The satellite radio is quickly garnering market share from old standbys, FM and AM. Only two service providers, XM and Sirius, the only real choice you have to make is which model to purchase and how much to pay. Road to XM and Sirius can have a few potholes, aggravating problems that may cause you to toss your Roadies out of the car window. We have few tips to help pave that road.

Always try refreshing the activation of your radio by going to the XM or Sirius websites and hitting refresh signal. Do check with customer service to make sure the radio has been properly activated. Sometimes the request doesn't get processed right away.

Always check your antenna and make sure it's connected to the proper input on the radio and can get a clear signal. Try to check the cable and connector for damage. Your radio won't receive a signal if you're in a garage or other area where the signal is blocked.

Do set your radio, in most cases to Channel 1, so it can acquire the stations from the satellite. Try to check to see if there's fringe interference from a nearby radio station, in this case, you'll hear either static from the station or voices and music will be heard faintly in the background. Numerous satellite radios are equipped with RF modulators, which use FM frequencies to deliver sound through your car's speakers. Always test the radio with several unused FM frequencies to find the clearest channel. If you get a weak signal and you're sure there's no interference, try relocating the antenna. Do use the car's cassette player to connect to your sound system. Unluckily not all brands of satellite radio come with a cassette adapter, but they're pretty easy to get. Only plug it into the audio out jack of your radio and pop the end with the cassette into the player. Always test your receiver with a home kit. When all of your stations come through loud and clear, there could be a problem with the RF modulator. Therein that case exchange the radio for a new one. Do check to see if your radio is locked, this may be the case if you can't change stations and a "lock" signal is displayed on the radio. We can turn this off on some radios by pressing the Mute/Pause/Lock button. When your radio doesn't have this, or it doesn't solve the problem, unlock it by inserting the end of a paper clip into the radio's reset hole.

Always reset the radio by inserting the end of a paper clip into the radio's reset hole to alleviate problems if the back light of the radio doesn't turn off or on or the radio's display doesn't change.