XM radio antena install on a convert

[IH2LOSE]

I just picked up a unit for our 2002 convertable and I am just wondering where folks are installing there antena

 

[RoadReady]

I am very dissatisfied with the reception of the XM Roady 2's antenna. I first mounted it on the cowl cover plate just behind the hood. The radio broke up every time there was a tree beside the road...and I live in a rural, very wooded area. It will not pick up any kind of signal through the body as some people have reported. (Some guys have stuck an antenna on the rear frame rail inside the body, accessed through a taillight.

Right now it is sitting on the dash near the windshield and reception is improved, but still lacking. The only recent reception I have had was with the stupid little antenna duct taped to the outside of the windshield about a foot above the hood.

I'm ready to chunk this junk.

 

[JoeMackin]

I just read something about people putting thier xm radio antena on the rear view mirror. I dont know how possible it would be or how good it would look but the person who wrote the article seemed to like it. There may be a special mirror you have to buy for it.

 

[AZMike]

I have the small antenna on my SkyFi II. I mounted it on the open space under the trunk-lid, right behind the waterfall (right under the letter 'U' in the pic on the 1st post of this thread). There's some metal in the area outside the trunk gasket that it will stick to. There's no heavy woods here in Phoenix, but after several locations, this one turned out to be the best for reception. I too was having trouble at first with reception.

You want to mount it so that there's some metal under it - it will improve the reception. Something about a plane... I don't know the technicals behind it - I'm a software guy - not a hardware guy

Let me know if I didn't explian the location that well, I can send you a pic or a drawing of the exact location.

 

[jrose7004]

Some folks put it over the metal licence plate framing. They remove a taillight for access!

 

[RocketJ]

Just purchased a new Infinti for my daily driver with factory XM radio. My impressions:

1. I went with the Sat radio after renting a car for our trip to CA. I was very impressed and thought it was a definite buy.

2. Here in CT I'm a little disapointed. If I drive down a lot of tree covered roads (most of my roads) it cuts out a fair amont, enough to be annoying.

3. I've been playing around with all the different channels and find that some seem to cut out more than others. Being they all supposedly come from the same satelite I find this strange.

4. Are the signels coming from more than one satelite? Or are some chanells just stronger than others?

Anyone out there having the same problems?

RocketJ

 

[yitbos]

I'm not an expert on Sat radios but I believe there is a terristrial based transmitter in some areas to deliver the programming and in other areas it comes from the satelite. I'm not sure where these areas are at, but I thought the first cradles for the Delphi SkiFi, for example, had a green and yellow antenna. I thought one was for Sat and one for terristrial. However, my SkiFi has just one pink antenna connecion which does everything.


I just looked at the menu setting on my SkyFi and it does have a setting to help set/aim the antenna. It has a listing for both sat and terristrial signals. So I guess that must be true.

 

[RoadReady]

I finally found a good location for the little Roady2 antenna on my coupe: on the deck lid. The wire is easy to press into the window weatherstrip and secures with a couple of drops of clear silicone. Hardly noticeable.

The reception is improved too-- from totally crappy all the way up to cruddy! :eyerole

 

[DLYSI]

xm antena

I just picked up a unit for our 2002 convertable and I am just wondering where folks are installing there antena

had same problem ,located on outside of winshield just above rear viem mirror,
used double faced tape . tucked the wire around the winshield frame using a plastic puddy knife . then came into car around the passenger side door and route behind the glove box . there seemed to be plenty of places to use the tuck method and not distrub or alter anything.

 

[VETSTYL]

Sirius Antenna

I have a permanently mounted Sirius setup in my OO vert and I'm extremely pleased with it. The antenna is mounted in the extreme far right hand corner of the dashboard. Its very unobtrusive and I get great reception in the metro DC area.

 

[IH2LOSE]

I am going to try and get it in the center of the windsheild,just above the rear veiw mirror and see if I can get reception. I was looking at the C6's at a dealer ship and it seems they have them mounted on the deck lid. with a larger antena.

If the windsheild doesnt work well for rection I may try and purchase a C6'S antena and adappt it to my car.


Its funny I have had XM radio since it started in my other cars.Once you get it youll never listen to commercial radio again.

A last note on another subject.

My C5 is a pleasure car and we had it in winter storage as I am build a custome vette and needed all of the garage space for building the car over the winter.

Anyways I probably havent driving this car since October of last year.What a pure pleasure this car is to drive.

 

[Chrisr]

I have the Roady 2 in my vette ("03 coupe) and the Sky-Fi in my daily driver. In the vette, I have the antenna mounted (magnetically) to the inside metal trim around the rear window. On my daily driver the antenna is mounted (again, magnetically) on the front center of the roof.
Here's what I've noticed about reception: In the vette, when I drive down a tree lined road, reception is fairly lousy with the signal going in & out and eventually losing the signal altogether.
In my daily driver, I can drive down that same tree lined street, and the reception is great!!! In fact, in this car I have rarely lost the signal at all. The vette is another story.
I'm not electrical engineer, but is it possible that an all metal body car helps reception???

 

[RocketJ]

Not to make matters more confusing, but I get better reception (no cutouts) driving north instead of south on the same road. This is on my factory XM install on my daily driver. Also some channels cut out less than others.

All in all I really do like sat radio and when we lose the leaves this fall reception should improve. See there is a reason to look forward to winter! Naw, I don't think so.

RocketJ

 

[redvett]

I have my Ski-Fi antenna mounted above the licence and have great reception except when i am close to the Canadan border in upper Michigan.

 

[jrose7004]

Not to make matters more confusing, but I get better reception (no cutouts) driving north instead of south on the same road. This is on my factory XM install on my daily driver. Also some channels cut out less than others.

All in all I really do like sat radio and when we lose the leaves this fall reception should improve. See there is a reason to look forward to winter! Naw, I don't think so.

RocketJ

I think that is because to satellite is on a stationary orbit in the northern sky!

 

[thesurvivor]

We have an '03 vert. Got the antenna to stick proper side up on the "drip flange" - for lack of a better term - about 6 inches to the left of the right side decklid hinge (on the top horizontal area above the drain channel). There appears to be just enough metal for the magnet to work. The decklid closes right over it with no interference. Spent 2300 miles doing Vettes on the Rockies. It worked VERY well in that location.