XM Radio update... Mounted the tiny antenna on the trunk lid last night, just aft of the leading edge of the lid. Ran the wire through the back of the back seat and then under the passenger's side trim piece that covers up the edge of the carpet. Under the dash and into the console and I was all set. No wire visible and the little antenna has an extremely powerful magnet that holds it in place. Total time: 15 minutes.
Also unpacked the remote control and tested it out. Much better than fumbling with the receiver itself. Controls on the remote are very intuitive and I like it a lot. Some pretty serious thought went into the design of the whole thing to make so easy to use that even I can figure it out in less than 10 minutes.
That's as far as I got last night. Tonight will be the attachment of the mount to the back of the console. Right now the receiver is just sitting there on top of the console, sliding around in the turns and falling in the floor at stop lights.
The mount will allow me to see the front panel and know what's playing and who the artist is. It's a slip on mount, so I can remove the receiver and take it in the house or put it in a boom box if I ever get one.
I really like XM radio so far. Right now my favorite stations are #6 (the 60's) and #8 (the 80's). There are nine country stations, but if you like country you'll have to find another reviewer because I don't listen to it.
They have a salsa station that I like, too. Even though my high school Spanish is just a fond memory and I can't grok the lyrics, the music is good, especially when you're crusing down the freeway at 75mph.
Haven't explored the talk, news, or sports stations yet.
Oh, one thing that really annoyed me! I went on-line to activate my subscription to XM (12.95 a month) and they charge you a one-time activation fee of 9.99. That seems like a cheap shot to me. I came very close to just packing the receiver up and sending it back to Crutchfield over a 10 dollar bill. But then I went ahead and paid it, and returned peacefully to the flock of sheep I associate with.
Film at 11:00.
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Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Ben Franklin (1706-1790)
