Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna stopped working.....

[almo]

Yep. And the whole system cost 50 bucks, but just to buy a replacement
antenna costs 50 bucks. Really!!! One store could order an antenna,
for 50 bucks. On the internet, a couple weeks ago, I found that Best
Buy had the antenna for 50 bucks. But they also had the complete
system for.....50 bucks. I called to make sure the system for 50 bucks
included the antenna, and it did. So I bought it and put that system
in my car to replace the other system, which was identical.

Anyway, I know the radio part works fine, but I don't know anything
about satellite antennas, at least an antenna such as this. However,
if I can fix that antenna, I can hook it to my home stereo. So, before
doing destructive testing, does anyone know how to fix a Sirius
satellite antenna? It must be the cable part, but don't know how to
test it. And I checked to make sure it was the antenna, not the radio
receiver. Anyway, any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Jim Thompson]

Yep. And the whole system cost 50 bucks, but just to buy a replacement
antenna costs 50 bucks. Really!!! One store could order an antenna,
for 50 bucks. On the internet, a couple weeks ago, I found that Best
Buy had the antenna for 50 bucks. But they also had the complete
system for.....50 bucks. I called to make sure the system for 50 bucks
included the antenna, and it did. So I bought it and put that system
in my car to replace the other system, which was identical.

Anyway, I know the radio part works fine, but I don't know anything
about satellite antennas, at least an antenna such as this. However,
if I can fix that antenna, I can hook it to my home stereo. So, before
doing destructive testing, does anyone know how to fix a Sirius
satellite antenna? It must be the cable part, but don't know how to
test it. And I checked to make sure it was the antenna, not the radio
receiver. Anyway, any suggestions?

Thanks

The original equipment didn't have a guarantee?

BTW, You need a subscription for each radio ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Rich Grise]

Yep. And the whole system cost 50 bucks, but just to buy a replacement
antenna costs 50 bucks. Really!!! One store could order an antenna,
for 50 bucks. On the internet, a couple weeks ago, I found that Best
Buy had the antenna for 50 bucks. But they also had the complete
system for.....50 bucks. I called to make sure the system for 50 bucks
included the antenna, and it did. So I bought it and put that system
in my car to replace the other system, which was identical.

Anyway, I know the radio part works fine, but I don't know anything
about satellite antennas, at least an antenna such as this. However,
if I can fix that antenna, I can hook it to my home stereo. So, before
doing destructive testing, does anyone know how to fix a Sirius
satellite antenna? It must be the cable part, but don't know how to
test it. And I checked to make sure it was the antenna, not the radio
receiver. Anyway, any suggestions?

You've replaced the whole system, and it still doesn't work? Or are you
just trying to avoid replacing the whole system?

What kind of antenna is it? There aren't many things that can go wrong
with an antenna - maybe it's the preamp or detector or something.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Adam Stouffer]

Yep. And the whole system cost 50 bucks, but just to buy a replacement
antenna costs 50 bucks. Really!!! One store could order an antenna,
for 50 bucks. On the internet, a couple weeks ago, I found that Best
Buy had the antenna for 50 bucks. But they also had the complete
system for.....50 bucks. I called to make sure the system for 50 bucks
included the antenna, and it did. So I bought it and put that system
in my car to replace the other system, which was identical.

Ever hear of ebay? The cable on my first gen Sirius receiver is standard
RG-174 coax. Aren't the losses with RG-174 pretty bad in the GHz range?


Adam

 

[Donald]

You've replaced the whole system, and it still doesn't work? Or are you
just trying to avoid replacing the whole system?

Yes, Rich, He bought a second system and the first system still doesn't
work.

Funny how that works.

 

[almo]

The original equipment didn't have a guarantee?

BTW, You need a subscription for each radio ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Jim - Yes it came with a guarantee, and I'm sure I put it with all the
other guarantees for coffee makers, everything else, etc. Finding one
of those guarantees? Worth 50 bucks? It's easier to buy a new one.
However, they did not make me purchase a new subscription, I wouldn't
have anyway, and they (Sirius) gave me one month free service, since I
couldn't use the radio over that time, and because they are not yet as
big as Microsoft and can't afford to be bossy. Although I am buying
their stock every chance I get. It's been going down since I started
buying it, but that just makes it a better deal. It's like buying
stock in Ted Turner and cable TV 30 years ago. The whole time my
satellite radio was dead, I never even bothered to once turn on the
regular radio and have people barking commercials at me for the same
thing every 15 minutes.

