XM Roady

[rrbhokies]

I've been checking out the new Roady. Looks like it's easy to move from car to car, and then with the home kit, use it in the house? Am I oversimplifying it? 12 year olds at Best Buy couldn't tell me crap.

Also, is it portable enough to consider using it as walkman or something? Maybe stick the antenna in a backpack? What would you do about headphones though? Don't think it has a headphone jack and line out probably wouldn't work.

If they can get it in a small enough form factor to make it truly portable, $9.99 per month is a steal!

[ibglowin]

Just read that the Roady is getting a new Playdock system to make it into a portable like the Delphi Skyfi portable unit. I have the Skyfi and a Commander. I don't know how I lived without Satellite radio. You will love what ever you get. Let me say this though, Hows your eyesight? The display on the Roady and Commander is on the small side. The Skyfi has the largest display of them all including a nice scrolling display. We took our first road trip a few months back. 750 miles, and we could listen to the same station anywhere we went. You get tired of music you have a host of entertainment right at your finger tips.

I take my Skyfi from the SUV right to my desk each morning at work. On the weekends we have it popped into the home cradle to listen to all day long. Its just that easy. You might have to wait a while for an XM walkman though, its not quite that portable......yet.

Enjoy!

[Timco]

I just got the Roady this weekend and I love it. It is easy to move car to car, if you already have the antenna, power and lineout all set up in both vehicles. Otherwise you have to drag everything with you to each car.
If you want to make it portable you have to create your own battery pack (they don't make one yet). The lineout jack can be used with headphones that have volume control on them.

[dtcarson]

Can you buy additional antennae? I would guess the power and lineout [cassette adapter] are pretty much like the 'car kit' of my MP3 player? Actually, just the power--only one of our cars has cassette, so we'd need the FM xmitter for one car, and the cassette adapter for the other. I already have one for my Mp3 player, so that'd be two, if they're compatible.

[Steve Mehs]

Additional antennas and other XM accessories can be purchased at myradiostore.com.

[Phil T]

I got the Roady today. This weekend you can get the wireless FM modulator for free and a free home adapter kit by mail. Also Best Buy has 10% off coupons.

So far so good. A lot of good programming. I am still figureing out the best way to mount it. I am heading out on a 3000 mile road trip in two weeks so I am switching it between two vehicles right now.

I will let you know how it goes.

[Steve Mehs]

Congrats on the Roady Phil. Is this your first XM receiver, or are were you already a subscriber?

[Phil T]

I am a new subscriber (to satellite radio) so this is all new for me! I signed up online yesterday and it took about 20 minutes to activate.

I am going to order the home kit, but yesterday I was trying to find a 6v universal AC adapter to use in the house. So far no luck, the only ones I could find did not have the proper connector for the Roady. I guess I will wait for the Home kit to arrive.

[Steve Mehs]

Cool Phil, welcome to XM! The activation is so easy online and a great way to save $5 bucks on the activation fee. xmfanstore.com and myradiostore.com sell power adaptors for the SkyFi, which should be the same as the Roady, but by the time that arrives, your home kit will probably come. I really like the Roady, it's a nice little unit, if I was getting XM for the first time now I'd have a hard time deciding between the Roady and the SkyFi. Good luck and enjoy!

[speedcouch]

I've been checking out the new Roady. Looks like it's easy to move from car to car, and then with the home kit, use it in the house? Am I oversimplifying it? 12 year olds at Best Buy couldn't tell me crap.

Call Crutchfield. After trying to get any information on XM from the 12-year olds at Circuit City around here, I called them and the guy I talked to was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. No shipping charges, so I paid the same as I would have locally and it was on my front doorstep the next day.

Cheryl

www.speedcouch.com

[Vic Healey]

I have the Roady and it is great.

You can pick up a tiny 12 volt lead battery pack at any Truck Stop for $29.It will power the Roady in a portable configuration for hours if not days.It comes complete with two types or recharging options 120 AC or 12 DC.


TIP take a heavy rubber band and fasten the Raody to the battery pack. it is heavy enough to act as stand for the Roady in a temporary situation.The antenna cable to the Roady will last longer if you take the time to wind it up carefully without adding any twists to it. I do this by wrapping it around my spread fingers on my left hand. When done I merely compres my fingers to slide the cable off and then I wrap a rubber band around it to hold the wire neatly until needed again. When unwrapping it I take an extra minute to reverse the order I wrapped it in. It will last much longer like heavy coax will if you take care not to make any tight turns or kinks in it. Large easy loops work best.


You can feed an earphone with a volume control. There is a menu option to increase the audio level out on the Roady. I use a tiny preamp sold by Radio Shack to boast the level even more.Using the FM feed to another radio is OK. The cassette adapter singal is a lot better. A direct feed to a radio line input or amplifier is best.

I have used portable amplified computer speakers with the Roady with good results.


Vic

[Phil T]

I used headphones on a cross country trip while the rest of the family slept or read (not sure if it is legal).

I only lost signal on the WV Turnpike when the mountains got in the way. I do notice in Denver if I drive on the north side of a large building, I will sometimes lose signal.

I am very happy with my Roady. I see the the new Roady2 is out, but it is probably not worth the upgrade for me.