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Sirius
Satellite on 87.7 and 87.9 MHz Note: In the letter that follows, supporting information from the FCC (and references to that information) are being withheld from publication for the reasons stated in the footnote. The deletions are flagged with pound signs [#]. - RG
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To: Mr. Jim Collins
Corporate Communications
Sirius Satellite Radio
jcollins@siriusradio.com
cc: Rebecca Schnall
Media Relations
Sirius Satellite Radio
rschnall@siriusradio.com
cc: FCC (Per E-Mail Header
Above)
From: Robert Gonsett, E.E.
Editor, The
CGC Communicator
Communications General Corp.
r.gonsett(at)ieee.org or
cgc333(at)cgc333.connectnet.com
Date: March 29, 2006
Re:
Impermissible Use of 87.7 and 87.9 MHz in Sirius Satellite Consumer
Products
Confirming and expanding on my voice mail message
of March 27, 2006, my company, Communications General Corporation,
provides consultant radio engineering services for a number of radio
and television stations on the west coast and we also publish the CGC
Communicator newsletter for broadcast engineers. The CGC Communicator
has been in continuous publication for over 30 years.
As
editor of that newsletter, I have been following a number of radio
and television interference complaints where the FM modulators inside
various Sirius Satellite receivers are suspected of causing
interference to authorized over-the-air FM and TV Channel 6 signals.
Usually the interference is transient in nature, and usually audio
from Howard Stern is reported.
Our current focus is on one
particular question: Does Sirius (or its satellite receiver
manufacturers) have an FCC waiver letter permitting the sale to
consumers of "intentional radiator" FM modulators that are
capable of transmitting on 87.7 and/or 87.9 MHz? These two
frequencies are close to TV Channel 6's aural carrier, and are barred
for use in intentional radiator FM modulators by FCC Rule
15.209(a).
On March 26, 2006 at Circuit City in Escondido, CA,
I found five models of Sirius receivers on display with built-in
intentional radiator FM modulators, and four of those had modulators
capable of being tuned to 87.7 and 87.9 MHz. Those receivers are as
follows: Sirius Sportster Replay (model DEI SPTK2), Sirius Starmate,
Sirius DEI SCFM1 and Sirius Plug N Play Receiver Kit (XAT XTR3CK).
The only Sirius satellite receiver on display at Circuit City that
appeared to be frequency-compliant with Rule 15.209(a) was the JVC
Sirius Satellite Tuner.
FYI, all seven XM Satellite receivers
on display at Circuit City appeared to be frequency-compliant with
Rule 15.209(a). None of the mini-transmitters built into XM receivers
could be programmed to transmit on either 87.7 or 87.9 MHz.
For
your convenience, I have copied below a response that I received from
[# an FCC source] stating unequivocally with respect to intentional
radiators that primary transmissions at 87.9 MHz would violate FCC
rules. Rules 15.209(a) and 15.239 also ban the use of 87.7 MHz in the
same context.
Our next newsletter is scheduled for publication
on Tuesday of this coming week.* If Sirius (or its satellite receiver
manufacturers) has an FCC waiver letter allowing the use of 87.7
and/or 87.9 MHz, I would appreciate receiving a pdf copy of that
document by Monday of next week at the latest.
Thank
you in advance for your prompt attention to this inquiry.
______
* [# The FCC] material was provided to [Robert
Gonsett] as a consulting radio engineer and not as a newsletter
editor, and the text of [the] letter has not been cleared for
publication by the FCC. Therefore, [# the FCC's] letter will not
appear in our next newsletter, although publication clearance may be
sought at a later date.
______
______
[# Text of FCC letter withheld from
publication]
Posted by Steve
Blodgett
Earthsignals.com