Motorcycle Satellite Radio Antenna

While satellite radio's reception is good, it's not without problems. I guess there's bound to be a snag or two when the signal has to cover 23,000+ miles before hitting an antenna the size of a quarter on your moving bike! Particularly at northern latitudes, signal drop-out can be a problem - especially in areas with heavy trees. Having a sensitive antenna can make the difference between smooth sounds and choppy irritation.

Antenna World, one of the country's leading manufacturer of satellite radio antennas, has designed an antenna specifically for motorcycle use. It's compact - only about 4" tall and less than 1" diameter - but powerful. Antenna World sent me a laundry list of specs that mean nothing to me (what exactly is "5dBic gain from 60-90 deg elevation" supposed to tell me?), but the proof of the antenna, as the old saying goes, is in the listening.

So here's the test setup - a BMW R1100RT, with two Audiovox XM receivers. Receiver "A" is connected to the mini "puck" antenna that comes with the radio, which is mounted up on the right handlebar - a common location. Receiver "B" is hooked to the Antenna World antenna, which is attached to the left mirror housing. Some quick work with a soldering iron and some heat shrink tubing, and radio "A" comes in my right ear while "B" comes in my left. This works fine, as long as both are on the same channel - otherwise it's a little schizophrenic.

The verdant hills of Northwest Arkansas are known for lush vegetation, and the curvy Ozark mountain roads allow for a few good spots to test for marginal reception. A quick ride down the "Pig Trail" yeilds surprising results. I have never had much complaint about XM reception. Sure, the radio can drop out from time to time but it's usually brief and not much of an issue. In marginal areas, the Antenna World antenna was noticably more stable, with far less drop-out and choppiness. Sometimes it's inevitable, when I go by a tall bluff that will blot out any satellite reception, both radios drop out - but the one with the Antenna World antenna cuts out later, and comes back on sooner, than the stock antenna almost every time.

The real test of this product can't be done in Arkansas, you have to go north. I haven't had an opportunity to ride in the northern latitudes with it, but Raul from Antenna World tells me that he has had several "beta testers" in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario, and other northern climes try out the antenna, and every one of them is seeing a distinct improvement over their old pucks.