SiriusXM Satellite Radio (info for techies)
Caveat: this page contains a lot of technical information.
- If you live in a large urban community comprised of more than a million people
then you are most likely being served from a TERRESTRIAL REPEATER. This
means that 90% of the information below will be of little use to you.
- You do not need to know this stuff in order to use or enjoy your
satellite radio. Continuing the "shortwave enthusiast" and "ham radio" traditions of yesteryear, this web page contains information targeted
toward people wishing to investigate further. (Nerds + Technophiles)

In
his 1992 non-fiction book on telecommunications titled "
How
the World Was One" (notice the clever change of one word?),
Arthur C. Clarke explained that since satellite radio
could not be
jammed by
repressive regimes and governments (as often happened in the short-wave
radio spectrum), that satellite technology would promote democracy throughout the
world. Clarke didn't mention "the internet" which was just trickling down to
the general public at that time as the world-wide-web, but some countries
today are actively filtering internet content which means that satellite radio is still the preferred
method for learning the truth. Satellite radio aside, North American democracy
is in decline partly due to the complicity of:
- commercial news: For commercial reasons, the U.S. press was recently
found (in a comprehensive international study) to be only the fifty-third-freest
press in the world. In 1970, American news was published by ~ 45
companies (many of them family controlled); in 2012 this number has
dropped to 6 (all controlled by corporations)
- politically-biased news publishing corporations
- FOX NEWS, for example, has become the unofficial propaganda
purveyor of the US Republican party; they are 10% news and 90%
politically biased commentary
- MSNBC seems seems just as biased in the other direction
- CNN seems to be the home of talking heads (question: "what's
your opinion on FILL IN THE BLANK?" answer: 5-non-experts give their
2-cents worth )
- political suppression of "public broadcasters" like
NPR (totally
defunded by the US congress) and
PBS (90% defunded by
the US congress) to keep the people stupid and uniformed.
Meanwhile,
right-wing interests (started with
Rupert Murdoch) in England have managed to reduce funding for the BBC
(eg. both
BBC America and
BBC World Service now air commercial
advertising; not sure about the
BBC Home Service).
- entertainment-news publishing businesses (people are dying all over
the world while North America wastes time speculating about the minutia
of Hollywood)
- internet news: here the information is generated so quickly that it
rarely is checked for spelling, grammar or accuracy. The title "Internet
Journalism" seems an oxymoron and I fear humanity will need another 20
years to get this information source anywhere near where newspapers were
in 1960.
Since early 2006, the only factual news comes to me from international
sources on my Sirius satellite radio. I think about Arthur C. Clarke every
morning when I touch the power button.
SiriusXM Links:
Canadian Links:
- www.siriusxm.ca
- Canadian snowbirds can now listen to CBC and BBC anywhere in the
USA. Mexico and Caribbean
- Optional Accessories from Canadian Sources
- Sirius Satellite
Radio - Repeater Map (Canadian cities visible on Northern
US States)
once there: click the PLUS sign to "zoom in" then
left-click-hold your mouse to drag the map
American Links:
- www.siriusxm.com (over
34.9 million subscribers as of 2019-12-31)
- Optional Accessories from USA Sources
Satellite Technology
Three Sirius satellites loop through a figure-eight
pattern over the western hemisphere, once every 24 hours.
Two XM satellites are stationary over the North American equator.
All satellites are considerably higher than this animation suggests.
Where are the satellites at
this very moment in time?
Satellite News (2020)
STARMATE-1 "Home Installation" Notes:
- The following notes refer to my new (2006-02-xx) STARMATE-1
ST1C (a Canadian version of ST1).
- The SIGNAL STRENGTH meter did not work until after service activation
(this is fixed in subsequent models)
- Push MENU :: push DOWN ARROW four times to SIGNAL INDICATOR :: push
SELECT
- SAT - displays satellite signal strength
- TER - displays terrestrial repeater signal
strength
- Only present in densely populated cities like Toronto,
Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, etc.
- Originally provided
as an alternate signal source for vehicles driving between very tall
buildings, under bridges, or through tunnels.
- Your antenna does
not require a view of the sky in Toronto because the terrestrial
repeater is on the
C. N. Tower
- As is true with all satellite equipment,
antenna placement is very important
and, the antenna should have an unobstructed line-of-sight path to the
satellite:
- I started off using the Sirius Indoor-Outdoor Antenna
(also known as Folding Windowsill Antenna)
from the home-docking kit. Sirius documentation tells people in
Southern Ontario to place the antenna into a West-facing window
but, in my case, the signal strength meter never rose above level
3 bars (which
I think is some sort of minimum display level because you never see 1 or 2)
- So I attached the antenna
to then end of a 1-m (3-ft) wooden stick, then held it out of a
second story window. This resulted in a level of
6 bars
- After that I partially inserted two hook screws side-by-side at the
one third point (about
30-cm or 12-in) from the antenna end of the stick, then hung the stick (via
the hook screws) from the rain gutter. The antenna was now
sitting about 30-cm (12-in) above the rain gutter which resulted in a signal
level of 8 bars
- The animated diagram above shows that an unobstructed antenna
located in North East USA (or South East Canada) will receive satellite
signals from the Southern Sky through to the North Western Sky.
I live at the edge of a wooded lot where tall trees totally block
my view of the southern sky. This means I must do everything possible
to make sure my antenna has an unobstructed view of the remaining
sky (West through to the North West).
- Technical side note:
These radios operate in the frequency range of 2.32 GHz (gigahertz)
which means the signal is beginning (because of its high
frequency) to take on the characteristics
of visible light (like not being able to going around corners or
through wood; and being interfered with by atmospherics).
For best reception the antenna must be able to clearly "see the
satellite".
- I just (2006-03-xx) installed a Sirius Outdoor Home antenna which
is directly compatible with my STARMATE-1 (I thought I might need
an RG-58 to RG-174 conversion widget but this was
not necessary). Note that all satellite radio antennas contain a built-in
LNA (low noise amplifier) which are powered by your receiver so make sure that
antennas without "a Sirius brand" do not overload your receiver's
antenna power supply.

