Satellite Radio: RX for Drivers
Providing satellite radio can give your drivers coast-to-coast entertainment, relieving boredom and boosting morale.
By Jim Beach,
Technology Editor
Editor's Note: Just before going to press with this issue, XM Radio and Sirius announced a plan to merge the two satellite radio companies. The deal would need government approval – something many industry analysts say is far from certain. Also not certain is what the merger would mean for the two companies' combined 13 million subscribers. Currently, radios designed to receive one company's signals cannot receive the others. Other questions involve programming issues such as the number of channels the combined company would provide. These uncertainties likely mean that the merger would not be finalized for a year or more.
Even as heavy trucks become more technologically advanced, some things remain the same. Drivers still spend long stretches of time behind the wheel with nothing but the stereo or radio to keep them company. And even here, technology has left its mark. Truck radios became stereo systems and eight-track tapes evolved into CDs.
Technology has also caught up with the radio part of a truck's sound system with the introduction of a satellite radio network about five years ago. Not long after, a second network followed, also offering hundreds of commercial-free channels, featuring all styles of music, news, sports, talk and other programming.
With satellite radio, truckers can listen to their favorite music or talk show host without ever driving out of signal range. And truckers and others who spend a lot of time on the road have adapted to satellite radio more quickly than the general public.
"Satellite radio has made strong gains in the trucking market. It's much better than in the general populace," says Michael Padrnos, commercial vehicle division manager for ASA Electronics, which supplies audio and video equipment to the commercial vehicle and marine markets.
Padrnos notes that the adoption of satellite radio is one technology where trucking actually took the lead.
"What started in the trucking industry is moving into the automotive industry," he says, noting that many automakers are now offering satellite radio options on most of their models. "Usually it doesn't work that way. The trucking industry can be five to 10 years behind the automotive industry (in adopting technologies), but this grabbed the trucking industry first."
The reason: Satellite radio appeals to anyone who spends long hours sitting behind a steering wheel.
"Satellite radio can be heard coast-to-coast," Padrnos says. In addition, both of the satellite networks – XM Radio and Sirius – have been expanding their content, including offering channels specifically for truckers. "Both companies have been going out and getting new material and new channels, topic-specific channels, such as a trucker channel or a PGA golf channel to try to capture more and more interest. And it is gaining ground with those who sit in the car a long time – like the traveling salesman – and with truckers who spend the bulk of their time on the road."
XM Radio, headquartered in Washington, D.C., was the first satellite radio to launch, and boasts more than 7 million subscribers. XM offers more than 170 channels including 69 commercial-free music channels, live concerts, sports, talk shows, other entertainment programming, traffic and weather. Subscriptions are $12.99 per month, with a family plan that adds additional subscribers at $6.99 per month.
According to Marie M. Farrar, manager of corporate communications, XM's musical offerings cover "virtually all genres, including '70s, '80s and '90s decades channels, country, pop & hits, Christian, rock, hip-hop & urban, jazz & blues, lifestyle, dance, Latin, world and classical."
Other programming includes shows hosted by entertainers such as Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Ludacris, Graham Nash, Snoop Dog, Trick Daddy and Tom Petty.
For truckers, XM offers the Open Road. "This is our 24/7 talk channel dedicated specifically to truckers," Farrar says. The channel features "Land Line Now," a daily one-hour news program produced for professional drivers and featuring industry news programming. On-air hosts include veterans of the trucking airwaves such as Bill Mack, Dale Sommers (the Truckin Bozo) and Dave Nemo.
XM sports programming include Major League Baseball, college sports, the 2007 BCS championship game, Indy Racing League, the PGA and NHL hockey.
Farrar says most satellite radio consumers are looking for radios that are easy to use and integrate with their existing audio equipment. For instance, the company offers the XM Direct ($99), which allows the user to convert their existing stereo into both an XM and FM receiver. Or the XM Commander ($169.99) that replaces the existing radio in the dashboard. XM offers radios manufactured by Delphi, Pioneer, Audiovox and Yamaha, among others.
Sirius, based in New York City, broadcasts more than 130, including 69 channels of commercial-free music, plus sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. Sirius says they now have more than 6 million subscribers and also charge $12.95/month or you can subscribe for a year at $142.95. Sirius also offers a "lifetime" subscription for $499.99.
