SiriusXM with FTA dish?

[cpalmer2k]

This may be a stupid question.. but can you use a FTA satellite to receive SiriusXM radio assuming you have an active subscription of course and connect it to the tuner or do they use some type of proprietary hardware? I have a old fashion commercial XM radio tuner and one of the "panel" home antennas but it seems to still lose signal in cloudy weather frequently.

I got to thinking that a 76cm dish pointed at the satellite might give better performance compared to the cheaper antenna panels they sell?

 

[harshness]

Because they use S-band (2.32-2.335GHz), you won't find joy using a Ku setup.

 

[cpalmer2k]

Because they use S-band (2.32-2.335GHz), you won't find joy using a Ku setup.

Bummer. Back to adjusting the little panel antenna.

 

[TRG]

For about $50 you can buy an outdoor antenna. I installed one for an elderly gentleman at his mountain cabin. Works great.

 

[harshness]

Bummer. Back to adjusting the little panel antenna.

I've always used the clamshell antennas that came with the kits. I even used one with a 50' extension cable and it worked fine in most all weather.

The antennas aren't immune to failure.

 

[Cham]

Guess if you have a large enough dish pointed at the proper satellite, replace the LNB with your patch antenna (pointing at the center of the dish), it should increase the signal. Might have to play with the focal distance a bit. Will be some trial and error. Think the signal is 1150-1200MHz so you want around 10 wavelengths of dish radius for appreciable gain (around 12 ft? The math too complex for me without my morning coffee!)

 

[harshness]

Guess if you have a large enough dish pointed at the proper satellite, replace the LNB with your patch antenna (pointing at the center of the dish), it should increase the signal.

This assumes that the antenna is functioning properly. I'm thinking that may be a flawed assumption.

Think the signal is 1150-1200MHz so you want around 10 wavelengths of dish radius for appreciable gain (around 12 ft? The math too complex for me without my morning coffee!)

While the IF may be in that range (if it even uses an IF), the actual downlink range is is around 2.32GHz as I posted above.

 

[Cham]

Yes I am absolutely assuming the panel is ok... which it may not be.
Not that familiar with XM/Serius, was guessing at the frequency from what I have heard in the past. That's all good, a smaller reflector in the 6-8 ft range would likely work then. Just something to try.

This assumes that the antenna is functioning properly. I'm thinking that may be a flawed assumption.While the IF may be in that range (if it even uses an IF), the actual downlink range is is around 2.32GHz as I posted above.

 

[Jim S.]

I haven't been following the technical details since I'm not a subscriber, but once upon a time when it was two companies instead of one, one of them used geostationary satellites and one used low-orbit satellites, or at least medium-orbit satellites, but moving satellites anyway. Now that it's one company, are they still using both sets of satellites?

 

[lost_mesa]

For anyone considering putting a patch antenna at the focal point of a dish, be aware that XM uses left hand circular polarization. The signal reflecting off the dish surface will be reversed to right hand circular polarization. I have no idea if the patch antenna is circularly polarized, I suppose it could be linear. If the patch antenna is circularly polarized, you won't get any signal.

 

[ken2400]

I thought these sat are in low earth orbit and move around?

 

[Ypsiguy]

You get way more channels from them by streaming it. Just food for thought.

 

[comfortably_numb]

You get way more channels from them by streaming it. Just food for thought.

And far higher bitrate.