Notes:
- This omnidirectional antenna seems to work best when:
- Major effect: the "flat top" of the disk is parallel to the sky
- Minor effect: the "bottom
of the Sirius label" painted on the top of the antenna
points toward the satellite figure-8 crossover point in Minnesota. I
temporarily mounted my antenna on a pole with the disc parallel to the sky
then rotated the pole until I had a rock solid signal of
10
bars. Depending
upon your location in North America (see the AIM THE ANTENNA charts above)
you may need to rotate your antenna to a different location.
Quote
from the installation instructions: For correct operation and
best reception of the SIRIUS signal, it is important that the outdoor
antenna is located in a place where it will have a clear view of the
SIRIUS satellites in the sky. Obstructions such as bushes, trees, other
homes or buildings, overhangs, soffits, chimneys, gables, dormers, etc.,
will impair or prevent the antenna from receiving the signal. The best
reception is obtained if the pod (disk) portion of the antenna (where
the SIRIUS logo is printed) has a clear 360 degree view of the sky
within an inverted cone shaped area shown in the instructions (or
imagined) here.
- I did not want to drill any holes into the exterior of my residence so I
used two pieces of scrap lumber to manufacture a small wooden "T". The
inverted "T" is lying flat on the roof with the horizontal portion of
the "T" (a 24 inch 2-by-4) positioned in the rain gutter. The antenna is fixed to the
vertical end of the inverted "T" (a 36 inch 1-by-2).
- Now I measure 10 bars 100% of the time.
- Okay so I'm in Canada and the antenna was totally covered with
snow one morning in 2014. No big deal; I just fastened a 12 inch
1-by-2 to the end of the inverted "T" so the antenna can poke
through the snow.
- This same product in 2012 employs an RG-6 connector
and cable
- So for now it looks like I must operate my STARMATE from a second floor
office but I've still got a problem since my stereo is on the first floor.
So here are two possible options:
- enable the "FM transmitter" option on the STARMATE
selecting an FM frequency that is relatively quiet in your community,
then tune your stereo to the same spot
- you may need to tack on a single 50 cm (20 inch) wire to the antenna
screw of your FM receiver.
- if your STARMATE is located some distance from your stereo -and- your signal is
weak, you may need to buy a short external FM transmitter antenna (these
cost about $6.00).
In a bind, you can make one by locating an old mono earphone jack
from a 1960s transistor radio. Cut off the ear piece then separate
the two plastic wires (discard the wire going to the plug sheath
which corresponds to ground). The ideal length is 76 cm (20 inches).
Maximum Frequency Calc for FM : 107 MHz
Speed of Light (er, radio waves):
300,000,000 m/s (in a vacuum)
Quarter wave calc for 98 MHz
:
300/107/4 = 0.70 m (27 in)
- in rarer instances you may not find a quiet location on your FM
dial so may need to purchase an external third party FM transmitter.
(mandatory for college dorms)
- purchase SIR-EXT50 which will add a 50 foot (15 m) extension
to your antenna wire. Since we're using frequencies in the neighborhood
of 2.32 GHz (2,320 MHz) it is not wise to
rig up a DIY (do-it-yourself) extension unless you've got prior experience
in this area. Also, a short circuit on the antenna line can damage the antenna
power supply in your radio.
Some
Common Uses Of The Radio Frequency Spectrum:
Frequency |
Use |
530-1650 KHz |
AM Radio |
27 MHz |
Walkie-Talkies, Garage Door Openers, etc. |
54-72 MHz |
NTSC (analog) TV - VHF channels 2-4 |
76-88 MHz |
NTSC (analog) TV - VHF channels 5-6 |
88-108 MHz |
FM Radio |
174-216 MHz |
NTSC (analog) TV - VHF channels 7-13 |
470-890 MHz |
NTSC (analog) TV - UHF channels 14-83 |
2.320 GHz |
Sirius + XM radio |
2.450 GHz |
Microwave Ovens |
2.4 GHz |
802.11 b
802.11 g
wireless internet (wi-fi) |
2.4 / 5.0 GHz |
802.11 n
wireless internet (wi-fi) |
5.0 GHz |
802.11 a
wireless internet (wi-fi) |
10 GHz |
1010 Radar Satellite TV Services: 10-18
GHz - Ku Band 18-26
GHz - K Band 16-40
GHz - Ka Band
(a.k.a. K3 Band) |
100 GHz |
1011 (microwaves) |
1 THz |
1012 (far infra-red) |
10 THz |
1013 (thermal infra-red) |
100 THz |
1014 (infra-red) |
1 PHz |
1015 (visible light) |
- 2006-xx-xx
"Sirius Outdoor Home" Info:
-
Electrical power: 160 ma (supplied by your radio)
- Gain: 42 dB
- Antenna connector: Female
SMA (tiny hex
cap)
- Cable connector at antenna end: Male
SMA (tiny hex
cap)
- Cable Type: RG-58
- Cable connectors at receiver end: both
SMB (required
by your radio)
- 2012-xx-xx
"Sirius XM Universal Outdoor Home" Info:
- Electrical power: 160 ma (supplied by your radio)
- Gain: 42 dB
- Antenna connector: Female
F-connector
- Cable connector at antenna end: Male
F-connector
- Cable Type: RG-6 (various lengths: 25
f, 50 f, 100 f)
- Cable connector at receiver end: Male
F-connector
- Comes with model: SRS-2VB splitter (all female
F-connectors)
- Comes with two RG-174 jumper cables: RG-6 Male to
SMB (required
by your radio)
Note: you can purchase these jumpers separately for
about $10.00 each
- More info about the STARMATE ST1 and ST1C
- this is a sophisticated digital computer device that can simultaneously
receive signals from 2 of 3 satellites and 1 terrestrial ground station
-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius_Satellite_Radio#Technology
- buffered audio will play for approximately 7 seconds after removing
the antenna connector
- reinstalling the antenna connector will cause audio to return in 2 seconds
- It appears that the STARMATE is always trying to stuff the digital output
buffer with time-tagged content from various sources so the listener never
(or almost never) experiences a signal loss as happens when driving under
a highway overpass.
