XM Free Until 9/10

[cpdretired]

There was a commercial on TV stating that XM is free until 9/10.

 

[Tampa8]

It is. Any receiver not activated should be getting programming.

 

[Jimbo]

Is Sirius doing it as well ?

 

[DJdish]

Thanks I knew it should be around this time of year.

 

[Tampa8]

Is Sirius doing it as well ?

If you mean Sirius receivers yes. It's all one company. Though if some did not know there still for sale "XM" radios and "Sirius" radios.(And SiriusXM radios) The packages are slightly different and the channel placement in some cases is different. The ones that come in cars as part of the overall radio may now be all the same at least that was the plan, but previously they too could one of the variations.

 

[DJdish]

Escape is included in the free listen event.

Disclamer still mentions older Sirius radios.

We've turned on your inactive satellite radio. Satellite and streaming lineups vary slightly. (Some older Sirius satellite radios may not be capable of receiving the free listening channels.)

 

[kc1ih]

OK, that explains why the SXM was active on a rental car I had last weekend even though I did not pay for it.

 

[The Fat Man]

Everytime I listen, I realize how much I miss XM. But, my wife drives the car with the XM radio, and shes content to listening to Hits 1. She can get that music on somewhere around five FM stations where I live. My car doesn't have XM, and I'm not paying for the app to then have to up my data plan on my cellphone.

 

[TheKrell]

Everytime I listen, I realize how much I miss XM. But, my wife drives the car with the XM radio, and shes content to listening to Hits 1. She can get that music on somewhere around five FM stations where I live. My car doesn't have XM, and I'm not paying for the app to then have to up my data plan on my cellphone.

Swap cars.

 

[Tampa8]

Everytime I listen, I realize how much I miss XM. But, my wife drives the car with the XM radio, and shes content to listening to Hits 1. She can get that music on somewhere around five FM stations where I live. My car doesn't have XM, and I'm not paying for the app to then have to up my data plan on my cellphone.

1. Put your foot down and swap cars. (NOT RECOMMENDED TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN SHE MAY STOMP ON IT. DON'T ASK HOW I KNOW)

2. Get one of the small Sat radios that plug into the cigarette lighter, you can usually put the antenna on the dash though you might get a few more drop outs. And you should be able to either plug directly into the car radio for sound on newer cars, or use the FM transmitter from the XM radio to listen on your car radio. That option does not have quite as good sound but it works.

As a reference twice last month the Red Sox were playing on the road while I was on the road between Ct and Fl. Though I can listen on XM radio in the car that broadcast is always the home team. Though most times I don't care that much I decided to try streaming from my phone to the car's radio because XM online does have both team's broadcasts so I listened to the Red Sox broadcast. I streamed most of both games and it did not use all that much data. I think it was less than two GB, somewhere around 6 hours.

 

[The Fat Man]

Swap cars.

1. Put your foot down and swap cars. (NOT RECOMMENDED TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN SHE MAY STOMP ON IT. DON'T ASK HOW I KNOW)

2. Get one of the small Sat radios that plug into the cigarette lighter, you can usually put the antenna on the dash though you might get a few more drop outs. And you should be able to either plug directly into the car radio for sound on newer cars, or use the FM transmitter from the XM radio to listen on your car radio. That option does not have quite as good sound but it works.

As a reference twice last month the Red Sox were playing on the road while I was on the road between Ct and Fl. Though I can listen on XM radio in the car that broadcast is always the home team. Though most times I don't care that much I decided to try streaming from my phone to the car's radio because XM online does have both team's broadcasts so I listened to the Red Sox broadcast. I streamed most of both games and it did not use all that much data. I think it was less than two GB, somewhere around 6 hours.

I'm not to fond of driving around in a mini-van. I actually have a bluetooth FM transmitter in my car. It might be a bit stronger, as it's made for international use and I know fits within the CRTC guides of acceptable FM transmission. If I'm right, the CRTC allows for greater broadcast range from a transmitter than the FCC does. So, it might be legal in Canada and not so much in the United States. Oops!

But, American made ones begin broadcast on 88.1, where international ones begin on 87.5. The United States doesn't license stations below 88.1 (if I'm correct), so I broadcast on 87.9 and it only covers about a 30 foot radius around my car. Locally, the first licensed FM station is on 88.3, so I'm outside the .4 signal range for station signal interruption (87.7 to 88.1 has no licensed station broadcasting). The only signal I interrupt is a local pirate. So, they aren't calling the FCC about me jamming their signal in neighboring cars. I have tested it, playing Five Finger Death Punch's remake of House of the Rising Sun jaming over the signal of the Top 40 Station with my car and my wife's car in our driveway and neighborhood around our house. For me to jam a neighboring car, they need to be directly in front of me or next to me to get my signal. At about 30 feet away (me behind them) the station on their radio begins to get static interference from me. So, I keep it on 87.9 and I'm fine.

With this method, I've taken to downloading podcasts, such as Joe Rogan, and I play the music I have saved to the expandable memory in my phone. At times, I do stream internet radio stations. For new music, I listen to the SiriusXM music channels on my Dish receiver at my house, then I buy the song on iTunes and add it to my phone. New purchases on iTunes can be saved and played on Android phones. I essentially created my own little FM station with a schedule for when I drive.

I don't have Tampa's issue with local sports, as I live in the market. So, I get WEEI and The Sports Hub for the games when I'm driving around.

