bring the noise

or every gallon of diesel I purchase at the major truckstops, I get incentive points at a rate of one cent per gallon. It doesn't sound like much until you consider that I use anywhere from 500 to 1,000 gallons of diesel per week. I try to use a particular truckstop and stockpile them for a year or two and get myself something nice. Last year, I bought a year's worth of air time for this particular truckstop's WiFi service. Since acquiring the Sprint air card earlier in this year though, it's a service I don't utilize as much these days. Certainly not enough to warrant a year's subscription. So, I've been contemplating what I would spend it on this time, as I had nearly $180 of these points.

A few days ago, while on the way to Laredo, we stopped at one of these particular truckstops just outside West Memphis, Arkansas. Inside, they were advertising a sale on Sirius satellite radio equipment, along with a sign reminding that you could also purchase air time with the incentive points. I had no idea. How awesome?

I didn't act on it at the time, and pondered this while making the trip to Laredo, coming to the decision that this would indeed be the perfect thing. I had enough customer reward cash to purchase a receiver and a considerable amount of air time. With the ongoing accrual of points, I could maintain the air time just for being a loyal customer. On our return trip toward Detroit, I made it a point to stop back at this particular location just in case it was local-store special on Sirius air time. Turns out, it applies to both Sirius and XM air time. Sweet! I can't believe I had never thought of this until now.

Bottom line: I now own an Delphi Roady XT with 6 months of XM air time and only paid $6.40 out of pocket for taxes. That's 170+ channels music, news, comedy, and information at my finger tips.

And 24 hours into it, I've been loving it. Loving it. While I'll be eternally wishing for an all psyche/garage station, I'm more than content with the variety and niche music channels. I've really been digging the old-school hiphop channel. Who's house? Run's house. As a side note, if I could travel back in time to seduce "Big Mama" era Roxanne Shante,

welfy would be a lonely woman. The old-school soul, classic indie, and blues stations are fun, too. The comedy channels are a lot more eclectic than I anticipated, with a great mix of new and old material. Right now, I'm like a kid in a candy store and can't keep my hand off the remote, switching through channels going "Ooooo, The Clash!" then "Ooooo, Bill Monroe!" then "Ooooo, Big Daddy Kane!"

Yeah, loving it.

Tags: gear, music, truckgeek

31 comments — :

( 31 comments — Leave a comment )

betawriter

2006-07-28 04:39 pm (UTC)

Channel 53 is punk rock. And I think 49 is the unsigned channel, which is nifty.

I was one of the first 100,000 XM subscribers and I can't imagine a world without it. Especially because I live for road trips and commute an hour (each way) to work every day.

LOVE IT.

Congratulations on your new toy! It's fantastic, isn't it?

soopageek

2006-07-28 05:47 pm (UTC)

Yes it is. I can easily see how this could become something I can't live with out, the fact that I can basically have it for free just makes it even better. :)

moonwick

XM202. Get hooked.

2006-07-28 04:43 pm (UTC)

Er, I'll be more specific -- Opie & Anthony. Right now Ron & Fez are on, and they're not quite so captivating. O&A are live from 5-10AM ET, and they're replayed the rest of the day (when R&F aren't on).

O&A keep me from missing Bob & Tom, who got taken off the air here in Austin a while ago. :/

just 'cos i love chick mcgee —

soopageek — Expand

Re: just 'cos i love chick mcgee —

hockeyfag — Expand

saraide

2006-07-28 04:42 pm (UTC)

My brother-in-law is constantly driving around the country (owns a national p.i. business) and he can't remember how he got through his day without satellite radio. :) Enjoy!

2006-07-28 05:51 pm (UTC)

I can already tell I'm gonna love it. It'll definitely make the long drives a lot more bearable.

stillimage

I love XM Radio! I don't know what I'd do without it. Isn't it just great?

2006-07-28 05:53 pm (UTC)

I always imagined it would be awesome and it certainly lives up to the expectation, I just never was able to justify the cost on something unproven. Getting to try it and maintain it for free is wonderful, but I could see it becoming a must have even if for some reason I had to pay for it.

kerouacgirl

2006-07-28 04:55 pm (UTC)

I love the Old Time Radio channel- it is the stuff like my grandparents used to listen to- I drive my friend Marc nuts with it!

2006-07-28 05:57 pm (UTC)

I have a feeling I'm going to be a fan of that channel, too. There's a terrestrial station in Cincinnati that plays a lot of the old comedy radio shows that I've been a fan of for a a few years, so I'll definitely be checking that station out in the future.

leighton

2006-07-28 05:32 pm (UTC)

How do you like the Sprint card for the $$? Ever do podcats for music / info?

I stopped using my hacked bluetooth phone to steal from their internet pipe. It was just too easy to stop and surf...it was even possible to surf in a moving vehicle...anywhere (only for passengers).