STARMATE-4 (ST4TK1 / ST4TK1C)

I
just added this second radio (for my office) to my Sirius account:
Pros:
- Starting with STARMATE-2, all radios have a single docking port on the
bottom so they can be more easily transferred between the vehicle base,
home base, or boom box. All cables now mate with the docking base
rather than the radio body.
- Larger cool-blue display can be seen at high noon
- Signal strength meter now works before activation
- Three rows of ten preset buttons (rather than five rows of six buttons).
First press the Dog Button then use the ten buttons to directly enter a
channel number. Note that this "random access" functionality was only possible
on the STARMATE 1 via the remote control.
- includes a vehicle-base for mounting in your car/boat/RV
- includes a mini (2.5 inch) antenna for the FM transmitter
Cons (STARMATE-2 and higher):
- I also purchased the optional Plug & Play Home
Kit (SUPH1C) and noticed that there is no antenna jack for the
FM transmitter on the home-docking base. The only way to connect it to your
home stereo is by the supplied audio cables.
(more on this in the next section labeled FCC
Part-15 Devices below)
- So I used the power adapter from the Home
Kit along with the vehicle-docking base which does have
an FM transmitter antenna jack. The built-in FM transmitter in the STARTMATE-4
is five times weaker than that of the STARTMATE-1 which means that the maximum
distance between your STARTMATE-4 and your FM radio has dropped from
5-m (30-ft) to 2-m (6-ft). This means that the built-in FM transmitter is
virtually unusable in urban areas. This change is by design.
(more on this in the next section labeled FCC Part-15 Devices
below)
- The only way around this is to use the supplied audio cables to directly
connect to a stereo, or purchase a third party FM radio transmitter (great
for college dorms). Click here for a short list:
Third Party Transmitters
- It might make more sense to buy a boom box rather than the
Plug & Play Home Kit. The boom box comes
with a folding windowsill antenna, audio cables, and A. C. power adapter.
Caveat 1: Make sure you've got a boom box
and eight fresh D-cells for the next power outage. During the
Northeast
Blackout of 2003, most radio, TV, and cell phone transmitters went offline
but the uplinks to those Sirius satellites kept on ticking. This might be
your only link to the human race.
Caveat 2:
In a pinch, you will always be able to power your radio from you car but
you'll need a really long power cable to enjoy the radio closer to your
fireplace
Using a Sirius Boom Box to survive a residential power loss
Back
in 2008 I purchased a Sirius Boom Box for use on the beach in Cancun, Mexico.
When I returned from that vacation I continued to use the Boom Box in my home office. I didn't bother removing the eight D-cells (batteries) but did use the
supplied AC power adapter.
Now for some reason I don't fully understand, residential power in 2009 is way
worse than when I was a kid, and a few 2009 interruptions have averaged an
hour. The outage of 2009-July-11 lasted 50 minutes while the 2009-August interruption
lasted 5 hours. Whenever it happens you never know if the outage is local, city
wide, or across
the whole system as happened in 2003 when 55 million were driven into the
dark, many for more than 24 hours. In the 2003 case, local radio stations as well
as CELL PHONE towers eventually depleted their emergency backup power so even
listening to your car AM-FM radio or listening with a portable patio radio wouldn't help.
The only thing
we can rely on today is that Sirius-XM satellite system orbiting overhead.
Notes:
- When commercial or residential power fails, you've got to unplug the AC
adapter from the Boom Box in order to activate the internal D-cells
- When power has restored, remember to plug in your AC adapter ASAP so
that your batteries will not continue to discharge
- Always keep a fresh pack of batteries available for the next "big one"
-
MH-C808M
Thinking that fresh rechargeable D-cells may be more more
environmentally friendly than traditional batteries (and perhaps cheaper in
the long run), I decided to purchase a recharger from eBay. Make sure you look for deals because I found this
brand new 8-cell model for only $80. The model name is MH-808M and it is
capable of simultaneously recharging any combination of 8 cells. AAA, AA, A,
C, D.
- Make sure sure you are careful when shopping for rechargeable batteries. I saw
prices as high as "two for $35" but as low as "eight for $48". The power rating
is important as well. They are all 1.5 volts but have different
current-over-time specs. For example, I saw low numbers like 2500 mAh (2500
milliamps per hour -OR- 1 milliamp for 2500 hours) and higher numbers like
10,000 and 12,000. Higher is better.
Newer Radio Anomalies (2020)
Sirius Stratus-5
(in older boom box)
SiriusXM Stratus-7
(blue illuminated buttons)
"I think" I have just stumbled onto a compatibility problem.
- "I believe" the
older boom box pictured above has slowly damaged two new-style all-black-plastic radios
Sirius Starmate-5 |
Model
SV5C |
Power but is RED (on or off) All other buttons are WHITE |
SiriusXM Stratus-7 |
Model SV72C |
Power button in RED when on; WHITE when off) All other
buttons are blue when on; WHITE when off |
- Both radios still appear to
work but the SIGNAL INDICATOR shows zero on both the SAT and TER displays.
- The Starmate-5 worked for several months then just stopped receiving
signals.
- So I purchased a replacement Stratus-7 from
www.siriusxm.ca but it failed the same
way within ~ 6-weeks.
- comment: I told the agent I was using a boom
box but I did not know that there were newer models (and if I did I
would have assumed they all had similar electrical specs)
- Then I purchased a replacement Starmate-4 from satellite-radio-source.ca
and it is working perfectly
Speculation
- I have always used a higher-gain outdoor antenna (pictured to the
right). At first I suspected that I was overloading the RF input stage of
these newer radios but why would that affect the signal from the TERESTRIAL
repeater (unless they share the some common components).
BWT, I usually see 3-bars on my
TER display so have no idea why 0-bars were visible when I took this photo.
Also, the antenna was replace last year after more than a decade of service.