Alan

 

[Tam/WB2TT]

Ever hear of ebay? The cable on my first gen Sirius receiver is standard
RG-174 coax. Aren't the losses with RG-174 pretty bad in the GHz range?


Adam

I haven't seen a recent one, but they used to have a ~20 db amplifier in the
base of the antenna. Easy way to find out is to see if there is DC on the
coax. Something like 3 Volts. The price of the receiver is subsidized. The
price of replacement parts is not.

Tam

 

[almo]

I haven't seen a recent one, but they used to have a ~20 db amplifier in the
base of the antenna. Easy way to find out is to see if there is DC on the
coax. Something like 3 Volts. The price of the receiver is subsidized. The
price of replacement parts is not.

Tam

I can't believe it. I just found the warranty!!!! That's never
happened before.

 

[[email protected]]

big as Microsoft and can't afford to be bossy. Although I am buying
their stock every chance I get. It's been going down since I started
buying it, but that just makes it a better deal. It's like buying
stock in Ted Turner and cable TV 30 years ago. The whole time my

Amazing how some people think that what everybody in America needs is
yet ANOTHER monthly bill. Ten years from now, satellite radio basic
service will have just as many commercials as basic cable. Ad-free
channels will be $50 per month.

I only listen to my iPod. I control the programming entirely, no
commercials, and I have material I actually want to listen to - radio
plays from the '50s and '60s, audiobooks, music from computer games,
and a small amount of "mainstream" music. And no ongoing service
charges. I would MUCH rather pay $400 or even $1000 once than $50 once
plus $10 a month.

In a major victory for common sense, I persuaded my wife to disconnect
our satellite TV service last month, so there is no more of that
irritation being piped in at my expense. I don't think I've turned on a
TV set in more than a year. I watch DVDs and various downloaded
programming (mostly movies from the 1930s and 40s; Will Hay, for
example) on a spare computer. Again - no commercials, and I have 100%
control. I'd only subscribe to a cable service if:

a) it had no restriction on my ability to record programming,
b) it had no commercials, and
c) it was an on-demand system where I could request whatever I want out
of a library.

Oh, and

d) it had the material I want to watch

 

[John Woodgate]

I don't think I've turned on a TV set in more than a year.

How do you get news?

 

[[email protected]]

How do you get news?

cnn.com, mostly; I visit it a few times a day - not that much of the
news is relevant to me. With Firefox, I can make CNN and the other few
sites I visit regularly entirely advertising-free. Online news sites
are unreadable without ad-blocking software - too much distraction.

It doesn't really matter which of the mainstream sites you go to for
news, because it all comes out of a few franchised sources anyway and
goes through the same censors.

I'm sure there's a wealth of valuable products I'm missing out on by
keeping myself away from advertising - but that's just too bad. All my
spare money goes into my truck restoration and electronics projects,
anyway - I have no discretionary income

 

[Keith]

Amazing how some people think that what everybody in America needs is
yet ANOTHER monthly bill. Ten years from now, satellite radio basic
service will have just as many commercials as basic cable. Ad-free
channels will be $50 per month.

Perhaps, but I've had XM Radio for about 18 months and love it.
It's great for cross-country trips (just did 3Kmi last month); no
searching for stations every ten minutes. No commercials either,
not even on some programs that have commercials on normal OTA
stations. It's well worth the $13/mo.

I only listen to my iPod. I control the programming entirely, no
commercials, and I have material I actually want to listen to - radio
plays from the '50s and '60s, audiobooks, music from computer games,
and a small amount of "mainstream" music. And no ongoing service
charges. I would MUCH rather pay $400 or even $1000 once than $50 once
plus $10 a month.

So? Be happy. I don't want to bother loading up an iPOD, though I
have a bunch of cheap MP3 players I use for talks shows I get off
the Internet (one I subscribe to). I like to listen to TR when I'm
working around the house.

