# SIRIUS static with strong signal.



## mike62

I live in an area outside the Nashville, TN area and do not have any problem with reception for the most part. However, when I get close to the downtown area (5 miles away though) my reception really declines, lots of static. My signal strength is full strength too. I have attempted to locate another FM station but the ONLY one I can receive on is 88.1 period!

I should have superior reception as I have my antenna mounted outside my CR-V on top of the vehicle.

Signal is good and only one FM station to use is the bottom line this is as good as it gets?

Thanks.


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## deraz

mike62 said:


> I live in an area outside the Nashville, TN area and do not have any problem with reception for the most part. However, when I get close to the downtown area (5 miles away though) my reception really declines, lots of static. My signal strength is full strength too. I have attempted to locate another FM station but the ONLY one I can receive on is 88.1 period!
> 
> I should have superior reception as I have my antenna mounted outside my CR-V on top of the vehicle.
> 
> Signal is good and only one FM station to use is the bottom line this is as good as it gets?
> 
> Thanks.


Mike,

The first thing to try is to turn the volume all the way up on your Sirius receiver. If you haven't already this should greatly improve your reception.

The only other alternatives are to hard wire it into your stereo or antenna or to keep trying different FM stations.

I hope this helps.


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## mike62

deraz said:


> Mike,
> 
> The first thing to try is to turn the volume all the way up on your Sirius receiver. If you haven't already this should greatly improve your reception.
> 
> The only other alternatives are to hard wire it into your stereo or antenna or to keep trying different FM stations.
> 
> I hope this helps.


Yes, I have the volume maxed out on the unit. I have a new vehicle and really did not want the dash taken apart till the new wears off anyway, lol. As far as the FM there is no alternative now. I don't know if that might change later or not. What is funny is there are frequencies in that range that have no station yet this 88.1 does pick up some station pretty well.

Thanks for the suggestions though.


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## deraz

Another suggestion is to check with Honda. I work for a Chrysler dealership. Chrysler has just introduced an iPod adapter for Chrysler vehicles. It has both a iPod connection and a connection that will work with other MP3 players or Sirius and XM units. I do not know if Honda offers one, but it might be worth checking.


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## mike62

deraz said:


> Another suggestion is to check with Honda. I work for a Chrysler dealership. Chrysler has just introduced an iPod adapter for Chrysler vehicles. It has both a iPod connection and a connection that will work with other MP3 players or Sirius and XM units. I do not know if Honda offers one, but it might be worth checking.


I will do that its worth a shot. Actually it is an XM ready 6 disc JBL radio in it but either Honda or JBL has not allowed a generic receiver that is necessary and the OEM is $400.00 verses $99.00 for like a TERK that will accomodate several radios. With that said I went the SIRIUS route due to football mostly. Since I was going to be buying an aftermarket it did not matter XM or SIRIUS really. Good thing was the mfg. placement for the antenna already cut and capped ready for an antenna.


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## harsh

mike62 said:


> However, when I get close to the downtown area (5 miles away though) my reception really declines, lots of static. My signal strength is full strength too. I have attempted to locate another FM station but the ONLY one I can receive on is 88.1 period!


What do you get over the car stereo when you turn off the Sirius radio (while the car stereo remains tuned to 88.1)?

Do you understand how to adjust the frequency that the Sirius unit broadcasts on? The default is 88.1 and you MUST set both the Sirius receiver and your car stereo to the same frequency. Using your car stereo, find a quiet spot between 88 and 95 and then change the broadcast frequency ("FM Transmitter Settings" of the Sirius radio) to match. I have noticed some difficulty with this setting surviving when the receiver is disconnected from power.

Another thing that I notice about static is that it can be a result of my Sirius Sportster getting overheated.


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## harsh

mike62 said:


> Since I was going to be buying an aftermarket it did not matter XM or SIRIUS really. Good thing was the mfg. placement for the antenna already cut and capped ready for an antenna.


There is a device due out soon that will allow XM receivers to tune Sirius channels. I'm not sure how it works, but they talk about it on Howard Stern once in a while.


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## mike62

harsh said:


> What do you get over the car stereo when you turn off the Sirius radio (while the car stereo remains tuned to 88.1)?
> 
> Do you understand how to adjust the frequency that the Sirius unit broadcasts on? The default is 88.1 and you MUST set both the Sirius receiver and your car stereo to the same frequency. Using your car stereo, find a quiet spot between 88 and 95 and then change the broadcast frequency ("FM Transmitter Settings" of the Sirius radio) to match. I have noticed some difficulty with this setting surviving when the receiver is disconnected from power.
> 
> Another thing that I notice about static is that it can be a result of my Sirius Sportster getting overheated.


At the risk of sounding stupid.........no I did not do that. When they said "plug and play" that is what I did, lol. Thank goodness for fine forum posters like all you guys that help the instruction challenged. The first time I used it the default was good but then again that was in a more remote area which is why the dafault is not as good when I near the city.

Thanks for the help.


