sirius radio in tractors/combines/etc

gump341 · Apr 29, 2009

not sure where to put this, new here

i want to get sirius for when driving tractors/combines/etc, anything on the field, someone easy to move from tractor to tractor, i only have am and tape player in tractors but have a tape adaptor, will that work perfect?

my concern is the skipping, will it work on a rough field in tractors

Ductape · Apr 29, 2009

I used to subscribe to Sirius, and had one of their portable recievers I could use in any vehicle, as well as at home. Mine had a built-in FM modulator, and you would tune the radio to a particular frequency to listen to Sirius. I felt it worked pretty well, and never had any problems with 'skipping'....... though it would hiccup a little when driving under an overpass, etc.

gump341 · Apr 29, 2009

how do the portable receivers work, can i just go to tractor to car and easy set up and connect, dont i need a antenna, and what about in a rough field with lots of up and down rough rides

Duffster · Apr 29, 2009

gump341 said:
how do the portable receivers work, can i just go to tractor to car and easy set up and connect, dont i need a antenna, and what about in a rough field with lots of up and down rough rides

I don't know how it was wired but have been in a couple of tractors with it and had no problems

Sure makes the long hours go bye faster

nmu98 · Apr 30, 2009

gump341 said:
how do the portable receivers work, can i just go to tractor to car and easy set up and connect, dont i need a antenna, and what about in a rough field with lots of up and down rough rides

Most protable sat radios have a docking station they plug into. That will supply them with power, and a wired antenna. I have yet to find one that does not need an antenna when used. Most will also use a FM modulator as others have posted, but you might get better sound quality out of the tape connection. In my area, almost all radio stations provided some type of feedback once and a while.

rtimgray · Apr 30, 2009

gump341 said:
how do the portable receivers work, can i just go to tractor to car and easy set up and connect, dont i need a antenna, and what about in a rough field with lots of up and down rough rides

I got a Sirius portable setup (I think it is a Stilleto of somekind). It came with built in antenna headphones and I bought the docking station for it as well. I was going to install it on my tractor, but discovered that I could just put the radio in my pocket and wear the headphones and I was able to put the "permanent" docking station in a different vehicle.

Some people find the headphones to be uncomfortable, but I think they're fine (except they're kind of stupid-looking). If you want, you can plug the headphones in and hang them on the ROPS as an attena (or out the window if it's a cab tractor) and plug in another set of earbuds at the same time. That's what I had to do on my dozer, because it has a steel roof and I guess that blocked the signal (but the fiberglass canopy on my tractor doesn't - go figure).

I really enjoy listening to mine on the tractor - now I just hope that they stay in business - at least til my one year subscription expires!

Take care and good luck

Ductape · Apr 30, 2009

Gump, on mine the reciever sat in a docking station. I had one in my truck, and a second at home. The one for my vehicle has a suction cup mount, but it could also be permanently mounted if you wanted. I'm confident you could purchase extra docking stations and permanently mount one in / on each vehicle if you chose. It was powered by a cigarete lighter plug, but again there is no reason you couldn't hard wire it if you wanted. The antenna was jus a small magnetic thing...... about the size of a junebug. Stick it to any metal surface that is open to the sky. I never used mine with a set of hearing protection w/ built-in radio.....but no reason I can see that it couldn't be done if you wanted. I was always satisfied with how it sounded through the FM modulator. The new recievers are easily half the size mine was. Should be easy enough to find a spot for one.

rtimgray · Apr 30, 2009

Sorry - I also don't have any problems with rough fields, hills, etc. - but if I go into the woods or even too close to them, it can sometimes block the signal. But I also wear mine when I go for a run, push mow the yard, etc. and it doesn't lose signal - so long as you have clear view of the sky.

The only downside is that when listening to satellite radio, battery life on mine is only about 3 1/2 to 4 hours for the big battery and 1 1/2 to 2 for the small one. On Sunday afternoons in the fall, I like to bushhog and listen to NFL games. I would usually run out of battery time by the middle of the second game - if I had installed the docking station on the tractor, it wouldn't be a problem. I ended up usually listening to one game on terrestrial radio for my local team (Titans) and listening to the other game on Sirius.

Take care and good luck.

gump341 · Apr 30, 2009

im very new to this, thank u for your responses but still confused with how it all works

so i new a docking station(not sure what this is)for my home, then i need to set up a antenna in each tractor/car/truck?

can i just set up the docking station at home, then take the little antenna and radio with me and set it up whichever im driving that day
ie-im driving my car in the morning, take a couple of minutes to set it up in car for 4 hours of listening, then move to the tractor and do the same thing?