Details on new FCC-compliant satellite radio FM transmitters

The good folks at Orbitcast have the rundown on what the FCC's crackdown leaky FM modulators means for you and your next satellite radio; in short: more wires. The complete details on XM's and Sirius' answers to the FCC's demands have emerged in (what else?) FCC certification filings, with each company coming to similar solutions. Sirius' FM Extender, seen above, requires you to affix a wire inside the vehicle as close to the external FM antenna as possible which, in most cases, means a wire on your front or rear windshield. XM's FM coupler takes things one step further,with a coupling clip that attaches directly to the external antenna or sticks to an on-glass antenna. Not exactly an ideal solution in either case, though we tend to agree with Orbitcast's assessment that professional installers have got to be digging it. Too bad, too, we were kind of digging on the short-range pirate radio stations we'd been broadcasting in traffic these last few years.

[kansei @ Oct 17th 2006 6:59AM]

What is wrong with the way the cd changer was in my dad's old ford exploder?? unplug the antenna from the back of the deck, plug in passthrough connector, plug antenna into passthrough. It was a direct wired FM connection, limited just by the sound quality issues inherent to FM radio (such as the really low frequency cutoff).

[rj @ Oct 17th 2006 8:11AM]

regular car antenna won't pick-up the high frequency.. which i believe is somewhere above 1200mhz?? too bad though... that really would be the best installation... considering most cars have hidden wires in the bumper/windshield these days. then again, i don't listen to satellite radio. =D

[Soap @ Oct 17th 2006 8:25AM]

The vehicle antenna has nothing to do with the frequency response of FM radio. It has everything to do with available bandwidth between channels.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 17th 2006 9:19AM]

I knew the FM fun wouldn't last long. :(
Just run the signal in direct using an adapter or switch.

If you can't then it's evolution in action.

[Larry @ Oct 17th 2006 9:39AM]

I really wish there were some effective way the FCC could crackdown on the FM transmitters! Every morning and afternoon I have problems with NPR on 88.1 getting knocked out by the FM transmitters. I am so tired of Howard Stern busting into my All Things Considered!!!

[someone @ Oct 17th 2006 9:56AM]

i

[Dan Wesnor @ Oct 17th 2006 10:40AM]

This whole issue would be moot if car stereos came with a $#%^ing 1/8 mini jack on the front panel!!

[ralphg @ Oct 17th 2006 11:03AM]

I have the opposite problem: commerical radio stations interfering with my music playback, even down aroudn 88.3 and 88.1

Many car attennas are now at the rear of the car, on the roof. With the MP3 player and FM transmittor in the front with the driver, that makes reception more difficult.

The FCC should simply mandate input jacks on car stereos. Problem solved.

[D2 @ Oct 17th 2006 5:20PM]

FCC mandated input jacks has to be one of the dumbest ideas I've heard. What next, have the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) mandate steering wheel stereo controls? ridiculous

[Matt Mead @ Oct 17th 2006 1:45PM]

I have to agree, mandated input jacks on all car stereo systems along with some damn company taking the time to build a passthrough FM transmitter like almost all cd changers can have would resolve 95% of the issues.

[Jess Sightler @ Oct 17th 2006 11:38PM]

No, it's the NTSB that should mandate steering wheel mounted stereo controls.

[Jess Sightler @ Oct 17th 2006 11:39PM]

That last post was a joke, btw (the joke tag got stripped).

[FM Transmitter @ Feb 5th 2008 4:12PM]

An easy work around to the lower transmitting distance of Sirius and XM's internal FM Transmitter is to use a Whole House FM Transmitter. Since you can go about 200 feet and still be FCC Part 15 compliant (FCC actually measures the micro volts coming of the antenna to determine if it’s compliant). Since the Whole House FM Transmitter goes about 150 feet it's a great solution to those Satellite Radios that now only transmit a few feet.

For those who are interested in this FM Transmitter the website URL is http://www.wholehousefmtransmitter.com