xm radio / weather... free / no subscription broadcast?

[schristo@mac.com]

i do not have a subscription yet but the xm receiver is pulling in about 50 xm radio stations along with metars and basic forecast graphics to my 696... anyone else getting what appears to be a limited free/no subscription broadcast?

[Radomir]

how long before it goes poof and the screen reads "insert coin to continue.."

[L.Adamson]

I know of a reason or two. Have you ever signed up to XM with your radio's antenna number? Did you purchase the radio from someone else who was signed up?

Several things can happen. If you've previously signed up & cancelled, they'll often turn it on for a few weeks for promotional purposes. You would usually be notified of this by E-mail or a post card. If you cancel & the radio stays "totally" off for a long period of time, it will no longer pick up the transmitted signal to shut it off. It's a one way deal, as your radio doesn't communicate back to XM. There is only so much bandwith, and the cancellation signals are only repeated for a limited amount of time. However, once a promotion signal is sent to activate XM for a few weeks, the deactivation signal will soon follow. At least it gives them an oppertunity to keep things in line..

L.Adamson --- RV6A

[schristo@mac.com]

never been a subscriber, new antenna with my 696, just redeemed my aviation database update and updated the unit to the current software.

[Ironflight]

I seem to remember seeing an email from XM in my "junk Mail" folder the other day with the title "free XM Weather" for a trial period - might be why you're seeing it (I didn't read the note, since we are already subscribers). Knowing XM, it will go away after you've gotten addicted to it....

[Brantel]

The music is a trial..two weeks or something like that.

http://www.xmradio.com/servlet/Conte...=1272762131968

Not sure on the weather. I did not know there was a trial on that as well. HMMM

[N395V]

Sometimes XM/Sirius screws up.

I recently agreed to buy a friend a weather subscription for his Garmin Aera on my account in return for being able to use it when needed. Called XM to cancel my old weather subscription I was using on a portable computer and start the new subscription.

I had had the old subscription for years but XM could find no record of me ever having a weather subscription, just music. So I subscribed for my friends receiver. Sold the computer and XM antenna a few months later and it was still receiving weather.