It all started simply enough…in early May my husband brought home a new family car. Bill works for Volkswagen, and we’re a VW family. My last three cars have all been Passat wagons, and while I LOVE them, one has pretty much been a replica of the other. This latest was a little different. There are always fun bells and whistles with a new car, but this one came with something to which I took an immediate shine…satellite radio and a three-month free trial subscription.
Satellite radio’s not something I’d ever looked into, or even considered. It seemed like it would be one more unnecessary expense every month. However, once it was there in my car, I wondered quickly how I ever lived without it. Driving downtown became much more enjoyable when I could listen to new singers and songwriters on the Coffee House (channel 30), or relive my youth with some Classic Alternative on channel 22. There are even channels devoted just to kids. Whatever my mood, I could find a station that catered to me at that moment. The bonus? No dj chatter and no commercials.
Our first road trip with satellite radio was a treat. Hours and hours in the car, and the boys couldn’t get enough of the sports talk on ESPN Radio, while I enjoyed listening to an entire Springsteen concert from 1985…the summer I discovered him myself! I wondered why Bill was offering to run errands on weekends, until I got into my car after one of those errands, and found my satellite radio tuned to Howard Stern.
This summer we’ve brought satellite radio into our home, with the SIRIUS Stiletto 2. It combines satellite radio with an MP3 player in a portable unit. This little baby lets me store all sorts of content in a number of ways. My favourite is when I hear a song I “LOVE”, I can hit a single button to store it, and listen to it later (again and again). I can also set up scheduled recordings to capture up to 100 hours of favourite SIRIUS shows or programs. Since SIRIUS is the official satellite radio partner of the CFL, NFL, NASCAR and NBA, chances are there’s some live sporting event to listen to at any given time!
Cruising around cottage country last weekend (ever try to get radio reception driving through the precambrian shield??) I was feeling smug as I enjoyed my music…until it stopped. Turns out my three-month trial subscription had ended very abruptly. Now that I’m hooked on SIRIUS, that $14.99 a month seems like such a bargain!
LOL, you must have sons to actually CARE about all those sports stations on SIRIUS. Me, I happen to know that SIRIUS is where you’ll find CBC Radio 3, but I would definitely skip over the sports channels.
Hmmm…great way to populate my iPod and great selection. I just may have to consider this. Plus, $14.99 seems like a bargain.
I had never considered satellite radio (although I know my brother-in-law listens to PGA tournaments on it at his cottage because he doesn’t necessarily get coverage on his tv). I imagine that the number of stations is overwhelming but you’re making it sound quite simple.
Love the storing feature – didn’t know it could do that. I might have to look into it afterall.