Another satellite radio thread

[smkeatr]

I've finally considered buying a satellite radio. I'm looking to pick up the Xact Visor model. I'm planning on hard wiring it to my truck, just like I've done for radar dectectors. Also I'd like to use it in the house and of course on the bike. I found a bundle package at Sam's for $79.00 that comes with the car kit and the home kit. Will the home antennae work OK for the bike or should I buy an additional vehicle antennae? And how are you guys/gals wiring it to the bike, the same as I'd wire it to the car, on a fuse and a ground? Thanks in advance. I searched the archives and most of the info is a couple of years old.

[NinerPilot]

Get another vehicle antenna. They are smaller and magnetic... Myhome antenna is over 4x as big as the car one.

Yup... the smaller antennas are cool. Just know that they NEED to be on a metallic surface to work pretty much at all. You might get a signal some of the time if it's on plastic, but otherwise, you need metal. I'm not an RF engineer, so I don't know why, but that's how it is.

I have a friend that wired it up to his bike, going to the battery and ground with an inline fuse right next to the battery. He then wired up a connector near his left leg to plug a cord into for his chatterbox. Seemed to work OK.

Hmm. The fuse idea is a good one. I wired in a power plug and I use the cigarette lighter plug on my satellite radio. I use a vehicle antenna. I have it under my rear seat cowl. The Targa seat cowl has a metal bracket under it that I stuck it on. It works fine under the seat cowl.

[smkeatr]

Another question, since this is a plug and play unit, can I just have the satellite radio and my portable AM/FM/CD unit in my tank bag and listen off that unit straight to my chatterbox like I do now?

Can the antenna be left in the top of my tank bag in the map window or does it really absolutely have to be stuck to something metallic?

Originally Posted by smkeatr

Can the antenna be left in the top of my tank bag in the map window or does it really absolutely have to be stuck to something metallic?

Depends on the antenna. The larger ones don't need to have a metallic backing, while the small ones need it. See if you can buy an antenna from somewhere that allows you to return it if it doesn't work.

A lot of the smaller antennas use the metallic base to assist in the pickup of the signal.

Andrew

I developed that unit. I'm in Asia now and just met with the manufacturer this weekend. I have a hardwire cable I had produced as an option. It is heavier gauge, fused and has strain relief. I could have sent you one. It works with most Sirius 12V receivers. How do you like it?

Also,

The magnetic base has nothing to do with the antennas capability. The Home antennas are larger so they can be used partially indoors, mostly when repeaters are available. The Home antennas look up and out basically. The car antennas are omnidirectional and only look up since Sirius satellites are at a higher trajectory and aren't in a stationary orbit. The magnet is stricty to make it easier to install.

Originally Posted by BillAce

I developed that unit. I'm in Asia now and just met with the manufacturer this weekend. I have a hardwire cable I had produced as an option. It is heavier gauge, fused and has strain relief. I could have sent you one. It works with most Sirius 12V receivers. How do you like it?

oooh, how much?

I'm back in the office finally. Give me your address and I'll mail one out. Make a donation to the org as compensation.

That explains why my temporarily installed Sirius radio's transmission isn't that great (as expected, really), as I have the antenna just velcroed to the dashboard, close to the windshield. I'm gonna have to figure out where to run the wires to get it on the roof. I've ordered the PIE adaptor so I can plug it right into the radio. The FM modulator is a pain. Time to rip apart the dashboard, wish me luck! I had the antenna running out through the rear window on my Tundra, but I don't think I want to do that on the F150 because it has a power rear window...

Bill, what's your hardwire cable for? Power?

Yes, so you don't have to use up your cig lighter socket/power port. There is an antenna called a Sigma that is installed inside the window. There are limits on the angle of the glass and you can't have an in glass defroster or antenna behind it. You can get them from Nissan and Subaru dealers I think or the www.siriusstore.com The roof will always give better reception though.

I'm thinking the roof is the way to go, too. I had the Tundra's on the roof and it worked perfectly. Some guys have put the antenna under the housing by the windshield wipers, but I'm thinking I'll still get drop out there, like I do now with it on the dash. I think I'll run it through the third brakelight. Think I'll have issues with it leaking?
I'll probably wire in a cig lighter behind the dash to plug it in. Just gotta find switched power. On the Ford, unlike the Tundra, the cig lighter is always powered, so I can't splice it in there.

Under the cowl gets the antenna outside but is really only good in repeater areas and if the cowl is made of fiberglass or plastic. The steel roof will block directional satellite reception. You can sneak the wire under the door jamb weatherstripping and around the windshield trim on some vehicles and put the antenna on the front of the roof in some cases. I put many throught the 3rd brake light without trouble. A little butyl windsheild sealant will help make sure there is no leak. Give me your info and I'll send a power cable to you too. It will make install much easier and it is heavier gauge with an in line fuse included. This helps because the fuse is inside the cigarette lighter socket and gone if you cut that off to hardwire. What receiver do you have?

Thanks Bill! Your mailbox is full, I tried to PM you!
What does your power cable replace, and how do you wire it in? In the past, in the Tundra, I pulled the dash and wired in a Radioshack plug into the wires for the truck's cig lighter, then plugged in the Sirius cig plug. Can't do that on the Ford, as the cig lighter isn't switched power. Does your cable eliminate the need for the Radioshack plug? Or the Sirius plug, or both? Guess I'm a bit confused as to how it works. I have the PIE adapter for sound, I'll still need that, correct? Thanks for the tip with the antenna, I'll seal it up!
I have a Starmate.

Sorry, haven't looked at my PM box in a while, I'll make some room now. My cable replaces the entire cigarette plug. It has a 12V switched and ground lead. You connect this directly to the power lead from the car and wion't need the Radio Shack adapter or the cigarette lighter plug.

Great, sounds like a much cleaner installation. Not sure where the power lead on my truck is, though. It plugs into that, I don't have to splice, or use connectors of any sort?

Here is a link to the cable.

XAct Communication XHW12V Hardwire Cable for XTR3, 7 and 8 - Styled for Life

You will need to connect to power and ground, usually behind the radio is the best bet since there will be switched 12V and ground there unless it's a newer GM vehicle. THe ignition or fuse box are always options too.

[smkeatr]

I piggy backed my Sirius receiver to my radar detector using a "Y" from Radio Shack. As stated above, one wire to the power window fuse, the other to a ground near the fuse box. That way it already has a fuse and an inline is not needed. I run my receiver on the top of the windshield above my rear view mirror along side my radar dectector. I ran my antennae down the A post and out to the windshield weather strip at the bottom to the top center of the windshield. I ran it there for a few days and I get the same reception with it on my dash right up under the wipers. I've wired radar dectectors like this for 20 years and haven't burned up a car or a fuse yet.