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Sirius Signal Drop Out

Agreed - I've got Sirius in my BMW and now in our Explorer and both tend to drop signal going under an overpass. I will say though that Sirius seems to suffer from this more than XM. Our previous cars had XM in them and they seemed to maintain coverage better.

I believe XM used a different transmission technology.
 



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Our 2010 BMW does not drop out at all when passing under the bridge in my community. The '11 Explorer drops every single time. To me, that means there is a problem with the implementation of satellite radio in the Ford. I can't say if it is a Ford or Sirius problem, but it is a problem. Not a big problem, but definitely something I notice daily.
 






Our 2010 BMW does not drop out at all when passing under the bridge in my community. The '11 Explorer drops every single time. To me, that means there is a problem with the implementation of satellite radio in the Ford. I can't say if it is a Ford or Sirius problem, but it is a problem. Not a big problem, but definitely something I notice daily.

Escalate to Cory. It would be nice to have Ford address this issue.
 






Our 2010 BMW does not drop out at all when passing under the bridge in my community. The '11 Explorer drops every single time. To me, that means there is a problem with the implementation of satellite radio in the Ford. I can't say if it is a Ford or Sirius problem, but it is a problem. Not a big problem, but definitely something I notice daily.

As both a BMW and Explorer owner I'd attribute this to Sirius and not Ford. There are places where our Explorer will lose signal while the BMW doesn't, but then again there are plenty of places where the BMW loses signal where the Explorer doesn't. We listen to satellite radio almost exclusively, and I can't say that either of my cars is stronger than the other.
 






Escalate to Cory. It would be nice to have Ford address this issue.

:)
I have enough escalations to Cory. This one doesn't even register on the "need to complain" list.
 






Our 2010 BMW does not drop out at all when passing under the bridge in my community. The '11 Explorer drops every single time. To me, that means there is a problem with the implementation of satellite radio in the Ford. I can't say if it is a Ford or Sirius problem, but it is a problem. Not a big problem, but definitely something I notice daily.

I had Sirius in my Mazda, and the reception was the same as it is in the Explorer. My parents have an Infiniti FX and had the same issue. My wife has an Acura RDX, and when it had XM, it virtually never dropped the signal.
 






:)
I have enough escalations to Cory. This one doesn't even register on the "need to complain" list.


I thought Cory got paid by the escalation, and that was why he loved us so much ;)
 












my F150 has after market Sirus install for 5 years, its never drops out going under bridges.
 






I've had Sirius for 8-9 years now. I lose reception under most bridges. Buy an Ipod :p: .

LMAO, well said. I've had XM equally long and agree with you 100%.

I live just east of the Canadian Rockies. They've been known to block signals when the south sky isn't visible too. It's just one of those things and has never bothered me. The pros of Satellite radio far outweigh the cons for my wife and I (we both have it).
 






Every rental vehicle I've had through work, (at least 15 different ones) ALL drop sat radio under a bridge or in a parking structure. <sigh>
 






Hi Everyone!

Here is a tidbit from the owners manual:

Satellite radio reception factors
• Antenna obstructions: For optimal reception performance, keep the
antenna clear of snow and ice build-up and keep luggage and other
material as far away from the antenna as possible.
• Terrain: Hills, mountains, tall buildings, bridges, tunnels, freeway
overpasses, parking garages, dense tree foliage and thunderstorms can
interfere with your reception.
• Station overload: When you pass a ground based broadcast repeating
tower, a stronger signal may overtake a weaker one and result in an
audio mute.

This can be found on page 56.

I hope this helps!

Rebecca
 






:)
I have enough escalations to Cory. This one doesn't even register on the "need to complain" list.
RandyH2, let me know if you change your mind, or if you’d like help with anything else. :)

I thought Cory got paid by the escalation, and that was why he loved us so much ;)
Thanks for the recommendation, calb. BTW, I don’t think I’d like to only get paid by the escalation! :D

Cory
 






Happens to me all the time. I know SAT is very different from AM/FM but it could affect whether or not ppl sign up with them for an extended period of time.
 






I have the same problem with my Ex. Lmt. The dropped signal happens significantly more than in other vehicles. I have XM/Sirius in my 2006 Accord, 2008 Pilot and I had a portable unit in my 2002 Mountaineer. This radio drops the signal in many places that my Hondas don't. I rarely have a dropped signal in my Hondas but frequently in my Ex. The antenna must be weaker or the radio doesn't buffer enough to get through the dead spots. I can't listen to Sirius in my garage with the Ex. but I can with the other radios even the old portable unit.
I agree ..... My 2010 Mustang doesn't drop out like the Ex does. :mad:
 






Satellite radio reception

My Explorer is the first vehicle I've had with Satellite radio. So I have no other experience except what I've observed in my Explorer. The issue is that I get long blackouts of service in areas where I do not expect this to happen and want to know if it is Sirius at fault or the Explorer.

For example, I live in Metro Atlanta and freqently travel the "Top End" of the Perimeter (I-285) between I-75 and I-85. There are about 10 miles in there between Chamblee and Smyrna where the radio loses signal. What's most strange is that this strecth is open interstate free of tree cover and high rise buildings, so I do not expect the signal to be blocked by anything. Friends (who do not drive exporers) say that their satellite radio works on this stretch, so the question is; are there any other explrorer owners who can confirm the explorer's radio shortcomings, and how do I prove this is not Sirius's fault?
 






I'm in Atlanta as well and only ever have any Sirius interruptions in areas where you might expect it. I'm pretty sure I've driven that stretch of I-285 once or twice over the past few months and don't recall any issues. Sorry I can't offer you any info that might be more helpful.
 






I actually have moments of signal loss in that area both with my EX and in my truck with a Pioneer XM system and with my old Mazda3 with Sirius. Not total loss, but jst moments where the signal dies and picks back up. Also in a few areas in SE Cherokee County where the trees are heavy (not in winter with no trees)
 



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I would tend to agree with you that there is some Explorer (Ford) issues at play here. I know my wife's 13 Acadia has Sirius/XM and she has full coverage in areas I have no signal.

Not sure if its software or hardware, but there is a difference.

Im still shocked that the audio quality is better streaming from your smartphone then it is coming from the vehicle XM/Sirius receiver.
 






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