I purchased an '07 530xi from a private owner that has the Sirius satellite package installed. Lucky me, the previous owner has yet to transfer his subscription, so I am enjoying it as long as it lasts.

I have not experienced Sirius or XM in a car before, so am wondering if the frequent audio cut outs are a normal occurrence for satellite reception. I live in a rural area and my ride to work is through wooded areas, up and down hills, etc. with very little open space. Listening to this service is like listening to a record that constantly skips. It's very annoying and if this is what I can expect from having satellite radio, I don't think I'll re-up when I stop receiving it. I would think that if this is to be a viable service offering, they would have solved this problem. Cell providers have resolved the issue with dropped calls (for the most part), so what's up with satellite? (I realize the technologies are different.)

I guess my question is, does everyone experience this, or is there something wrong with my setup?

 

If the signal cuts out at the same locations every time you drive by then there is probably some interference.

Rural areas could also get poorer reception due to the satellite footprint/beamweight allocation.

For the most part, the signal should be clear as long as you are not inside a garage or tunnel.

 

It's so random, and happens so frequently that it's hard to tell if it's cutting out in the same places each time. I'll have to make a conscious effort to note where it happens and see if it happens the same each time. I guess atmospheric conditions also affect satellite reception.

I also notice that my AM reception is crummy. (Don't laugh. In the NYC area, there's a lot of good AM stations.) Is the radio antenna also built into the shark fin? In my E39, it used to be embedded in the rear window.

 

It's funny... As I was driving to work this morning, I noticed that the satellite seemed to lose contact with the car as I sped through some S-curves.

 

I have XM in my other car, the signal is always clear as long as you have an open sky. The only time it would cut out is when the car is in a tunnel or the view of the sky is limited.

 

It's not clear where you're located from your tag, but New England is not Texas, Arizona or Montana where you have clear sky for miles. We have treelined streets, hills, valleys, mountains (s-curves, hairpin turns, truck runaway stops ). In fact, the Interstates are probably the only places where you can go for more than a mile without passing under something. So I guess I'm going to have to live with this, but I'm not sure I would renew.

 

Definitely right on that one. If you know anyone else who has Sirius and lives in your area, ask how their reception is. If it works fine in their cars then you may have a hardware problem.

I grew up in NYC - used to listen to Don Imus and Howard Stern on AM radio before they got big. The AM antenna is also embedded in the rear window on the E60. If you have metallic window tint, you will not get any reception.

 

That is what I was afraid of... AM seems to be affected by atmospheric conditions too, with cloudy, rainy days offering better reception. Is the FM antenna there too?