Repeated "Acquiring Signal"---not an antenna issue!

[Cocavan]

I have a chronic problem with Sirius signal degradation and unending “acquiring signal” display and it always occurs between 0100 and 0300 AM Eastern time. What’s going on? Are Sirius engineers tweaking the satellite when they think fewer people are listening? Are they trying to update software that will put older, but still working receivers out of business?

When I complained to Sirius, I was offered a brand new radio with all the trimmings for only $10 net cost. This to replace a radio that’s only 6 years old. Since it’s solid state, the presumption is that, unless I put it into a blender, it’ll continue to work just fine.

I don’t trust Sirius. Are they churning the system to make perfectly good receivers obsolete? The fact that the problem occurs only between 0100 and 0300 AM Eastern time convinces me that it’s not my equipment, but Sirius’s equipment or Sirius’s finagling.

I'm in southwest Missouri and have an unobstructed view of the sky. My antenna is linked to a home dock, neither of which moves in the wee small hours of the morning. In other words, my system works fine 23.5 hours a day, but, come 0100 AM Eastern time, I can expect to get a garbled and/or silent signal sometime in the coming 120 minutes, which garbled and/or silent signal rarely lasts more than 30 minutes.

My place isn't haunted. I'm not plagued by neighbors' kids playing pranks or wild animals exploring, particularly given the time of day. Does Sirius lend its satellite to NSA to do God knows what for half an hour every morning? The only variable I can honestly say does occur is the temperature. Is it possible that, when the temperature dips to its lowest of lows in the wee small hours, it affects my antenna's reception? I'm not talking Kelvin's absolute zero, but it does get cold!

[SiriusBuzz]

The problem is, satellites move. Its likely that at that time of day the satellites aren't directly lined up with your antenna.

Check this out; http://www.tiger-usa.com/satellite_animation.htm

This page will show you the best possible direction to point your antenna; http://shop.siriusxm.com/edealinv/se...ParentID=58940

Hope this helps!

[LF from MC]

North!! Northwest!!??

Wow!! how things change the past 4 or 5 years. I bought my radio in 2008, and I bought the table top sound system (Speakers) to go with it, and the instructions said to face the antenna South Southwest, Well I haven't had a problem in, well maybe a couple, in over 4 years, and the past year or so, the signal would go out a couple times a week, I was so tired moving the antenna, just to put it back in the same place, I was ready to give up, and get a new radio, until I saw Cocavan's post, and your links Charles, thank you both.

I changed the antenna to NorthWest, and couldn't believe my ears, it's working. Hopefully that will be the end of my having to change the antenna all around.

Thanks again,

Lorraine

[SiriusBuzz]

Glad I could help

[LF from MC]

Just in-case someone is looking in, my radio hasn't had a hiccup in 3 days now, I'm a happy camper.

Now I wonder what happened, that I had to changed the antenna to the North?

[SiriusBuzz]

Now I wonder what happened, that I had to changed the antenna to the North?

They launched new satellites!

[LF from MC]

They launched new satellites!

Ok that makes sense, thanks.

[FinnMaCoul]

That's fair enough for a home "clamshell" style antenna but I have had an increasing problem with my magnetic "button" style car antenna the last few months. It has been constantly cutting out to "acquiring signal" which NEVER happened except for 2 or 3 specific spots in the course of my travels and I have had Sirius for going on 8 years now. I replaced the antenna with a brand new one and same thing. I replaced the vehicle dock. No difference. I have been reduced to using the clamshell antenna from my home system and just move it around constantly to try to catch the North/Northwest signal. This was never an issue before the last few months. I have no problem upgrading from my original "Sportster" to a new receiver, as referenced by the OP. But is that even the issue?

[RetiredBrian]

I have the same problem as described above (except it happens anytime) with my 30 month old home system. When I contacted Sirius, they admitted that its antennas do "wear out" after a couple of years and need to be replaced. Seems to us they should offer these replacements free of charge to continuing subscribers, but they disagree.

[Fairwind]

On some radio models, the Sportsters in particular, the "Acquiring Satellite" message is the kiss of death for the radio..Too bad, because many of these radios (Sportsters) seemed to have lifetime subscriptions, once activated they played forever...

Sirius is very unsympathetic towards customers with defective, unsubscribed, radios..

Another unrelated problem, Sirius could be having technical problems with it's satellites..I think they are using the old Iridium cell phone satellites which are probably nearing the end of their useful life..So problems are to be expected..In metropolitan areas I think they use local land-based transmitters to broadcast their signal instead of depending on the satellites....