Used delphi xm time remaining?

[avg1joe]

I had an electronic gadget that I traded for a couple of things. Something I wanted and a delphi skyfi vehicle radio system. I had no intention of paying monthly for satellite radio but since the guy was throwing this in with the other gadget I took the delphi. After he left I opened the box and found everything needed for car or house installation. When I hooked it up I was surprised that it immediately worked.

Is there some way of checking how much time is left on the subscription? I have read in this forum about these things working after cancellation. I have no intention of contacting xm in case this would prompt them to shut it down. Any other way of knowing how long this will work?

What satellite(s) does xm use so I know where to aim the antenna?

 

[Bobby]

My cancelled XM radio has played on and on for a very long time. You don't aim the antenna. You either stick it near a window or behind the windshield of a car.

 

[avg1joe]

Is it 85.1W?

 

[Steve Mehs]

Whenever the receiver gets hits with the deactivation signal it will be deactivated and will only be able to receive channel 1 and maybe another channel. There is no telling how long this will or will not go on. But if you like what you hear, do yourself, and the rest of us who pay for service a favor and subscribe. My original XM receiver, a Delphi SkyFi that I got back in 2003 and replaced with a SkyFi 2 in 2005 or 2006 still gets all of its programming all these years later. I hook it up every once in a while when I need to fine tune my home antenna, as the hidden 207 menu provides a better way gauge your signal strength and my current XM receiver for home is a built in tuner in my Sony Home Theater Receive and does not display that info. I had an old Delphi Roady XT that I canceled two years ago, I put that back in my SUV. It was still receiving all of its programming, but I called up so I could get billed for it and not have to worry about it getting shut off. The more you listen and have the receiver powered on the more likely you are to get it turned off.

XM has two geostationary satellites in space. XM-3 (aka Rhythm) is at 85.1, XM-4 (aka Blues) is at 115.0 (they replaced XM-1 aka Rock and XM-2 aka Roll but the older two satellites are still up there and serve as back up if needed), they both carry the same programming, but ensure nationwide coast to coast coverage. XM also has a vast array of terrestrial repeaters which allow you to receive programming in places that may have an obstructed view of the satellites such as urban environments. Unlike DBS, SDARS is not LOS dependent, so it's pretty much irrelevent unless you are specifically having signal issues.

 

[avg1joe]

I was losing signal with the antenna in my living room, pointed at a window. If I walked in between the window and the antenna the signal dropped off. I moved the antenna just outside the window and now I have a solid lock.

 

[Islandguy43]

the hidden 207 menu provides a better way gauge your signal strength and my current XM receiver for home is a built in tuner in my Sony Home Theater Receive and does not display that info.

Explain about this hidden 207 menu?

 

[avg1joe]

Thanks Steve. I spent a little time reading about the 207 menu. With the xm off type in 207 and push the xm button. The unit will turn on. Push display to cycle through advanced menu screens. You want the BER to be as close to zero as possible when aiming the antenna.

One of the screens in the 207 menus has what looks like dates to me. I wonder what they are. Firmware? Activation? Expiration?
SDEC 21 04/02/01
XMSTK 74 04/04/02
CSM 14 08/02/02
SKYFI 14 12/20/02

 

[Steve Mehs]

Yep that's the 207 menu, it's pretty cool. For home use, personally I've found it best if both satellites are perfect. I can pick up the terrestrial repeaters if I have my antenna pointed straight toward Buffalo, which I would assume that’s where the repeaters are around here, but I have the antenna pointed the opposite direction and have a perfect 0.0 on SAT1 and a 0.0-0.2 on SAT2. When I have a lock on only one satellite, sometimes channel changing can be slow.

I’ve not sure what those dates represent, but I would assume it’s firmware related. Most of those dates are from before XM was even officially launched.

 

[F250PS]

So I use to have XM when they first came out in my vehicle, but I was thinking of getting a boombox and use XM in my office. I have windows that look to the west here in Portland Oregon, do you think I will get reception? Thanks