I am fairly happy with the XM service, however, I live in Seattle and I think I am at the edge of their service range (they don't have it 120 miles north in Canada). I lose the signal everytime I go close to a mountain. It is rather frustrating since there are lots of mountains and hills here! It goes in and out all through going over the passes (Snoqulamie) over Tiger Mountain, and every hill I drive next too...rather frustrating

 

Time to move

 

now your talkin'! Actually I am, but even to a more remote area!

 

That's happening becasue XM's birds are really low on the horrizon for you. Plus their birds are in Geostationary orbit. Sirius's birds are in Geosyncronus orbit (a moving figure 8 pattern) and they are not so low like XM's.

KHill

 

Wow that sucks, never even thought about this, being in the mid-west, its flat and I guess well within range. I don't covet XM enough to put up with the crap you described. Look at it this way, your going to save 12 bucks a month or whatever. Buy a new CD every month.

 

Good point, but I travel so much (35,000+/year) in my TL that the comedy channel alone almost makes it worth it!

 

Normally XM range is no problem (I live in Florida). But when I close my garage door, it's only about 2 feet

 

ya gotta upgrade to sirius! its alot nicer than XM. i get it every where even in the garage

 

Actually, it is NOT really a "range" issue. The satellites orbit somewhere over the equator or tropics line (cannot for the life of me think what the proper term is). Anyway, reception problems usually have to do with the presence/absence of a clear line to the satellite. The further north you go, the sharper the angle to the satellite, so the more likely that terrain or buildings can block it. By the way, this mostly works in terms of a southern exposure. So, in Washington state, you are more likely to be blocked by mountains/hills/buildings than in New Mexico. Here in Ohio, there is one very small stretch of my daily commute, where I literally am under a huge building blocking the southern exposure and I lose my signal. Yet, being across the street, 20 feet away or so, on my return commute, causes no problems. I am thinking that this information is detailed in your owner's manual, too....

funny problem isn't it...

 

Hope it work through out Florida. If not, I guess I'll find out in the first 3 months, hopefully.

 

I make frequent trips from Chicago to Toronto.. Do any of our friends up north get XM up in the Toronto area???

 

if you have Nav, check the grey/red arrow and see which way is direct south, if south points directly at a mountain, then that's your issue, it's just blocked. But again, you are at far reaches. I pass under some bridges and some hills in atlanta and I've looked and the object is always at dead south on the nav compass.

 

 

Hate to break it to you but the satellite signal goes to corresponding sites on the ground that recieves and transmits the signal.then its go to the vehicle.3 years ago i installed the equipement all over Puget Sound(on towers,building etc.)