Sirius features an array of musical programming from "heavy metal and hip-hop to country, dance, jazz, Latin and classical." The service even includes a dedicated Elvis channel. Another 60 channels include sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data.
Some of the big names in the Sirius lineup include Howard Stern and Martha Stewart, plus the service offers Radio Disney and NPR. Sirius sports programming includes NFL football, NASCAR, NBA basketball, NHL hockey, English Premier League soccer and programming from ESPN Radio and ESPNews. Jimmy Buffet, Tony Stewart and other music and sport stars also host shows.
Sirius' trucking channel features the Midnight Trucking Radio Network with Eric Hartley and Gary McNamara and industry news from Evan Lockridge, a RoadStar and Heavy Duty Trucking contributing editor.
Michelle Wilson, director of marketing for Pana-Pacific, a distributor selling to the heavy truck market, says her company recommends customers compare the programming between XM and Sirius and select the service they want before looking for the hardware. "Once they choose their service, we show them the hardware options for that service."
Those options are growing. According to Delphi, their Integrated Satellite radio is an OEM option of all heavy-duty (Class 8) trucks sold in the U.S. But these integrated AM/FM/Sat receiver radios have only been available as in-dash installations for a short time. The real action in the last few years has been with aftermarket products. These include satellite-ready radios or plug and play devices that enable an existing radio to receive satellite radio programming.
Truck dealerships, truckstops and even some fleet company stores sell satellite radios as well as plug and play kits.
Getting satellite radio in your truck is fairly simple. You can replace your existing radio with an aftermarket heavy-duty satellite-ready radio and conversion box or you can buy a plug and play kit. "Typically, it's either a Sirius- or XM-ready radio," Padrnos says. "The conversion box mounts on the doghouse or under the hood," and the radio is hard wired in place of the existing radio.
Pana Pacific's Wilson says fleets wanting a permanent installation can opt for a satellite radio when buying new trucks. If the radio has XM or Sirius over the volume knob, that means the radio is ready for that particular service. "The trucker only needs to purchase the appropriate antenna and activate the service." Other radios installed as an option or purchased as an aftermarket product will have SAT above the volume knob. "In this case, you need to purchase an XM or Sirius external tuner along with the correct antennae and then activate the service."
A plug and play kit includes a remote satellite receiver, satellite antennae and a FM modulator to tie into the truck's existing radio. The kit usually includes a docking station. The benefit of a plug and play is that the receiver can be taken out of the truck and used with a home kit inside the house, Padrnos says. "There are car kits, home kits and boom boxes. The driver can take the receiver out of the docking station in the truck, take it into the house and plug it into their home kit and have satellite radio in their house."
Padrnos says plug and play installation is fairly simple and can be done as a "do-it-yourself" job. If replacing an existing radio, he recommends having it professionally installed.
Pana Pacific's Wilson says the external tuners and antennas for satellite-ready in-dash radios can be installed in about four hours. Installation of an antenna only takes about an hour.
Satellite radios and conversion kits are available in most electronic retail stores such as Best Buy or Circuit City and even in discount retail stores such as Wal-Mart. But these retailers usually sell automotive-type radios that may not hold up to the trucking life.
"If you are driving over the road, you are not going to walk into a box store and grab an automotive type radio," Padrnos says. "The kind of radios you are going to get there are not made for trucks."
He says there are only a few brands and models that can withstand the rigors of truck installation. "Out of the 30-some stereos we sell, we have three made specifically for the trucking industry." These models typically contain higher-grade components and feature extra protection against vibration and power surges. An automotive-type radio might not be able to handle just the playing time, Padrnos says. "A commuter driving to and from work, his stereo isn't going to get the play time in a year a trucker will put on his in a month."
ASA sells equipment for both services and Padrnos says XM seems to be more popular with the marine industry while Sirius seemed more popular with truckers and RVers.
Since most brands of satellite radios can be purchased with either service, it comes down to listener preferences.
The satellite radio services will soon offer even more programming geared toward truckers and other mobile customers. That programming may include more weather, traffic and navigation programming, tailored specifically for truckers.
Satellite Radio continued...
