LSUMatt1514

I bought a Kenwood Sirius tuner and Terk antenna a few weeks ago and put it in my 4Runner. Since activating it, I've noticed that it cuts in and out way more than my girlfriend's XM setup (she's got the XM commander). I don't get it. I thought Sirius had three satellites to XMs two, and that was one of their main selling points. I've got the antenna mounted on the roof in front of the sunroof wind deflector. It's not being blocked by anything. The main problem is underneath bridges, overhangs, etc but sometimes it will cut out just driving down the road. I got stopped underneath an overpass the other day waiting to get on the interstate, and it totally cut out and started "Linking". Anyone else have this problem with Sirius, or is it just another problem I've gotten myself into?

Matt

kford

same with satellite TV (i'm not a fan of either) sometimes when it rains or when it's windy the signal can come in distorted.

User 051420

Do you have an antenna that sticks up? If so, make sure it's as vertical as possible. And if not, try pulling your antenna away from the deflector a bit, it might be blocking a little bit of needed signal.

I have XM and I have a stupid terk antenna that sticks up, and I rarely lose signal. Only when I'm surrounded by trees or buildings.

ldivinag

it's the angle of the birds in the sky relative to your position.

yes, sirius has 3 birds, but they fly a snowman or figure 8 pattern over north, central and south america.

meanwhile, XM birds: ROCK and ROLL maintain a geo sync orbit so they are over continental US at all times.

Mossback74

Am I the only one mezmorized by that thing?

LSUMatt1514

That graphic is awesome!!

Matt

Tacoma Dude

I just got back from a 16 hour work day and I think I zoned out staring at the orbit of the sun and the figure 8 for a full minute...

SLC Punk

You are not the only one having this problem
click here

SLC Punk

oops my I initally thought you were having problems only yesterday..

Make sure that everything is connected securly. Make sure that the antenna cable is not being pinched (this happened on my first install attempt, and ruined an antenna).

Try posting on the forum I linked you to above, and see if anyone else in AL is having the same problem.

CRogge

From what I know, you are supposed to have the antenna mounted in an area on the roof where there is a 12" radius of sheet metal around the antenna. If it is mounted in front of the sunroof, this may be your problem. I work in car audio at Best Buy and this is what many of the sat. radio install manuals say. -Chris

keisur

I've never had that problem but maybe it's because I have the Kenwood branded antenna, I'm a complete anus so I wanted everything to be the same brand. but also southeast Texas is flat so there's no mountains to obstruct when the birds are at their apex to the north.

I mounted mine as far back as I could right before the roof lips down into the groove where the tailgate is mounted. so if you are directly behind the 4runner, you can't see it because the wind deflector is in the way.

LSUMatt1514

SLC Punk,
My antenna is in the same spot that yours is in. Only difference is that I've got the sunroof wind deflector kind of against the back end of mine. I'm gonna call Sirius and see what they say about it. It's starting to get really aggravating.

Matt

ldivinag

try mounting the antenna right in the center of the roof.

also, you may have a bad antenna.

keisur

that's what I was trying to say. mine is right up against the rear wind deflector and behind the roof rack and I don't get any interference. but mine is the KEnwood. I don't know though, it may be the exact same as the Terk but kenwood just tossed their nombre on it.

ldivinag

on my audiovox plug and play unit, there's a signal strenght meter...

may wanna see if yours has one...

ldivinag

since SLC PUNK pointed out www.siriusbackstage.com, check out the project i'm helping out over there.

it's the sirius song explorer. some dude hacked a kenwood home unit and got it log each song played per stream.

i'm writing some search algorithm:

http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...pic.php?t=7259

LSUMatt1514

I don't have a signal strength meter since it is connected to my Kenwood head unit. I'll take some pics this weekend and post them so you can see the way it's mounted. I don't see anything wrong with it.

Matt

keisur

mine ain't got a meter either. I got the kenwood deck too.

Eric

that could be what best buy is telling you just to avoid a lawsuit or loss dollars in fixing problems.

might it help - sure

is it neccessary - not really

I've installed maybe 50 xm and sirrus tunners while working in a high end shop. There aren't very many places too stick the antenna on a boxster or C5 vette (it's all plastic anyways so no bodywork to help reception)

about 1/2 the installs I did were on the dash or rear package tray since most people don't whant a big ugly antenna on their roof (they are better now)

Dublin

Didn't even think anyone had probs with there sat signal. I've had my Kenwood Sirius radio/mp3 player for a little over a year and no problems. Have you gone over the connections? My setup is the Kenwood KDC-MPV7019 receiver with a TERK SR20S antenna. I have the antenna mounted just behind the visor and 8 inches before the sun roof. The Sirius receiver is mounted behind and to the left of the glove compartment. When I first got the unit I called Sirius to connect on my cell while inside the car wash and the unit connected before I left. Never had any underpass, building proximaty, random signal loss, or even bad reception. Maybe I'm just lucky, the only thing I don't like is my particular unit requires you push the search button each new time the unit is turned on to display the station.