In a major victory for common sense, I persuaded my wife to disconnect
our satellite TV service last month, so there is no more of that
irritation being piped in at my expense. I don't think I've turned on a
TV set in more than a year. I watch DVDs and various downloaded
programming (mostly movies from the 1930s and 40s; Will Hay, for
example) on a spare computer. Again - no commercials, and I have 100%
control. I'd only subscribe to a cable service if:

a) it had no restriction on my ability to record programming,

Mine doesn't. I even have their DVR. I then take the stuff I want
to keep and move it to mine and burn DVDs.

b) it had no commercials, and

Premium channels don't.

c) it was an on-demand system where I could request whatever I want out
of a library.

That's available here. I've never used it because it's just as
easy to set the DVR up.

Oh, and

d) it had the material I want to watch

It does, usually.

e) Doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Our cable does, unfortunately. ...make that two legs.

 

[[email protected]]

Perhaps, but I've had XM Radio for about 18 months and love it.
It's great for cross-country trips (just did 3Kmi last month); no
searching for stations every ten minutes. No commercials either,

If it came free in my car, and the programming was all free, and
commercial-free, I might _very rarely_ turn it on if I got bored with
my iPod playlists. Doubt it though.

My issue is control over what I want to hear. When I start my car, the
radio takes a couple of seconds to lock onto my iPod FM transmitter.
During that time I occasionally get [fuzzily] a distant station in
Connecticut. My hackles rise instantly at the sound of the DJ's voice
or an advertisement that may be playing. Same thing when I sit down at
home and my wife turns on the TV - I have to leave the room. Can't
stand the canned culture and fake people. I can think of no time worse
spent than watching television.

Listening to Hancock's Half Hour or the Goon Show, what you hear is
what you get - Spike Milligan sounds certifiable, and definitely was!
Intellectual radio programming like My Word or My Music has simply
ceased to exist; it has been replaced with hip-hop and other modern
consumer-grade "[... insert word here - 'culture' doesn't fit ...]".

I'd replace the car radio with one that has line-in so I'd never be
offended with even a few seconds of radio programming, but it's costly
in both our modern vehicles; you have to replace the entire console
with one that has a standard DIN hole in it.

My '65 truck arrived pre-fitted by the previous owner with an MP3 CD
player radio that has line-in. Unfortunately due to exhaust leaks, it's
too noisy to hear the radio while driving, so I only listen to it when
I'm working on the truck

Mine doesn't. I even have their DVR. I then take the stuff I want
to keep and move it to mine and burn DVDs.

Video-on-demand has Macrovision here, I believe.

That's available here. I've never used it because it's just as
easy to set the DVR up.

How big is the library? VoD here gives you access to say six movies per
VoD channel, and the last ten episodes (say) of certain series. In
other words, I am still living with someone else's decision of what
programming I should want to watch.

It's like a prison menu. Besides, I prefer radio to TV - the pictures
are better.

As far as TV goes, I want to be able to take the remote and say "Give
me the following ten Twilight Zone episodes that I am specifying, then
series 1 episode 3 of Leave it to Beaver, then two hours of British
newsreel footage from April 1942, then the entire series 1 of
Bewitched, in air-date order", and so forth.

Right now I can get the same effect - with a day's delay - by
downloading what I want, particularly the older out-of-copyright stuff.

It does, usually.

Not me, I guess my tastes must be unusual.

e) Doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Our cable does, unfortunately. ...make that two legs.

I'd consider paying $100 per month for the service I just described. Of
course, no guarantees as to how long I would keep the service -

 

[Keith]

If it came free in my car, and the programming was all free, and
commercial-free, I might _very rarely_ turn it on if I got bored with
my iPod playlists. Doubt it though.

You say you like '50s and '60s music. There is a 'channel
dedicated to each decade (Ch 4 thru 9). I listen a lot to the '60s
channel. It's sorta neat, every couple of hours they have an hour
countdown of the top 16 or 17 songs from that week for some year in
the '60s. There are also some quite good specials, like the 3-
hour "Booker T. and the MG's"; no commercials.

If you haven't tried it...

My issue is control over what I want to hear. When I start my car, the
radio takes a couple of seconds to lock onto my iPod FM transmitter.
During that time I occasionally get [fuzzily] a distant station in
Connecticut. My hackles rise instantly at the sound of the DJ's voice
or an advertisement that may be playing. Same thing when I sit down at
home and my wife turns on the TV - I have to leave the room. Can't
stand the canned culture and fake people. I can think of no time worse
spent than watching television.

Control freak, eh? Your wife must be pleased.

Video-on-demand has Macrovision here, I believe.

