Possible To Scam Free XM If The Boys Don't Return?

[lokimanahan]

OK, I'm certainly not technically minded, so I'm appealing to those who have more of a clue than I about activation and deactivation of XM units. I cancelled my XM three days ago in response to the boys' suspension/possible firing. My XM Online has definitely been deactivated, as it no longer works, but my XM unit has been kept switched off from even before I cancelled my subscription. My understanding is that XM activates and deactivates units by sending out a signal over the general airwaves that is specific to individual units. I assume that, when you cancel service, a signal is sent out repeatedly for a period of time to make sure that your unit receives the signal. presumably, for reasons of bandwidth, they can't just keep broadcasting these signals in perpetuity. So, if I keep my XM unit off for a month (as I will be doing), does this mean that my unit will never receive the deactivation signal and, therefore, that I can scam free service? Make no mistake - if the boys come back, I will definitely make sure that I resubscribe, but I'll be fucked if I'm going to pay XM any more money if the boys don't come back, especially as XM has been lying to us since 2004 in representing that it was 'uncensored' radio.

[abudabit]

Could be possible that they stop sending out the cancellation bullets after some time, so if you turn it on after a week maybe by that time it won't get the cancel signal.

[circpro]

Could be possible that they stop sending out the cancellation bullets after some time, so if you turn it on after a week maybe by that time it won't get the cancel signal.


It is probably just like activation, the unit must be on and after 24 hours I think the bullet stops sending.

When I activated one of my radios I forgot to leave it on and had to call to reactivate because it was over 24 hours since the signal was sent

[maniacdevnull]

I think the cancelation signal lasts a bit longer dan dat, jenellmen. I've heard anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.

[mud]

I just plugged in my roady i canceled in December when i got my inno and it worked. I'll leave it on for awhile to see if it deactivates.

[abudabit]

Awesome, they definitely owe us after putting us through all this bullshit with faking cancellations and censoring O&A.

[Magaman]

you need to have the unit fully powered off (IE no battery no nothing) and it needs to be off for MANY MANY MANY MONTHS if not a year plus.

[BCH]

I'm sure that the technical staff at XM who figured out how to broadcast radio from space hasn't thought of this loophole.

[abudabit]

They thought of it, but it takes bandwidth to send the bullets. If you send them to anyone who ever canceled, that is a lot of bandwidth they could be using on other things. So they must stop or slow down the bullets for older cancels.

[Peam]

they will send out a kill code to get it but after some time it will just do a very periodic kill to save the much needed bandwidth

I know I went about 2-3 months with one reciever until they finally caught up with it

[hypes]

This post is for informational and entertainment purposes only....

The cancellation signal XM uses works a lot like how DirecTV's does (in fact, DirecTV helped them work on the process). The send a block of radio ID's on one of the sub-channels, and hopefully the radio in question has an antenna attached to it as well as being turned on. They send these numbers on a regular interval for an unknown amount of time (since XM protects how it decodes the incoming stream it is unknown how many times the deactivation codes are sent on a regular basis.

I've heard of people who have deactivated their radios years ago, turned them off before getting the deactivation signal, and it works fine. I've also heard that every few times a year at night XM will send out the entire block of deactivated Radio ID's in order to ensure that those radios that have been deactivated stay deactivated. I've also heard that some of the older radios have a bug in them that they never receive the deactivation signal and stay on forever (very rare, and not widely publicized for obvious reasons).

Just thought I'd let ya know....

-h

[alt130]

I am just talking out my ass here, but with satellite TV don't they from time to time change the key or whatever is used to decode the incoming data for active receivers? If XM works the same way, even if you never get the kill bullet, eventually your receiver wouldn't receive the new key and stop working anyhow. If they aren't stupid, I'm sure they'd have to be doing something like that.

[UsedLadBag]

any way to catch these kill signals and monitor when they are sent to see whether there is a pattern. Also, how do they know a kill signal is received? Wouldn't they just have to keep sending kill signals for every unit that was ever cancelled? I would think the bandwide requirements would build up over time to ridiculous levels.

[Jack Russell]

interesting...but does anyone really want to listen to XM if O&A are not on? I think everyone has had their limit of the 80's channel.

[Dragonraine]

i canceled my xm, and the online from xmradio.com isnt working, but the feed i used through Xstream is working fine. Weird.

[rupert pupkin]

I cancelled xm a year ago. My online still works to this day. The radio worked for a couple of months then shut down.

[Sinn Fein]

A guy I work with has a Sirius radio that he was given over a year ago. He got it from a friend who had the service but had cancelled it about 6 months prior. For shits and giggles, he turned it on one day. It worked and he's been listening to it ever since.

[FreeSpeech202]

I just plugged in my roady i canceled in December when i got my inno and it worked. I'll leave it on for awhile to see if it deactivates.


damn, I just blended my roadie. I guess I shoulda tried to use it to rip off xm before I did that. :mad4:

[mattiew23m]

nicccccccccccce, I didn't destroy my radio's yet. I'm waiting to see if they come back, and waiting to see how hardcore they let the show get. If it was the show it once was, I will sign back up. If not, I will SMASH my lovely inno, my roady xt, and that 80's white looking boom box. The boom box will be a fun one :D

[generoso]

any way to catch these kill signals and monitor when they are sent to see whether there is a pattern. Also, how do they know a kill signal is received? Wouldn't they just have to keep sending kill signals for every unit that was ever cancelled? I would think the bandwide requirements would build up over time to ridiculous levels.
I think it would be immoral to hook a Scope in series with the antenna to see the raw signal coming in. Also would be downright illegal for you to record that signal and send it to a signal generator. Also just the price of that equipment would be to expensive. Plus you deactive you radio doing that.