 

[TheKrell]

Just eyeballing those frequencies, something doesn't look right. Aha! Found it. From Wikipedia:

In North America
87.75 MHz, a frequency-modulated audio subcarrier used by all NTSC-M analog channel 6 television stations analog channel 6 television stations

The car radio in my 2012 300 won't even go down that low. Your transmitter is probably too feeble to interfere with the neighbor's TV, but if you have a TV6 in your area, I would set it to a higher frequency if I were you. I leave it to somebody more knowledgeable than me if the digital transition changed this.

 

[The Fat Man]

Just eyeballing those frequencies, something doesn't look right. Aha! Found it. From Wikipedia:


The car radio in my 2012 300 won't even go down that low. Your transmitter is probably too feeble to interfere with the neighbor's TV, but if you have a TV6 in your area, I would set it to a higher frequency if I were you. I leave it to somebody more knowledgeable than me if the digital transition changed this.

Yes, but that's provided your area had something broadcasting on Channel 6. Boston never has. We've had 4, 5 and 7 in the analog day, but never on 6. It depends on the car. My 2006 Honda CRV starts at 87.7.

 

[TheKrell]

I'm glad BUT be aware that TV stations could pop up at any time, e.g. this one: MeTV FM - Me Music

 

[Tampa8]

I'm glad BUT be aware that TV stations could pop up at any time, e.g. this one: MeTV FM - Me Music

I didn't know MeTv had a music service, available online too. Doesn't seem to be on radio here as of this time. So now my next question are they transmitting from the TV station itself - a sub channel?

After listening for awhile online... Pretty good!

MeTV FM goes from low-power TV station to top-10 Chicago radio station

 

[Bobby]

I just loaded the MeTv app on my iPad. We'll see if it stays there!

 

[The Fat Man]

I'm glad BUT be aware that TV stations could pop up at any time, e.g. this one: MeTV FM - Me Music

Supposedly the LPTV Analog loophole is to be closed. If I'm right, that audio signal on 87.75 won't work with Digital Television. It makes it a moot point, if I'm right. Again, in Boston, I don't see anything coming to channel 6. The station that is Me TV music in Chicago had existed long before Me TV leased the signal. I don't see anyone starting up an LP TV station on channel 6, anywhere, for the purpose of having a radio station on 87.75, as LP is slated to be forced to go digital.

 

[sxmfan2018]

there still giving out discounts as well. i call every year and threaten to cancel and goto pandoa wich is free

 

[raoul5788]

Supposedly the LPTV Analog loophole is to be closed. If I'm right, that audio signal on 87.75 won't work with Digital Television. It makes it a moot point, if I'm right. Again, in Boston, I don't see anything coming to channel 6. The station that is Me TV music in Chicago had existed long before Me TV leased the signal. I don't see anyone starting up an LP TV station on channel 6, anywhere, for the purpose of having a radio station on 87.75, as LP is slated to be forced to go digital.

There was a channel six in providence ri, but that was back in the analog days. I don't know what it is now.

 

[The Fat Man]

There was a channel six in providence ri, but that was back in the analog days. I don't know what it is now.

Many of them now only map to the channel location they were originally at. The reason is that before the shutdown of full power analog, most channels had to have two locations. They had one for their analog channel and one for their digital channel, which then virtually mapped down to their "actual" channel location. In many cases, these channels just simply stayed once full powered analog was shut down.

What is broadcasting on 87.75 FM through an analog channel 6 on television are essentially Low Powered television stations, which weren't forced to transition digital at the same time as full power television channels. Originally, Low Power was to convert to digital in 2015, which was extended indefinitely due to "economic hardships". The new date set for the conversion is now in 2021. Again, if I'm correct, anything broadcasting digitally on channel 6 will not repeat over 87.75 FM. Therefore, it is safe to presume that it is not in a company's best interest to start a new Low Powered analog television station on channel 6, especially for the purpose of having a radio station on 87.7 FM. In about 2.5 to 3 years time, you'll have to convert your television station to digital and won't be able to broadcast on 87.7 after.

Again, for the MeTV station in Chicago, that station had been broadcasting for years. It was initially a TV station, but after moving to channel 6, began to operate as a radio station. It ran formats including smooth jazz, country, alternative, and Sports Talk before being MeTV FM.

My interest began when it was an alternative station, as I had a theory that corporate radio was systematically killing anything rock and alternative. That was before the rejuvenation of the alternative format. Q101 Chicago was sold, became internet only, and the frequency 101.1 FM became FM News. Later, channel 6 became Q87.7 when Cumulus entered a LMA to run the station. Eventually, it moved back to 101.1 after FM News and a follow-up format flopped, and channel 6 became a short lived sports talk station. Therefore, MeTV FM is fairly new, but the operation at channel 6 is over a decade old.

I don't see any new operations starting for the fore mentioned reasons, and still think it's safe me to use my transmitter on 87.9 in my area, as nothing will begin operating on 87.7. Also, if it was to become that I was wrong, my retort to any complaints that I was causing interference would be that essentially, anyone broadcasting on 87.7, is not running a radio station. They are running a TV station that happens to broadcast on a frequency that can be picked up on 87.7 FM. The FCC doesn't license 87.7 FM. They licence channel 6 on TV. So, they wouldn't have any defense in my opinion, as my transmitter isn't interfering with channel 6.