- So is the older boom box sending a slightly hotter power to the radio
than the internal power regulator can deal with? Not Sure. But if you buy a
newer radio then you might wish to consider a newer boom box or docking
station (I just noticed a cool blue-tooth docking station that I might order
sometime soon)
Update (2020-05-12)
- I swear to you that the Stratus-5 appeared dead when I replaced it with
the Stratus-7 which worked immediately (so my problem has nothing to do with
the antenna or RG-6 cable). But I just tried the Stratus-5 (which has been
sitting in a drawer for ~ 6-weeks) and it now appears to be working. I
wonder what the hell is happening here.
Sirius Synergi Internet Radio (Canadian)
Sirius Tabletop Internet Radio (American)
Oops. As of February-12, 2013, SiriusXM Canada
will charge you an additional $48 per year for this "once-free"
benefit. To make matters worse, they terminated this service in the middle of my
paid-up annual subscription.
If you
are tired transporting your portable Sirius radio between your car and home
(or car and office) then consider buying a Sirius Internet Radio.
Product Name |
Product Number |
Notes |
Sirius Synergi Internet Radio |
TTR1C |
only works with Canadian Sirius accounts |
Sirius Tabletop Internet Radio SiriusXM Tabletop Internet
Radio |
TTR1 |
only works with American Sirius accounts |
Specs
- Comes with a remote control (not shown)
- to ease
initial setup
- to change channels or volume from across the room
- Two Front Dials
- Large = VOLUME
- Small = TUNE (Push = menu SELECT)
- Dimensions: 18.50 cm high x 28.25 cm wide (7 1/4 inches high x 11 1/4 inches
wide)
- Weight: 2.85 Kg (6.3 pounds)
- A.C. powered (a real A.C. plug, not a junkie-looking wall-wart like you
see with computer peripherals)
- requires a high-speed (not dialup) internet connection. Connect via
either "Ethernet Cable" or "Wi-Fi"
- Ethernet Cable (old-school internet connection)
- Wi-Fi (good if you've got a Wi-Fi source in your
home or office; many people will have one built into their DSL router,
cable router, or internet access point)
- works in conjunction with a paid-up active Sirius subscription
- if you already have a radio subscription, then one streaming
internet access is already enabled for you at no extra charge
- if you do not have a radio subscription and don't want one, you can
still purchase a subscription, use internet streaming now, then add a
free satellite radio whenever you change your mind
- Other features:
- Lineout jack allows a connection to a stereo or home theatre
- Headphone jacks on the left-hand side
- When used as a bed-side clock radio:
- two ALARM buttons on the front.
- press the recessed button on the top surface to choose when the
radio will auto-shut off (in mostly 15 minute increments) while you drop
off to sleep.
- when set to auto, the display will dim when when the room light
drops (e.g. turning off a lamp)
- This Sirius Internet Radio may solve other
problems. Why? Consider this: If you live in a city with no
TERRESTRIAL REPEATER (usually communities with a population below one
million), then you may have some difficulty using your satellite radio
from within an apartment or condo. Condo units where the Satellite Radio
Antenna has a direct line-of-sight view to the Sirius satellites (see
the first three charts on this page) will have no problems. But if you
live on the opposite side of the building, or if your building is in the
satellite shadow of a nearby building, you will have problems.
First-time set-up is child's play (and only takes a few minutes):
- Choose "Network Wizard" or "Wired" or "Wireless" from the setup
menu
- If Wired: choose DHCP or manual
- If Wireless: input your Wi-Fi security codes (only required if Wi-Fi
security is enabled which it usually is not)
- If Wizard: just follow the prompted instructions
- Wait for your unit to go online (it will autoset the clock; you need to
set the timezone)
- At this point my unit asked for permission to do a firmware upgrade. I
agreed which took 30 seconds.
I'm not sure what was downloaded by the
logo in the display changed from Sirius to SiriusXM :-)
- Input your Sirius account username and password
- Sit back and enjoy (Big Dial is VOLUME; Small Dial is TUNE; Push the
Small Dial to SELECT a menu item)
- Optionally, program your presets
"FCC Part-15 Devices" and the "NAB Report
to the FCC"
The NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) is a Washington DC based lobby
group attempting to protect the business interests of terrestrial radio and television
broadcasters. These businesses were (understandably) upset by competition from next-gen
devices like iPods, MP3 Players, and Satellite Radios which are able to rebroadcast
the their content to nearby FM radios. In 2006, the NAB commissioned a study of
these devices and determined that 85% of them violate what the FCC has labeled
"Part 15" devices. On average, the radios produced signals 5 times hotter than the
legal limit. The NAB turned over this report to the FCC who, in turn, notified radio
manufacturers that they needed to reduce the output power of their FM signals. This
is why the Starmate-1 (ST1) FM Transmitter is 5 times hotter than the Starmate-4
(ST4).
Sportster Replay"
Sirius "Sportster Replay" (old)
Notice the built-in FM transmitter antenna (20 gauge wire) which travels
around the outside then is soldered to a point on the upper right just
beside the silver crystal. |
Sirius "Sportster Replay" (new)
Notice that the FM transmitter antenna wire is missing. Also, this
is a slightly different circuit board (ignore component color but notice
components size and position at lower right) so there could be other
differences not visible in this photo like resistor values or firmware
parameter settings. I wonder what the red dot on the CPU means? |
 |
 |
So what should you do?
Location |
Possible Solutions |
Vehicle |
Satellite Radio companies and the FCC do not want you driving down the
road with an over-powered FM transmitter which could annoy FM listeners
in other cars.
- get a car kit which will allow you to directly connect to your car
radio audio input (best quality)
- get a car relay kit which will allow you to directly connect to
your car radio antenna
- listen to your satellite radio on cheap PC speakers (plug them into
the head phone jack) or boom box
- buy an after-market FM Transmitter (you will annoy others up to
150 ft)
- use the built-in FM Transmitter (probably not realistic in urban
areas)
|
Apartment Condo Hotel |
Satellite Radio companies and the FCC do not want you blasting an over-powered
FM signal to other near-by radios.
