Under what conditions, if any, do you lose your XM signal? For the last couple of weeks, I have been been losing the signal while driving a specific section of tree lined and covered country road. I have also experienced a loss of signal if I turn the ignition off but with the car still on. The display will show no signal and if I change the channel either up or down the signal is restored. Is it just me or has anyone else experienced this?

 

I have experienced the same thing on country roads, hilly tree lined areas and places where there are a lot of high buildings. I have not experienced the lack of signal while the car is on though.

 

A tree line with lots of leaves (water blocks microwaves....) to your south will cause a loss of signal every time, especially if you're in the north part of the US.

Not much to do about it, it's just the nature of satellite.

 

Same here. Oddly enough, I had an after market Sirius setup in my old TL. I didn't want the antenna on the trunk or roof, so they installed it on the rear parcel shelf. Next to one of the speakers. I hardly ever had the signal cut out. Even on the same tree lined streets where XM now cuts out.

Odd.

 

In Atlanta there is a slice of the city with highrises (around Bank of America tower) where XM and Sirius both cut out.

 

Let me clarify, this happens when I turn off the ignition (like when I am filling up with gas) and the accessories remain on, the signal will cut out and return only if I wait a long time or change the channel up or down. Odd

 

I don't know if my car is doing that or not...but I suspect that what you observe is merely because the satellite signal is not strong enough for the radio to function normally. The radio has to do a certain amount of downloading to play.

The very fact that you put your hand on the radio or get back into the car may affect the signal strength. One of the installers of my DirectTV dish (the one I didn't run off) told me that the signal to the dish is affected by nearby objects, such as trees, and that the dish actually picks up some reflected signal from these nearby objects.

I'll confirm what the others have said about objects blocking the signal..out here in the boonies, my XM signal will occasionally cut out when I park under a metal roof at fillups. Also, the signal will cut out when going by trees or buildings immediately to the South. This is predictable when in those locations and happens every time. The antenna needs a clear view of the signal source, whether it is directly from the satellite or being rebroadcast from a secondary source.

 

Thanks bluemule. At least now I know it's not just me.