congested at any particular time.

Other new options and ideas are inevitable over the next few years, so it is likely that portable satellite radios will continue to grow in popularity and become more common in vehicles, homes, offices, boats, RVs, and just about any other location that can be imagined.

Julie-Ann Amos is a successful writer for 1st-Dish-TV.net, a consumer guide to free DirecTV satellite dish systems. She has contributed numerous articles on portable satellite radio receivers and writes frequently on high speed satellite Internet service providers

Learn Satellite Radio

Satellite radio is actually composed of two Boeing HS 702 satellites orbiting our atmosphere and aptly named "Rock" and "Roll". One is located at approximately 85 degrees west longitude and the other at 115 degrees west longitude. Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) is about 22,223 miles (35,764 km) above Earth, and is the type of orbit most commonly used for communications satellites. The first satellite to up, "Rock," was placed in orbit on March 18, 2001. "Roll" followed with it's launch on May 8. Satellite radio has a third HS-702 satellite on the ground ready to be launched in case one of the two orbiting satellites break down or fail.

Satellite radio's station on earth transmits a signal to its two GEO Satellites, which bounce signals back down to the ground. The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains up to 100 channels of digital audio. In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains additional information about the broadcast. The artist, song title and category of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellite's signal, broadcasting equipment is supplemented by ground transmitters.

Each receiver contains a unique manufacturer's chipset. Satellite radio began delivering chipsets to its manufacturing partners in late September or early October of 2000. The chipset consists of two custom integrated circuits designed by STMicroelectronics. Satellite has partnered with Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, Delphi Delco, Sony and Motorola to manufacture satellite capable car radios. Each radio receiver uses a tiny, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the digital signal. GM has invested about 100 million dollars in digital satellite radio, and Honda has also created a contract to use these same radios in its cars. General Motors first began installing satellite radio receivers in specific models in late 2000 and early 2001.

For approximately twelve dollars per month, subscribers can listen to crystal clear digital sound. For this small price, music aficionados receive up to 100 channels of music, talk and news. They can also listen online via streaming audio service with over 70 channels. Most of the stations received are commercial-free, with none of the channels having more than seven minutes of ads per hour. Satellite advertisers include USA Today, BBC, CNN/Sports Illustrated and The Weather Channel. The service is clean & clear and more of what the surveyed population asked for. The future of satellite radio is clearly bright.

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Satellite radio costs

Everybody has heard about satellites. But how many people heard about satellite radios? Satellite radio is a subscription radio service. It's somehow identical to cable television, with the difference that it provides a wider range of stations not available on a standard AM / FM radio. There are many questions to be answered about satellite radios like "How does satellite radios work?", "What kind of equipment should I purchase?" etc. but in this article I will try to answer a question that first pops up in everybody's mind: "HOW MUCH DOES SATELLITE RADIO COST"? This is a tricky question because the cost of a satellite radio is divided in two: installation (or activation) costs and the monthly subscription fee.

Activation costs

Activation costs refers to the amount of money that are to be spent on a XM or Sirius Satellite Radio to start the service. Although you can find many promotions that allows you to save up money, the activation costs vary, being able to make the activation by phone or by World Wide Web. To be more precise, if you activate your satellite by phone, you will pay $15.00 if you choose Sirius Satellite or $14.99 by choosing XM and, as for WWW activation, the cost of goods is somehow lower: $5 with Sirius or $9.99 with XM. As for the monthly subscription costs we will discuss this below, but, before that, I must say that recent media campaigns are dramatically dropping the prices for installation and activation, both on Sirius or XM, in some cases even offering free activation.

Typical costs for a car dedicated installation

If you want to install a satellite radio into your car you are to consider buying a new satellite-ready car stereo if you don't have one. Although many local dealers offer built-in car satellite radio, there is still the problem of having a satellite radio receiver. And these, as you may notice, cost money. It is possible though to use the existing car stereo that does not support satellite radio. How? There are two known ways of connecting the receiver to the available non-satellite radio car stereo. First, by using the radio inputs (usually the CD) and installing a control unit for tuning up the satellite radio streams. The second method consists in installing a satellite radio receiver, which broadcasts the satellite radio signal on a FM frequency. The place where you can install the receiver depends: under the seat, in your trunk, etc. taking care of connecting the receiver to the satellite radio antenna mounted on the car's exterior. So, there will be a minimum cost of $350.00 and a maximum of $600, like below:

Receiver $75 - $125 Radio $125 - $250 Antenna $60.00 Labor $80.00 Activation $10

Costs for a dedicated home installation

If you choose this option, that means you will have to install a dedicated stereo receiver unit, which in some cases is similar to regular AM / FM receivers. As an additional cost, you will have to buy an antenna, which can be found at a price of $60. Here is a short review of the approximate price of installing a dedicated stereo receiver unit:

Receiver $150 - $300 Antenna $60 Activation $10

Costs for a Portable Unit

Portable units gives you the ease of using you brand new satellite radio wherever you want, but, in every room you will have to own a home kit (antennas, output cables and power supplies). The price for this option is around $400.

Receiver $120 Home kit $140 Boombox x2 $100 Activation $10

Subscription costs

As for the subscription costs, it depends if you own a Sirius or XM Satellite Radio. Subscription costs for a Sirius Satellite Radio are paid monthly where the charge is $12.95, with a low adjustment is you subscribe to a year or two. The highest number of Sirius radios that can be activated are three for $6.99 each per month. Business subscriptions are $24.99 per month. Another interesting thing is that for $499.99, Sirius is offering a life time subscription. On the other hand, if you have a XM Satellite Radio, you will have to pay a monthly charge of $9.99. Still, some channels are to be paid separately, like Playboy Radio, which costs an additional $2.99 per month. Commercial and Business Subscriptions cost $24.99 per month.

