I don't really know how much the tuners sold for before the blowout sale at sonicblue, but I never considered that they would be the first to sell out. Now that they are all gone for the price of $69.00 I suddenly got an urge to get one. However, the only other place that appears to have them is ebay where they go for around $250.

This is quite a price to pay for a radio tuner, so before I even consider getting one I wanted to ask if any of you who already own one think that it is worth the money. Is it? How much more convenient would it be considering that I already have a head unit with a tuner I can use thru the AUX connection on the Riocar that I can keep. The only other thing is the option to add a Sony remote control which I don't even know how it looks...

Thanks

not at all worth it (IMHO). I use mine only ocassionally, as I have most everything I want on my player. With the correct setup of your playlists, you get essentially free radio with a playlist on random. YMMV

Since you already have tuner in your HU (for news, talkshows and to hear what new music is around), the only new functionality you would get with empeg tuner module is ability to use Sony stalk controler and a bit better integration with empeg. Not worth $250, IMHO. There is a good chance that empeg guys are going to pull another production run (the first was around 1000, a bit short), one way or another, with expected price of up to $100. I advise patience.

You are new here, right? Welcome!

I must be in the minority. I bought a 30GB unit from SB and a tuner off Ebay (Ouch) and I do use the tuner. I seem to go for weeks without listening to the radio then weeks listening to nothing but radio but that's just me.

The tuner does work very well from my experience with it. Whether it's worth the price or not is up to each individual and how much they would use it.

As Bonzi said, there may be another run. The way my luck goes I didnt want to take a chance and wait.

Yeah, i'd agree. If i had another head unit in the car with a tuner, i wouldn't have dropped the $70 on the tuner, and i have no plan on getting a Stalk Controller.

For about $300 I think you can purchase one of those "XM" tuners and plug them through the aux in.

Calvin

If you genuinely have space in your dash for two DIN-sized stereos, then you're fine with using a second head unit.

The empeg tuner is nice, but it is no more fancy than any other radio tuner. My tuner gets great reception (when it's installed correctly and there are no wiring problems), and I particularly like the fact that I use only my empeg in the dash so it looks nice. I also like the fact that I have completely rid myself of carrying CDs in the car. So for me, having the Empeg as my only stereo is the perfect solution, and therefore the tuner module is indespensible to me.

But if you're already set on having a second head unit, then you can safely skip on the tuner module.

I NEED a tuner because when I take my girlfriend to drive in movies in my area they broadcast on FM. Then we have to sit there with a crappy little portable radio and can't enjoy the NICE TRUCK STEREO WITH A SUBWOOFER AND NO TUNER. If anyone has a nice stereo setup in their car and has a drive in near there home, I would seriously recommend checking it out if you want to enjoy they "home theater" experiance in your car!!!

I think, im my case, I would pay up to $175 for a tuner module. Some people say they work really well....

Wow, I haven't seen a real drive-in in ages. I didn't know they did that trick with the FM radio these days. That's such a great idea, now I want to find one of those drive-ins as soon as possible and try it out! That would so totally rock to have great stereo sound in the car at the drive-in.

Do they let you idle your engine at drive-ins? Then I could even control the temperature of the inside of the car. One of my pet peeves about movie theaters is that they are always too cold, uncomfortably so.

I want to know where this drive in theater is. Theres very few left that I know of.

There is one in NE PA between Hawley and Honesdale off of US 6, or at least there was one there 2 years ago...

Thanks for the advice guys. I am now convinced that for me it is not worth spending $250+ for a tuner that would only allow me to have an empty dash space and be a little more convenient. I just found out that I can use a wireless Kenwood remote without any config hassles and that's exactly what I want. I just don't understand what 'behind the wheel mounted remote' means? I only use the radio to listen to traffic reports, nothing fancy like the drive-in theaters. In fact, I have never even seen such a theater in my life; only in movies. I dont' think they have those in NY Metro Area, do they?

Kenwood designed its wheel remote to be mounted behind the wheel (on a spoke), so that you can reach its buttons with your extended index and middle fingers while holding the wheel normally. Pioneer's remote mounts on inner side of the wheel rim, with most of the buttons facing forward and operated with one's thumb (volume is still behind). Google a bit for them and you will find installation photos.

Well, the FM tuner does exactly what you'd expect it to do, so its a question of whether or not its worth it to YOU.

Including the CBC, I have good radio programming in my local airspace which includes Vancouver, Seattle and Victoria stations.

The CBC is indispensable for national and regional news, commentary and of course classical programming and the few good local alternative stations are a good source for discovering new material sooner than word-of-mouth. I don't actively seek out new music on television or the Internet, so a random sampling of the dial every so often has netted me a few finds I might never have discovered in my little insular empeg world.

You may have strictly cheese-ball middle-age soccer-mom programming in your airspace, so as always, Your Mileage Might Vary -- but who's to say you're always going to be living in Butthole, Ohio* and may someday have truly valuable electromagnetic pollution.

