Satellite Radio Technology

| Saturday, October 22, 2011
By Daleim Nust


Satellite radio technology is the equivalent of cable or satellite television and it is definitely here to stay. There are several reasons for this: the quality of the broadcasts is higher, the quality of the apparatus's reception is higher and the general coverage of the channel, that is to say the so-called satellite's footprint is far greater as well. This has the effect that if you travel long distances, you will be able to stay with the same channel without having to look for a new one every forty or fifty miles as you have to do with AM or FM radio stations.

It works by sending a digital radio signal to a communications satellite. As a result, satellite covers a wider area than traditional radio signals, which typically span only 30 to 40 miles from their source. In contrast, satellite transmits its signal more than 20,000 miles away from its source. The quality of satellite radio broadcasts is also superior to that of terrestrial radio, since the signal is digital.

Another benefit of satellite radio is the lack of static. You can basically drive from one coast of the country to the other and you will receive a strong and clear signal pretty much the whole way. The satellite signal is digital which insures its clarity wherever you go.

Another great feature is being able to identify what you are listening to you. The radio tuners receive meta data that includes song information like title, artist etc It's a great way to discover new music as you can simply scan the channels until you hear something you like, then you can see exactly what it is.

The resulting binary or digital code is then translated into analogue signals so that your speakers can replay it. This process produces sound which is just about of CD quality. The transmitting satellites are in a geo-static orbit at 23,000 miles above the equator and have a large footprint which is the name given to the area of ground that is capable of receiving their broadcasts.

In addition to music, satellite radio also offers information about local weather and travel conditions. This information can be very detailed especially for the larger metropolitan areas. In the case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake which can knock a conventional radio signal off the air, satellite will always work and you can count on it for the latest news and information regarding the calamity.

So these are a few of the advantages that satellite radio has over conventional radio. To those that argue that the subscription costs money and conventional radio is free, I say this: Think of all the time you spend listening to commercials and scanning the dial for something you like and you will find that inexpensive cost of a subscription well worth the price.




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