Sirius: blocked reception

[IES99]

I like my Sirius, but when I go under any overhanging trees (we have a lot of live oaks hanging over the streets here in the South), the signal cuts out. I thought little of that until my neighbor bought a new Lincoln MKZ (nice for what it is) and the Sirius in the Lincoln never cut out going under the same trees when we were on a little drive to look at the new car.

Does anybody know what could be different?

[Super T]

Is yours the factory installation? Mine only drops out when there are multiple stories of structure above me, or momentarily on steel bridges. It's been that way for... 6-7 years since I first installed it in my other car. Weird...

[MGM]

I like my Sirius, but when I go under any overhanging trees (we have a lot of live oaks hanging over the streets here in the South), the signal cuts out. I thought little of that until my neighbor bought a new Lincoln MKZ (nice for what it is) and the Sirius in the Lincoln never cut out going under the same trees when we were on a little drive to look at the new car.

Does anybody know what could be different?

I live in Southwest Georgia and have very little trouble with losing signal. I have the factory radio. Of course I live in the country may be the difference.

[IES99]

Is yours the factory installation? Mine only drops out when there are multiple stories of structure above me, or momentarily on steel bridges. It's been that way for... 6-7 years since I first installed it in my other car. Weird...

Yes, mine is factory. Bridges do that to me, too as do the overhanging oaks in the area where I live. It comes back on, but on and off, on and off. It makes it annoying to use around here. I was just taken by the MKZ's Sirius not doing that.

[boggart]

Mine cuts off if I pull in my garage. I was under the impression it was line of site required.

[IES99]

Mine cuts off if I pull in my garage. I was under the impression it was line of site required.

Mine too. But why does the Lincoln do better than the 300?

[boggart]

That's a great question. I don't have the answer to that.

[IES99]

That's a great question. I don't have the answer to that.

I doubt Sirius knows (or will answer) either, but I will ask them.

[GoofyTimL]

The first year we had ours (2006) it would continue well into a mountain tunnel, then finally cut out. After emerging from the tunnel it would take a little time before it cut in again... like there was a buffer somewhere that stored maybe 20 sec. of data.

However, after the annual update/renewal it will not cut out almost instantly under and overpass, or thick foliage (trees). Have never understood why it's different now than it was.

[poptones]

Mine cuts out often enough to be noticeable, not uisually enough to be annoying. It does it more in the summer when there's leaves on the trees, and does it under overhanging structures.

Signal strength is going to have a lot to do with it, and the Magnum's antenna seems pretty bad to me. I think there's a replacement made for the oem but I don't care enough to replace it.

[Bill_in_Wilsonville]

*subscribed*

I have the same problem. Lots of trees and constantly cutting out. Anything that can be done to improve reception would be great. Well, anything but getting a different car

[IES99]

*subscribed*

I have the same problem. Lots of trees and constantly cutting out. Anything that can be done to improve reception would be great. Well, anything but getting a different car

I have to think the difference I noted between the 300 and the MKZ must be the antenna. The difference was striking to me.

Still I like the C much better than the Lincoln (which is a gussied up Fusion).

[IES99]

I may (and am not sure) but think I may have learned something about this. When we drove in the Lincoln, she had the Sirius on a jazz station and there was no cutting out. I tried that in the 300 last evening and under the trees: no loss of signal. When I switched back to Sirius 2 (Blend) the cutting out under the trees came back. I will keep trying this. I don't know how the Sirius satellite signals may differ, but perhaps better wavelengths are stronger and can penetrate more?