Looking for a second antenna

[John]

I have a Starmate Replay with the antenna permanently installed in one
car. I want to use the radio in a second car for a long trip.

Do I have to get a Sirius brand antenna? Will an XM work?

Could I use an interior type antenna and just point it up on the car's
rear deck?

[Coyote]

"John" <jlp20@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1149718792.628429.177570@c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>I have a Starmate Replay with the antenna permanently installed in one
> car. I want to use the radio in a second car for a long trip.
>
> Do I have to get a Sirius brand antenna? Will an XM work?
>
> Could I use an interior type antenna and just point it up on the car's
> rear deck?
>


Just buy a visor or S1...they both come with a antenna. You can buy them
for around the same price of a antenna.

Around $49 Radio shack has a speial on the S1 at this time.

[Dr. Droo]

John wrote:
> I have a Starmate Replay with the antenna permanently installed in one
> car. I want to use the radio in a second car for a long trip.
>
> Do I have to get a Sirius brand antenna? Will an XM work?
>
> Could I use an interior type antenna and just point it up on the car's
> rear deck?

www.tss-radio.com sells the car antenna for 27.99 with free USPS
Priority shipping..

http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-mobile-antenna-micro-p-3709.html

That's the cheapest I've seen.. Retail is around 39.99.

The home antennas suck pretty bad, I'd not waste time with that. An XM
antenna may work, but the gain characteristics of the Sirius antennas
are much better.

--D

[Coyote]

"Dr. Droo" <drdroo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149724639.537198.37390@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> John wrote:
>> I have a Starmate Replay with the antenna permanently installed in one
>> car. I want to use the radio in a second car for a long trip.
>>
>> Do I have to get a Sirius brand antenna? Will an XM work?
>>
>> Could I use an interior type antenna and just point it up on the car's
>> rear deck?
>
> www.tss-radio.com sells the car antenna for 27.99 with free USPS
> Priority shipping..
>
> http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-mobile-antenna-micro-p-3709.html
>
> That's the cheapest I've seen.. Retail is around 39.99.
>
> The home antennas suck pretty bad, I'd not waste time with that. An XM
> antenna may work, but the gain characteristics of the Sirius antennas
> are much better.
>
> --D
>

Just say this:

>For those on a budget, your best bet is the Sirius One(model number SV-1),
>which is available at CircuitCity for $29.99 this week. A basic radio, but
>it has a display with title/artist, easily lets you scroll through the
>channels, and will get the job done for a

http://www.siriusbackstage.com/

[Dr. Droo]

Coyote wrote:
> >For those on a budget, your best bet is the Sirius One(model number SV-1),
> >which is available at CircuitCity for $29.99 this week. A basic radio, but
> >it has a display with title/artist, easily lets you scroll through the
> >channels, and will get the job done for a
>
> http://www.siriusbackstage.com/

Yeah and buying that radio will cost Sirius 100-something bucks in
terms of Acquisition costs. I'd rather not suggest methods that'll
cost Sirius more money.

--D

[Backfire Bob]

"Dr. Droo" <drdroo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149724639.537198.37390@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> John wrote:
>> I have a Starmate Replay with the antenna permanently installed in one
>> car. I want to use the radio in a second car for a long trip.
>>
>> Do I have to get a Sirius brand antenna? Will an XM work?
>>
>> Could I use an interior type antenna and just point it up on the car's
>> rear deck?
>
> www.tss-radio.com sells the car antenna for 27.99 with free USPS
> Priority shipping..
>
> http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-mobile-antenna-micro-p-3709.html
>
> That's the cheapest I've seen.. Retail is around 39.99.
>
> The home antennas suck pretty bad, I'd not waste time with that. An XM
> antenna may work, but the gain characteristics of the Sirius antennas
> are much better.
>
> --D
BOTH antennas are IDENTICAL period. I don't know where the hell these people
pull this ---- out of their asses about Sirius Antennas having more gain.
BOTH antennas are "Patch" design, BOTH have an active preamp in the head of
the antenna.
BOTH systems are within the SAME SDARS band.
They BOTH run off of 5 volts from the receiver.
I personally have used XM antennas on Sirius radios and Sirius antennas on
XM Roady,SkyFi Boombox, XM PCR.
If the antenna fitting is the same IT WILL WORK FINE.

[Dr. Droo]

Backfire Bob wrote:
> BOTH antennas are IDENTICAL period. I don't know where the hell these people
> pull this ---- out of their asses about Sirius Antennas having more gain.
> BOTH antennas are "Patch" design, BOTH have an active preamp in the head of
> the antenna.
> BOTH systems are within the SAME SDARS band.
> They BOTH run off of 5 volts from the receiver.
> I personally have used XM antennas on Sirius radios and Sirius antennas on
> XM Roady,SkyFi Boombox, XM PCR.
> If the antenna fitting is the same IT WILL WORK FINE.

I think you need to go back and study antenna theory, Bob. Just
because it works doesn't mean it works well.

--D

[Backfire Bob]

"Dr. Droo" <drdroo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149745774.750820.25830@c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Backfire Bob wrote:
>> BOTH antennas are IDENTICAL period. I don't know where the hell these
>> people
>> pull this ---- out of their asses about Sirius Antennas having more gain.
>> BOTH antennas are "Patch" design, BOTH have an active preamp in the head
>> of
>> the antenna.
>> BOTH systems are within the SAME SDARS band.
>> They BOTH run off of 5 volts from the receiver.
>> I personally have used XM antennas on Sirius radios and Sirius antennas
>> on
>> XM Roady,SkyFi Boombox, XM PCR.
>> If the antenna fitting is the same IT WILL WORK FINE.
>
> I think you need to go back and study antenna theory, Bob. Just
> because it works doesn't mean it works well.
>
> --D
>
Oh I understand microwave antenna theory very well Droo.....
What makes you think the Siruis antennas have SO much more "gain".
What do you base that on? Show us some figures....are you trying to say they
have 10 DB of more gain\
than a quad..or another patch....or another MFGR?
I utilize Patch antennas for a lot of other aspects, one of them is
transponders and RF-ID.......
Tell us exactly WHY the Sirius antennas are so much better, from a purely
technical standpoint, none of
this product loyalty crapola (my dog is smarter than your dog) stuff.....

