Martingale

Hi all. I just got XM in my car. It's nice but it's not as clean and clear as a CD. I know it's a satellite and all but I thought it was digital quality which I thought would have been really close to a CD. I can tell a clear difference in sound quality? Is this the case with XM? TIA

SSactionLs1

its only digital if you have an XM ready stereo with a din cable, a roady/myfi/delphi is not digital, it is the same as fm this way.

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

Need a little bit more information. What kind of head unit is it? What area do you live in (do they have repeter towers) Are you using a FM modulator?

Martingale

Oh I thought it was always digital. I have a Kenwood KDC-MP828 deck with a Terk XM reciever with a Kenwood adapter. I live right near Washington DC and the antenna is mounted on the dashboard because I didn't want it on the exterior for cosmetic reasons.

SSactionLs1

on an fbody i would put the antenna in the spare tire area. And it sounds like you have the digital setup to me..might be your area bro.

jimmy 2 Times

iTrader: (18)

possibly the location of your antenna, i would move it outside, and see that changes it

Nova5

Not a good place, the metal panel would jam the signal.

XM's and Sirius's signals are not CD quality. digital just means digital. Uncompressed full spectrum audio direct from a CD is 10 megs per single minute of audio. MP3's are still digital, however a compressed form which actually removes aspects of the music that are inaudible to most people. MP3 quality is less than CD as well as still being digital..

VIP1

Here is where I mounted my antenna:
(Its in my Formula's wing.)
https://ls1tech.com/forums/attachmen...chmentid=13633

Nova5

i was able to nestle the SkiFi1's antenna inside the spoiler of my car. still has the standard V6/Z28 spoler. the SkiFi2 i have on the wrapover behind the Ttop bar. its the size of 5 quarters stacked so its not anything i worry over now....

Couldn't hide the Sony XM01's if you tried! 6" tall bugger, looked like the base to a CB Radio mount.

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

10-4 cchhrrrkkkkkk





Martingale did you get a chance to move the antenna?

Martingale

Thanks for all of the input guys. 2Much, I haven't had a chance to relocate the antenna yet because when I do it I want to run the wire under the carpet, and after installing this system I'm not in the mood to start pulling up the carpet again, lol. I'll probably to it this weekend. The idea of putting it "inside" of the wing is interesting.

Nova5

If you stash it in the spoiler behind the brake light where i did the only real pain is running the wire through it and out a small hole with the rest of the brake light wiring.

Phoenix 5.7

iTrader: (7)

ressurecting this, but where does the brake light wiring come out of the spoiler on a T/A? i got a new deck and a Sirius tuner, but am having trouble deciding where to mount the antenna. i like the idea of in the spoiler, but don't know how to run the antenna wire.

HiTechGent

I thought satellite radio was like satillite TV, digital from the COMSAT to the receiver. Which would mean, you either get the signal, or you don't. Moving the antenna will not help you with sound quality issues. If you're getting signal with the antenna on your dash, without dropouts, I'd say don't move it.

Your sound quality issue has to be one of two things. Either the original audio they are broadcasting is not that good quality, or you are getting noise induced somewhere after the signal is decoded.

Assuming the broadcast quality is there, the problem has to be with your reciever, head unit, or wiring in between.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The third brake light wiring goes from hatch to body near the center at the top of the hatch (close to the dome light). The harness runs down the left side of the hatch under the trim.

badhoopty

i was kinda dissapointed when i first heard sirius in my car in regards to sound quality. i think some of it depends on the way that maybe certain songs are encoded? as sometimes i find the quality pretty good and other times it sounds like poopoo.

i mounted my antenna under the plastic windshield cowl. werks pretty good (but then again i'm in downtown chicago) and its mucho stealthy.

Nova5

Chigago has repeaters, that location would suck for sat reception.


Im not sure of the size of the Sirius antenna you have. the Delphi one i had was perfectly shaped to sit right between the two brake lights. on the Z28 spoiler it ran through the spoiler and dropped out on the drivers side.

However the current one i have is on the wrapover. its a tiny one so it doesn't bother me.

badhoopty

how can my location be any worse than mounting it inside the spoiler? its completely visable underneath the slots in the cowl when the hood is closed, its mounted to metal, and has an unobstructed view to the sky. i'm not trying to be argumentative, i just want to know specifically why the spoiler would be a better location.

i would like to improve the reception if possible to where it never loses signal. in its current location, on cross country trips there are times when the signal will go away maybe a second or two up to a minute so i know it cant be the best spot.

i know the ideal spot would be between the t-tops, but i cant bring myself to put a lumpy bump of any size on the exterior of my rig. not to mention the fact that some lamer vandal would yank it off in a heartbeat.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The Sirius antenna is a little bit larger than the XM micro-antenna but not significantly so. Mounting under the cowl panel is fine except for the possible blocking effect of the edge of the hood. If you have a WS6 then it shouldn't matter but those who have a regular T/A with a metal hood could have problems depending on their location and direction of travel.

badhoopty

heres a pic with the hood closed, (its a ws6) you can see that it really isnt obstructed at all by the hood.

if i would get better reception by re-locating it inside the rear spoiler i might consider it although it would be a pretty big pain in the ***.