Satellite Radio

www.siriusradio.com

Kenwood HDC4022

We bought this radio from Circuit City for about $200. We then signed up for the $12.95/month Sirius satellite one-year subscription, paying one year in advance. We had the choice of XM radio or Sirius Satellite radio and we chose Sirius because of the position of its satellites. Though it was not certain when we did this that it would work anywhere but the United States, it has been the daily item for which we are forever grateful!

It has great music channels with no commercials. It has things for everyone on board, from NPR International to NPR regular, to Fox News, CNN News, Discovery Channel shows and the History Channel, a favorite by all standards!

Our station has worked consistently, so long as the antenna we bought for the marine applications (the radio came with the car top satellite antenna and that worked fine but we went ahead and paid $99 at U.S. Boat in Marina del Rey for the heartier Marine antenna) is facing north.

As you come down the Mexican coast on your travels, you will be able to listen to over 100 stations in English and something for everyone! I am personally very interested in Fox News, Brit Hume, at what is now 5 pm every weekday. I'm sure that will make our die-hard Democratic friends cringe, but rest assured, we also frequent NPR as we need the other side of the equation regularly. Also, the BBC lets us know what the rest of the people we meet along our travails are getting from their countries! We are avid political followers which makes us an anomaly here in the cruising world as most people are leaving to cruise other lands due to a disinterest, or disgust with American politics and/or policies. However, we have found most "ex-pats" rather fervently looking to find out the news daily!

Go on-line to find out more about this satellite radio thing. We love it! Except for the T.V. stations, where Sirius has had to fill in the commercial breaks with some of their own public service messages, which can get repetitive and monotonous after 2 months, there are no commercials! And, when you are done, if ever, cruising, put it in your car or your home!