Satellite Radio or music while flying(options)

gitmo234

gitmo234

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gitmo234
I was wondering what solutions (if any) you have used for satellite radio or music while flying (other than the ADF).

I used to fly in a 172S model that had a garmin 530 that came with a satellite radio option, and it was activated. My airplane has a garmin 430 (without WAAS), so satellite radio isnt on it and I need about a $4k part installed to get it.

I'm looking at my options now. Is there a way to install a car receiver/antenna into my 172 safely? anything fairly close to "plug and play"?

thanks
 
I have a BluLink (http://www.pilotblulink.com/) and play music from my iPhone. I initially got it so I could more easily use my phone from the cockpit (in case I need to call to get a clearance), but have found the music to be nice for solo flights. I adjust the volume to be pretty low (just loud enough to hear) and I really like that the music cuts out whenever there's a radio transmission.

Since I always have my phone with me, it's not a problem... but the (potential) downside to this setup is that you have to have a (bluetooth capable) music device along with you in order for it to work.
 
Old Garmin 396 with XM for jazz.....!:yes:

Weather too.
 
I have a Garmin 696 with an XM antenna that sits on the glare shield (dashboard). I subscribe to XM weather but listen to the XM radio whenever they do a Free Week of broadcast.
 
I have a GDL 69A for weather and XM,in my Conquest, that is the $4000.00 box that you are referring to. I also have a 396 and a 496 with an XM antenna, that is your cheapest route, I use it in my 182. You can buy a good 396 for $500-600.00 or maybe less, you still have to activate the XM radio, but it's the same cost per month regardless of how you receive it. :D
 
I've had a GDL69A for about ten years now. After diagnosing why it didn't work with the gear up, it's been pretty solid. We use the weather link more than the audio though.
 
Could you not just run an aftermarket car XM radio from Best Buy and use an aux cable or something?
 
gitmo234 said:
I was wondering what solutions (if any) you have used for satellite radio or music while flying (other than the ADF).

I used to fly in a 172S model that had a garmin 530 that came with a satellite radio option, and it was activated. My airplane has a garmin 430 (without WAAS), so satellite radio isnt on it and I need about a $4k part installed to get it.

I'm looking at my options now. Is there a way to install a car receiver/antenna into my 172 safely? anything fairly close to "plug and play"?

thanks
Click to expand...

I have a Garmin GPSmap 696 panel mounted in my plane with a Garmin GXM-40 Smart Antenna and a Sirius XM aviation subscription. The 696 is really a portable, so you could get one of those (or one of the other compatible devices) with a GXM-40 and use that for Satellite radio.

See: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/in-the-air/portable-gps/gpsmap-696/prod14859.html
 

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Grum.Man said:
Could you not just run an aftermarket car XM radio from Best Buy and use an aux cable or something?
Click to expand...

This is more of what I was wondering. I have one with a lifetime subscription (no monthly fees for the life of the device) and if there was a way to do that, I'd do it but my airplane is old (1957) so I want to do that, plus throw in a 12v adapter as well.
 
My wife bought a portable XM radio with subscription. She uses it in her office on the desk stand and then takes it in the plane when we go on longer flights. It plugs into the aux jack on the audio panel.

We just went to ADS-B and cancelled the XM weather.
 
Your car XM will work just fine in the plane - just make sure that the antenna has no magnet in it if you intend to toss it up on the glareshield.

You can use music input on your audio panel or intercom (if so equipped), or there are reasonably-priced add-ons to accomplish the same goal.

I love having music softly playing whilst flying!
 
Another sign that I am a geezer. I listen(ed) to ATC when in cruise.

Bob Gardner
 
I enjoy ATC! I also like music too when it gets a bit quiet. As far as car receivers, the issue is probably going to be one of getting a hacky install, and I dont have an audio jack.

Reviewing the Garmin 696 it looks great!!! That's a future purchase already.

What are the options I can pick up to add an audio jack and/or 12v power adapter
 
The audio cuts out when ATC talks anyway, so there's not a loss in situational awareness. If anything I would argue it increases it because you definitely take notice at what is going on when something you are listening to is interrupted
 
I use the music MP3s on my phone, plugged into either the panel audio jack if I have a passenger that wants to listen or into my Zulu headset jack if I'm alone.

Honestly though, I almost never listed to anything unless I'm on a long trip.
 
gitmo234 said:
The audio cuts out when ATC talks anyway, so there's not a loss in situational awareness. If anything I would argue it increases it because you definitely take notice at what is going on when something you are listening to is interrupted
Click to expand...
I've definitely noticed that when listening to music in flight. In my case, it's the iPad I have on board anyway, playing part of my personal music collection via Bluetooth connection with my headset.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I've definitely noticed that when listening to music in flight. In my case, it's the iPad I have on board anyway, playing part of my personal music collection via Bluetooth connection with my headset.
Click to expand...

I've also made the mistake of leaving the audio on when entering the pattern and landing. I found that when it happens I get so hyper focused on situational awareness and landing safely that I don't hear the audio until the aircraft is stopped or I'm climbing from a touch and go and hit the 1000 feet mark
 
Grum.Man said:
Could you not just run an aftermarket car XM radio from Best Buy and use an aux cable or something?
Click to expand...
If you install it, you'll have to go through some FAA paperwork, but you certainly could. OTOH, if you just set it on the glare shield, run an audio wire to the audio-in jack for your aircraft's audio panel, and a power cable to the 12v outlet, you're good to go. And then you can carry it back and forth between your car and your plane. ;)
 
I run my iPad into the intercom. Works like a champ but I realize everyone won't have that as an option.
 
