Improving SiriusXM Reception

Hey TW! This may be a strange question, as I'm not trying to delete or streamline my shark fin, but to replace/upgrade it for improved reception. Overall it's not terrible, but hell figured I'd ask. On my 2012, I lose SAT reception in locations that I normally don't in my other vehicle.

First World Problem, just curious since TW is my go to for lurking, searching and firsthand experience. Yeah I know, Bluetooth works, but I like SiriusXM for variety. Found a bunch of replacements, but who knows if they do jack all. Thanks.

 

Interesting, the only time mine drops out is if I'm under something like the roof of a building.

 

That's what's weird, in my other car I never lose reception unless driving through an underpass, tunnel, etc. In the Taco I've lost it simply driving through wooded areas and valleys that have a sight line to the sky. Oh well.

 

Can't say if mine would be the same or not, it's all open country here.

 

Same thing happens in my fathers Ram 1500.
Wooded areas in a valley, the signal drops out.

 

I ran a Shakespeare sr-50 marine XM antenna on a couple past builds. I painted the top most puck black and flush mounted it. You can take apart the bulky assembly and just mount it using that top piece, a neoprene washer to go between antenna and roof, and a large washer for the interior side and the included nut. The antenna comes with a long cable that terminates with a Sirius tuner style connector, that I guess you could get an adapter for to hook to the factory setup.

Anyway, I’d bet if you removed the factory antenna it would drop in the same hole.

https://shakespeare-marine.com/product/siriusxm-antenna/

My current 2011 had the factory shark fin so I’ve left well enough alone, but the Shakespeare antenna had been the best I’d ever run for least drop outs and best reception.

Smaller puck is the Shakespeare:

 

Thank ya kindly gents. Especially @JdevTac for that outside the box thinking. I'll add that to the list when I get around the head unit, for now I'll deal with it.

 

Is your other car a Ford by chance?

I’m not so sure it’s the antenna but the technology of XM vs Sirius. The companies may have merged in 2008(?) but the tech is still separate. Toyota uses XM and Ford uses Sirius for example. You can even tell on the radio icons in each vehicle as Toyota has just the XM logos and Ford has the little dog.

On my prior company cars (Ford Escapes) with Sirius it barely lost signal unless I actually drove into a parking garage for example and even then it would sometimes still get a signal if it had open sides. Same with my old Sirius radio set up on my 2002 that I installed myself in 2005. It always worked great. I can remember riding in a GM vehicle with XM back in those days before they merged and first noticed how often it loses signal.

With XM, if you have any tree cover or drive around a hill or cliff (I’m in Vermont) with ANY obstruction of the southern sky it will cut out with the little static sound it has.

Just my .02 and observation over the last 18 years or so.

 

I think you're onto something @kyledamon! Not a Ford, but I just checked and it is Sirius specific (even though it's a 2016 past the merger). So that makes sense. I never had Sirius or XM prior to 2016 in any of my vehicles, they were all no frills domestic muscle and I never installed or subbed. Mystery solved'ish. Guess we can see why Sirius won that battle and merger.