kentb

kentb

Well Known Member
I would like to add tunes to my plane.
Should I get a Ipod and load it up or
subscribe to 496 SAT music?

I am not sure that I would listen that much, because ATC usually keeps me entertained, but if I get to go to Oshkosh this year (solo), it might get boring after a few hours.

Kent
 
Apple 1, XM 0

I don't have a 496, but I do have an iPod and XM in my car.

I recently cancelled my XM subscription simply because I found that with the iPod connected, I rarely if ever listened to XM. I listen to a lot of podcasts, but I've recently started buying a lot of music through iTunes (in addition to my cd collection that I ripped).

I've also got videos and pictures on my iPod. Some are videos I've taken of my famliy, while others are shows that I have purchased through iTunes or DVDs that I have ripped and converted using 3rd party software.

Another benefit to the iPod is it's portability. I think you will find that you use it in a lot of places other than just the airplane. For example, mine sits in a speaker dock in my office when I am at work.

The only downside to the iPod is that unless you sync with iTunes (or other software) to get the latest episodes of podcasts, the content can grow stale. In addition, if listening to live broadcasts (new, sports, etc.) is a priority or you don't already have a music collection that you want to listen to, then XM has the advantage.

If I were building my panel now, I would install an iPod Touch in front of the passenger.
 
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I have an iPod, and love it, I might get XM too once I have a regular job, but for you it sounds like the iPod is the wiser investment. Get an iPod Nano (no HD) in 8GB, should last forever.
 
XM

I have the 496 with weather and XM. The music is nice but it provides much more than music. I often listen to the comedy channel or news channels to break it up a little. With the weather the music is only $6.95 a month.

I didn't bother with the iPod in the plane. Just another piece of stuff floating around in the plane.
 
Ipod caution

I use an Ipod in my -8. The only down side is vibration. If you leave the Ipod on the floor (footwell in an -8) or the glareshield the Ipod will lock up and you can't (at least I couldn't) reset the Ipod until the battery died. After recharging the unit worked fine again. I tried a custom mount that was attached to the instrument panel with the same results.

If I hang the Ipod on my harness or stuff it between the seat cushions, it works great.

Altitude or acro does not seam to bother it.
 
iPod all the way.

To hold it, I purchased one of these $8.49 stick on cup holders from the Aviation Section at West Marine.


When not holding the iPod, it can hold a water bottle.


Oh, the Nano which I use has a flash drive in it, no disk drive to worry about at high altitudes or vibration to mess it up.
 
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I bet this will end up as a split decision....;)

I bought my 30 Gig Ipod expressly to use in the cockpit. transfered every CD I owned to it, so it's my entire collection. I used it and it worked just fine, but when I got my 396 with XM, I figured that for $5 more per month, I'd give it a try. Now with the choice of either, I use the XM all the time, and hardly touch the Ipod. I guess I like the variety of the XM - I know my entire music collection pretty well, and really enjoy the unexpected variety of the may channels - I spend lots of time with the Comedy channels on long cross countries - makes the time go faster!

This one is really gonna vary person to person....

Paul
 
Sirius satellite radio AND an iPod...
I just like Sirius better than XM...even though I've got a 396
 
I have XM on my 496 and a third gen (most recent) iPod Nano. I use both of them in my airplane.

In terms of in-flight entertainment, they each have their merits. The iPod is very nice when doing acro, etc. because you can sort of have your own "soundtrack". Also, with XM the music will cut out when inverted.

As mentioned already, XM is so much more than music. I'm a news nut, so I really enjoy having the news channels such as CNN, BBC, etc. If you like talk radio, there's America Right (conservative talk) and Air America (liberal talk). Also, I like XM for the baseball coverage...they have every game.

The only downside to XM on the 396/496 is the interface. Honestly, it isn't very well done. I'm seriously considering installing a separate XM box during my annual next month, mainly so my passenger (read: my wife) can control the audio.

If you go with an iPod, I would recommend the touch or the nano because they have solid state flash memory...no need to worry about babying the sensitive hard drive. I have a piece of Velcro on the back of my Nano and just stick it to the instrument panel. Quick, easy and the nano is still just as functional and portable.

If you have an iPod, you will probably have to go into the "Volume Limit" setting and max it out. This setting allows parents to limit the max volume on their kids' ipods, but for our intercoms we probably want the maximum output available.
 
Another vote for XM

Paul echoes my thoughts... No matter how many songs I pile into my MP3 player, I know they're there so I never get "surprised". You know that "Oh wow, I haven't heard this song in SOO long" feeling you get when jumping through radio stations? I love that feeling, but I never experience it with my MP3 player.

I also spend quite a bit of time on the comedy stations as well. On top of all that, I'm a big sports fan. So flying back home after a weekend trip, I can keep tabs on all the NFL games. (you can't listen to the games on XM, but ESPN or FOX radio stay on top of things). With the merger coming up, I'm hoping to be able to listen to the NFL games soon.
 
Thanks people, "clear as mud"...

I was hoping for a clear winner, but no you people just can seem to make up my mind.:rolleyes::confused:

I guess I will just have to get both.:D

Kent
 
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