I know I could go to Google, do some research, all that...but the org has such a diverse collection of knowledge that I feel it would be much easier and more interesting for me to ask this question here. So here it is.

I have Sirius satellite radio hooked up to a small stereo in my living room. I've noticed that whenever I use the microwave in the kitchen (I live in a small NYC apartment, so kitchen and living room are basically one combined room), the satellite radio completely cuts out. (No other appliance interferes with the radio as far as I've noticed.) So is that normal? Is it a faulty microwave shooting harmful rays out everywhere? My microwave is averse to Howard Stern? Or what?

Where is the satellite antenna in relation to the microwave?

About 12 feet or so away from the microwave. I have it near a window.

Might be because its too many circuits going on in one room. Either that or your microwave is a higher watt voltage than what your apartment can sustain. You may need to get a microwave with less watts/power.

missfee said:

Interesting. But I don't think it's a power/wattage thing. The radio itself (and the stereo) stay on. It's the receiving of the satellite signal that seems to be the issue.

Efan said:

So I'm assuming that when the microwave is done warming up your food then the radio frequency is back on? Or does it completely shut the satellite off altogether and you have to reset it?

missfee said:

Yeah, when the microwave goes off, the signal comes right back and everything's good.

Efan said:

Well, a microwave does produce radio waves and creates an electromagnetic field. I would assume that is the culprit, but can't really explain the distance.

When I was a child my mom using her hand mixer would mess our tv up.

And even as recent as my last apartment, I used to be able to tell when my upstairs neighbor was using his paper shredder, cause it would slightly scramble my tv reception as each piece went through. Not enough for it to lose the picture or sound, but enough for me to notice.

I have no idea how that all works.

Efan said:

Okay, I'm still thinking it's more with the microwave than with the satellite signal. You either need to get a microwave with less power and keep the current radio, or buy a radio with more power and keep the current microwave. I know at shop where I used to get my hair done, my hairstylist had a satellite connected to a radio that had a lot of voltage and power, if he didn't then everytime the dryer's would cut on then he would have lost a signal. And his radio wasn't that far away from the dryer's either. It's all about the balance of the power of waves flowing through your apartment. Hope this helps....
[Edited 12/14/09 10:42am]

CarrieMpls said:

I have no idea how it all works either. I suppose that ties in to the Technology thread. I just like things to work when I turn them on and don't ever think about what it takes to make that happen.

Efan said:

When I was living at home, I know that whenever I had the toaster oven on and then used the microwave at the same time, it used to cut off the lights and the tv's in some of the rooms of the house and the refridgerator would be cut completely off. Strange stuff. To cope with it, I had to either use the microwave by itself or either the toaster oven by itself and not at the same time.
[Edited 12/14/09 11:02am]

my TV gets messed up whenever a cell phone is around, which means mine, my downstairs neighbor, my upstairs neighbor...

Whenever I use the microwave at work it makes the radio there get all static-y. Happens no matter where we put the radio.