• Discover Satellite Radio

• Choose Your Satellite Radio Equipment

• Select Satellite Radio Accessories

• Find Satellite Radio Items on eBay

• Buy Satellite Radio With Confidence

Discover Satellite Radio

Discover Satellite Radio

Unlike commercial radio, satellite radio relies on orbiting satellites to transmit signals. From thousands of miles away, these satellites send their signals down to radio receivers on the ground. Also unlike commercial radio, satellite radio isn’t free. You subscribe through a service provider (XM or Sirius) and pay a monthly subscription fee.

In addition, you need to have some hardware—most importantly, a satellite radio receiver—which allows you to listen in your home, car, or on the go. Make sure that any equipment you buy is compatible with your provider. XM receivers, such as the MyFi, will only work for XM subscribers, while Sirius receivers, such as its Sportster, will only work for Sirius users.

Once you’re up and running with a provider, you’ll soon be ready for the many benefits that satellite radio offers:

• Digital signal availability wherever you are

• Commercial-free music channels

• No static

• A wide range of programming options (music, talk, news, sports programs, and more)

• CD-quality sound

Choose Your Satellite Radio Equipment

Choose Your Satellite Radio Equipment

The most important question to ask yourself when purchasing satellite radio equipment is, where are you going to be listening: at home, in the car, or both? Or do you want to have access to satellite radio while on the go?

All options are available, and XM receivers and Sirius receivers alike allow for many listening possibilities.

Plug-and-play satellite radio receivers

Portable satellite radio receivers have become increasingly popular—and for good reason. Also called plug-and-play receivers, these compact, convenient devices allow you to listen to satellite radio at home or on the road.

With the aid of a car kit or home kit, plug-and-play receivers hook up to your in-dash car stereo or home stereo. They offer a variety of functions, including preset programming, storage of favorite songs, and the ability to search by channel, artist, or song title. They also display a song’s artist, title, and genre while it’s playing.

Examples of plug-and-play receivers include the XM Roady, XM Commander, XM SKYFi and SKYFi2, and Sirius Sportster. For even more flexibility, many plug-and-play receivers are available for use with boomboxes.

Handheld satellite radio receivers

Not surprisingly, satellite radio receivers are getting smaller and smaller. Handheld devices, such as XM’s MyFi and Sirius’s Starmate, are what you’ll want if you plan to listen to satellite radio while walking, jogging, working out, or traveling.

Like iPods, these small receivers let you store several hours of programming on an internal hard drive. In addition to their tiny size and portability, these satellite radio receivers can still be used in the home or car like any other portable receiver.

In-dash satellite radio receivers

If you plan to listen to satellite radio solely in your car, consider purchasing an in-dash receiver that’s satellite-ready and comes with XM or Sirius capability (Pioneer offers a unit with compatibility for both providers). In contrast to plug-and-play receivers, no wires or docking cradles are necessary, although you will have to get a tuner.

Satellite radios at home

It’s no problem to transfer your plug-and-play receiver from your car and then enjoy satellite radio on your home stereo and home entertainment system. But if portability isn’t so important, or if you are looking to get the best sound quality possible, larger home satellite receivers are also available.

Select Satellite Radio Accessories

Select Satellite Radio Accessories

Besides understanding satellite radio receivers, you should know about a few important satellite radio accessories as well. 

Home kits/car kits: Kits include everything that’s needed (cables, antennas, mounting brackets, docking stations) for plug-and-play satellite radio receivers to work in your home or car. 

Satellite radio antennas: Boomboxes and car and home kits generally come with antennas. However, they must be purchased separately for home component tuners, external satellite radio tuners, and in-dash receivers.

Satellite radio mounts: A vehicle-specific mount helps to make sure your plug-and-play receiver is steady and secure in your car.

Other satellite radio accessories include headphones, cigarette lighter adapters, and cassette adapters.

Find Satellite Radio Items on eBay

Find Satellite Radio Items on eBay

Once you know what type of satellite radio items you want, go to the Consumer Electronics portal, then click Satellite Radio in the Car Electronics category to start searching for item listings on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of the page will help you narrow down the listings by service provider. You'll find links for Sirius and XM Radio. Within the Sirius category, you’ll find subcategories for Complete Systems, Receivers Only, and Other Products & Kits. Within the XM Radio category, you’ll find the same subcategories for Complete Systems, Receivers Only, and Other Products & Kits. If you’re interested in accessories, you’ll find a link for Satellite Radio Accessories in the Consumer Electronics portal. Again, accessories are grouped according to provider, Sirius or XM.

• Product Finder: Use the drop-down menus on Product Finder to quickly narrow down item listings by format, brand, and condition.

• Keyword search: Search eBay title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Sirius-compatible satellite receiver, type "Sirius satellite receiver" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Satellite Radio With Confidence

Buy Satellite Radio With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.