Customer Reviews
Great Satellite Radio Antenna Alternative
I bought this outdoor antenna for use with my Sirius SR550 Home Unit and DBS combiner/splitter and couldn't be happier with its performance. It installed easily on top of my patio cover in about 15 minutes with all the necessary hardware included. Because I already have DirecTV, I used the Terk antenna in conjunction with the DBS combiner/splitter so I could run the satellite radio antenna with my satellite TV cable.
The Terk outdoor antenna has plenty of "joints" to move it in virtually any direction you want, so setup was also very easy. Loosen a few screws, move it so the antenna "faces" the appropriate direction, and tighten the screws. The antenna cable connection has a weatherproof cover so no worries about anything happening to the connection. Once I got it hooked up, I turned on my satellite radio and got a full signal right from the start. In fact, only sometimes do I lose the signal for a brief moment as the antenna "locks" into the satellite when I first turn the unit on, but after about 5 or 10 seconds, I never have a dropped signal.
Overall, this product is well constructed, easy to install, and works great. I would highly recommend it over the antennas that come with either the home units or home kits for PnP Sat radios.
Good but not a magic bullet
The antenna that accompanied my Sirius ST2 Starmate Plug and Play worked fine in the car but died a death when I tried to get a signal through my home or office window, so I bought the Sir6 in the hopes that I could continue listening to Stern at work.
The Sir6 is perfect at home; I set it in the front window and get a solid 2 out of 3 bars of signal as opposed to the "acquiring signal" notification that the other one gave me. Once I mount it outside I don't anticipate ever losing signal.
In the office, though, it sputters and dies just like the other. My window is facing the wrong direction (in my part of the country they recommend pointing it east or northeast and my window faces west), and I've read things online about the signal-killing properties of steel-framed office buildings, but I'd hoped the Sir6 would overcome. Sadly, no.
It's definitely head-and-shoulders above the stock antennas, though, and I have no trouble recommending it. I can't give it the full five stars, though, because I was hoping for a miracle.
Brings in a strong & consistent Sirius signal
Although the factory antenna that came with my Sirius home dock usually worked fine, there were those rare occasions, usually in the evenings, where I'd experience intermittent or consistent signal dropout for hours on end. (I would find out later that this nighttime signal loss was most likely due to the shifting orbits of the satellites as they went out of the antenna's direct line of sight for a while) The dropout was especially bad during adverse weather conditions-the absolute worst in heavy rain-- and no amount of adjustment or movement of the antenna `round and about the window sill could improve the reception one iota. That's when I decided to grab an outdoor antenna that would pick up a strong signal, and maintain it in any weather condition.
Fortunately, I found just what I was lookin' for with this particular offering. After finding a good, solid, obstacle-free place to install it, I hooked it into my home unit, and let `er rip. I hadda drill a hole through a window frame to run the cable through... but that's okay, `cuz that part of the house is gonna be remodeled in a few months, anyway.
Anyhoo, after going through a few heavy rains and a thunderstorm since its installation, I've yet to experience any sort of signal loss or dropout. I've also yet to see the satellite signal strength meter on my receiver drop a single notch below full strength. The terrestrial signal's been fairly weak, though... but this is likely due more to my antenna being installed about five feet above the ground, where there are plenty of fences, residences, and trees to get in the way of the ground signal. Besides, the full-strength satellite signal appears to be more than adequate.
Needless to say, if you're having trouble maintaining a good satellite signal on your Sirius radio, Terk's SIR6 outdoor antenna just might be what'cher lookin' for... granted you're willing to get'cher hands a little dirty installing it. I highly recommend you install it on the roof above the eaves, or on some sort of post or mast at least five feet away from your house, and aimed in the general direction as recommended in the antenna-aiming section of the instruction sheet. Fortunately, the antenna is adjustable, so you should experience little trouble moving it into a prime signal-grabbing position. While this particular antenna is made by AudioVox, the box and instruction sheet states that it can be used "with any Sirius home receiver or Plug & Play system." Since I've hooked this antenna into nothing BUT AudioVox brand shuttles, however, I can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of the box's statement.
`Late
