XM or Sirius at Altitude??

[flythere]

flybarneyjets,

Thanks to you as well, I was hoping that little unit would work up there, but I guess not, maybe the next generation of those units will work out for us!!

Thanks again for your input!!

 

[LearAv8r]

The Sirius Stilleto 100 will work but you have to position the "headset antenna" to a window that does not have the internal heating element. Reception is hit or miss depending on where you are at in relation to the satellite. Overall I like it. hope that this helped.



Of course this is all heresay, it would be against the rules to listen to something like that while at work.



As for the X11. I just went to a pilot shop near my house to check them out and I didn' like the clamping force and in relation to the Bose X and they seemed like the same size to me. For a few hundred more you can get the Bose, if the cost was say half of the Bose X it might be worth a try....

 

[atafan]

I own a XM portable radio and if you place the antennae facing a clear southerly location you will receive a good signal all voer the lower 48. I use the portable auto antennae that came with it and place it in the overhead eyebrow window.

SWEET!

 

[densoo]

You've got to use the portable car antenna with the short cable. Get one here:

http://www.myradiostore.com/antennas-cables/for-audiovox-xr9/4-foot-roady-antenna.html

This new XM Roady Micro Antenna is the smallest XM Radio antenna in the world. A perfect high-performance antenna for your Roady, Roady 2, Skyfi 2, MyFi (car and home kits only), and the Audiovox XR9 XM Satellite Radio receiver. Using advanced satellite radio technology, it's the smallest XM Satellite Radio antenna ever. So small and discreet, its practically invisible. Magnetic mounting with rubber feet means it installs instantly without drilling into your vehicle's surface. The antenna can be easily removed if you sell your vehicle or return it at lease end. The original cable length has been shortened to approximately 4 feet of micro-coax cable. Its convenient to transport, and the short length avoids tangles.

This one fits the original Pioneer model. Check for your model.

 

[ultrapilot]

XM is the way to go...

My Delphi MyFi has XM2Go built in. That means it is like an MP3 player in that it will playback anything you record up to five hours worth. The unit has a built in antenna but also has a small three inch suction cup antenna that you can stick on the unheated southfacing side window. East-West flights are great for any reception and any station but North-South flights are dependent on your actual heading (remember, clear shot at southern satellite). For those times when you can not get a clear signal you have your pre-recorded music or comedy or talk radio, etc.

Get the four inch volume booster amplifier from Radio Shack for $20 and up to three people can plug in for listening enjoyment on those long Coast to Coast flights.

I just bought a new, smaller XM version that is about as big as a cell phone that holds fifty hours of music and has a fifteen hour battery from Best Buy for $29 after rebates.... yes, $29. It only has a home kit (unlike the MyFi that has a home, car, and walk around kit) but it has the ability to hook up to your computer and upload music that you already have.

If anyone tells the FAA about me using one in-flight my disclaimer is that all this information is purely fictional and the secretary will disavow any knowledge of it or my existence.

 

[FlyBarneyJets]

It didn't matter where I placed the unit or the external antenna. Perhaps it was just the model I purchased. It was great on overnights in the hotel rooms, though.

 

[DrewBlows]

Bose vs. David Clark? You might as well be debating Mike Tyson vs. Mohammad Ali... if they fought today. David Clarks were good in their time, but their time is past.

I have been entertaining the use of a Sirius unit at the gate because I always get to the airplane so early :laugh:. Of course I would never use it in flight, as there is a rule against that.

It sounds like I'll be out of luck with the small heated windows in the RJ. Oh well, maybe I'll get one anyway and listen to recorded content. I think I'll wait until the Sirius/XM merger is complete so I don't end up buying obsolete equipment.

 

[baune]

I own an XM Myfi, had it for about a year and love it! It has a built in antenna so you can just set it on the glareshield and as long as it has a somewhat view to the south, it works fine. I'm an FO so when flying westbound, it takes a quick reposition sometimes to get find that sweet spot, but once it's there it works perfectly. Flying eastbound, it works perfectly all the time, i've even had it sitting in my lap or in my front shirt pocket and it still picks up a good signal. All that is just from the built in internal antenna. You can get a little portable antenna that plugs right into the unit (not the car or home antenna), so you can set the reciever in your bag and just set the antenna up in the windshield.
It comes with a pair of small, high quality, earbud headphones so I just run one into my my headset and turn the radio volume down on that ear. Never had a problem hearing or coordinating with ATC. As for the rule on transmitting radio waves... when the headphones are plugged in, it turns off the FM transmitter so it's not breaking a reg, just like having an ipod or something.
Bottom line, I love having my XM with on those long night flights. It works perfectly. I'm partial to XM, do research on it, and it's clearly the superior company, and the rumored merger is just that, a rumor. It was announced they may merge pending legal hearings and all that stuff, a lot of experts say it won't go through, and if it doesn't serius will likely go under. XM has the numbers and subscriber base to sustain itself. And if you're a howard fan, sorry but he's washed up, all he does is work a couple days a week and replay all his stuff from years ago.

 

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

Have the XM Delphi Myfi and buddy has XM Tao and both work at Altitude BUT we use the home antenna and I cut and spliced it to have two ends on one antenna and much shorter. Window placement matters on any model...I have tried everything and this worked best for us.

And they say "You can't cut and splice and you can't use two ends on one antenna" but that's BS, Just their excuse to sell you more crap!

Someone in business told me that XM is cellular based meaning it uses cell towers on ground as repeaters and Sirius is true Satelite based but I can neither confirm nor deny. Also have been told that heating elements in some A/C windshields and UV protection sheets between layers of windshield can also affect signal, may be why side windows work best (?).

Good Luck,
KBB

 

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

Don't think the XM/Sirius is a rumor, Received letter today from XM ceo that says that it will happen but it still has to go through Antitrust hoops.
KBB