does anybody use XM radio on Garmin 550

brscooter · #1 01-15-2009, 12:03 PM

Do any of you use the XM radio thru the Garmin 550. If so where did you get your antenna (GXM 30) and how much did it cost. Do you get good reception with it and any troubles with it. Thanks for the info. Lyle

SaltyDawg · #2 01-15-2009, 01:19 PM

Several folks have the GXM-30 for the Zumo 550 and get good reception and no problems.

Me on the other hand, well I have been having nothing but trouble. I just bought one last Saturday and got XM radio and the best of Sirius along with NavWeather. Saturday XM Radio worked great no weather, same for Sunday. Monday I got in touch with XM Weather and they worked with me to get it all working. Really cool stuff. For the record it gets GREAT reception just sitting on my tank. Anyway on Tuesday morning I pulled the bike out of the garage and as soon as the first weather update came down "PooF" my radio services quit working, so I got in touch with XM and they resent the signal as I was riding home. No Joy, never updated. Yesterday afternoon I got up with XM Weather again and they sent another update signal, again no joy. I told them that the young lady who helped me on Monday disconneced my services and then restarted them. He did that and I got everything again. Now this morning I went out to the bike, put the Zumo on backed the bike out of the garage and started it. No XM Radio, nothing, NADA, Zilch!!! It dumped programing overnight but the weather/traffic worked fine.

In reading the Zumo forums some folks have had close to the same things happening to them and were able to get them resolved through XM Weather. I don't know if it's the radio, but I am thinking it is. Mine was a refurbished one I bought off of ebay. Gonna call Garmin about it in a little while.

Freebird · #3 01-15-2009, 01:33 PM

I bought a refurb off Ebay for $109.00. I could have bought it for $10.00 less from another seller but didn't like the comments on the negatives that he had. I expect it to arrive today or tomorrow and then can report back on it.

brscooter · #4 01-15-2009, 04:50 PM

Thanks Don I appreciate it. Where did you get it from. Thanks Lyle

Freebird · #5 01-15-2009, 06:20 PM

I bought mine from this seller. It came today and I just ordered it on Monday. I activated it online and all seems well. XM and Nav came up in about 5 minutes, Weather took another 5 minutes or so.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Garmin-GXM30-GPS...3%3A1|294%3A50

BuddyRich · #6 01-15-2009, 06:46 PM

I use the GXM 30. Its been great. I may lose reception under thick trees or in a downtown area with tall buildings but so would my car. Have noticed that the Sirius channels are beginning to replace the XM channels. 46 on xm is now the same as 14 on sirius. Go ahead and get the traffic/weather. its only 4 bucks more per month but well worth it. Thing will show you accidents ahead and ask if you would like to be re-routed around it. Then if there's a tornado warning or watch it will pop up and inform you which counties its in and show you on the map.

Freebird · #7 01-15-2009, 07:18 PM

Buddy,
Did you just get the basic weather that comes with Nav? There is another one that costs extra. Not sure now WHAT I signed up for but it was a bit more than that.

SaltyDawg · #8 01-15-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebird

Buddy,
Did you just get the basic weather that comes with Nav? There is another one that costs extra. Not sure now WHAT I signed up for but it was a bit more than that.

If you get traffic you will get the weather. You can also just order the weather without traffic.

They rebooted mine today and have kept the trouble ticket open to bump my problems to a higher tech level. So far it is working fine, but tomorrow morning will tell the tale. That's when it usually dumps. Got no idea what's happening. The guy I talked to today said he was sending a signal to "Reboot" my radio. I never noticed it happen, but then again I wasn't listening to it or watching it.

I am getting real tired of listening to Johnboy and Billy on my way to work. Nothing like a bunch of cackling hens that like to hear themselves talk to get the blood boiling.

WIKD · #9 01-15-2009, 09:07 PM

Have both and they work great. Bought a refurb off ebay just like Don. Only time I have lost reception was a few times in the mountains of NC. Here in Florida I have never lost reception.

BuddyRich · #10 01-15-2009, 09:24 PM

I just ordered it from the link to navtraf on the gamin XM page. I had 2 other radios though so it came to like 12.99 for the gxm30. At that time an additional radio was 6.99 for the XM. It was just the basic weather.

http://www.xmradio.com/navtraffic/get_nav.xmc

This appears to be the current pricing

http://www.xmradio.com/navtraffic/pricing.xmc

Jerry W · #11 01-15-2009, 09:42 PM

Ok, I have the IQ of a turnip when it comes to technology, well not just tech. but we will hold it to that here. I have a Zumo 550 which I have hard wired on the bike (thanks to instruction from Sawhorse) and would like to add the XM. Can you tell me exactly what I need to buy and do in order to get XM on the bike? Well, I know you can. Thanks in advance. Oh, it's ok to laugh.

BuddyRich · #12 01-16-2009, 12:09 AM

All you need is the Garmin GXM 30 unit. There's some on ebay. It plugs into the mount and its ready. Only one place and one way to plug it in. Don had posted a link to one he bought off ebay but I forget where it is. I'm pretty sure it in one of his Garmin threads.

Freebird · #13 01-16-2009, 07:13 AM

My link is at up higher in this same thread.

Buddy, I only have the one XM so didn't get the discount for a second radio. I went with the music and Navtraffic package but also with another weather package that cost a bit more. Maybe I don't need it, I may cancel it later. Probably the basic that comes with Navtraffic is enough.