# I Can't receive Signal the Columbia River Gorge



## niknas (Dec 25, 2006)

I am new to Sirius/XM. Was subscriber for whopping one day when I pickup a Skydock for my iPhone at Bestbuy in Portland. I installed and activated XM while in the Bestbuy parking lot. It worked, I really did like what I saw and heard until I drove home to Hood River through the Columbia River Gorge. I kept losing the signal, drop out so often as to be impossible to listen to. The main reason I wanted satellite radio was so I wouldn't have drop outs while traveling. A friend of mine commutes daily through the Gorge daily. He has Sirius and only loses his signal briefly in one long tunnel. 

When I canceled and returned the Skydock I talked to a Bestbuy installer. Young guy just out of the Navy, was a radioman. I told him I wanted to get Sirius because Sirius was a different system than XM and I should be able to receive Sirius traveling though the Gorge just like my friend. He said no more. That all of the new radios were now using the XM chipset and only the older model Sirius radio were still using the old sirius satellites. It was his option that either newer Sirius or XM radios would work in the Gorge.

Fact or fiction?

Nik


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

Satellite transmissions are line of sight. If your antenna is blocked from seeing the satellites, then you may lose the signal. This can be due to trees, building, or even smoke or rain clouds. I have signal dropouts on my Sirius radios when driving under trees or stopping under highway overpasses. It's only a minor annoyance as the signal quickly returns. Also, since the Sirius satellites are not in stationary orbit, but are constantly moving, it can be worse at certain times of the day when my line if sight is at a flatter angle (look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sirius_orbit_Earth.JPG) XM's satellites are stationary so they would not have this problem. Also, Sirius has a new stationary satellite in the sky to help with this anomaly. My guess is that the gorge area where you live is so steep that it blocks the signal when the satellites are at their furthest western point.

Note that in some metro areas, there are terrestrial-based transmitters to supplement the satellite signals and even provide reception in tunnels and in dense metro areas. I've actually been able to get a good Sirius signal on the "wrong" side of my office building due to reflections of the transmissions of nearby buildings.

As for the BB guy, he's mostly incorrect. Basically, there are still two sets of satellites (XM and Sirius) broadcasting to two different incompatible receivers types. If you buy an XM-only receiver, it's the same chipset as it always has been, and the same goes for Sirius. Each will only receive from its "brand" of satellites. However, there are new dual-band radios coming out that can receiver both, but regardless, the Sirius band is still going strong. You very well might have better luck with XM.


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

niknas - have you tried the Washington side on Rt. 14? I'd love to see if WA-14 provided different results than I-84 (I'll bet that it would!)


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## niknas (Dec 25, 2006)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> niknas - have you tried the Washington side on Rt. 14? I'd love to see if WA-14 provided different results than I-84 (I'll bet that it would!)


I would guess the signal would not drop out as often on highway 14 because highway 14 has a clear view to the south, although there are 5 short tunnels you drive though. The downside of highway 14 is a longer drive.

Nik


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## jacksonm30354 (Mar 29, 2007)

I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading the XM satellites would be located at about a 20 degree angle above the horizon while Sirius would be as high as 60


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

jacksonm30354 said:


> I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading the XM satellites would be located at about a 20 degree angle above the horizon while Sirius would be as high as 60


It depends on where you are. The further north you go, the flatter the angle for the XM sats. Since the Sirius sats are constantly moving in path between South America and Michigan, the angle depends on the time of day.


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