XM Radio or Onstar (Anchorage, Wasilla: house, buy, car)

[nwcountrygal]

Hate to start a new thread for this... From Seattle to Seward would you pay for such a service?? does it come in.. I knew a few years ago XM didn't in WA for the most part. Has it changed? Thanks Leaving this week for the drive!!!

[ASpilot2be]

I can get Sirius up until about 100 miles from Anchorage. I dont know about Onstar though.

[akck]

Satellite service can be spotty in places as we learned last year on a trip as we lost Sirius contact and forgot to bring any CDs. There's only so much religious programming you can listen to. Most satellites are low on the horizon here and can be blocked by mountains.

I wouldn't go out and buy Onstar as you'll likely lose service in areas with it too. AAA would be a better buy. Also, cell phone service isn't continuous either on your route.

[nwcountrygal]

Thank you for responding...

ASpilot2be... so you get it from Haines to Anchorage almost? How bout lower in Canada?

Akck... Thanks also.. XM and Sirius the same now... thought maybe it changed since the combination. I know the XM sats are around Mexico so here in WA also it used to be spotty in trees Mts etc from the signal.... hoped it changed sounds like not much ...

Onstar here in WA works better in Mts with Sat phone vrs cell phone- Onstar phone will would work at my house but my cell will not...was mainly thinking of this - did you try onstar Sat phone at all???

Thanks for the advice -- at this point it is looking like skip it unless I hear something new!!!

[ASpilot2be]

Originally Posted by nwcountrygal

ASpilot2be... so you get it from Haines to Anchorage almost? How bout lower in Canada?

Correct. I beleive that the farther South you go, the better the reception gets. I am not 100% on that though.

[akck]

Originally Posted by nwcountrygal

- did you try onstar Sat phone at all???

No, we didn't have it. I was just figuring based on Sirius reception. Out of curiosity, I checked Onstar's coverage map and it looks like it pretty spotty once you get past Prince George. You don't pick up full coverage again until you get close to Tok. IMHO, there's no coverage where you're most likely to need it. Where spotty coverage exists, it likely as easy to get conventional forms of help.

[nwcountrygal]

I apprecitate the answer thanks..

that is what I was thinking ,,, I sure I will be fine even though a lone woman with a dog.. got enough experiece it will happen the way it was supposed to!!!!!

Thanks you saved me $$

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by nwcountrygal

I apprecitate the answer thanks..

that is what I was thinking ,,, I sure I will be fine even though a lone woman with a dog.. got enough experiece it will happen the way it was supposed to!!!!!

Thanks you saved me $$

We had it when we came up from Seattle and the reception stopped once we hit Haines for the drive to Wasilla. It was a waste of cash. Onstar doesn't work either.

You will not be bored to much. The road is long but never lifeless.

[rotorhead]

Cell phones in Canada seem to work by a different system than the ones in the US. I have Verizon service which works in Haines (and ONLY in Haines townsite, not up the road) but it doesn't work at all in Canada, even in areas where plenty of people have cell phones.

We had a borrowed Sirius radio setup (magnetic flat patch antenna stuck to the roof) which worked almost all the way up to Anchorage on a roadtrip. It took a LONG time to acquire a signal in some spots, you might not have the patience. Folks with the permanent "mushroom" type antennas seem to have much better luck in the fringe coverage areas.

Best bet is probably to get a car stereo that has an Ipod jack or buy one of the adaptors.

[nwcountrygal]

No Verizon in Canada crap!! Figured it would be a little more spotty than here - which here is not so good - it doesn't work at my house doesn't work allot of places but usually works on main roads..

Well I will see - leave tomarrow night skipped the onstar skipped the XM

Ya know silence is good sometimes!!!

Thanks for the responses