On 15 Jul 2004 03:37:05 GMT, Diamond Dave
wrote:

They have three satellites orbiting in a figure-8 pattern.

According to my engineering friends at SIRIUS and the big satellite
display just off the lobby shows only two satellites in use at any one
time. One is rotated out to recharge.

So, effectively, both services have two operating satellites. In
heavily wooded areas of New England overhanging trees block the signal
from both services. I suspect the same is true in the Pacific
Northwest where you're often driving in tree-formed tunnels.

Rich