Have sirius and hands free phone features with sirius antennae. I do not get good signals from local FM or AM Radio stations. Why?

I would look at the antenna connections ... you will need to remove the unit from the dash to get to the back of the radio. [Google removal of that specific radio for your vehicle]. You may be able to get your hand up under some dash boards to reach the back of radio?

The antenna conception is typically a round coax conductor that goes to a plug into the back of the radio.

Try moving the plug around while radio is on ... if you get signal pull out connector and clean contacts with rubbing alcohol. Test again and reinstall.

Hope this helps!

I use a wired fm modulator that the fm antenna passes through. When the sirius radio is on it blocks the regular fm signal preventing local signals from interferring. Do a search for wired fm modulator and you should find one. Mine actually fit inside the dash on my pickup.

menu settings, tm channels. in there you select the frequency you want then hit select. then tune your stereo.
the only problem you will have is that as you travel you will end up having a station on any channel you are on. you will have to switch it a lot. there are 2 things you can do. 1 you can get an adapter that plugs from the sirius to the antenna port on the radion and then the cars.antenna in that. when sirius is on it bypassed the antenna on the car and pipes the signal right into the radio. or2 you can do what I did. I do not use am or tm so I completely disconnected the antenna.so I get no fm interference at all.

You can get a converter like this one.

http://catronics.com.au/fmconverter.html

It's a simple solution and it works.

1st. use the signal strength meter found in the menu on the sirius streamer and then find the best position for your antenna, also fyi it depends where you are located in the us , i am in ks and my best direction is on the north side of my house. there may be interference from a strong station on an adjacent channel also .if you are using the fm broadcast feature of your streamer just try to use a frequency that doesn't have a signal on the next frequency to the one that you are using.

The "hard wired" version that you speak of apparently only refers to the power supply.Do you have a seperate display for the Sirius unit? Now, you failed to mention the type of radio (factory or aftermarket); so, if you have to use an "empty radio station" then you have an FM modulator. This modulator could wired or wireless. The wired version interrupts the vehicle antenna wire and the station on said modulator is usually preset to either 88.1, 88.3,88.7, or 89.1. There is no need to power this modulator up, it comes on when then Sirius comes on. One way to check for power is to turn on the Sirius unit and tune your radio to an occupied Fm station. Wait a few seconds and listen to the reception. Turn off the Sirius unit, the reception should improve for the occupied station. If it is a wireless FM modulator it also has preset stations that you can change but, extending the wieless antenna will greatly improve your reception of the Sirius stations.

&R=11812445&C=17577363&K=NBy0 Your SIRIUS radio contains an FM transmitter that allows it to operate wirelessly through your car FM radio. We have determined that the output of this transmitter exceeds the limits established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As a result, the unit may interfere with the performance of radios operating in areas adjacent to your radio. There are no health or safety concerns associated with this issue.

• If you listen to your SIRIUS radio wirelessly through your vehicle's FM radio, then please review the solutions listed below and select the one that works best for you. SIRIUS will provide you the best solution at no cost.

• If you use your SIRIUS radio only when docked in a boombox, or directly connected to your car radio or home stereo using audio cables or a cassette tape adapter, then no interference can occur and no further action is required, provided you have turned off your FM transmitter. To turn off the FM transmitter, first press the MENU button. Use the channel up/down buttons to highlight “FM Transmitter” and push the SELECT button. Use the channel up/down buttons to highlight the "FM On/Off" menu item and then press the SELECT button. Use the up/down buttons to highlight "FM Off" and press the SELECT button. To exit the "FM On/Off" menu, press the MENU button. Use the same procedure to turn off the FM transmitter if you use Solution 1 or Solution 2 below..

Solution 1 - Direct Wired Audio Connection: If your vehicle radio has a “LINE IN” or “AUX IN” jack, you can use a stereo cable to connect directly to your SIRIUS radio. This solution is the easiest to install and provides the best audio performance. Many newer vehicles provide the required audio input jack. It will normally be found on or near the front faceplate of your vehicle’s radio.





