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Mounting XM Anteena

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Old 12-16-2005, 06:05 PM
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Default Mounting XM Anteena

I just won an XM satellite reciever (Delphi roady xt) as a door prize at a Christmas party today. I was wondering if any one owns one or a similar XM radio where did you mount your anteena. I have a 2001 Camaro SS with TT tops with a rear spooler. The user guide says it should be placed a metal part of your car about 4" from any window. If any has any ideas please let me know.
Old 12-16-2005, 08:03 PM
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under the hood, on a shock tower, as close to the window as you can get it, but make sure its no under the cowl, just the hood

have seen one there in a trans/am never asked him if he has any reception probs but i would doubt it hood is not very thick
Old 12-16-2005, 08:09 PM
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must be in line of sight of sat. its small so put it on the strip between the t top and windshield and run the wire under the windshield molding down the side and into the door.. if you dont wont it thair on the roof put it all the way forword on the dash up against the windshield. may go out some times but looks better..
Old 12-17-2005, 07:06 PM
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see it on the shock tower, that little black box thing, thats an xm antenna

not saying that you are wrong about the line of sight thing but its been done where i said

Last edited by navymitch12; 12-17-2005 at 07:11 PM.
Old 12-17-2005, 11:31 PM
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strange i have ben an installer for 7 years now since sat radio was interdused and never hade any luck with hiding it like this. i am going to try some new things with the antena now. maby it works cous of the fiberglass hood. is this on your car? cause if not maby they put it there for show.. oh well nice car.
Old 12-18-2005, 12:46 AM
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Time to upgrade that ugly weak *** AC delco battery with an Optima!!

Anyhow, I have Sirius Radio and the installer put mine on the dashboard as far as possible and close to the front windshield.

Works good so far.

Manny
Old 12-18-2005, 07:13 AM
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I mounted mine under the defroster vent in the middle of the dash. It gets better reception there than the one in my truck gets mounted on the roof.
Old 12-18-2005, 09:37 AM
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If it's the same mini-micro antenna that the Roady 2 has it fits between the radio antenna and hatch opening on my Camaro. I only had it in the car once before I put it away for winter though. I might try to find a better hidden spot to put it once I put it back in in the spring. As for the under the hood, it does work because it's fiberglass. If it were metal it wouldn't work. I put the Roady in my Fiancee's Jeep and I original had it on the front cowl but it kept losing signal. I put it inside on top of the roll bar. She has the fiberglass hard top and it gets better signal there than it did on the cowl.
Old 12-18-2005, 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Black98LS1
I mounted mine under the defroster vent in the middle of the dash. It gets better reception there than the one in my truck gets mounted on the roof.
BINGO!

thats where i have mine too, the cutouts allow for good recption, ( becasue its a vent , and right above that there is glass, so the signal can go directly through the glass)

No matter what anybody tell you, the most optimal choice is outside the car, sticking out, but imo nobody wants to put it there, so i would reccomend in the center defroster vent, or right near the winshield wipers, under the plastic vent things!

good luck
Old 12-18-2005, 07:05 PM
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not my car
Old 12-18-2005, 07:13 PM
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Yep! That's where I put mine. Right on the little plate running accross the duct under the dash grill. The thing fits perfect there! Now if we can only get XM to get some more New Rock stations! Squizz don't cut it!
Old 12-19-2005, 07:48 AM
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Old 12-19-2005, 08:24 AM
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You can also put it inside the rear spoiler. There is plenty of room behind the third brake light and the composite material won't block the signal.
Old 12-19-2005, 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
You can also put it inside the rear spoiler. There is plenty of room behind the third brake light and the composite material won't block the signal.
Thats a good idea too!
Old 12-19-2005, 11:26 PM
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I posted where I hid my antenna here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/wiring-stereo-electronics/248790-guys-xm.html
(post #3 & 9 -- in the hatch)

BTW, under the hood is a bad idea unless the hood is fiberglass. The metal of the hood will block some signal.
Old 12-20-2005, 12:16 AM
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Originally Posted by navymitch12
not my car
i love ignorant iddiots
Old 12-20-2005, 06:17 PM
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I have mine on the back hatch glass, it's pretty small, so it's not very noticable, I tried it various places inside the car/engine bay, but I have no repeaters locally, so the glass mount gave me the best reception
Old 12-21-2005, 01:39 PM
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I was given a XM Roady (cute little rascal) for my car and I was gonna make a hard mount and enclose the little cubby hole in front of the gear shifter. I was thinking making it out of aluminum 5606 T3 or Stainless. The roady is about 3/8 of inch smaller than the cubby hole and I could mount it to the metal backing after I have permannetly mounted the backing plate and then run the cable for the antena, consealed of course, to the top of the car behind the T tops and in front of the back hatch. What do you think guys? Would that work for mounting the antena?
Old 12-21-2005, 09:26 PM
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That part of the car isn't metal, so the magnetic mount won't hold it that's why mine is on the glass (double sided tape) didn't want to stick it to the paint, and risk damaging it if I wanted to take it off someday.
You may be able to put it on the center mount of the t tops, I believe that's metal
Old 12-22-2005, 07:05 AM
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The bar between the t-tops isn't metal either but you can use two-sided tape to stick it there. You have to remove the bar first (8 screws) and drill a hole through the roof under the bar but nobody will ever see it there. The hole is protected from the weather by being under the bar but I put sealing caulk around the hole after I ran the antenna cable through just in case.

This puts the antenna outside at the highest point of the car for the best possible reception. It also leaves very little of the antenna wire exposed. The newer antennas are small enough that you hardly notice it's there.




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