I just had another terrible experience with Sirius. Now I wish Sirius and XM did not merge. I would switch in a minute (although just about everything I like about it is on Sirius).

Me ranting (see below for help and questions).......

To make a LONG story short, here are a few basic details:

Old Sportster is about dead, so I decided to use my Stiletto 2 in my car. Bought the car kit for the S2 and it does not work. I tried to get help and nothing worked. I took it back to get my money back.

I bought a new Sportster 5 from Sirius.com, tried to use and activate it today, and it would not work. I called tech support and the first person, Marcia gave some of the worst service I have ever had. The second guy, did VERY little to try to resolve the issue and said it was defective.
They switched me to warranty service and they said they would send me a new unit, BUT I needed to pay to send the old one back.

There goes the money I saved by buying it at sirius.com. WTF did I buy it there for? I could have returned it to Best Buy for free.

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Questions and help, please:

1. Has anyone recently bought and installed a Sportster or any radio for that matter? If so, when you hooked up the antenna, power cord, and the fm transmitter, did the radio work immediately? The online information makes it sound like you should hear channel 184 right away. I never heard anything.

2. Is it typical for Sirius to charge you for a radio that you have to return that was defective?

3. Has anyone set up a radio that did not work at first, but after doing something to it, it worked?

4. What can I use to directly connect my sirius to my stereo and be able to use the aux button on my car stereo to listen to the sirius?

I am sure I have more questions, but after all this time screwing around with Sirius, I am exhausted.


Thanks

I just sorta-installed (a very temp job for an upcoming trip) and activated a Stratus 5, with no problems at all.

I'm using the cassette adapter for this trip, because the FM modulators all stink. But the radio did receive channel 184 immediately - if it's hooked up correctly, you should at least see the "call to activate" blurb on the screen, even if the FM transmitter isn't doing the job.

The ability to use the AUX button on your stereo depends on your equipment. If you have an AUX port built in, all you need is a cable. (And possibly a ground loop isolator.) If you don't, there are other solutions, but I don't know much about them. Look for a message board for your car, someone has probably already done it before.

In my old Chrysler, I used one of the FM Direct Adapters they sell at Sirius.com. This thing basically cuts your AM/FM antenna out of the loop when you turn the Sirius unit on, and sends the FM output from the Sirius unit directly into your radio. It worked reasonably well.

Thanks

We install dozens of these units a week. If you have the 3.5mm input on the front of your car stereo (or somewhere in the front of the car), you just use a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable and hook it from the "Audio Out" jack on the docking station to the "Aux In" port on the cars' stereo. Hit the AUX button on the stere and let it rip. There is no way to do this wrong as the 3.5mm cable end will only fit one hole on the docking station. As long as your antennae on the roof or trunk has a clear view of the sky, you should have an immediate signal on channel 184.

If you have no aux input, then you must use a FM Direct adaptor (DEI Part Number FMDA25) that hooks inline with your stereo antenna (as was mentioned previously).

I'll fill you in on a little secret. If you call Sirius and tell them that you are fed up, can't get a good signal, and want to cancel your subscription (you will have to be very adamant-sp?), they will send you the FMDA25 and an Installernet prepaid labor card. They will then refer you to the local authorized installation shop (like us in the Pasco County/Tampa Bay Area). You will get free professional installation. About half of our installations from Sirius come about this way.

If you are determined to do it on your own, don't get frustrated, just post what messages are coming across the display. These are really simple to install. We'll get it...

Thanks for the advice and info.

I figured out last night that the AUX button is for the DVD player in the vehicle. I was wondering if the sirius could be hooked into it as well.

I tried the sirius with headphones last night and believe it or not, the sound could be heard on the radio (with lots of static), with the garage closed. The headphones worked as well. Out of the garage, you cannot hear sirius on the radio at all (headphones worked though).

I have decided to ave Worst Buy install it.

I would do the cancellation call, but I want it installed on friday as I hate going without my Sirius. So Iwll just pay for it and suck it up.

Thanks very much for the help, I really apreciate it.

Sorry, but I laugh at people that shop online to save a buck or two, then whine and bitch about having to pay money for a manufacturer to get their defective product back.

If you sold something online, let's say to someone across town, mailed it, customer bitched, saying it didn't work, would YOU drive across town to his place to exchange it? I think not!

The buyer ALWAYS pays for shipping at least one way, even under warranty. That's the way it's been since the beginning of time... unless you bought an in home service warranty.

Sorry, but I laugh at people that shop online to save a buck or two, then whine and bitch about having to pay money for a manufacturer to get their defective product back.

If you sold something online, let's say to someone across town, mailed it, customer bitched, saying it didn't work, would YOU drive across town to his place to exchange it? I think not!

The buyer ALWAYS pays for shipping at least one way, even under warranty. That's the way it's been since the beginning of time... unless you bought an in home service warranty.
I disagree. I have no problem paying for an item to be shipped to me. I feel that is part of the process. I do not feel I should pay to return a defective product to a company. That is ridiculous.

Yes, I have refunded shipping before when I sold on EBay. The item did not work when they received it and I gave them a full refund.

The company should stand behind their products. I have not come across too many companies that do not pay for you to return a defective item.