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## ronfelder

deraz said:


> Mike,
> 
> The first thing to try is to turn the volume all the way up on your Sirius receiver. If you haven't already this should greatly improve your reception.
> 
> The only other alternatives are to hard wire it into your stereo or antenna or to keep trying different FM stations.
> 
> I hope this helps.


volume control is only functional when you use the audio out, not when you use the fm modulator.

Ron


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## ronfelder

harsh said:


> What do you get over the car stereo when you turn off the Sirius radio (while the car stereo remains tuned to 88.1)?
> 
> Do you understand how to adjust the frequency that the Sirius unit broadcasts on? The default is 88.1 and you MUST set both the Sirius receiver and your car stereo to the same frequency. Using your car stereo, find a quiet spot between 88 and 95 and then change the broadcast frequency ("FM Transmitter Settings" of the Sirius radio) to match. I have noticed some difficulty with this setting surviving when the receiver is disconnected from power.
> 
> Another thing that I notice about static is that it can be a result of my Sirius Sportster getting overheated.


you can use any freguency to transmit on between 88.1 and 107.9, You're not restricted to only 88-95. if you're in a downtown area you could be close to a transmitter of a real fm station causing overload of the front end of the fm receiver. I know i'm fine at 91.9 except when i'm in downtown philly where a station at 91.7 interferes. once i'm through the downtown area the interference dissappears. In a big mtro area it's very difficult to find a totally dead channel to set your sirius or xm receiver to.

I've never had your problem of holding the frequency you choose. Mine holds it forever. The only way to loose it that i know of is to select the factory default settings. when you do that it goes back to 94.1 and you'll loose all your presets. i learned that the hard way and had to reprogram all the presets.

Ron


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## Steve Mehs

> should have superior reception as I have my antenna mounted outside my CR-V on top of the vehicle.


The placement of the Sirius antenna is irrelevant, the antenna does not broadcast to the FM freq, the receiver does. The signal strength meter is for satellite/repeater strength not clarity on FM transmission. Satellite Radio is digital, you either get it or you don't, what you have is interference from another FM station, which has nothing to do with the actual service itself.

I just removed my antenna from my Mountaineer. Not sure about other vehicles but on Ford trucks and SUVs, the antennas just screw on and off.


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## harsh

ronfelder said:


> You're not restricted to only 88-95.


My Sportster is restricted to 88.1-94.9 inclusive; when you go past 94.9, it starts over at 88.1.


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## lacruz

I had the same problem: Getting static while listening to Sirius through the FM frequency. 

One day, I was tinkering around with the cord the plugs into the cigarette lighter and suddenly the static went away! The cord was making contact with a metal plate on the floorboard of my car, below the Sirius unit. This was apparently causing interference and the resulting static. I relocated the power cord so it was not touching any metal objects and I have not had a problem with static since.

For what it's worth, you might want to check this out.


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## skid

well the one thing that i have found out if you are just getting sirius the fcc made them cut there frequency strength in half which means alot of static and constant channel changing in some parts of the US. i had a receiver that was great set it to one channel where ever i go and had strong signal and never any static. radio broke so i called and they sent a replacement . all down hill from there , static all the time and seems that what ever station i set it to within a matter of 10 to 15 min it pull a regular station through.people who have them come with new vehicles are going to have to get in the dash it looks like . i am trying to figure out inside the radios how to increase the freq. power...


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## hjsiemer

The first radio that I got from Sirius was in December 2005. It was an XACT model. It transmitted on a frequency that was below 88.1 and was at full power. It stopped working (because of overheating through the windshield), so Sirius sent me a Sportster in July 2006. 

The FM transmitter on the Sportster would not transmit below 88.1 and had about half the power of the one in the XACT radio-reception was terrible. I went on Ebay and specifically looked for any Sirius radio that would transmit below 88.1 (I had to ask the sellers about this). 

I found another XACT radio for $15.00. I bought it and it works great-I installed this one on the console so that it would not again overheat. 

I auctioned off the Sportster with the disclaimer that the user would have to use a cassette adapter or a direct hookup to the FM car radio.

Hope this helps


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## Rugged

if you are looking for a clear channel don't forget that Sirius has the frequency finder on their website.

http://fmchannel.sirius.com/default.aspx


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## hjsiemer

I got the "whole house" fm transmitter from TSS radio and it works great. It claims a distance of 15 yards (450 feet) and it lives up to its promotion. I have it in the basement of my home with the external antenna extended and the power dialed all the way up to 200mw. I have a shed that is about 350 feet behind my home (I know because I dug the trench for the electric hookup ) and can receive the signal there. 

The device can be used with an AC adapter, or in a car with the cigarette lighter adapter and if there is no other power source, it can be used with 3 AA batteries. The AC adapter and cigarette lighter adapter are included.

It will also broadcast from a MP3 player, computer or television, so if you have satellite tv and want to broadcast the music channels elsewhere in or out of the house, it works great

The power is adjustable, so you don't interfere with your neighbors and will broadcast on any FM frequency from 88.0 to 108.0. TSS suggests that you broadcast on as low a frequency as possible for the best possible range.

This is the best $89 I ever spent and NO I do not work for the company. 


hjsiemer 
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