Dunno, I've never used it, but their DVR will record it. My DVDR
will record from that.

How big is the library? VoD here gives you access to say six movies per
VoD channel, and the last ten episodes (say) of certain series. In
other words, I am still living with someone else's decision of what
programming I should want to watch.

I looked the other day. There were perhaps 40 movies available on
the free side. I didn't look at the PPV options.

It's like a prison menu. Besides, I prefer radio to TV - the pictures
are better.

As far as TV goes, I want to be able to take the remote and say "Give
me the following ten Twilight Zone episodes that I am specifying, then
series 1 episode 3 of Leave it to Beaver, then two hours of British
newsreel footage from April 1942, then the entire series 1 of
Bewitched, in air-date order", and so forth.

Yep, control freak.

Right now I can get the same effect - with a day's delay - by
downloading what I want, particularly the older out-of-copyright stuff.


Not me, I guess my tastes must be unusual.

It might not have it when I want to watch it, but that's why they
invented the DVR. You load up your iPOD, I load up DVDs.

I'd consider paying $100 per month for the service I just described. Of
course, no guarantees as to how long I would keep the service -

You're close. Mine is over $160/mo but that includes cable
Internet. I wouldn't have more than the basic service but my wife
watches a lot of TV. She gets the TV, I camp on the computer. ;-)
She did ask how to bring the laptop downstairs to the family room,
so I may be losing both. :-/

 

[[email protected]]

You say you like '50s and '60s music. There is a 'channel

I said I like '50s and '60s radio plays - certain BBC comedy
programming from that era, to be specific. I have several weeks'
continuous listening on my iPod - they compress very nicely.

I do have some 60s music, but very little. Most of my music is either
computer music (C64 and Amiga in-game and demo tracks), or certain
operas, military music and so forth. Also some bagpipes, although I
guess that sort of falls under the heading of military music as well.

Control freak, eh? Your wife must be pleased.

I don't tell her what to do. I simply can't sit down and endure the
attack of the tube; it's like being hassled by a thousand annoying
children in a restaurant.

Yep, control freak.

Rubbish. I simply want what I like, as far as TV and radio programming
goes, and I don't want to be pestered with things I don't want to see.
This is precisely why there is a market for prerecorded CDs, phonograph
records, DVDs and videocassettes; clearly lots of other people want to
watch what they want when they want it.

When you want a quality meal out, do you go to McDonalds? No? Well, for
exactly the same reason I like to choose carefully where I get my
entertainment, and the quality of the product I'm receiving. Mass-media
sources are the McDonalds of entertainment; insipid pap with no
discernible value except to their advertisers and shareholders. Merely
being reminded of their existence is irritating to me.

Internet. I wouldn't have more than the basic service but my wife
watches a lot of TV. She gets the TV, I camp on the computer. ;-)

My wife _used_ to watch a lot of TV, but she's in teacher training now
and has no time for anything at all. TV service is hence a total waste
of money, since the dogs don't watch it.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I can't believe it. I just found the warranty!!!! That's never
happened before.

Actually, I had the same problem. But I have a really simple cure. I
simply made a file folder called "Warranties". Golleee ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Jim Thompson]

How do you get news?

Be like a Europeon, live in the dark, and just make up stories about
how bad the US is ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Jim Thompson]

cnn.com, mostly; I visit it a few times a day - not that much of the
news is relevant to me. With Firefox, I can make CNN and the other few
sites I visit regularly entirely advertising-free. Online news sites
are unreadable without ad-blocking software - too much distraction.

What? No "fair and balanced" Fox News ?

[snip]

...Jim Thompson

 

[John Woodgate]

In message <[email protected]>, dated Thu, 17

Actually, I had the same problem. But I have a really simple cure. I
simply made a file folder called "Warranties". Golleee ;-)

But can you FIND it? Making a folder may mean you lose ALL of its
contents rather than just one bit of paper.

When you've made your folders, you must make a shelf or box to keep them
safe. Here's one I made earlier, out of a wine box.

First, drink the wine.

Then try to remember where you put the folder while you were making the
place to keep it safe....

 

[Keith]

Actually, I had the same problem. But I have a really simple cure. I
simply made a file folder called "Warranties". Golleee ;-)

We put them in the folder with the manuals for all of our household
appliances. We appreciated the former owner's of our house keeping
the folder, so continued the plan.