- listen to your satellite radio on cheap PC speakers, or head phones,
or a boom box
- use audio cables to directly connect to a stereo
(best quality)
- buy an after-market FM Transmitter (you will annoy others up to
150 ft)
- use the built-in FM Transmitter
|
Home |
Since it is unlikely that you will radiate a signal over 46 m (150 ft)
you can do just about anything you want
- use audio cables to directly connect to a stereo
(best quality)
- buy an after-market FM Transmitter (can broadcast up to 150 ft)
- use the built-in FM Transmitter
|
College Dorm |
Since it is likely that your college buddies will want to listen to
your radio, take up a collection then...
- buy the most powerful after-market FM Transmitter (you will probably
please others)
- use audio cables to directly connect to a stereo
(best quality)
- listen to your satellite radio on cheap PC computer speakers, or
head phones, or a boom box
- use the built-in FM Transmitter
|
Third Party FM Transmitters
caveat: these widgets seem to have fallen out of favor
in 2020 as Bluetooth
interfaces become more popular
- Important Notes:
- When considering transmitters outside of the FM band, these are the
legal power limits:
- USA : 025 mW (0.025 Watts)
- Canada: 100 mW (0.100 Watts)
- But since field strength can be changed by antenna geometry, the FCC
regulates the FM band by measuring field strength at a distance of three
meters making sure the signal doesn't exceed 250 uV (microvolts) per
meter
- Do not be tempted by lure of illegal high-powered
transmitters. The main reason why low-powered models sometimes
disappoint is because the volume control driving the transmitter is set
too low (which means the carrier wave receives low, or no, modulation).
In the STARMATE-1, the internal FM transmitter is modulated by the much
larger audio signal connected ahead of the volume control.
- www.villa-fm.com
- this HLLY transmitter features a 500mw
(0.5 watt) FM transmitter which probably is not legal under FCC Part-15
- features a metal case (will reduce hum and feedback) and digital display
- this website is in Texas but the product is manufactured in China
- www.HllyElectronics.com
- these HLLY transmitters feature transmitter powers of: 0.2W, 0.5W, 1.0W,
5.0W, etc.
- despite the website hype, I don't see how anything over 0.025W is legal
under FCC Part-15
- this website is in Texas but the product is manufactured in China
-
www.RamseyElectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM25B
- The FM25B features a 25mW transmitter and is FCC Part-15 Compliant
- Supports all even and odd frequencies from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz via 12
DIP switches
- I own this product and can tell you that it
makes the useful distance of a Starmate-4 equal to that of a Starmate-1

- this is a kit requiring soldering
skills.
- Manual without schematic:
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/downloads/manuals/Fm25B.pdf
(the paper manual inside the kit does contain a complete schematic on
page 34)
- Since HeathKit is now just
an educational products company, it is nice to know that some companies
still sell kits just for the fun of doing-it-yourself. Do any of you
hardware hackers from the 1960s remember building a HeathKit Color TV,
signal generator, oscilloscope, or Heathkit H8 Computer?
- Some companies (like HobbyTron on the next hyperlink) are selling
preassembled units. Many smaller proprietors are selling preassembled
transmitters on eBay.
-
www.RamseyElectronics.com/hk/default.asp?page=amfm - more AM and FM
kits
- www.HobbyTron.com/LowPowerFMTransmitters.html
- The FM25B features a 25mW transmitter and is FCC Part-15 Compliant
- Supports all even and odd frequencies from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz via 12-DIP
switches
- this is not a kit

- www.electronics-diy.com (Do
It Yourself)
- lots of kits and plans
- links to other locations if you don't want to build a transmitter from
scratch
- www.nrgkits.com
- this is a radio kit supplier located in Bradford, United Kingdom.
(Visit their website to hear a very enticing background audio)
- www.MobileBlackBox.com
- V6000 FM Transmitter
- is FCC Part-15 Compliant
- can be used in a car or house
- features a cool looking LCD display
-
www.ccrane.com/radios/fm-transmitters/fm-transmitter.aspx
- is FCC Part-15 Compliant
- can be used in a car or house
- features a cool looking LCD display
- www.WholeHouseFmTransmitter.com
- Whole House Transmitter
- is FCC Part-15 Compliant
- can be used in a car or house
- only supports six FM frequencies from 106.7 MHz to 107.9 MHz which are
set by 3-DIP switches
Using "Sirius Satellite
Radio" in Cancun, Mexico. (2006-05-xx)
(click here for the much shorter text associated
with my 2008 visit)
I just returned from a vacation on the Mayan Riviera (Playa del Carmen) with
my wife and our Sirius "STARMATE STC1 radio". We brought along the radio
as an alternative to late-night and early-morning TV viewing but ended up using
it 90% of the time. Here are some amusing things that happened to me and hopefully
will help you.
- Applying power
- You should not see 220 volt receptacles in Mexico but since the power
supply that came with my "STARMATE Home Kit" is rated for an input
range of "110 to 240 Volts AC", you probably
do not need to worry about a blow out.
-
Even
though Mexican power in Cancun is 110 volts AC, many of the hotels are wired
with the European-style wall sockets (plugs require "two round electrodes"
rather than "two flat electrodes" which is standard in Canada and the USA).
