Radio Coast to Coast

XM

Sirius

Frequency

2332.5-2345 MHz

2320-2332.5 MHz

Website

xmradio.com

siriusradio.com

Cost per month

$9.99

$12.95

Number of stations

100

100

Talk stations

29

50

Music Stations

71

50

Commercial-free music stations

30

50

Celebrity DJ

Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens

Ray Manzarik of the Doors

Activation by phone

1-800-852-9696

1-888-539-7474

Activation by web

XM Radio Activation

Sirius Radio Activation

CONVERTING AN EXISTING RADIO

Converter units

(This is the easiest and cheapest way to get satellite radio programming)

Pioneer Universal XM Radio Receiver, $300

Sony Plug and Play, $299 to $399

Kenwood models, $280 to $600

Clarion, Panasonic, Jensen, prices not yet announced

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Head Units

(Radios are priced by how detailed the display is: whether or not it lists song titles, artists, and stations. Higher-end models have CD changers and even MP3 capability.)

Alpine, $350 to $1,100

Pioneer, $225 to $800

Kenwood Excelon, $356 to $600

Tuners

(The tuner is about the size of an external Zip drive and converts the satellite's signal into a digital one that the radio can play)

Alpine, $240
Pioneer, $280

Clarion, Jensen, Kenwood, Panasonic, available early 2002

Antennas

(One antenna works just as well as the next, so the choice comes down to style, and whether a glass or hood mount is best.)

Terk, Pioneer, Antenna Specialists, Alpine. $80 to $120

Kenwood, Clarion, Pansonic and Jensen. $80 to $120