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XM Weather subscription cancelled--HELP

K

Kenny Gene

Well Known Member
Hey Guys,

After flying out of OSH on Thursday morning, I then flew home for a day then onto to Scottsdale. Just when I needed my 498 XM weather, it was NOT THERE!!

Does anyone know the number to call to renew subscriptions? I don't recall any email or notice, and eventhough I paid for several years in advance, it must have expired.

Thanks in advance.

Stranded without weather in Scottsdale.

Kenny Gene
 
call 800-985-9200. You'll need the XM radio code from the garmin menus or the sticker on the puck.
 
put this in .......

your phone too. the refresh # is 800-967-2346.
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On my way to OSH, I realized my 396 was not displaying WX. I called XM and was informed that even though they had my credit card info on file and had been charging my account monthly, because I had not used the unit for a few months, it needed to be "refreshed". I was told to put the unit outside and sure enough, in a few minutes, it was back in business. Interesting...
 
Bob Brown said:
On my way to OSH, I realized my 396 was not displaying WX. I called XM and was informed that even though they had my credit card info on file and had been charging my account monthly, because I had not used the unit for a few months, it needed to be "refreshed". I was told to put the unit outside and sure enough, in a few minutes, it was back in business. Interesting...
Click to expand...

And in my case, I called them to turn the units off, for up to five months because of a (non-airplane) accident, that stopped my flying & driving. Because the airplanes 696 & truck radio did not get the shutoff signals, as they were turned off for months................both remained in operation. The shutoff signals run for a limited time due to bandwidth.

In the meantime, I recover, get the XM satellite account going again, and them slam my 1520 cc motorcycle into a deer at 60 mph two weeks ago. I've rode motorcycles for over 40 years, and this whole year hasn't been good to me. :eek:

So...................I called XM and had the account put on hold again....

L.Adamson --- RV6A (sitting in the hangar)
 
XM Weather

My XM weather on a 496 worked about half way to Oshkosh and then quit. I tried refreshing it before I left Oshkosh and once when I stopped for fuel with no luck. Called XM when I got home and they said it was turned off due to an unpaid bill but then said it was ok now and they turned it back on. I tried to get then to give me more details as they debit my credit card every month. The person on the phone could not explain how that happened. I have asked for a supervisor to call me but it has not happened yet. They don't appear to realize how much we depend on this service.
 
Thanks Guys

Thanks guys for your help.

I did a search on Google and came up with ZERO!

I'm sure my trip back to Kansas can be VFR, but it's sooo nice to get the weather and winds aloft enroute.

Thanks again for all your help.

Kenny Gene
294TC RV 7a 570 hrs (9-7-07) first flight
484TC RV 10 finishing
 
XM Issues

I had an issue with my XM in June while on a long CC. I called XM from my first stop and they said it had been turned off for lack of use. Since I fly my plane to work several times a week I knew it was BS.

I made it a point to visit XM at Oshkosh. They said they have had numerous customer service issues and are working on things. They have a call center in Jamaica!!!!

If in doubt, check your billing and do a refresh before a trip. You can do it on the computer.

Finally, put the XM phone number, your radio ID number and the serial number in your wallet or in a "memo" on your phone.

For the cost of the service, the service should be much better!!!!
 
I have to agree that while XM weather is one of the greatest advances in aviation since the invention of the wing, XM (as a corporation) is lousy with customer service and paying attention to their Wx customers in particular. They are fundamentally a radio broadcast corporation, and many of their people don't even seem to know that they HAVE an aviation Wx service.....

That said, I personally have not had bad luck with my systems working - I fly with the 696 turned on probably 5 days a week, and have only had it drop out once when they messed up some accounts in their system. I have never had to ask for a refresh - go figure!

Paul
 
Barrie,

I don't know how to "refresh" as you guys have said.

It worked fine to OSH and I do fly lots, so maybe it is the subscription, however I'm sure I didn't get any notice. I paid several years in advance thinking this would prevent a disruption in service.

Thanks again for all the help. I'm going to call the numbers given this morning.

Kent
294TC RV7a 570 hrs 9-7-07
484TC RV10 finishing
 
Horrible Customer Service

Ironflight said:
XM (as a corporation) is lousy with customer service and paying attention to their Wx customers in particular...

Paul
Click to expand...

Just wait till you try to turn it OFF. After six months of weekly calls trying to stop my subscription, I had to close the account at the bank to stop the charges.
 
Anyone want to give a rundown on "refreshing". I also have xm weather and have not had a problem, but I do rely on it heavily to fly VFR around the Gulf Coast.

