I'm really digging my XMp3, it beats the bejesus out of my oldass sirius s50, I have subbed to XM everything with best of sirius. I really dig the talk and sports channels alot better than when i was using sirius. the main reason I went with sirius back in 2004 was because of the NFL play-by-play and because stern just signed that billion dollar contract, and I really liked stern. back in 2005 when the S50 first came out I dropped 349 just for the unit, which came with a car dock, and then I had to spend another bill for the home dock.
I mainly just listen to talk and sports but I do have a few fav's on the music side. Well after my switch from sirius to XM with the best of sirius last week when I spend 99 bucks for an XMp3 with a home unit and a car dock I am really surprised how much better the sports and talk channels are, and I am really glad that I made the switch.
I do have a question on the way that XM uses its bandwidth for some of their talk/sports channels. It seems like instead of simulcasting the same stations on multiple channels, they could find better use for the channels that I list below.

#1 WTF is up with the specials channel on 120???
#2 Why simulcast America's talk on channels 154 and 158????
#3 Why simulcast TALKRadio 165 on said channel AND 173????

To me this just seems like a waste, when I am sure that some decent program director could find an abundance of material to fill these channels, weather it be music or talk or ANYTHING, but why put the same thing on multiple channels???

Does anyone have an answer or thoughts on this simulcasting America's Talk and TALKRadio on TWO different channel numbers?

Other than that I am really digging my new XM sub with the BOS! and besides a few bugs with recording programs, I think that the XMp3 (for the money) is the best portable in the SATRAD field, now only if they would update the firmware.

Oh yeah, anyone have any luck using a 16GB microSD card on their XMp3? I know it says it only supports up to 8GB but I was wondering if anyone has had any luck using a 16GB? If so could you please post what kind of card you bought (brand name, and the spec's like what class) so I can make sure to get one that is compatible. If not, no biggie I will just go and get a few 8GBiters. Thanks for reading, and if you can give me some answers to my questions I would appreciate it!!! Happy indie day peeps

I can't get mine to play music on a 2gb card. It won't read song that are drag and dropped on the memory card, and the xm software that came with it crashes my computer every time I start loading songs that way.

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No bubbles, no troubles, Ballard.

Clear Channel programs America's Talk and Talk Radio. They used to program channels on 154 and 173 that were dropped and they want to replace, but have yet to do so. I would assume the simulcasts are there because they don't want to lose those spots on the dial to something Sirius XM may want to plunk down. CC has 10% of XM's bandwidth and can do what they please with it.

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"Turnpike" - Read a comic, why don't you?

Livingfruitvirus answered #2 & #3, so that leaves:
What do you mean? Isn't it the same as SIRIUS' "Specials 113"?

Oddly enough, they aren't. For the Uncle Sam 4th of July channel this past week, Sirius had it airing on Sirius Specials 113 but pre-empted The Village XM15 to broadcast it on the XM side. I don't know if it was a bandwidth issue with XM or what, but it made no sense to me to have it as an addition to one service and a temporary replacement channel for another.

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MacFanatic05 on SiriBackstage & XMFan
Top Presets:
1) 20on20
2) Pop2K
3) The Pulse
4) The Coffee House
5) BPM
6) Sirius XM Stars Too

Keep in mind Sirius doesn't carry The Village.

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"Turnpike" - Read a comic, why don't you?

1) This is the same as 113 on Sirius.
2&3) These are ClearChannel stations. They are in the process of a reorg and as a result they are simulcasting some of their stations until they sort it all out.

One thing to keep in mind is that a channel does not cost any bandwidth on XM if it is not in use. MLB play by play channels simulcast MLB Home Plate using the bandwidth allocated to MLB home plate when not in use. 120 runs a low bandwidth loop when not in use. XM can dynamically assign and unassign bandwidth to any channel as required. They can also dynamically change its name and add or remove a chanenl. Sirius cannot do this. This is why Sirius overlays channels with sports play by play as a dedicated play by play channel would eat up too much bandwidth.

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XM subscriber since 2005/12/05:

• Pioneer Airware (LIFE, wife)
• Tao (son)
• Pontiac G5 (XM Canada)

Sirius subscriber since 2007/12/06:

• Stilletto 2 (LIFE)
• Premium Internet
• TTR1

Creative Labs 32Gb Zen owner since 2009/02/02
Slacker Plus subscriber since 2010/01/15
Apple iPhone4 (4.0.2) owner since 2010/08/16

Yeah, that's what I meant by if it were an XM bandwidth issue. XM has the Clear Channel bandwidth baggage as well as those XM-only channels...maybe that's why XM's Specials channel couldn't handle a music channel @ 24/32kbps.

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MacFanatic05 on SiriBackstage & XMFan
Top Presets:
1) 20on20
2) Pop2K
3) The Pulse
4) The Coffee House
5) BPM
6) Sirius XM Stars Too

Probably just special circumstance on the XM side. Sirius has the Backseat TV bandwidth baggage.

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"Turnpike" - Read a comic, why don't you?