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The Facts You Need To Know About Satellite Radio - Part 1

Time and technology marches on and things that were considered impossible just a few years ago, are now almost routine. That applies to a lot of things in life, but certainly to the way that we are able to listen to radio broadcasting today.

Just a few years ago it was just accepted that if you tuned in to a particular radio station, you would lose reception and clarity if you were driving long distance and you would have to hunt around and find another station instead. It was also accepted that every broadcast would be filed with lots of ads that you didn't really want to hear, just so the radio station could turn a profit.

Well, now there are more choices to be ahd and technology has made a whole new way of broadcasting radio possible. It's called satellite radio and we will try to help you understand a few facts about it, because the more you know about it, the more you will no doubt appreciate what it can do for you.

First of all, conventional radio traditionally only travel around 30-50 miles with any clarity at all, and then they degrade rapidly. Much of that is due to the roundness of the earth and so as the signal goes out it can't follow the contour of the earth and so the signal is lost to the user. Satelliter radio has solved that issue altogether. As it's name implies, the signal is sent from satellites over 20,000 miles above the earth, so there is absolutely nothing that can obstruct the broadcast signal.

There are currently two major players in the US in this new field, Sirius and XM satellite radio. XM has two satellites in orbit and Sirius employs three. They are specifically timed and placed within orbit to maintain constant coverage of the US for about 16 hours at a time. What this means to you is that no matter where you go in the US and no matter what time of day or night, you will not lose reception, and can enjoy the programming that you like uninterrupted.

This feature alone of satellite radio is an incredible advantage over conventional ground-based radio stations. It comes in handy especially for folks who may live in rural areas that get very poor reception from standard radio, and for those that are long distance travelers. There is no hunting for stations as their reception fades. No having to listen to programming that you don't particularly like just because it's the only thing available in a particular area. Just crisp, clean programming all the time.

But there is lots more about satellite radio to be covered in Part 2 of this report.

Jim Johnson writes on consumer related matters. Find out more about satellite radio and satellite radio reviews at the Satellite Radio Review.

Satellite Radio: The Waves Of The Future?

Satellite Radio Its here! Satellite radio is a new service being offered by two companies, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both companies are offering over 100 channels of streaming music and entertainment. High quality sound is achieved through the use of satellites orbiting high above. Satellite radio is commercial free and free from regulations by federal committees. The impossible, is now possible, hearing the same radio station across North America and from coast to coast. All made possible by XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio.

Normal radio has been around for decades and is part of many peoples lifestyle. This is changing. Regular radio is monitored and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, whom has fined several radio stations and media companies within the last 3-4 years. The FCC has only fined radio stations a maximum of $27,500 per show no matter how man profanities were aired.

Recently the FCC has been upping the ante and in conjunction with Congress has decided to raise the fine up to $500,000 per incident per station (Potter). A slap on the wrist has turned into a business-changing event. Sexually explicit comments by Bubba the Love Sponge and Howard Stern could get a station in trouble no doubt about it. Clear Channel Radio dropped both shock jocks this year after being hit with record fines.(Potter) Recently Howard Stern has made a move to Sirius Satellite Radio in an effort to preserve his career and free speech. Consumers are reaching towards satellite radio as a way to hear unregulated news and content.

Recently XM Satellite Radio has claimed to have over 3 million subscribers paying $9.99 per month and Sirius claims to have over 1.3 million customers paying $12.95 per month. Many of those customers pay an additional $2.99 per month for premium content such as the upcoming Howard Stern Show. Several normal radio stations and media outlets are realizing the potential to get their message across in a broad fashion. XM has launched a morning show, which is hosted by Bob Edwards, whom was fired earlier this year by National Public Radio. "The Bob Edwards Show" will air on a public satellite radio channel that also features news and programs from Public Radio International, among others. Sirius has its own public radio channel carrying NPR programs. Consumers and companies are demanding free speech and it seems that satellite radio is the vehicle.

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have designed satellite broadcast systems that differ but they achieve the same high quality of satellite radio. A milestone of this success is the fact that satellite radio signals that are available across the United States and into Mexico and Canada. Rock and Roll No its not a genre any more! XM Satellite Radio has two satellites named Rock and Roll, which remain in parallel geostationary orbit to provide radio coverage throughout the United States. Sirius Satellite Radio has chose to use three satellites in an inclined elliptical orbit. This configuration provides 16 hours per satellite of signal, which gives a great redundancy if any satellite were to fail. Playing it smart, Sirius and XM both have spare satellites, which can be called on in a moments notice if needed.

XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio have Earth based broadcast stations that are used to send up information to the satellites, which is then dispersed through out the globe. Sirius and XM both have disk jockeys that manage, create and program music which is then sent up to the satellites. The information is then taken in by the satellites and sent through a rebroadcast of the streams to earth. The Major advantage of this is that, unlike earth-based radio stations whose signals reach listeners 150 miles away, satellite radio signals have a huge reach, and are receivable anywhere within the continental United States and hundreds of miles in each direction of the borders. Satellite Radio is growing to become a worldwide network and offerings are growing throughout the world. XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio are making it happen.

Unregulated Satellite Radio is the answer for free speech in a government regulated airwaves arena. Not only can listeners hear unbiased information but also they can listen to it anywhere in the United States. Media giants are jumping to get the piece of the pie regarding satellite radio, as the new wave of the future is satellite radio.
Scott fish is the Owner of http://www.TopSatelliteRadio.com

Top Satellite Radio is a resource for consumers seeking the history and facts about satellite radio. We also sell electronics related to Satellite Radio. Quick Access: http://www.TopSatRadio.com