The Howard Stern Sirius Satellite Radio Era Is Here! But Which Satellite Radio Should You Buy?

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December 16, 2005, was Howard Stern‘s last FM broadcast on terrestrial radio. The Howard Stern Sirius satellite radio era officially begins on January 9th, 2006.

Stern fans who have been putting off getting a Sirius satellite radio should try to get their act together ASAP. But which satellite radio(s) should you get? The right Sirius radio for you will depend on how you usually listen to the Howard Stern Show (car, home, Walkman, etc).

Here’s a look at some of the most popular Sirius satellite radios:

Sirius S50 Walkman $299

If you’re serious about keeping Stern with you at all times, the Sirius S50 Satellite Radio Receiver and MP3/WMA Player System Pack may be just what you’re looking for. Small enough for your shirt pocket, and loaded with all the accessories you need to play it over your car stereo. This unit also has a FM transmitter allowing you to broadcast to any nearby radio. Stern fans will really like the automatic built-in recorder. This Sirius radio has a recording timer that can be set to automatically record The Howard Stern Show every morning. This means that even if you wake up at 8am, you can start listening from the beginning of the show (his show starts at 6am). It’s like a TiVo for your Sirius radio. There is a 2-hour limit for timed recording so be sure to set at least two back to back 2-hour recordings to get his whole show.

Sirius Xact XTR1 $68.21

The XTR1 radio was part of the original Howard Stern promotion and came free with a 1-year subscription to Sirius. This radio is cheap. It lacks fancy features like timed recording and a built-in antenna. Even though this unit makes it look portable it is not. It does have an FM transmitter (not very powerful) which makes taking it in the car possible. But the car is not the ideal location for this radio. It requires an external antenna and power supply. After hooking up the antenna and running the power supply into the cigarette lighter, your dashboard will look like a pile of wires. This unit is best suited for home use. I have one next to my desk.

Sirius Starmate Replay $99.99

At first glance this radio may look like a car stereo face plate and that’s the location probably best suited for this unit. The Sirius Starmate Replay has one of the brightest and nicest displays of any satellite radio currently available and is easy to see even on sunny days. Like the other units, this radio comes with a remote control and a built-in FM transmitter. The FM transmitter is very strong and will probably reach all the radios in the average-sized household. But one of the best features with this unit is the internal memory. This radio will continually store the last 44 minutes of programming you are listening to, too. So feel free to pause the radio while you take a phone call or use the bathroom at the highway rest stop.

NOTE: The memory playback clears when you turn the power off. This unit only comes with a car mounting kit, so order the home kit if you plan on using it outside the car.

The Howard Stern Sirius Satellite Radio Era

The idea of paying for radio is a tough mental hurdle to overcome. Radio has always been free until satellite radio. So is Howard Stern worth the extra monthly expense? If you love the show, then yes, right?

Just remember, Stern’s move to Sirius is not the end, it’s the beginning. Same King. New Kingdom. 01.09.06.