Fortunately, I had purchased a flat-to-round adapter from "The
Source by Circuit City" for $10.00 before
we left Canada. Here is their online catalog information should you decide
to do the same:
FOREIGN
TRAVEL ADAPTER - CONTINENTAL EUROPE - 2738027
Note that
Radio Shack sells the same product
at the same price but with Catalog Number: 273-1447
- Note: Some hotel sockets will accept
both round and flat electrodes but are recessed into a pocket which is too
small to physically accept the already-small power adapter (could this be
a hotel safety precaution?). You will need some kind of mechanical extension
to get around this so it is a good idea to pay the 10 bucks and be better
prepared
- Connecting the antenna
- We were placed in suite with a beautiful view of the Caribbean sea (click
here to see the location). Unfortunately this "East by South East" view
only allows our antenna to "see" one satellite at a time, and then only
when it is approaching Mexico from South America (see the animated satellite
map above for details). It was the worst possible satellite-radio location
since Sirius instructions said we should be pointing the antenna to the
North-West. Using an el-cheapo "Sirius Indoor-Outdoor antenna" I was not
able to detect any signal from the the balcony of our suite. However, there
were at least two other options immediately available:
- The wooden top (where the braches come together) of a palm tree
was parallel to our balcony railing and was only 3 m (10 ft) away. The
"Sirius Indoor-Outdoor antenna" comes with a 6 m (20 ft) cable and I
knew I could probably throw the antenna module into the tree and have
at least 3 m (10 ft) remaining to get inside the room. I didn't want
to annoy anyone with my antics at this time so I decided to keep the
"palm tree option" as my option of last resort.
- We also happened to be located on the top floor of a 3 floor resort
with a stone-tile-roof overhang (if this tile was laid over a metal
base than this was probably part of my reception problem). I flipped
the antenna up onto the stone-tile-overhang and a solid signal immediately
snapped in. I left the antenna on the tile roof for the next 7 days
and the plastic never melted despite maximum air temperatures of 33
C (92 F) and direct sunlight.
Humorous
postscript: prior to our Saturday check out, I discovered
that the antenna wire was snagged between two pieces of stone-tiles.
I didn't want to take the chance of either breaking the wire or loosening
a tile so I borrowed a broom from the maid and had the wire un-snagged
in less than 2 seconds.
- External Speaker Required :-)
- I had mistakenly assumed that each room would be equipped with an FM
Radio through which I could play my STARMATE-1 (which everyone knows was
designed for use inside an automobile, truck or RV). Well, there was no
in-room radio, and we didn't bring one along, so there were only three options
remaining:
- only use headphones (not cool when sharing a room with another person)
- purchase a cheap FM radio for use in the room (we arrived late so
I couldn't try this immediately)
- use the TV (this procedure is for techies
only)
- remembering that the video portion of NTSC television
employs AM (amplitude modulation) while the audio portion
of television employs FM (frequency modulation), all I needed
to do was get the Sirius signal into the TV.
- also remembering that a mid-band gap exists between channel
6 and 7 (channel 6 ends with 88 MHz while channel 7 starts with
174 MHz) I realized that channel 6 would be my only hope.
For Techies Only: Most
techies already know that the video (AM) portion of channel 6 starts
at 80 MHz while the audio (FM) portion ends closer to 88 MHz. Also,
there is a lot of slack engineered into these analog tuners so we
should be able to directly use the Sirius signal without resorting
to using some harmonic approach to get these lower frequencies into
the higher TV channel.
- this newer style TV did not have a tuner but was sitting on
a thin plastic hardware base connected to a LodgeNet free/pay-per-view
hotel system. Since the "remote control" changes the channel of
the LodgeNet black box, I needed to run a wire from the antenna
jack of my STARMATE-1 directly to the input of the LodgeNet and
then use the remote control to set the channel to 6. If you can't
see what you are doing then just locate the coaxial cable coming
from the wall and disconnect it.
- I had brought a home-made dipole antenna which is nothing more
than two 1.5 m (5 ft) wires connected to an old 3/16 inch earphone
plug. I decided to break off one of the wires in order to extend
the other one so it would conveniently reach the LodgeNet black
box.
- I set the "FM Transmitter Frequency" of the STARMATE to 88.1
MHz, turned on the TV then changed the channel to 6 (you need to
do this every time you power-up the TV). Bingo! Sirius radio
playing through the TV.
- Note: this is going to be
too much of a pain every time so we'll definitely take a portable FM radio
with us on our next trip.
- Enjoying the Signals
- now we had daily access to our favorite channels:
CBC Radio One, BBC
World Service, NPR Now, BBC Radio 1, Howard-100,
Bubba
I'll go mental if I don't
hear "Quirks and Quarks" on CBC
or "Science Friday" on
NPR
- Summary
- avoid all this audio-output hassle by making
sure you take an FM Radio with you
- alternatively, travel with a cheap set of computer
speakers. All STARMATE radios can drive PC speakers directly from
the AUDIO OUT Jack.
- ask the hotel for a room with a balcony opening to the North
(or North-East), or a top floor, or both. For other locations, check the
animated map above.
-
buy a portable Sirius boom-box for the balcony or beach
Using "Sirius Satellite
Radio" in Cancun, Mexico. (2008-10-xx)
I just returned from a vacation on the Mayan Riviera (Playa del Carmen) with
my wife and our Sirius "STARMATE ST4 radio". We brought along the radio as
an alternative to late-night and early-morning TV viewing but ended up using it
90% of the time.
- General Use
- This time I was better prepared and so brought along a Sirius boom box
(purchased online for half price) for use on the beach (the STARMATE ST4
just docks in a little receptacle).
- The boom box can be powered by eight batteries (D-cells) or domestic
power in the range of 110-220 Volts AC
- Bring along headphones if you don't want to disturb others.
- The TV in our room had audio jacks in the front so we could play the
STARMATE through the TV or just use the Boom Box.
- Connecting the antenna
- Same as before, I just through the window-sill antenna onto the roof
for a constant 7-bars signal. I brought along a second antenna for the boom
box.
- Enjoying the Signals
- It was raining after the Saturday afternoon check-in so we listened
to Randy Bachman's "Vinyl Tap"
on CBC Radio One
- Six day later I didn't miss "Science
Friday" on NPR Now. I wonder if they realize that people hear their
program on the beach.
