Weird story about SIRIUS...

[spaceghost]

I work for SIRIUS as a product support professional, I get some angry calls.. but I thought this was just a strange and dumb reason to get angry at me,
The caller (we'll call him Sparky for shits and giggles) is calling about a portable power device for his Plug N Play unit. If you're a SIRIUS subscriber most of you know about the Boombox, which runs off batteries.. I tell him about this and he seems hesitant.. So I let him know it comes with an antenna for outdoors and whatnot.. but when I tell him the price he says that he doesn't want that and just wants a portable power source. Still trying to explain to Sparky here that the Boombox is the only solution to that.. he starts accusing me of not wanting to help him... So he doesn't want a portable radio and he doesn't want a boombox.. what am I.. magic or some shit? After he finally realizes there is nothing I can "conjure" out of thin air for him, he says "Fine, you don't wanna help me, fuck it, I'll just cancel my account. GOODBYE" *Click* :right:

This makes me wonder... to all subscribers think that the call center reps are magic and make new products that customers request all the time? :scratch:

 

[TheScionicMan]

People can get worked up really easily. My years of working a helpdesk phone took most of the fun out of yelling at a CS rep...

I made a portable power supply for my S50. Uses a 12V battery from a UPS:

I made a charger that plugs into the cig lighter receptacle to charge it up. It's been swabbed extensively by the TSA since it looks funny on the x-ray, but I've taken it on several flights to listen to Howard live on the plane.

There used to be a battery pack on eBay that was made for the PnP's before there was a portable model. I think it was called Star-something or another...

 

[spaceghost]

That's pretty cool. I wish more customers were as creative as that, although I don't think I could've came up with a rig like that lol.
And I didn't know we used to have battery packs for the PnP's.. they probably discontinued those because the SL's would have been worthless.

 

[TheScionicMan]

I don't think the battery pack was a Sirius item, just made for them. It was just a pack that held AA batteries, IIRC and fed out the necessary power. I bet there's a few options out now that would work.

An easy one if you have don't have space/weight concerns is those boxes for jumpstarting your car. They'll hold a pretty good charge and most have a 12V receptacle.

My device is actually really simple. It's just a project box and 12V receptacle from Radioshack connected to a small 12V battery...

 

[memebag]

Are you getting enough oxygen?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I doubt the caller had given thought to the antenna etc. Satrad can work from multiple places but it is not truly portable (unless you are outside in full view of the sky).

Here in Canada, Canadian Tire sells battery packs which can deliver 120V AC for hours. If he was looking to take his satrad camping or something (which might be why he just wanted a power pack) this would work since he could plug hs AC adapter into the battery pack.

 

[xan_user]

Here's what I use when camping.
10 ahr / 30 watts.
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Z/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg

 

[limegrass69]

I think that when the caller said "HELP" he really meant "FREE."

 

[spaceghost]

I doubt the caller had given thought to the antenna etc. Satrad can work from multiple places but it is not truly portable (unless you are outside in full view of the sky).

Here in Canada, Canadian Tire sells battery packs which can deliver 120V AC for hours. If he was looking to take his satrad camping or something (which might be why he just wanted a power pack) this would work since he could plug hs AC adapter into the battery pack.

Yeah I live in Canada too. But I for professional reasons I wasn't going to tell this guy go find one yourself lol