I was mistaken, I have the 12V adapter and 2 aux ports and one "cell phone" aux port...which will be interesting to see. I couldnt access photos of plane while at work.

I'll be picking her up on friday
 
Sirius sat radio with car kit. Works awesome! Plugs right into 12 volt cig lighter. Throw the antenna up on dash and away you go.
 
I have a Garmin 796 with XM setup. I don't subscribe to XM for music or weather, never will. I get my weather from my ADS-B. And my music and other radio from a Samsung Galaxy Note III hooked up to the intercom.
 
bobmrg said:
Another sign that I am a geezer. I listen(ed) to ATC when in cruise.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

I'm with Bob here, well sort of. My Bonanza came with a 6 channel IO-470C audio device while my Luscombe has the less capable but actually louder 4 channel C85-12. Unlike Bob, I get away from the airport, turn the radio off and enjoy the circumambience. And in for a penny, in for a pound, outside of instruction, I never really thought much of the idea of an intercom either. So there, I claim to out-geezer Bob.

Scott
 
Nexus 7 with Garmin Pilot in the cockpit anyway, so I stick one of these in a usb2go cable and I have my entire music collection with me. Bluetooth to the Zulu 2's and bob's yer uncle: teeny tiny 64Gb usb flash drive

The Zulus mute the audio whenever something's coming from the radio so I don't miss anything. I'll shut it off when it's time to land just because I don't want to be distracted, but it's very nice on trips.
 
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write-stuff said:
I run my iPad into the intercom. Works like a champ but I realize everyone won't have that as an option.
Click to expand...

I used to listen to XM on the 496 until they went to sh**.

Now I have about 2,500 songs on my ipad from my own library of many more and that are regularly rotated.

I also listen to slacker if I'm not up too high. I usually have good enough cell reception to listen to slacker uninterrupted if I'm below 5,000'.
 
gitmo234 said:
I've also made the mistake of leaving the audio on when entering the pattern and landing. I found that when it happens I get so hyper focused on situational awareness and landing safely that I don't hear the audio until the aircraft is stopped or I'm climbing from a touch and go and hit the 1000 feet mark
Click to expand...
I've been pretty good about shutting down music as part of my cruise descent SOP.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I've been pretty good about shutting down music as part of my cruise descent SOP.
Click to expand...

Not a good practice. I have a toggle on my intercom that isolates the pilot radio/mic from everything else in the system, including the music. If I am playing music or if others are speaking when the radio fires up, or I need to use it, I flip that toggle. That way I don't have to say 'please be quiet' to others, or don't need to fiddle looking for the off button on the music.
 
iPhone/iPad and a Bluetooth headset. I have Zulus. Simple as can be.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
CTLSi said:
Not a good practice. I have a toggle on my intercom that isolates the pilot radio/mic from everything else in the system, including the music. If I am playing music or if others are speaking when the radio fires up, or I need to use it, I flip that toggle. That way I don't have to say 'please be quiet' to others, or don't need to fiddle looking for the off button on the music.
Click to expand...
I understand everything in your post except for saying that choosing to shut off the music for the descent and landing is not a good practice. Even if I fly with passengers, I like everyone alert and paying attention during this phase of flight.
 
I'm with you Mark. I also like my passengers to be able to tell me if they see another aircraft that I didn't spot.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I understand everything in your post except for saying that choosing to shut off the music for the descent and landing is not a good practice. Even if I fly with passengers, I like everyone alert and paying attention during this phase of flight.
Click to expand...

Where did I say that? You must have my post confused with someone else. I made the point that I have a tool called 'ISO' on my intercom that lets me turn everything and everyone else off while I need to focus on the radio during any phase of flight, especially departure and arrival.

I wouldn't depend on or expect a passenger to spot traffic for me, or call it out in a useful way. I do have ADS-B in/out... But if in controlled airspace, ATC watches traffic pretty well...if not, I need to take care of that myself.
 
Picked up my airplane yesterday with my CFI. Our only complaint was I forgot my audio cable. Otherwise we had a lot of fun steering around weather. Flew from KAID, overflew KDLZ, stopped at KMPG for gas, flew over W05, then landed at 58M.

Tested out the audio system today and it works great with the SiriusXM receiver from my car, and the various other gadgets, iphone/ipod,etc.

Probably would have been not so fun on this flight. A good portion of time through ohio and WV there were a lot of jokers playing on guard and some folks just having normal conversations or one sided conversations going on.

Wouldnt have heard much music.
 
XM Radio is broadcasting 60 channels free until Sept 8
 
I used to carry a portable AM/FM radio and plug the output of it into the music input of my intercom and listen to whatever I could pick up, which was quite a bit.
 
Scott@KTYR said:
XM Radio is broadcasting 60 channels free until Sept 8
Click to expand...

Yeah, they turn it back on for two weeks about four times a year. I'll briefly check them out and they always quickly remind me of why I dropped them.

Building custom radio stations on Slacker (or et. al.) allows one to listen to far more variety and far less mainstream, overplayed junk.

Of course, it helps immensely that I'm grandfathered on a Verizon unlimited data plan! :thumbsup:
 
My wife listens to Dr. Laura on XM while I am switched to ISOLATE on the intercom. This arrangement has saved my marriage.
 
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