Solution 2 - Cassette Tape Adapter: If your vehicle has a cassette tape player, you can use a cassette adapter that allows you to play your SIRIUS radio through the cassette portion of your vehicle radio. The adapter slips into your vehicle radio as easily as a cassette tape and provides better performance than a wireless connection.


Solution 3 - FM Extender Cable Kit: An FM extender cable will provide a special transmitter antenna that allows you to obtain the best audio performance through your vehicle’s FM radio. This solution is easy to self-install, but does require that an easy-to-hide wire be run in your vehicle so the transmitter antenna can be placed in close proximity to your vehicle’s radio antenna. Using this FM Extender Cable Kit, you will continue to use your SIRIUS radio exactly the same way as you do currently.



Solution 4 - FM Direct Adapter with Professional Installation: An FM Direct Adapter provides a wired connection between your SIRIUS radio and your vehicle’s radio. You will continue to listen to your SIRIUS radio through the FM tuner of your car radio, but the FM Direct Adapter eliminates the outside static and interference you sometimes experience when using a wireless FM connection. This solution usually requires professional installation. We will provide a certificate redeemable for installation at an installation center in your area.

Please go to www.sirius.com/optimize and select the solution that works best for you. If you have any questions, please call 1-(877) 635-5130. Detailed instructions will be included with your solution.
You will improve the performance of your SIRIUS radio and reduce the potential for interfering with adjacent radios if you properly tune your FM transmitter. Please see the FM Transmitter Set-Up Tips below for more information.
We are sorry for this inconvenience. We are confident these solutions will allow you to continue to enjoy the great music, news, sports and entertainment that only SIRIUS Satellite Radio can offer with no impact on your radio’s performance.
Sincerely,

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO


FM Transmitter Set-Up Tips
To tune your FM transmitter turn off your SIRIUS radio and tune through the FM channels on your vehicle’s radio to locate an FM channel (except 87.7/87.9) that is not broadcasting in your area. If you use an FM channel that is being used by a local broadcaster, it will interfere with the performance of your SIRIUS radio. Once you have located an FM channel that is not being used for broadcasting in your area, save it as a preset on your vehicle radio. This will become your SIRIUS preset. If you’re not sure which FM channels are not being used in your home or travel cities, you can go to www.sirius.com/fmchannel and search for an FM channel based on zip code.
Turn on your SIRIUS radio. In the SETTINGS or MENU on your SIRIUS radio, locate the “FM Frequency” adjustments. Set the channel number on your SIRIUS radio to match the SIRIUS preset on your vehicle radio. Refer to your user guide for detailed instructions on how to do this. The FM transmitter in your SIRIUS radio is automatically set to FM channel 88.1. This may not be the best channel in your area.



&R=11812445&C=17577363&K=NBy0

You should use the direct FM box to get the static to go away. You unplug the antenna from the radio, plug the antenna lead from the box into the radio, the antenna line plugs into the box. You will have a mini jack that plugs into your radio or dock.

This way you can switch it on any station to get rid of the static.

You shouldn't need to take the dashboard out to get to the radio. Usually you have to take the trim pieces in front of the radio to get the antenna line out.

Sometime you can reach it from the back of the radio if there is enough clearance to get cak there.

I have noticed various changes in my invehicle FM reception as well. There should be a external antenna that came with your car kit. This is precisely for these types of issues. It is designed to run along the windshield inside the car closest to the Cars radio antenna. It should plugin to the bottom of the cradle. Then tune it into a clean FM station (one that has no local station on it) and position the cradle and/or ext. antenna till you get the best reception in your vehicle. It could very well be that the antenna has come has loose on your car stereo backplane. You would probably notice decreased reception on regular AM/FM stations as well though.
Your wifi reception/functionality is a completely different animal and has no bearing on the FM transmitter in the car cradle. When your on wifi your not receiving signal from a sat. anymore just simply streaming internet audio like your computer.
Good luck.

Did You pay Sirius for their service?