# XM reception weak better antenna available?



## krom (May 30, 2015)

Is there a better antenna available?
Have had sirius radio for 10 years now, with several different receiver/antenna combos, and every single one was way, way better than my brand new cruze. It cuts out several times a day, on the same trip my other radios didn't ever cut out. Rode in a buick verano that was just as bad.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

Does it cut out in the same areas? That can be the nature of Satellite reception. If the Buick did the same thing its obviously not the CRUZE.


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## krom (May 30, 2015)

Eddy Cruze said:


> Does it cut out in the same areas? That can be the nature of Satellite reception. If the Buick did the same thing its obviously not the CRUZE.


Both the buick, and the cruze cut out, when none of the sirius brand radios do. The only time my sirius radios ever cut out is under a bridge, or in a tunnel. While the cruze cuts out for no apparent reason, or from trees.

Both are GM cars, built on the same platform, using what appears to be the same antenna


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

krom said:


> Both the buick, and the cruze cut out, when none of the sirius brand radios do.


I wonder if the sirius branded radio has other functions that gives it other ways of picking up a signal. I know in some areas XM has terrestrial transmitters to fill in where the satellite won't work. They're also on the Internet.

With straight satellite radio, I'd think anything between you and that satellite that's parked over the equator - byebye signal.


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## krom (May 30, 2015)

ChevyGuy said:


> I wonder if the sirius branded radio has other functions that gives it other ways of picking up a signal. I know in some areas XM has terrestrial transmitters to fill in where the satellite won't work. They're also on the Internet.
> 
> With straight satellite radio, I'd think anything between you and that satellite that's parked over the equator - byebye signal.


I know they have terrestrial repeaters in big cities, but I'm in the sticks. 
The sirius brand antenna is smaller than 2" dia and 1/2" thick, and has a roughly 20' coax wire that is about the same size as a 24 awg wire.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

krom said:


> I know they have terrestrial repeaters in big cities, but I'm in the sticks.
> The sirius brand antenna is smaller than 2" dia and 1/2" thick, and has a roughly 20' coax wire that is about the same size as a 24 awg wire.


There's the difference. The Cruze and Verano have about a ft antenna.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I have XM and I have not really noticed much of a difference between any of the receivers I have had in the past using an external satellite receiver and an antenna like above, the current set up on the Cruze with the mast antenna or the shark fin that I currently have installed on my 2012 Eco. I am thinking it must be your Satellite reception location. I don't even notice problems in garages/tunnels much.


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## krom (May 30, 2015)

Spoke with the salesman and a few others at the dealership. Guess all GM satellite antennas pretty well suck. 

They where unaware of anyone offering an aftermarket upgrade. Anyone here know of one?


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## Beelzebubba (Apr 3, 2015)

krom said:


> I know they have terrestrial repeaters in big cities, but I'm in the sticks.
> The sirius brand antenna is smaller than 2" dia and 1/2" thick, and has a roughly 20' coax wire that is about the same size as a 24 awg wire.


I had the early Kenwood giant antenna box. Got interrupted anytime I went near an underpass.









When I got my Mazda, they gave me a Sirius Stratus, FM repeater and mount kit to not cancel Sirius. That tiny little disc antenna did not get interrupted by anything.










Got the Cruze with XM. Same as the Kenwood.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Mostly overpass and heavy woods stops my signal for XM. With the shark fin, I didn't really gain or lose reception. I also had the circle antenna for my Subaru and it was horrible. I literally swore off XM until it was standard in my parents Cadillac vehicles. When MyLink and Apple kept having fights, XM was there for me on those 8 hour turnpike rides plus Pandora ate my data up when turnpike driving was like my life.


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## codemonkey812 (Sep 25, 2014)

I have the same issue as the OP. This is my fist GM car since XM was released, and every other car I have had had better reception. It would be nice to have a replacement for the "shark fin" that offered better reception.


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## cruze2011white (Feb 2, 2011)

Codemonkey812, I live in ohio too and I have no issues even driving to a friends in Pittsburg going through the mountains. I wondering if the people having issues if the XM Antenna is not connect correctly or fully connected. I can't believe these antennae are much different than afte market. Now between XM and Sirus its possible issues with one more than other depending on time of year and where the satellites are compared to the earth.


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## pikeintheboat (Jun 8, 2015)

Okay guys, here are some facts on satellite radio. Some of you may already know this but the signal that you are picking up in your car is about 22,000 miles away from the surface of the earth on S-Band frequencies. Someone mentioned repeaters and that helps the big cities out. The satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit around at some elevation above the horizon. Depending on where you are determines the angle of reception. This also holds true to the repeaters. I loose reception when I enter my garage, as most people I think do as well. S-Band is the same frequencies that your iPhone uses to pick up wireless internet (NOT CELL PHONE DATA) which are very directional and prone to interference by anything larger than a tree leaf. Add in 22,000 miles of travel and its a wonder that it works at all. Oh, and rain-drops also will refract signals in the s-band. It's just the natural laws of physics at play here folks.

You could probably hack an antenna if you knew the uplink/downlink channels, but you would have to continually re-aim it to get good reception. Many, many hours of research and engineering went into the "sharkfin" antennas and they are amazing units that do more than just RX XM radio. I think OnStar, cellular, FM, AM, and XM use the Sharkfin. 

Too much work in my opinion, I would just stick with the factory omni-directional antenna that was supplied with the car/receiver.


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## krom (May 30, 2015)

pikeintheboat said:


> Okay guys, here are some facts on satellite radio. Some of you may already know this but the signal that you are picking up in your car is about 22,000 miles away from the surface of the earth on S-Band frequencies. Someone mentioned repeaters and that helps the big cities out. The satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit around at some elevation above the horizon. Depending on where you are determines the angle of reception. This also holds true to the repeaters. I loose reception when I enter my garage, as most people I think do as well. S-Band is the same frequencies that your iPhone uses to pick up wireless internet (NOT CELL PHONE DATA) which are very directional and prone to interference by anything larger than a tree leaf. Add in 22,000 miles of travel and its a wonder that it works at all. Oh, and rain-drops also will refract signals in the s-band. It's just the natural laws of physics at play here folks.
> 
> You could probably hack an antenna if you knew the uplink/downlink channels, but you would have to continually re-aim it to get good reception. Many, many hours of research and engineering went into the "sharkfin" antennas and they are amazing units that do more than just RX XM radio. I think OnStar, cellular, FM, AM, and XM use the Sharkfin.
> 
> Too much work in my opinion, I would just stick with the factory omni-directional antenna that was supplied with the car/receiver.


Thats all well and good, except that I have used sirius for almost 10 years. 

The satellite radio in this vehicle cuts out more in a single day, than any of my prior ones would in a month or more, I never had a single blip or pause during my 30 mile each way commute, no matter the weather, wind, rain, or snow. 
I don't expect it to work when I'm parked under a bridge, but its truly crap that I can't drive 30 miles through the boonies without it screwing up a dozen times.


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## tdr37803 (Dec 7, 2014)

I have been a sirius/xm customer for about 10 years. most of the years where with sirius radios and most recently with XM, including my new Cruze. Sirius and XM still use separate satellites, with differing orbits. My experience has been that you get more drop outs from XM, may be that they are on a lower angle, not sure. but my in my opinion XM has better sound quality. doesn't suffer from digital artifacts as much as sirius. just my 2 cents.


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