Many thanks to anyone who takes the time to read the following problem
description and offer some help.

Original problem description: I recently purchased an Audiovox
Sirius satellite radio, with car kit and home kit.

CAR INSTALLATION: I have installed the unit in the car with perfect
results. Reception is 3 (out of 3) bars and the radio works
perfectly. There is never any interference caused by any car device
(such as wipers, blinkers, etc.).

HOME INSTALLATION: Here is the problem. Most of the time the radio
works great, with either 2 or 3 bar reception. (I will mount the
antenna outdoors in a day or two and should then have 3 bars at all
times.) However, operating other electrical devices in the house
temporarily mutes the sound from the satellite radio.

Details: Turning a light on in the house (incandescent or
fluorescent) that has not been on for a while (15 seconds, say) will
cause the satellite radio to mute. The muting occurs for about 0.5 to
1.0 seconds, at the instant the light switch is thrown. If the
particular light is turned off and the experiment is immediately
repeated, then muting will not reoccur. But it will reoccur later,
after the light has been off for a while. Additionally, the radio
stays muted throughout the duration of our using the microwave oven.

We have also observed other cases of reception rapidly coming and
going, which we traced to flickering of the thermostat in our stove.
Yet to be understood mutings/interference may be traceable to
thermostats in refligerator, freezer, air conditioner, well pump,
outdoor light, water heater, etc.

We have the power supply for the home unit connected to a surge
protector going to an outlet. Also plugged into the surge protector
a VCR, TV, Stereo, PlayStation2, and stereo equalizer. No other
device (tv, am or fm radio) exhibits any interference problems;
however the lights in the house will slightly dim when the heater
comes on with the emergency heating strips. (We have also tried the
experiment after unplugging all the nonessential stuff, with the same
results.)

Finally, the satellite antenna has been placed through the back glass
door in the center of a screen porch for these preliminary
experiments. The antenna is about 8/10 feet from other electrical
wiring (ceiling fan and outlets).

Please help. Do I need some type of filter? On what? Is the
satellite receiver defective? Please give me a list of things to try
here. Thanks, in advance and please send response to the email
address given above.


On the basis of the above info, both Audiovox and Crutchfield
recommended that I return the Audiovox Base Unit, as it may be
defective. Instead, I purchased a second base unit yesterday and can
provide the following update:

1 I purchased yesterday an additional home base unit at Best Buy. (I
wanted an extra one for the bedroom anyway.) The second unit exhibits
the same behavior as the first. In this experiment, I used all the
second unit stuff (not just the base, but also the cables, power
supply and antenna).

2 The satellite radio problem exists only when I route the audio
signal into our Stereo receiver (Onkyo TX 844). Both the first and
second base unit work perfectly with the following: Bose radio, Model
88 table radio, and even a Peavey public address system. The only
problem is when the audiovox hardware is connected to the Onkyo
receiver. I guess this makes it a problem with the Onkyo receiver or
specific incompatibility between the satellite receiver and the Onkyo
receiver. BTW, the stereo works perfectly for every other component
plugged into it, exhibiting no strange behavior.

Can anyone offer any ideas on how to get the satellite radio to work
(without interference) through the Onkyo receiver?
Thanks.

Rick