If my commute and/or driving habits changed, the radio may become more or less valuable to me, so even if I only use it on longer trips currently, I cannot foresee a time when it might be indispensable to me, or superfluous, in which case the completist in me is justified in having it just in case along with a few other empeg accessories I still have not removed from their boxes.

Finally, having a place to wire-in some external controls may prove invaluable.

I am shocked and dismayed that the bottom feeders are asking and GETTING as much as $250USD for the tuners, which I am sure is beyond the value threshold of all but the most desperate buyers.

p.s.: if you are one of the bottom feeders who has made a LITTLE money by speculating on an accessory for an EOL product, don't be too proud -- thats not good salesmanship, its just luck and timing and for what little you're going to make, pathetic.

We need to figure out a way to pipe your radio signals to me.

... and the few good local alternative stations...

It would seem that you are lamenting the fact that you only have a couple of good alt. stations. The fact is that in Raleigh, NC we only have 5 pop/rock stations, including an awful college station, a typical Top40 station and a duplicate (the same station on two frequencies!). We have no alternative station, and get rooked on the college station (in a city with 5 colleges plus a couple of other post-secondary schools).

Despite this, I own a tuner, which I purchased at neither closeout nor gouging prices. I didn't ever want to think that I might be missing out on something. And someone might actually start a station here that's worth a damn.

Yea, Raleigh was at the end of the line when good radio stations were being handed out.. Of the 5(4) that wfaulk mentioned, I only like 1, and can barely tollerate the rest. The college radio station is ok if you listen at the right time of the day. Unfortunately, when I commute, it's either the heavy/thrash/industrial rock hour, or the rap hour. The fact that the only alternative to the radio is CD's (which are now on my empeg) made it an easy sell to forget trying to fit the old head unit in as well, and to simply pass up on the $250 (Come on.. the empeg itself was only $400!) tuner module..

For US$250 one can instead purchase a nice 2x45W head unit, with AM/FM/CD and aux-inputs for the empeg. Solves the tuner issue, lets you play new CDs on the way home from the music shop, and provides a power amp for the Empeg, making the install very simple.

-ml

That assumes that you have the space in your dash to install a second DIN-sized unit, which I, for example, didn't.

Another way a friend of mine who just purchased an Empeg did is hookup a walkman to the aux-in on the Empeg. If you only need radio infrequently this actually works out quite nicely, plus you can pick up a decent digitally tuned portable for about $50.00.

My friend is using this one: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F002%5F001%5F014%5F000&product%5Fid=12%2D804

I just got my tuner working, and I must say, it completes the package. I was amazed at the reception quality, I was worried it might be a bit weak, but it turned out much stronger than the Z919 MP3/CD player I upgraded from. I'm not sure how much I would pay for a tuner, but it would be quite a bit. (I can't survive w/o some drive-time radio and traffic,weather, etc)

Yeah FM boradcast drive ins are pretty popular in Pennsylvania. I don't know what state you are in. They dont care if you run your car, I don't let mine run for more then 30 mintues at a time though. Its pretty cool out where I live. Its like stadium seating so the peoples cars in front of you dont block you. Only thing you aren't allowed to do is leave your headlights on (for obvious reasons). Here is a really really good tip. If you go and it might rain.... get some Rain-X. If you put rain-x on your windows, you wont need to keep putting your windshield wipers on to see the movie. I always bring a bottle and a rag just in case, it rains about 25% of the time I go to the drive in.

There are like 3 in Northeast PA. Becky's Drive in is my favorite. Check it out...

http://www.driveinmovie.com/PA.htm

Eh? Drive-ins in PA? The last drive-in I knew of disappeared nearly 10 years ago. I'm outside of Philly, maybe you're in Erie or Allentown or some other town that's 10 years behind the rest of the world?

If you guys want to see if there is one in your area, check this out...

http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm

Just a quick note, most drive-ins in PA movies start about 30 minutes after sunset. They generally give you two movies for the price of one. They are usually current movies and the screen is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!

Yes.

Absolutly. I held off buying the Empeg until a tuner was available that did FM AND AM. I know that you can plug in a walkman or use another deck but to me, those solutions are hacks and workarounds. If I didn't have a tuner, I'd pay lots...maybe $500 or more to get it. I've already got > $3000 in my stereo and it's not complete until I can listen to a news reprot or get traffic info.

I don't have any problem with people selling them on ebay at what ever price they can get. Thats just the way free enterprise works.

Ilove drive in two of them near were i live in CA.One of them is in the bay area and im sure silicon vally is not 10 years behind the rest of the world.And thank you Etenalsum the xm reciever is the way im gonna go,I have been going nuts trying to figure out what head unit to get.

$500?? Or more?? Want to buy my tuner????? :-D

Calvin