The equipment you need depends on how you plan to use it, like at home, in the car, or both places, and it is service specific, i.e., sirius receiver for Sirius radio. I am also looking into getting a Sirius receiver as a gift and was clueless as to what I needed until I found the "siriusbackstage" website (not enough posts to include the link). They have a lot of information regarding equipment needs and many product reviews in their forum. Do a little research on that site and you will be armed with all the info you need, then come back here to see who has the best deal on BF.