Question for XM users that have the pause/rewind feature

[messenger13]

Currently I'm on the fence whether or not I should get XM. What I don't like about it, and what I have recently experienced with it is the dropouts. Drives me up a wall! :( But there should be a way around this...thus my question.

If I were to get an XM receiver that has the 30 or 45-minute pause/rewind feature, shouldn't this cure the drop-outs issues? In other words, once you've been listening to a station for 10 or 20 minutes, just rewind it back. Now, I should have a buffer so if a drop-out occurs, I won't hear it. Make sense? Anybody care to try this and report back? Ride through a tunnel or cover the unit up and see if it keep playing even though the signal is blocked.

TIA

[Gino]

I would think that you would just "record" the dropout (dead-air) and 20 minutes down the road you'd have the same effect... you'd just hear the recorded silence...

I'm also hating XM more and more - the reception is terrible on the bike (I have the antenna mounted to the top-case), and XM46 (my most listened to channel), seems to have the lowest fidelity of all the other channels... Maybe it's due to the "classiscalness rockness" age of the recording, but I have CDs of the same music that sound better, so that's no excuse. I think they're dumbing down the bandwidth on the commercial free stations on purpose.

[tvguy]

What I have found - no matter which unit you use - is the antenna placement is very important. The MyFi unit comes with a personal antenna but it doesn't work very well, you will have issues(I did). You have to use the small black puck for best results.

On the LT, lay the extra antenna wire back and forth under the handlebar cover... DO NOT wind it around the XM radio mount or where ever you mounted the unit. If you do, it will act like a coil to pick up interference.

I have not had any issues in the last two year with dropouts or lack of signal unless I am around a radio station broadcasting on the same FM modulator freq. I am on.

I use a Offset Satellite Radio Holder for BMW's from Cyclegadgets (http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/product.asp?Item=RDYRS)

[tbarstow]

I had the same problem with reception when I had the antenna right behind the maplight on the LT. I now have it on the dash with some dual-lock. After uncovering the antenna, reception isn't a problem, until something substantial blocks it, like a bridge/tunnel/parking garage.

As for the extra 500' of antenna cable, I just shortened the antenna cable. The compound solder joint is kind of a pain, but it works just fine with both of our XM radios.

[messenger13]

I would think that you would just "record" the dropout (dead-air) and 20 minutes down the road you'd have the same effect... you'd just hear the recorded silence...Yes, I realize that it's either going to record dead-air, or it may not buffer dead-air. That's why I would like someone to do the experiment.

[tbarstow]

Joe,

We have an XM To Go that has this feature. It allows you to record up to 4 hours of XM programming in 2 play slots in the radio. If you have any drops/interruptions/chanel changes during recording, it records it as well.

So the answer is yes, you can record the XM broadcast you are listening to, stop recording when you encounter a problem with the signal, play the recording, then resume listening to the live signal later.

Hope this answers your question.