Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 15:10:52 -0400
Reply-To: caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
Subject: Re: RoadHaus - Sirius satellite radio report
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi Larry,
Here is something to keep in mind that can affect your reception. Be
careful what you put in the luggage rack. Anything metal or dense wood
between the antenna and the satellite can temporary block the signal of one
or both of the currently broadcasting satellites. Something as simple as
slight turn in the road can eliminate the blockage or simply turning the
radio on and off will cause the signal to resync and go back to normal. I
no longer stick things like metal beach chairs up there when I go on a trip.
Since my luggage rack is usually empty, this is not a problem. This link
will show you the satellite orbits that also help explain while you are more
likely in a heavily wooded area in the locations where you described to
experience occasional signal blockage (
http://images.beradio.com/files/135/107br2004lg.jpg ). Two of the three
satellites are always over the US and all are constantly moving in this
figure eight pattern. As one satellite drops below the US on the west, the
broadcast signal is switched to another one that is coming up on the east.
Each satellite spends about 16 hours a day over the US. Your receiver will
combine the two satellite signals and a possible ground repeater signal
(about 100 of these are in urban city areas to account for building
blockage) and will use one, both, or all three of these in order to get the
best signal. It is my understanding that the far upper Northeast and
Northwest corners are more likely to experience an occasional short duration
blockage than any other areas since those locations are furthest away from
the orbit path. They are constantly tweaking the satellite signal and have
addressed some of the reception issues in places like these (this link shows
you the broadcast center where some of the tweaking is done -
http://beradio.com/ar/radio_final_countdown_satellite ). The technology is
not perfect, but it is very good at this point and getting even better since
some of these improvements can be handled at the broadcast end and not the
receiver chipset end. However, on the open road when you aren't camping
under a dense tree, driving through a dense forest, or in a tunnel, as you
know the reception is fine, all across the US.
caverat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Chase" <lchase@attglobal.net>
To: "wetwesties@yahoogroups." <wetwesties@yahoogroups.com>;
<ev_update@yahoogroups.com>; <Syncro@yahoogroups.com>;
<vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>; <vanagon@yahoogroups.com>;
<vwcc@yahoogroups.com>; <VWVANFULLTIMERS@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2003 12:59 AM
Subject: RoadHaus - Sirius satellite radio report
> Volks,
>
> I'd like to second the enthusiast endorsement recently given to Sirius
> Satellite Radio by "caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>" on the Vanagon Mailing
> List with one minor word of caution.
>
> After four months I can say I like it a lot better than I thought I
> would. Don't really use it much when I'm tooling along scenic byways
> ..... But when I had to make that dash across places like , say I-50
> thru Nevada, it pays for itself.
>
> And I finally found a radio station that plays my kind of diverse
> musical tastes ... their "Organic Rock" channel.
>
> One word of caution ...... It does not work well in the deep, heavy,
> thick forest.
>
> Washington, Oregon & .. Vancouver Island, not so good.
>
> Huge areas where the signal would drop out often or not come in at all.
>
> Note .. I also have my antenna under the luggage carrier.
>
> Other than that.
>
> Most Excellent. 5/5 rating.
>
> "When words become unclear, I shall focus on Photographs.
> When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence."
> - Ansel Adams
>
> Larry Chase
> Email: RoadGuy@RoadHaus.com
> Web: www.RoadHaus.com
> Cell: 480 620 8966
> What: North American Road Trip
> How: RoadHaus - 1990 White VW Westfalia Syncro
> Today: Happily Lost on Vancouver Island, BC
>
> - - -
>
> Clipped>>>
> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 01:59:39 -0400
> From: caverat <caverat@ATTBI.COM>
> Subject: Free Sirius satellite radio system <<<
>
>
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