Using "Sirius Satellite Radio"
in Toronto, Canada. (2008-11-xx)
Great news for Toronto subscribers. For the past week I was driving around downtown
Toronto and never experienced a single signal interruption. I stayed in an East-facing
hotel room (supposedly the worst possible location for Ontario subscribers) and
everything worked perfectly. Switching to my SIGNAL STRENGTH display revealed a
whopping 10 bars of TERRESTRIAL signal. On Friday night I drove from downtown Toronto
back to Kitchener with my display sitting on SIGNAL STRENGTH. Here is a list of
my signal readings:
Toronto Locations
Location |
Terrestrial Signal |
Satellite Signal |
Young Street and College Street |
10 bars 3 |
intermittent |
Young Street and Gardiner Expressway |
10 bars 3 |
intermittent |
Gardiner Expressway and Islington Avenue |
6 bars 1 |
10 bars 3 |
Gardiner Expressway and Highway 407 |
10 bars |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 407 and Highway 5 |
6 bars 1 |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 407 and Highway 401 |
10 bars |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 by the Toronto Airport |
3 bars 1 |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 and Highway 410 (Brampton/Mississauga) |
10 bars |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 and Winston Churchill Blvd |
6 bars 2 |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 and Highway 407 |
6 bars 2 |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 and Highway 25 (Milton) |
3 bars 2 |
10 bars 3 |
Highway 401 and Kelso Park |
0 bars |
10 bars 3 |
Superscripts:
- These are low-lying areas and I am guessing that the Sirius terrestrial
repeater is sitting on top of the C. N. Tower (near the
intersection of John St. and Front St. in Toronto)
- Out this far, the terrestrial signal always increased whenever I was
under an overpass. Since I never noticed any hardware mounted under the
overpass, I am assuming that the concrete walls were acting as a terrestrial
radio reflector/collector.
- During this driving experiment I always has access to usable TERRESTRIAL
or SATELLITE signals, and the radio seamlessly switched from source-to-source.
The only real-world compliant I noticed was caused when I passed the odd
18-wheeler. Some of these truckers were using really powerful third-party
FM transmitters (while I was only using the transmitter built into my STARMATE
1) which meant I would get a 10 second blast of country music while I passed
them. One way to get around this is to purchase one of the direct connect
solutions or a more powerful third-party
FM transmitter.
Using "Sirius Satellite
Radio" in Cancun, Mexico (2010-01-xx)
-
The bad news is that we could only get a west-facing room. This
means that our radio only worked for 4 out of every 8 hours (see the animated
map at the top of the page).
-
The good news is that my radio worked 100% of the time on the
beach.
Satellite Radio Companies
- Europe + Africa + Asia + Central America + South America
- Western Hemisphere Only
- SIRIUS
Satellite Radio @ Wikipedia
- 2.3200 - 2.3325 GHz (S Band)
- 4 MHz wide band (Satellite)
- 100 channels spread across 1000 frequencies
- 4 MHz wide band (Ground Repeater)
- 100 channels spread across 1000 frequencies
- 4 MHz wide band (Satellite)
- 100 channels spread across 1000 frequencies
- XM Satellite
Radio @ Wikipedia
- 2.3325 - 2.3450 GHz (S Band)
- 4 MHz wide band (Satellite)
- 4 MHz wide band (Ground Repeater)
- 4 MHz wide band (Satellite)
- For a little more technical information please refer to Page 84 of the
February-2006 issue of
Scientific American
Partial
Excerpt:
Working Knowledge: Song Beams; February
2007; Scientific American Magazine; by Mark Fischetti; Satellite
radio can send the same 100 channels of music, talk and sports to
you at any street corner in the nation. Yet someone next to you
may receive a different set of channels, and a third person who
does not subscribe cannot pick up a thing. How can the service blanket
the country yet be so discriminating? Three companies provide the
world's satellite radio: XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite
Radio for the U.S.; and WorldSpace for Africa, Asia and Europe.
XM uses two geostationary satellites and about 800 low-power ground
repeaters scattered around cities where tall structures can block
the satellites' line of sight [see upper illustration]. Sirius has
three birds in highly inclined, elliptical orbits and about 100
high-power repeaters, each bathing a metropolitan area. Both architectures
provide equally reliable service, says Dan Goebel, a senior research
scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.,
who previously designed amplifiers for ground repeaters. |
Unofficial History of Sirius + XM
1988 |
|
1990 |
|
1991 |
- American Mobile Radio/XM co-founder Lon Levin joins American
Mobile Satellite Corp.
|
1992 |
- Satellite CD Radio, Inc. successfully petitioned the FCC
and Congress into creating
Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) in the United States.
- Satellite CD Radio, Inc. changes its name to CD Radio,
Inc.
- American Mobile Satellite Corp. spins off a new division
known as American Mobile Radio Corp. who would go on and join
three other applicants as potential licensees. Later that year, American
Mobile brings in
WorldSpace as a 20% investor into the new venture with the intention
of using their technology.
- the FCC divides the S-Band spectrum already
set aside for Satellite CD Radio, Inc. then gives half of it to XM
|
1997 |
|
1999 |
- CD Radio, Inc. changes its name to Sirius Satellite Radio,
Inc. in 1999.
- General Motors merges their OnStar product with XM
(and agrees to only install XM radios in GM cars until 2013)
|
2000 |
- American Mobile Satellite Corp changes its name to Motient
|
2001 |
- XM satellite service goes online in September-2001
|
2002 |
- Sirius satellite services goes online in September-2002
|
2006 |
- Howard Stern begins Sirius broadcasting starting 9-January-2006
|
2007 |
- In February, Sirius CEO
Mel Karmazin announces that Sirius and XM intend to
merge. They also intend to drop the subscription price by allowing people
to only pay for channels they want.
- XM-Sirius
Merger @ Wikipedia
- Because XM and Sirius occupy neighboring spectrum in the S-Band, only a small software change is required to allow existing
receivers to access all channels (provided the radios were designed
with typical engineering margins). This software change will be downloaded
into the radios over the satellite network. Existing residential antennas
and amplifiers will work without modification
- Sirius 2.3200 - 2.3325 GHz
- XM 2.3325 - 2.3450 GHz
- The main opposition to the merger is the
National Association of Broadcasters (a.k.a. Terrestrial Radio).
