# XM Outage: How Are You Coping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034 "2007-05-22T04:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/1 "2007-05-22T04:40:14Z")
So, it appears XM had a satellite go AWOL on them, which has taken down most of the repeaters on the East Coast. They’re saying it’ll be fixed by Tuesday morning, but I have my doubts. I, personally, cannot get any signal in the house, since I was dependent on the repeater across the road for signal, and in the car I’m getting a bunch of dropouts. Admittedly, this doesn’t hurt that badly because O&A are [still suspended](http://peopleagainstcensorship.org) but it’s throwing me off to not have any radio at all. How are my fellow XM subscribers coping with this outage? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/2 "2007-05-22T11:53:04Z")
Hadn’t even noticed it, oddly. Ohio-based, here, though. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/3 "2007-05-22T12:38:51Z")
Coping poorly. Local radio around here is **wretched** and I keep forgetting to bring cd’s with me. It’s amazing how quick you get used to just having good music on the radio whenever you turn it on… ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/4 "2007-05-22T12:48:17Z")
I’ve only had XM about 2 weeks… was still trying to decide how much I like it (is it worth the subscriber fees) - Then the spotty reception forced me back to local radio. I WANT MY XM BACK!!! I’m just glad to know that the issue is not normal! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/5 "2007-05-22T13:53:51Z")
West Coast, and all it’s doing to me is giving me an erratic signal on a couple of stations. No hu-hu. If my XM went out completely, I’d freak. I can’t go back to terrestrial radio. I won’t go back! They can have my XM radio when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/6 "2007-05-22T14:04:37Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] West Coast, and all it’s doing to me is giving me an erratic signal on a couple of stations. No hu-hu. If my XM went out completely, I’d freak. I can’t go back to terrestrial radio. I won’t go back! They can have my XM radio when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers! [/QUOTE] Close enough here as well–I’m sure we’re getting the same satellite. I noticed more erratic signals at times, but I was putting it down to my own hardware. I’ve got one of the old Delphi SkyFi radios with the carkit in my car and at times something jiggles a bit loose due to vibration–I figured it was the cable connecting the antenna to the dock. I’m rather glad to hear it was a problem with the satellites and not with my hardware. I don’t use the radio at work–I’d have to buy one of those personal repeaters to get the signal–but I do sometimes listen to the online stream. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/7 "2007-05-22T14:44:05Z")
I noticed the reception seemed to be a little weak the last couple of days. I never mounted my antenna on the roof, it’s just laying on the dash and I always get weaker reception heading north. It was hardly ever a problem, but now it’s dropping out almost any time I head north. At least I know what’s causing it, but the loss of signal isn’t severe enough to make me go back to terrestrial. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/8 "2007-05-22T17:10:46Z")
[QUOTE=brianjedi] So, it appears XM had a satellite go AWOL on them, which has taken down most of the repeaters on the East Coast. They’re saying it’ll be fixed by Tuesday morning, but I have my doubts. I, personally, cannot get any signal in the house, since I was dependent on the repeater across the road for signal, and in the car I’m getting a bunch of dropouts. Admittedly, this doesn’t hurt that badly because O&A are [still suspended](http://peopleagainstcensorship.org) but it’s throwing me off to not have any radio at all. How are my fellow XM subscribers coping with this outage? [/QUOTE] Cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago. Get with the program. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/9 "2007-05-22T17:19:50Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago. Get with the program. [/QUOTE] I can’t do that to the buddays. Ronnie B and Fez Marie are doing a yeoman’s job of keeping the house in order, and I feel like I owe it to them to keep listening. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/10 "2007-05-22T17:29:41Z")
I have to get by with just 6-9pm. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/11 "2007-05-22T18:19:16Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I have to get by with just 6-9pm. [/QUOTE] I have no FreeFM around here, sadly. I have been trying to catch one of the live streams of the b-b-boys before I leave for work. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/12 "2007-05-22T19:01:42Z")
I went out over lunch, and it seemed to be back to normal (couldn’t get it in parking garage last night or this morning, get it consistently there now). ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/13 "2007-05-22T20:47:46Z")
Is this one of those “Recreational Outage” threads? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/14 "2007-05-23T01:11:48Z")
I found it annoying. I was more annoyed at the time I spent trying to fix an antenna which wasn’t broken. I got momentary outages in Dallas, which supposed to be one of the best areas to get satellite reception. I switched to the Rangers game on KRLD AM on the way home from work yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/15 "2007-05-23T02:05:05Z")
I’m doing just fine since I have Sirius Satellite and it rocks over XM! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/16 "2007-05-23T03:10:53Z")
So are they planning to discount your monthly bills to account for service outages or are they just going to stick their tongues out at you like the cable company does when the cable goes out? ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/17 "2007-05-23T16:50:37Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] So are they planning to discount your monthly bills to account for service outages or are they just going to stick their tongues out at you like the cable company does when the cable goes out? [/QUOTE] According to this morning’s news, XM subscribers with receive a 2-day credit on their bills. I live in Las Vegas. I set mine up at work Tuesday morning and was greeted with “NO SIGNAL”. Went to the website to get the phone number and was directed to a link explaining the problem. It came back up around 10 AM PDT and all’s right with the world. [QUOTE=Loach] Cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago. Get with the program. [/QUOTE] Which program would that be? The five-minute commercial blocks program? The 20-song playlist program? Or the “no more stations for anyone over 30” program? Satellite radio is the only way to go and well worth the money, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/18 "2007-05-23T18:33:34Z")
[QUOTE=badkittypriestess] I’m doing just fine since I have Sirius Satellite and it rocks over XM! 😃 [/QUOTE] Poor child has obviously never experienced Ron and Fez. Ronnie B is a genius, my hero, and the funniest man on radio. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/19 "2007-05-23T18:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=want2know] According to this morning’s news, XM subscribers with receive a 2-day credit on their bills. I live in Las Vegas. I set mine up at work Tuesday morning and was greeted with “NO SIGNAL”. Went to the website to get the phone number and was directed to a link explaining the problem. It came back up around 10 AM PDT and all’s right with the world. Which program would that be? The five-minute commercial blocks program? The 20-song playlist program? Or the “no more stations for anyone over 30” program? Satellite radio is the only way to go and well worth the money, IMHO. [/QUOTE] The program is [this.](http://peopleagainstcensorship.org/) I paid to get uncensored programing when I wish to listen to it. I will not give them my money while they are censoring their uncensored channels. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034/20 "2007-05-23T22:37:06Z")
[QUOTE=Rucksinator] Poor child has obviously never experienced Ron and Fez. Ronnie B is a genius, my hero, and the funniest man on radio. [/QUOTE] He was in one hell of a snit today, wasn’t he? “Just say ‘I’m Earl’ and I’ll understand!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xm-outage-how-are-you-coping/405034.md?page=2)