SAguirre

This is for our members across the pond: Is there a service like Tele-Aid and Satellite radio in the European area? I am just curious. I have the impression that Tele-Aid is something in the US market that was sparked by Cadillac (with their OnStar).

Also, I imagine that Canada has both Sat. radio and Tele-aid right? I am interested in your reposes.

Steven Aguirre

Fastbuck

Neither of these are offered as options in the UK.

Barry45RPM

So what happens when you press the SOS, wrench or I buttons in your car? ... or are these buttons not present?

Fastbuck

We simply don't have these buttons.

DWP

XM and Sirius aren't "officially" available in Canada because the Canadian government hasn't licensed them to provide service there. Their signal is available in border areas of Canada and somebody in Canada could subscribe by using a US address. That's what at least one Canadian member of this forum (who shall remain anonymous by me) has done.

SAguirre

DWP,
That is a shame for you guys over there in Canada! I really love the SIRIUS radio!!! You would hope that this will be changing soon. That the license will be applied for soon. The satellites are set up so that most of the Canadian region will get the signal. So this would give these two companies a huge market with no extra infrastructure cost.

I guess you do have Tele-Aid then, correct?

Steve

DWP

Well, actually, I'm in Sacramento, not Canada. What I know about satellite radio service in Canada I get from XM and Sirius, and from the Canadian forum member who gets Sirius. The topic interests me because I'm dual nationality. XM hasn't announced any plans for Canada ...

http://xmradio.com/faq/faq_list_serv...ite%20Radio#18

Sirius does have a plan for Canada:

http://www.sirius.com/servlet/Conten...=1070996607487

... but since the press release is almost a year old, the joint venture seems to be proceeding at the speed of cold maple syrup.

The Canadian M-B web site says that TeleAid is standard equipment in an E500 there ...

http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/index.cfm?id=3915

glojo

Fastbuck has kindly answered part 1 of your question, part 2 is more of a grey answer and I stand to be corrected.

We have DAB Radio which is.. Digital Audio Broadcasting or 'DAB digital radio' that we can fit. Satellite radio is broadcast in the UK but to my knowledge there is no car radio capable of receiving the signal.

We would need a Sky digi box with a dish permanantly pointing at a geo-stationary satellite Now there's a challenge.

I hope someone can tell me I am mistaken because receiving the radio stations that Sky offer would be brilliant.

Oh nearly forgot, instead of the SOS button the telephone has a setting to dial Mercedes-Benz breakdown direct.

Bye for now,
John
A cold dark night in Torquay
(although nowhere near as cold as 'bonnie' Scotland)

scorchie

In most countries in Europe, E-call/TeleAid is available as an option (depending on the model, sometimes only with a telephone). With the factory-installed phones, service call buttons are often fitted as well.

(See www.mercedes-benz.de 's Konfigurator for more information.)

-s-

pa28pilot

Hasn't Europe had Worldspace Radio for a lot longer than the US has had SDARS (XM & Sirius)? I understand the portable receivers are a little large, but I'm surprised to hear that there isn't one for cars yet.

(I rather like the few Worldspace channels that XM Radio chooses to simulcast.)

With regard to Sky boxes, Tele-Satellite magazine has an article on a pretty spiffy satellite TV antenna for vehicles, but it's even more unwieldy than the first generation Globalstar "dunce cap" I have on my W124. Give it time, the phased arrays will get smaller...

glojo

There are indeed prtable satellite dishes that can sit on top of a motor caravan roof. These though can only be used when stationary and have to be pointed very accurately at the Sky satellite.

In the UK there are definetely no car radio's that can pick up satellite radio. I have just counted the music and radio stations that Sky offer and there is a total of 112. This includes the TV music channels (they play non stop music)

Regards,
John

WillyWolo

Is Tele-Aid run by OnStar?

DWP

No. TeleAid is a M-B brand name for a service provided to M-B by contractors. OnStar is a similar service provided by a GM subsidiary ...
http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp...e=ci_index.jsp
... and, not surprisingly, offered on GM car brands.

Do any makers besides M-B and GM offer a service like TeleAid/OnStar in North America?

Barry45RPM

OnStar ws "spun off" by GM to be a stand alone company so that other auto manufacturers could offer it as an option. Acura, for one, offers OnStar as an option.

Incidentally, I have both OnStar & TeleAid in 2 different cars, and can tell you that OnStar's call pick-up (answer) times are light years faster than MB's TeleAid. I wish MB used OnStar instead of their own. There's no reason for redundant services, and GM sells many more cars in the US than MB, so that OnStar will allways be the "VHS" to MB's "BetaMax". I don't see MB keeping its own service if it cares about making money, AND delivering service.

Oslo

Teleaid is available in some European countries:

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and Switzerland


.

pa28pilot

The Mercedes-Benz Tele-Aid service is provided by ATX Technologies. I believe this is also the firm that provides monitoring for Alpine's Mobile Mayday aftermarket equivalent.

WillyWolo

Is there any reason they choose ATX over On-Star? Thx for the Info.