NAB representatives have been present at both Congressional hearings,
and have produced many advertisements regarding the merger.
p.s. oil companies and banks merge with little opposition
so why is this merger being delayed???
|
2008 |
- In the Spring of 2008, the US government announced that they will
allow the merger of these two companies.
- In August of 2008, the two American companies merged and are now
known Sirius XM Radio
- As of September 2008, the new company boasts
19 million paying subscriptions
- XM-Sirius
Merger @ Wikipedia
- The Canadian versions of these companies has not merged and there
are no discussions on the horizon
|
2009 |
- After the sub-prime triggered economic crisis of 2008, Siriux-XM
announced some difficulty in borrowing money to cover bond obligations.
As usually happens these days, the "bankruptcy" word begins to be used
by financial commentators/entertainers which then introduces uncertainty.
- First off, Sirius-XM has the second largest number of subscribers
after Comcast.
- Secondly, Sirius-XM has the fastest growing subscriber base.
- What would happen during bankruptcy? Under chapter 11, a company
uses the courts to obtain protection from creditors.
- If new lines of credit are found, the crisis is averted and
business resumes.
- If new lines of credit are not found, the business is auctioned
or sold with the proceeds first going to the bond holders. Any remaining
money goes to the preferred shareholders with the balance, if any,
going to common shareholders.
Under either one of theses scenarios the subscribers would not loose
service. Under scenario #2 the company would
be reformed with zero debt.
- By early February, Sirius-XM found new lines of credit so bankruptcy
was avoided.
|
2010 |
- On November 24, 2010 Sirius Canada and XM Canada announced that
they will merge in the first few months of 2011.
|
I'm not sure why people bother to steal them
Executive Summary |
- These radios are part of a subscription service.
- You pay (subscribe) to have the content delivered to them.
- Once stolen, the the original owner will:
- report the radio stolen to police so the owner can collect
insurance
- report the radio stolen to Sirius so the subscription can be
cancelled or moved to a replacement device. Either action will
render the stolen radio useless.
- Starting a subscription with a stolen radio will
immediately flag the black-market customer as an owner of stolen
property. An investigation will lead back to the thief
|
Satellite Radios
- Like Satellite TV, every Satellite radio has its own unique ID
- Sirius calls their number "SID" (Sirius
Identification number)
- The SID is associated with your account during the subscription process.
- When your account is started, Sirius will continually broadcast ENABLE
signals to a pool of just enabled SIDs. This signal will allow the radio to operate as designed
- When your account expires, Sirius will continually broadcast DISABLE
signals which will block every subscription channel except for the local weather channel
(this same channel is the only one enabled after a hard reset)
- If someone steals your satellite radio:
- Contact Sirius and report it stolen
- Sirius will send out DISABLE messages for years (they have a
complete private channel to do this)
- The same thing happens when you allow your subscription to expire
- You would need to do this anyway if you wanted to enable a replacement
radio
- When the thief sells the satellite radio to an
unsuspecting third party, the third party
will need to report the SID to Sirius in order to start a new
subscription. That is when Sirius will tell the customer that the radio
is stolen.
Internet Ratios
- Internet radios need to log onto the Sirius Streaming website using your
Sirius account name and password
- If someone steals your internet radio:
- log onto your Sirius account and change the password ASAP. This will
disable the internet radio immediately.
- Now contact Sirius and report it
stolen
- Every time it had previously connected to Sirius using your account
name, it would have also reported its associated SID (Sirius
Identification number)
- When the thief sells the internet radio to an
unsuspecting third party, the third party will need to input their own
SIRIUS username and password to start it working. When the radio connects to
the Sirius server, the new customer's I/P address (internet address)
will be visible to the people at Sirius. Since the radio is stolen, the
I/P address is passed over to the police who are now able to use ISP
(internet service provider) records to
trace it back to the third party customer. The police will visit the
customer who would be pressured to tell the police where they bought the
radio.
Marketing Controversies
Before the merger of Sirius and XM, both companies competed with each other
in both the US and Canada. Competition brought with it competitive pricing and
improved content. Since the merger, SiriusXM in both the US and Canada (where
the US company owns 25% of the Canadian company) have become monopolies in their
respective countries and this has led to higher prices, automatic renewals
(without notification), and lower customer service. So I guess it is no surprise
that we are now seeing complaints hit the courts.
- Customer (2014)
- Artist (2015)
Remember that all this is going on while billions are being allocated for a
corporate stock-buy-back
It appears that SiriusXM in both countries seem to be ignoring the free
streaming services offered by most radio stations. While streaming will not
affect customers using mobile radios it will impact customers using radios in
offices and residences where broadband internet is ubiquitous
Terrestrial Repeaters
2016-05-17
- I noticed that the Starmate-4 in my office in downtown
Kitchener was still working even though the antenna wire had popped out. A quick
check with the SIGNAL INDICATOR under the primary MENU showed that I was
connected to a TERRESTRIAL REPEATER with 10-bars
- Walking around downtown Kitchener with a Starmate-4 docked in a Sirius
Boom Box (no antenna attached) leads me to believe that the repeater might
be sitting on top of the old Canada Trust building at: 305 King Street West,
Kitchener, Ontario
- Driving West with a Starmate-4 docked in a Sirius Boom Box
1 km |
TER = 10 bars (now my antenna connector must be attached; just
using the el-cheapo Sirius Indoor-Outdoor antenna) |
2 km |
TER = 10 bars |
3 km |
TER = 6 bars |
4 km |
TER = 3 bars |
- Ground Repeater info
- Here is a link or two about what is going on
Internal FM modulator is disabled?
I was preparing for a party on 2016.08.15 where my Starmate 4 would be sending
output to a nearby stereo tuner (this was one of those situations where I needed
background music in a room with no access to my Sirius external antenna). That
is when I noticed that the "FM Transmitter" option is no longer on the main
menu. Thankfully my Ramsey FM modulator served me well (I used an audio cable to connect
the modulator to my Boom Box)
Update: The FM Transmitter option is removed from the menu
only when the Starmate 4 is docked in a Boom Box (a.k.a. human error)