Thanks in advance.
 
Numbers and opinion.

Geeman said:
Anyone want to give a rundown on "refreshing". I also have xm weather and have not had a problem, but I do rely on it heavily to fly VFR around the Gulf Coast.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

(800) 985-9200 and have your receiver ID ready. I keep this number and the ID in my cell phone along with the number Turbo gave in this thread: (800) 967-2346 which can be called to "refresh" the satellite link.

XM has a long history of shutting down subscribers that do not use the service over a (long?) period of time. I suspect that they save $ by reducing the amount of satellite time for which they pay by reducing the number of links.

I also see what would probably be an easy to win a class action lawsuit if my suspicions are correct.

What I think XM counts on is everyone having my attitude and that is: I have no interest in spending the time or $ to pursue it. As the bumper sticker says "I would rather be flying." :)

This is my last year with XM as I now have a UAT (ADS-B "out" and "in") that will soon display the FIS-B weather on my GRT EFIS along with most of the info I currently get from XM. The savings will pay for the ADS-B unit (NavWorx) in about 4 years. Which sounds like a ling time until you get on the "back side of fourty" when every year goes by faster than a Rocket.;)
 
XM has a long history of shutting down subscribers that do not use the service over a (long?) period of time. I suspect that they save $ by reducing the amount of satellite time for which they pay by reducing the number of links.

I also see what would probably be an easy to win a class action lawsuit if my suspicions are correct.

What I think XM counts on is everyone having my attitude and that is: I have no interest in spending the time or $ to pursue it. As the bumper sticker says "I would rather be flying." :)
Click to expand...

XM has no way of knowing if your radio hasn't been used lately. The transmission is a one way street to the radio. These radios do not report back to the "mother ship"..... so to speak.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
One more data point

I flew on 7/25, 7/31, 8/1, 8/2 and 8/3. I was without my XM on 7/25, 7/31, 8/1 and 8/2. Many refreashes did not make any difference. Call on 7/31 and 8/1, and were told to refreash again and again, still not working. Just when I gave up on it, XM WX came back half way on my 8/2 flight. It worked from the start on 8/3. Maybe it was XM Radio's problem?

I did refreash from my phone, PC and calling XM. To do it online, goto www.xmradio.com/refresh/
 
L.Adamson said:
XM has no way of knowing if your radio hasn't been used lately. The transmission is a one way street to the radio. These radios do not report back to the "mother ship"..... so to speak.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
Click to expand...

Yes - but the radio knows when it last heard from the "mother ship", and when it's timer expires, it can decide to no longer provide you data. It can LOOK like it has two-way, but not have it in actuality. A trick of electronic logic.

Paul
 
Ironflight said:
Yes - but the radio knows when it last heard from the "mother ship", and when it's timer expires, it can decide to no longer provide you data. It can LOOK like it has two-way, but not have it in actuality. A trick of electronic logic.
Click to expand...

Could certainly be, but with the experience of two different radios, and a lot of internet searching............I've got a different conclusion. As I previously mentioned, I had two radios (vehicle & Garmin 696) put on a five month hold, due to an accident, in which I couldn't drive or fly. XM will go five months max. without a new activation charge

At the 2 1/2 month point, a friend flew my plane on a cross country, and I went as passenger. I was surprised that the XM weather/radio was still working. At 4 months, when once again using my truck, XM was still working. In the meantime, these two radios had been totally off.

After a search for answers, it appears that XM sends out a shutoff command so many times an hour, and for so many days. If a radio has been totally powerless for several months, then it misses the command. Due to bandwith, these commands are not continuous.

In the meantime, XM can offer a two week special, in which the radio is one again activated. But then the "off" command is resent. That way, you don't end up with "freebie" XM for an unlimited time. If's that's done on purpose, which is a good idea..........I'm only guessing.

In my case, I re-signed with XM during that fifth month. But in the meantime, the truck radio remained on, and the 696's was only briefly interrupted.

Now, thanks to a 60mph encounter with an "uninsured" deer on my motorcycle, I'm going through the same thing all over. I'll let you all know in two or three months.....as to whether the XM is on or off. :)

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
My XM weather update

Well,

I called XM with the 800 number that our "crew" here provided, 800-985-9200, and it was discovered that I originally paid for 3 years subscription and it happened to expire on the 30, however XM did not cut my serivce until I was in the **** on the 31.

I renewed my subscription and was told that it may take 30 to 40 minutes for the antenna and account to activate.

