Satellite Radio

I live in the thumb of Michigan and have had good service with both XM and Sirius, with the exception of the heavy tree cover and tall buildings as Bob noted. That said, I rarely go farther north than Saginaw Bay (same latitude as the lower tip of Maine)

Anyway, since the advent of smartphones I've gotten rid of the satellite service and am either playing downloaded music or favorite internet stations from my phone. In the newer vehicles the radios either have bluetooth or a bluetooth adapter is available. I have a Liveo unit in my truck - it doubles as a hands-free device for the phone, and allows control of the playback functions on either Rhapsody or Winamp.

There are a number of small amplifiers that appear on eBay that have aux-in jacks (I think they're intended for motorcycle use)... I've been thinking about using a bluetooth dongle plugged into one of these for the older cars, then installing good speakers. The amp looks small enough to mount either in the console or glove box. I'm not certain of the sound quality of these amps - I'll be in town tonight and will check out the local car stereo emporium and see what their thoughts are.

I really like the variety that the internet radio provides - as nice as the satellite stations are, they are still pretty rigid in their programming. Also, if I'm in the mood for Beach Boys, I just play my Beach Boys playlist - or whatever other music strikes my fancy at the time.

This seems to be the best of all worlds, IMHO, as the choices are limitless and the amount I pay for the extra internet on my phone is way less than my satellite bill was. If I'm in an area that doesn't have 4G or a poor signal, I just listen to recorded (downloaded) music. Plus my phone goes with me everywhere I go - I don't have to have Sirius radios (or cradles) in everything I drive (most rental cars have bluetooth connectivity as well). The OE radio can remain in place unmolested, and doesn't even have to work!

I'll report back with my findings.