CX-9 XM/Sirrus radio options?

[CableDude]

Went back through the posts for the last 12 months and didn't see anything on this. Have a 2013 CX-9 with Touring trim. Only thing extra was the remote start. Great ride. Just back from a 4 hour trip, Syracuse to Philly, and car ran nice and smooth even at 90 MPH. Rock solid. Using the manual shift, able to drop down a gear for passing or for slight grades.

Anyway it is on the long trips would like to have XM radio. Has anyone found a portable solution? The Acadia I traded in included the XM software/radio and all you needed was an account plan. Not sure why Mazda couldn't do this. Can't cost much to add one little chip on the main radio circut board and bet XM would subsidize it.

With a monthly plan of $13-15, want the option to bring the head unit inside and connect to a stereo system in the family room. The USB jack in the center consul allowed me to play back music from iPhone. What is out there that has XM outputs for USB or is there another way to do this like left/right RCA phono jacks? There is a cigarette plug near the USB port for power. But I still need to have access to an antenna and need to figure out where antenna could be mounted.

Anyone have this figured out?

CableDude

 

[tex2670]

My '12 GT came with Sirius radio (4 month free trial); all the hardware obviously included. Mazda website shows that all models have:

"SiriusXM Satellite Radio-compatible audio system‡‡‡ Standard Standard Standard"

http://mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsSpecs&vehicleCode=CX9

And when the free trial was over, you can negotiate a better deal than $13/mo; just wait until the last day of your subscription, and call them and tell them you are canceling.

 

[Bob2525]

Or just use Pandora for $35 a year. No talking - just music. I dropped my Sirius/XM subscription because I never listen to it any more.

 

[CableDude]

I did think about Pandora or Spotify but wondered about data. Corporate just gave me a brand new iPhone 5S and I don't see any billing. Just use it. It would plug into USB port in consul. But if I started to stream Pandora for 4 hours, they might say something.

 

[Bob2525]

I have a corporate phone as well, and I stream Pandora constantly and they have never said anything. The actual data stream isnt that much. And I do it all via bluetooth - its easier, no wires, and when you start it up Pandora continues automatically where the song was when you last turned your vehicle off. Personally, I am happier with Pandora over Spotify. Good luck.

 

[tex2670]

I did think about Pandora or Spotify but wondered about data. Corporate just gave me a brand new iPhone 5S and I don't see any billing. Just use it. It would plug into USB port in consul. But if I started to stream Pandora for 4 hours, they might say something.

You would need to know what type of plan they have. If you are on a corporate plan, I bet there is unlimited data--which would mean they wouldn't care, because there would be no extra charge.

 

[jrgmanict]

I have not had a XM/Siruis Subscription for going on two or three years now. I'm pretty much Pandora or MP3's stored on the phone.
I do not believe that they make a unit that interface truly interface thru USB ports but rather a Analog input into your Car Radio and then with your stereo unit.
At one time I had around 5 units subscribed to XM but they hosed me and I have not been back to them and have no plans to go back.
They have a family plan that cuts the second subscription and makes it much more worthwhile to do a subscription in the car and one for the home as there are Stereo units that have a option for XM or siruis. If they still have their billing issues you will need to chose one or the other as at the time I left them you could not tie both services together even though they had merged and family plans were only for either one or the other service could not tie them together. All that may have changed since I have not been with them for a long time.
Be careful of their billing practice as they leave a lot to be desired and what they tell you may not be what they do. Had a billing issue with them for over a year that they never resolved and finally just had cut ties with them as it was never going to get resolved.
As far as the antenna for the car you have a couple of options, try and split the GPS reciever Antenna input into the head end or add a separate antenna which run around 25 dollars.
With the New antenna you would have to look at routing to the inside of the vehicle and that is were it can get to be fun as there are some nice but work intensive ways of doing it and there are easy but may cause issues ways.
Again if I were to go back I would just use the built in radio and have a separate radio in the house if needed. Home Antenna's can be fun too as you would either need to have a south facing window near your receiver or have a way to route the cable outside to the south side of the house.
Again even with home receivers you have new options of connecting the unit to your WiFi or Wired network and using internet radio which again is to me a better option.
XM and Siruis had their time but it has passed and I'm surprised that they have not gone bankrupt yet from inept billing practices and poor customer service.