Successful Launch and deployment of SXM-7

[Don in CT]

How many working satellites do they need for a functional service?

 

[nelson61]

XMS FAILS DURING IN ORBIT TESTING .
Evaluation in progress

Sirius XM's latest satellite, built by Maxar and launched by SpaceX, suffers failure in orbit

Sirius XM's recently launched SXM-7 satellite suffered "failures" during in-orbit testing, the company said in a securities filing.

www.cnbc.com

 

[navychop]

I’ll bet there will be a redesign of number 8, delaying launch.

 

[TheKrell]

I’ll bet there will be a redesign of number 8, delaying launch.

Why do you say that? Considering SN8 almost completed the entirety of its test milestones, and only crashed and burned at the very end, I would expect something as simple as a software change to fix it.

 

[Don in CT]

Why do you say that? Considering SN8 almost completed the entirety of its test milestones, and only crashed and burned at the very end, I would expect something as simple as a software change to fix it.

I wonder if it was software or a mechanical failure.

 

[navychop]

SXM-8

 

[TheKrell]

SXM-8

Oh crap. Sorry about my confusion. This is the SXM thread, not the Starship thread. Now darn it my post has aged out and I can't delete it.

 

[TRG]

How many working satellites do they need for a functional service?

The XM system uses 2 satellites. Sirius uses 3.

Go to the technical section of the WIKI linked below.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw0fuUe10dHVMPwRANeZOnmn&cshid=1612476024394

 

[Don in CT]

The XM system uses 2 satellites. Sirius uses 3.

Go to the technical section of the WIKI linked below.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw0fuUe10dHVMPwRANeZOnmn&cshid=1612476024394

What do new radios use.

 

[TRG]

What do new radios use.

I'm pretty sure that most of the newer radios use the XM satellites. Which is a good thing since they have much better sound quality.

 

[Don in CT]

I'm pretty sure that most of the newer radios use the XM satellites. Which is a good thing since they have much better sound quality.

Is there a reason they cannot merge the technology into a single system.

 

[TRG]

Is there a reason they cannot merge the technology into a single system.

No, not that I know of. IMHO opinion they should.

 

[Foxbat]

I could never understand why gm (nee GM) use XM while Ford and Stellantis (nee Chrysler) use Sirius instead of everyone picking whatever satellites had the best signal coverage. From my limited experience with Ford and GM vehicles, the XM signal seems to have more bandwidth, sounding less like music coming through a corrugated tube.

 

[EarDemon]

For the longest time (and maybe even to this day) the auto manufactures stuck with the platform they originally had agreements with back in 2001/2002 when Sirius and XM were separate companies. Since GM was an initial financial investor in XM in the late 90s, it was only natural they offered XM. The XM-GM relationship was pretty tight with Delphi making the early plug and play radios and XM's relationship with DirecTV. I think Toyota and Honda were the only other manufactures to go XM. Ford, Diamler Chrysler, BMW, VW went Sirius. Since Ford had ownership stake in Mazda, Land Rover/Jag, Volvo and Aston Martin at the time those were all Sirius as well.

Last month I took my car to the dealership to replace a bad solenoid and there was an issue so they gave me a brand new 2021 Edge ST with 17 miles on it for the weekend. In all honestly the Sirius XM sound quality was the same that's in my 2013 Navigator. The nice thing though, I could get all of the extra channels, so I was on Rock Bar and Red, White & Booze non stop for three days. Kinda made up for having to drive a tiny shoebox for a few days.

 

[Don in CT]

For the longest time (and maybe even to this day) the auto manufactures stuck with the platform they originally had agreements with back in 2001/2002 when Sirius and XM were separate companies. Since GM was an initial financial investor in XM in the late 90s, it was only natural they offered XM. The XM-GM relationship was pretty tight with Delphi making the early plug and play radios and XM's relationship with DirecTV. I think Toyota and Honda were the only other manufactures to go XM. Ford, Diamler Chrysler, BMW, VW went Sirius. Since Ford had ownership stake in Mazda, Land Rover/Jag, Volvo and Aston Martin at the time those were all Sirius as well.

Last month I took my car to the dealership to replace a bad solenoid and there was an issue so they gave me a brand new 2021 Edge ST with 17 miles on it for the weekend. In all honestly the Sirius XM sound quality was the same that's in my 2013 Navigator. The nice thing though, I could get all of the extra channels, so I was on Rock Bar and Red, White & Booze non stop for three days. Kinda made up for having to drive a tiny shoebox for a few days.

How many miles were on it when you gave it back?

 

[navychop]

I believe that when they were two separate companies, the government forced them to agree to eventually make a single radio that could receive both. Maybe part of merger deal.

OBE.

 

[JosephB]

Why the Sirius system and the XM system still exist, and why they still install radios that are one or the other is really simple

1. why they still install non-combined systems: because carmakers are still installing the radios they've had for decades now. Just because the interface and head unit evolve over time, the satellite tuners and antennas generally haven't. changing that costs money, and as long as they're still separate systems there's no real reason to invest that money. money which SiriusXM doesn't have to invest, and GM/Ford/FCA/etc don't want to invest
2. why they're still separate: there are millions of radios on both systems. both in cars and not in cars. yeah they could set a 10 year sunset period, but they have stats on how many old radios are out there still subscribed, and I suspect the number is high enough across radios that can't be replaced (in 10-15 year old cars) that they don't want to wipe out those subscribers

Some of the same forces that are hitting TV are hitting SiriusXM..namely, streaming and phones. SXM has bought Pandora, and also, their streaming platform is probably as big if not bigger than their satellite radios. There is/was a combined SXM platform, but now there's a new combined platform, 360L, which combines both satellite and internet into one platform. I think this will be the impetus for eventually combining the platforms. At this point I think the satellites in SXM's mind are for legacy vehicles and for the rare time you're somewhere without cellular coverage

 

[navychop]

I suspect you’re right. Who knows what will be available in ten years.

I’ve used Pandora. But now that I have a model Y, I guess I’ll look into other options. No Pandora on Teslas. But they stream a comedy channel to it, and that’s what I use mostly. USB stick for music- but we aren’t on the road much these days....

 

[tanman]

I managed a Radio Shack company store for many years in NE VT.At one point we sold both Sirius and XM.Based on customer feedback it seem liked Sirius didn't cut out as much ie satellites were higher in the sky.Anyone know if this is true?
Also never had the service until I got a car 2 and a half years ago that came with one year free.I certainly did notice that it would cut out at some point (usually in valleys) during every trip.Yesterday we made a 50 mile roundtrip listening to deep tracks.Got home and I noticed that it hadn't cut out once.

 

[Don in CT]

I managed a Radio Shack company store for many years in NE VT.At one point we sold both Sirius and XM.Based on customer feedback it seem liked Sirius didn't cut out as much ie satellites were higher in the sky.Anyone know if this is true?
Also never had the service until I got a car 2 and a half years ago that came with one year free.I certainly did notice that it would cut out at some point (usually in valleys) during every trip.Yesterday we made a 50 mile roundtrip listening to deep tracks.Got home and I noticed that it hadn't cut out once.

I notice dead spots around town, no hills anywhere.