I'm so addicted to podcasts that I can't think of spending more $$ on XM...especailly when I see some "Wow XM" channel tags on the back of my trailer doors.

2006-07-28 06:03 pm (UTC)

I love the air card. I have broadband in the major metro markets which enables me to view streaming ~~porn~~ media and a respectable 6-10K/s elsewhere which affords me general web surfing to keep up with LiveJournal and Conquer Club. As much time as I spend riding in the passenger seat to provide guidance and answer questions for students, it's nice to have while rolling down the road.

At the time that I acquired it, was making a major move to a new provider anyway and was able to pick it up at a $59.99/mo for unlimited bandwidth, with a two year contract on a voice plan. For me and my use, it's well worth the money. Sprint's coverage nationwide is pretty awesome in general on the interstates except for the remote areas of the West, so it serves me well just about everywhere.

(no subject) —

leighton — Expand

(Deleted comment)

2006-07-28 08:35 pm (UTC)

Truckstops have been doing it for years. These days, with fuel prices, it's more competitive than ever, so truckstops are making matters of cents and fractions of cents on the gallon, making the profit up in volume. At that volume, and that low of a margin, the typical 3% charge from Visa or Mastercard to the retailer is the difference between profit and loss, hence the advertising of cash and credit prices.

As for consumer gas prices, I would guess that the increase in Visa sponsored banking cards has started to make a dent in gasoline profit margins.

celestyna

2006-07-28 08:14 pm (UTC)

My trainer had XM. They had waaaaaay too much overplay so when it came time to buy my own, I subscribed to Sirius. It was really great, then Stern signed on and they added like 8 more channels. The place I work in now has XM and it seems they're not as overplay-happy anymore and seemed to have gotten better in quality. Yet another reason why capitalism and competition is fucking awesome.
I'm off to visit my roomie in Louisville this weekend Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, gimme a holler on my cell if ya'll are in town
256-682-4716.
Sleater-Kinney's "Last Show Ever".
(ha. give them 5 years.)

2006-07-28 08:51 pm (UTC)

Aw man, I had no idea Sleater-Kinney was playing in Louisville this weekend. I just looked it up online and saw the details about that festival. Sounds like fun. I got to seem them in 2000 in Newport, KY with the White Stripes opening. That was a great show.

We'll both be around this weekend. I should be getting in late tonight. My Sundays are kinda tight as it is and you've got SK on Saturday evening, so I don't know that we'll be able to coordinate anything. If at all, it would be Sunday morning, but it kinda depends on some other tentative plans which I'll know more about on Saturday. If they fall through (and I can't speak for Welf, but I'm sure she'd be in tow) but I'd be up for meeting for a late breakfast in the 'ville on Sunday if you're game. If Sunday morning clears out for me, I'll give ya a call.

welfy — Expand

sparklymegz

2006-07-28 08:49 pm (UTC)

I LOVE my XM

Although I'm a bit of a nerd & listen mostly to UPOP. I love Ted Kelly in the mornings (I was on that show awhile back actually) So listen to Ch 29 in the mornins:)

2006-07-28 08:55 pm (UTC)

Never heard of Ted Kelley. What kinda show is it?

welfy

2006-07-29 05:08 am (UTC)

I'm dead jealous of your radio thingy. You know what your welfy has to listen to when I go on long car rides? Some saptacular Christian soft-rock station. NOTHING ELSE seems to show up on the radio. Ever. When I drove through West Virginia I got lucky with some bluegrass station. Last time I drove back from PA, I was so tired of the radio that I listened to some totally awesome cassette tapes. And when I say totally awesome, I mean they are falling apart and you can barely hear some of them anymore. I hate that for all the music that I own, I can't access any of it while on the road because it's all in mp3 form.

2006-07-29 06:09 am (UTC)

Maybe you should get an FM transmitter for the car and listen to mp3's from your laptop. Actually, I could give you that little dinky mp3 player I bought a while back that I never use anymore. It's not great but it's adequate. I stopped using it just 'cause the laptop is so much easier to use for music and it's always with me.

mrslk

2006-07-30 01:14 am (UTC)

I met this dude with the name of a hat
I didn't walk away, I didn't give him no rap

that's Dr. Roxanne Shante to you

queenkatieett

2006-07-31 12:47 am (UTC)

Hey, what about your multi-love rule? You can have your Roxanne and your Welfy, too.

queen_phoenix

2006-08-01 04:11 pm (UTC)

I am just stating that I am adding you. I keep coming over here from Welf's journal and love your entries. You have an excellent eye for urban decay and a way with words. I kept meaning to add you but never did so I am doing it today. :) I want to see the pics of the barge I just read about. ;)

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soopageek

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