Thanks for everyone's input and help. I'm heading out of Scottsdale back to Kansas in the morning and I can report how long I'm without the service.

Thanks again.

Kenny Gene
294TC RV7a 570 hrs (9-5-07 AWC)
484TC RV10 Finishing
 
I've had xm weather for over one year and the service is terrible. At first I thought it was a hardware issue and sequentially replaced the antennna,the power supply, the receiver, and the processor. Nothing helped. Sometimes the service works fine, and sometimes I get nothing. The XM customer support people are clueless and not at all helpful. The WxWorx people try to help but there's nothing they can do when the XM service stinks. For the monthly money I pay,it's simply not worth it. My experience is that it works less than 50% of the time
 
garrys said:
I've had xm weather for over one year and the service is terrible. At first I thought it was a hardware issue and sequentially replaced the antennna,the power supply, the receiver, and the processor. Nothing helped. Sometimes the service works fine, and sometimes I get nothing. The XM customer support people are clueless and not at all helpful. The WxWorx people try to help but there's nothing they can do when the XM service stinks. For the monthly money I pay,it's simply not worth it. My experience is that it works less than 50% of the time
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I agree completely with you that (most of) the XM Customer Support folks are totally clueless wen it comes to the Aviator services - their busines is radio, and that's what they know. Fortuantely, I have had almost flawless service from teh system for over four years now - using all Garmin products. If you really want to use it, try a differnt hardware/software provider maybe?

Paul
 
My experience is similarly frustrating with GRT hardware. Every 3-4 months, or when there is a lot of radar data to process, the whole service craps out until a service reset is done. Not so fun on a cross country leg. And I assure you my WX radio is used a couple times per week.
 
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Ironflight said:
I agree completely with you that (most of) the XM Customer Support folks are totally clueless wen it comes to the Aviator services - their busines is radio, and that's what they know. Fortuantely, I have had almost flawless service from teh system for over four years now - using all Garmin products. If you really want to use it, try a differnt hardware/software provider maybe?
Click to expand...

It's been a few months since I've used mine, due to injuries here and there, but it's also been nearly flawless using Garmin GPS's over the last few years. Garmin 496 & 696.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Sounds like a hardware/hardware software issue to me. My Aera works great using the same data from XM and it sounds like others have similar stories with their Garmin gear.
 
No XM Signal

Lost signal several times yesterday over San Francisco. Didn't go under any bridges so am not sure what the problem is/was......

Have also noticed that lately the music seems to be slightly garbled sometimes, almost like a normal local radio station?
 
RVadmirer said:
Lost signal several times yesterday over San Francisco. Didn't go under any bridges so am not sure what the problem is/was......

Have also noticed that lately the music seems to be slightly garbled sometimes, almost like a normal local radio station?
Click to expand...

I use XM radio in the truck everyday. Hasn't been garbled at all, except for a second of signal loss that happens everytime I go around a corner along a steep canyon wall.. :)

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
B+ performance

I've had a couple of little glitches in the ~5 years I've used XM radio and ~4 years of XM weather, but not enough to complain about. I'm sure antenna placement and latitude have a lot to do with one's success. (Of course, it is useless in steep canyons, like in the San Bernadino Mountains or downtown DC, but I knew that before I bought.) Paul and I notice that the XM radio in the car starts cutting out occasionally when we approach Minnesota. As the antenna sits at the base of the front car window, it apparently gets blocked by the roof on the drive north. I've also been losing my XM signal at the office lately. I'm guessing the tree foliage outside my office window has increased in the critical path over the last year.

I'm betting that at least one poster here isn't flying a full-canopy RV. Spam cans and northward flying fastback RVs might be more prone to problems than the rest of us.
 
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XM weather problems

I have a Bendix King RV8OR installed with a Bluetooth WxWorx and have experienced longstanding problems receiving weather data. Bendix supplied me with a new RV8OR in November 2011 and still"no joy ".I then contacted WxWorx...They checked out their receiver and advised all was well.I reinstalled both units with a new WX antenna and still " no joy ". WxWorx agreed to trouble shoot both units together and so I sent them the RV8OR and the WxWorx boxes.

On December 13th WxWorx advised : " The RV8OR software/firmware was updated and now the XM Status page populates but the resolution of the other issues of intermittent data and valid data have to come from Bendix King. "

I called WxWorx and they reiterated that the problem must be resolved by Bendix King. They also advised there were many other RV8OR people who reported the same problem to them.

I E-Mailed Bendix King yesterday...Stay tuned

Dick Jordan
RV8A--N888BZ
 
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