[Dr. Droo]

Backfire Bob wrote:
> Oh I understand microwave antenna theory very well Droo.....
> What makes you think the Siruis antennas have SO much more "gain".
> What do you base that on? Show us some figures....are you trying to say they
> have 10 DB of more gain\

It seems there's at least a disparity of 8 dB between Sirius' OWN
antennas, not even including OTHER legacy antennas like the SIR-MINI.

http://tinyurl.com/qq8ek

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=248950&id=detailed_info&i=209XM6

Terk XM6 for instance is 30dB, vs 42dB for the SIR6 by the same
company.

http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?id=7117

Terk's XM SR2 is 22-24dB of gain, according to their materials.
Comparatively the old Terk SIR3 is 36dB.

> Tell us exactly WHY the Sirius antennas are so much better, from a purely
> technical standpoint, none of
> this product loyalty crapola (my dog is smarter than your dog) stuff.....

It's not about a product loyalty issue at all.

It is well known that the Sirius Dot Micro is the best Sirius antenna
to date for the car, just by actual use if for no other reason. Anyone
with several antennas of various vintages can find this out for
themselves. Whether that ultimately matter to a person or not varies.


Other examples are the Sirius HOME antenna vs the Sirius Outdoor
antenna. BIG difference, especially when aimed the wrong direction.
If you're aimed the wrong direction the difference can be no outage vs
10 minutes of outage on a pass.

I didn't say an XM antenna wouldn't work, I can say with certainty that
the Dot Micro not only works, but works very well.

--D

[Backfire Bob]

"Dr. Droo" <drdroo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149795016.067086.284850@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
> Backfire Bob wrote:
>> Oh I understand microwave antenna theory very well Droo.....
>> What makes you think the Siruis antennas have SO much more "gain".
>> What do you base that on? Show us some figures....are you trying to say
>> they
>> have 10 DB of more gain\
>
> It seems there's at least a disparity of 8 dB between Sirius' OWN
> antennas, not even including OTHER legacy antennas like the SIR-MINI.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/qq8ek
>
> http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=248950&id=detailed_info&i=209XM6
>
> Terk XM6 for instance is 30dB, vs 42dB for the SIR6 by the same
> company.
>
> http://www.abtelectronics.com/scripts/site/site_product.php3?id=7117
>
> Terk's XM SR2 is 22-24dB of gain, according to their materials.
> Comparatively the old Terk SIR3 is 36dB.
>
>> Tell us exactly WHY the Sirius antennas are so much better, from a purely
>> technical standpoint, none of
>> this product loyalty crapola (my dog is smarter than your dog) stuff.....
>
> It's not about a product loyalty issue at all.
>
> It is well known that the Sirius Dot Micro is the best Sirius antenna
> to date for the car, just by actual use if for no other reason. Anyone
> with several antennas of various vintages can find this out for
> themselves. Whether that ultimately matter to a person or not varies.
>
>
> Other examples are the Sirius HOME antenna vs the Sirius Outdoor
> antenna. BIG difference, especially when aimed the wrong direction.
> If you're aimed the wrong direction the difference can be no outage vs
> 10 minutes of outage on a pass.
>
> I didn't say an XM antenna wouldn't work, I can say with certainty that
> the Dot Micro not only works, but works very well.
>
> --D
>
Thanks for the specs...if they are TRULY correct (from the MFGR) then it is
a big differance.
Probably the best way is to look up the FCC type acceptance letters and
tests on the FCC website.
They are all posted there in plain view, including the test gear, the test
jig and test range.
If I have time this weekend I will peruse that and see what it shows.
As you well know...some rate them..DBi...DBm....DBd.....kinda like "Peak
Power output" if you remember those days..

[Dr. Droo]

Backfire Bob wrote:
> Thanks for the specs...if they are TRULY correct (from the MFGR) then it is
> a big differance.
> Probably the best way is to look up the FCC type acceptance letters and
> tests on the FCC website.
> They are all posted there in plain view, including the test gear, the test
> jig and test range.
> If I have time this weekend I will peruse that and see what it shows.
> As you well know...some rate them..DBi...DBm....DBd.....kinda like "Peak
> Power output" if you remember those days..

I'll have to go digging through the FCC database. It's possible that
info is with the associated receiver.

Terk apparently provides their specs for their antennas, some places
don't. At the very least I assume Terk's testbed is the same for all
their antennas.

I have an e-mail into Sirenza regarding the Dot Micro. The general
info account responded to me in 5 minutes, but they said they have to
pass it on as they didn't know if they had published specs. The Dot
Micro definitely seems to do better in real-world performance, so the
specs could be interesting.

--D

[John]

If anyone bothered to read the original post, I was looking for a yes
or no answer. After much reading, the answer between the lines was yes.


Went to eBay and found a new antenna in an unsealed box for $20.

[Backfire Bob]

"John" <jlp20@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1149992874.379017.66030@h76g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> If anyone bothered to read the original post, I was looking for a yes
> or no answer. After much reading, the answer between the lines was yes.
>
>
> Went to eBay and found a new antenna in an unsealed box for $20.
>

What part of "IT WILL WORK FINE" didnt you understand?