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Robot
Everyday Listener
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 83
Location: Texas
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 Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 12:51 pm Post subject: Help for Aiming Home Antenna. Pass this to new owners. |
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Advanced display menu on the Delphi XM receivers.
This menu shows a more exact signal quality indicator. This menu shows the signals being received from the 2 satellites and any terrestrial repeaters in your area. This menu allows you to only look at things. You cannot change any settings in this menu so you cannot accidently change something that would mess up your receiver. Look and have fun.
WITH YOUR UNIT OFF:
1. Press 2 - 0 - 7 and then the "XM" button.
2. The unit will power on.
3. Wait about 5 seconds and press the "display" button 3 more times to get into the advanced menu screens.
4. This will bring up a series of advanced menu screens. Pressing the "display" button again will cycle the display through the 5 menu screens.
The number of screens will vary on the SkyFi, Roady, MyFi, and Commander.
1st Screen:
A display showing the signals being received from SAT1 and SAT2 and TERR, the terrestrial ground repeaters. A check mark in the box means you are getting a signal from that source. Only 1 source is needed to make the radio operational.
XM's satellites are affectionately called Rock and Roll. SAT1 is Roll which is in orbit over the east coast. SAT2 is Rock which is in orbit over the west coast. XM has more than 900 terrestrial repeaters. These terrestrial, or ground repeaters, are used to repeat the same signal that the satellites are sending. These repeaters are used in larger cities and make it possible to get a signal between tall buildings and in the lower levels of expressways etc.
BER % is the Bit Error Rate Percentage. This is a VERY GOOD indicator for aiming your home antenna. You want the LOWEST number.
A BER % of 0.0 is a perfect signal. As this number increases there are more errors. A signal of less than 5% is needed for the radio to play. Only 1 signal of the 3 is needed to make the receiver play.
To make antenna aiming adjustments, rotate or tilt the antenna slightly, REMOVE your hand from the antenna, and look at the numbers. It will take a few seconds for the SkyFi to react as the incoming signal is buffered in the radio.
I have found screen 1 with the BER percentages to be EXTREMELY useful in finding the best location and position of my indoor antenna for optimal reception. It sure beats the little three, or four bar display in the regular menu.
You now have a good way to see that your indoor antenna is positioned for the best reception.
It is also fun to look at the advanced menu BER% when you have your radio in the car while driving around. The car antenna is omnidirectional and cannot be aimmed, but it is neat to see what your XM is receiving.
XM Rocks !
Rob |
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GMFreak8
O&A Radio Fan
Joined: 16 Feb 2004
Posts: 23447
Location: Malone, New York
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| Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Great Info. Thanks. 
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XM Commander in my 1998 Buick Riviera with 102K on it. |
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mkoso
Everyday Listener
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 69
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| Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Yea, that's great, thanks a lot! Do you have any idea what any of the other screens are for?
Mark |
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theaprilfool
Xmeleot #4
Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 33621
Location: Home of the 2012 World Series Champs!!!!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for those Instructions, my signal was bordering on 4 and 5, but now it's 0.9 to 1.6. I was wonder why on a clear day I was having so many problems, but then on a bad day, i was getting great reception 
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Nauta Aetheris
shhhh. I love ya, Nauta baby.
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Hollywood
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 6:54 am Post subject: Great Googa-mooga! |
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Thank you for this important information, Robot!!! 
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uferna01
New Member
Joined: 22 Feb 2004
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 2:14 pm Post subject: Can't find the XM button |
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Hi
I am trying to follow your procedure, but I can not find the XM button that comes after pressing 2-0-7. I have a MyFi unit.
Where can I locate it? |
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w8mv
New Member
Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 4:18 pm Post subject: MyFi's XM button |
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| For MyFi users, push in on the wheel to simulate the XM button. |
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Freddy Krueger
Pioneer Inno bumpin' as I smoke on a pound.
Joined: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 158
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Do you get better reception with the home antenna set horizontally? |
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joelong
New Member
Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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What a great tip!  I was able to achieve 0.0 to 0.1 consistently.
But, if I want to revert back to the original Display screens, how to do I go about that? I would like to use the extended screens only when checking the antenna signal.
Thanks,
Joe |
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XM in Dallas
Moderator/XMelot #3/XM Suck-up/PLM/IE8-elot
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Posts: 46036
Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| joelong wrote: | What a great tip! I was able to achieve 0.0 to 0.1 consistently.
But, if I want to revert back to the original Display screens, how to do I go about that? I would like to use the extended screens only when checking the antenna signal.
Thanks,
Joe |
Just turn it off and back on (using the power button).
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Nauta Aetheris
shhhh. I love ya, Nauta baby.
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 310
Location: Hollywood
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| Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| XM in Dallas wrote: | | joelong wrote: | What a great tip! I was able to achieve 0.0 to 0.1 consistently.
But, if I want to revert back to the original Display screens, how to do I go about that? I would like to use the extended screens only when checking the antenna signal.
Thanks,
Joe |
Just turn it off and back on (using the power button). |
....or...... On a SKYFi (1) -- if you are through viewing the BER% screen -- you can just press the "display" button five more times to get through the diagnostic screens and you will be back at the "regular" (song title/artist) screens... These diagnostic screens will remain active in the display "queue" until the tuner is powered down, then will have to be reactivated on future "power-on's" if desired by using the 2-0-7-XM method again....
But what do I know?! I'm just a Drinking fan with an XM problem... 
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zeitwatch1
Extreme Fan
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 183
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
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| Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 1:28 am Post subject: |
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| Since the omnidirectional car antennas work so well, why are they not used indoors? It seems that such an antenna would be especially helpful in a challenging inside setting. |
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Robot
Everyday Listener
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 83
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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Using the car antenna indoors would make tire marks on the carpeting.
Robot |
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zeitwatch1
Extreme Fan
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Posts: 183
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:30 am Post subject: |
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| Not if you wipe your tires before coming in the house, just like Mom always said. |
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haroldxm
Everyday Listener
Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 96
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| zeitwatch1 wrote: | | Since the omnidirectional car antennas work so well, why are they not used indoors? It seems that such an antenna would be especially helpful in a challenging inside setting. |
Since you are indoors it is more diffficult to grab a signal, so the gain from the directional antenna helps you out. |
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