New guy here so I'm not sure if this is the place to post this ?
Installed a new Pioneer radio with accompanying XM receiver and antenna. The unit will lose signal in the clear blue sky. It happens primarily in large metro areas, get out of the city and it works great for hours. BestBuy,XM,Pioneer are 0 help, all I get are blank stares and shrugs. A couple of buddies have Kenwood and Alpine systems with no problems. Is the Pioneer just CRAP?

 

Did you buy a truck antenna for it. If not and you are using the micro antenna that came with it, that is most likely your problem.

 

Yep,got the antenna that looks like a "mushroom on a stalk", XM9000, mounted on the mirror brkt. by itself. Can't help but think it's the XM receiver box that inputs the XM signal to the radio. It plays fine on the AM/FM side with no dropout.

 

Are you talking about losing your satellite signal or are you using you're FM modulator through your stereo and local stations in a city are over powering the FM modulator built in to your satellite receiver ? 8)

 

This is an excellent question; I too frequently find FM stations over power the FM modulator----seems on some days--I'm having to switch frequencys as much as channels.<<<<<but if this was his problem--it would be obviously apparent.

There's a feature in the setup menu--where you gauge your sat signal strength & your (earth based) signal---you're suppose to trim your antenna(by aiming it- until both signal strengths match)

 

I had a Sirius Sportster 3, I believe, and I use the built FM modulator and it worked pretty good. I only had to change the station once in a while. A couple months ago I upgraded to the sportster 4 because you can pause it and it was free with the rebate. Anyways if you use the built in FM modulator there's a antenna wire you have to plug into it and hang it up inside your truck. It totally sucks even with that antenna wire. My radio had trouble picking up the FM signal from the satellite receiver even when I was out in the middle of nowhere. I was finally able to wheel my truck into a Best Buy to get the in line adapter. http://www.amazon.com/Sirius-FMDA25-...8084477&sr=8-1 Now I never have to change my station even when in cities. 8) 8)

 

This radio is supposed to have the XM side completely separate from the FM side. I don't have to pick an FM freq. for the XM to come through, just switch to "XM tuner" and it comes on.TK, when I lose XM the screen will sometimes say "no signal",but this always in a metro area where one would think the signal would be strong. I 20 thru Dallas is the worst, 38 miles e/w and "no signal".
I'm no electronics expert but here's what I think: The "auto XM" feature is manufactured just a little "off" and the terrestrial stations of metro areas overwhelm this feature and it goes to "no signal". I've tolerated this for over a year and just about given up. My hope was that someone had this same problem and discovered a simple (cheap) solution. A friend had the same radio,problems,areas, went to a Kenwood system,problems solved.
Thanks everyone for your replies. After 1/1/08 I'm replacing the system. Anyone want a crappy Pioneer system???[/i]

 

Most FM radios that you buy now have an auxiliary input that has to be menu enabled. You can run a wire from the headset output of your XM radio to the AUX input of your FM stereo and NEVER have to pick an FM station again. The quality is 1,000 times better when you do this.

My guess is that it's not the signal your losing but the FM output from the XM is not strong enough to reach your trucks FM radio antenna. The FCC dropped the output for all newer XM radios from 5 watts to 3 watts so it's hard for the XM to output a strong enough signal to your trucks antenna.

 

Probably u r losing connection at your pioneer xm box. The mushroom antennas end where it plugs into the xm receiver does not fit well in my experience.(does'nt make good contact) I had to go into the receiver and hardwire the antenna to it to get a signal and no problems since. I would play with the plug next time you have trouble to see if this is the problem.

 

I'll try it.