Satelitte Radio Antenna Placement/Installation

Hi 'yall...

I'm exploring adding a satelitte radio to my 08 EX. I'm looking to view pictures of where everyone placed thier antenna. My vote was to place it on the roof of the car (similar to how the EX-Ls have theirs). I can't determine how to run the antenna wire and keep it between the back glass.

I don't think i'd be a big fan of putting it on my trunk but I'd like to see pics.

Thanks!

UMMMMMMM......... ISNT THE EX ALREADY EQUIPPED FOR SAT RADIO? THE EX I WAS LOOKING AT WAS AS WAS THE EXL I got initially, And the EXL Navi I ended up with after the fact.....
Any input?

JJ

UMMMMMMM......... ISNT THE EX ALREADY EQUIPPED FOR SAT RADIO? THE EX I WAS LOOKING AT WAS AS WAS THE EXL I got initially, And the EXL Navi I ended up with after the fact.....
Any input?

JJ

UMMMMMM NO! The EX is NOT equipped for satellite radio as standard equipment.

As for the OP's question. I have a Sirius Satellite Starmate 4 radio with the antenna on the right side of the dash inside the car. It works great there. No drop out of signal. I really didn't want to place a magnetic antenna on my car.

I'm in the same boat... I posted a couple months ago with the same question and got a few responses. One of the responses told me how to route the antenna through the trunk and onto the car, but when I asked for clarification, I never got an answer... For now, I'm doing the same thing as "The Q." It is sitting on my dash, but I do have some dropped signals at times that I never had when it was mounted on the roof of my old car. I have it tucked up between the glass and the dash where there is a couple inch channel... it slides back and forth at times, but for the most part, I'm living with it until I get a chance to do it right... looking forward to getting a few more customizations done, but time has been WAY too tight lately! Good luck!

UMMMMMMM......... ISNT THE EX ALREADY EQUIPPED FOR SAT RADIO? THE EX I WAS LOOKING AT WAS AS WAS THE EXL I got initially, And the EXL Navi I ended up with after the fact.....
Any input?

JJ

Relax.

EX-L is equipped. That is what the shark-fin type antenna is for on the roof. EX does not have this feature.

mike.

I've never heard of the starmate but I have already purchased an Alpine unit and it has a standalone Sirius receiver. In other words, you can't mount it on your dash. You have to have an external antenna mounted to the car.

I called the dealership and they sell the EX-L antennas but i certainly do not want to drill through my roof so that's out of the question.

It looks like i'll have to do trunk mounted :thumbsdow Do they not make a small antenna that would stick to a windshield? I could easily hide this behind my rearview mirror and run the cable under the headliner of the roof or something.

I'm in the same boat... I posted a couple months ago with the same question and got a few responses. One of the responses told me how to route the antenna through the trunk and onto the car, but when I asked for clarification, I never got an answer... For now, I'm doing the same thing as "The Q." It is sitting on my dash, but I do have some dropped signals at times that I never had when it was mounted on the roof of my old car. I have it tucked up between the glass and the dash where there is a couple inch channel... it slides back and forth at times, but for the most part, I'm living with it until I get a chance to do it right... looking forward to getting a few more customizations done, but time has been WAY too tight lately! Good luck!


briguy: Use some double sided tape so the antenna doesn't slide around. That may help with the dropped signal.

OP: Does your Alpine unit use a seperate antenna for the satellite radio part? If it does you can try my method. I too would like the factory antenna, I'm just not sure about drilling into the roof.

I have mine placed at the top of my windshield like...
http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/7/web/3079000-3079999/3079958_22_full.jpg

The wire is routed through the firewall to the tuner.

i think i might run mine through the trunk or put it on the dash.
i want to install my player in the center console but dont want the antenna wire to be noticeable... any ideas or secret things i dont know about?

I was asking a couple weeks ago about placement for this stuff and "The Q" has it right on the money with his setup. I ended up copying him for the most part.
My unit is in the center cubby with the sliding door, and I have my wires for the AUX and power running out the back of the cubby and through the center console (easy as pie to remove) and up through a 3/8" hole I drilled in the bottom of the arm rest cubby. The antenna is wired behind the dash, up the doorframe to a position on the dash under the windshield with a piece of electrical tape that I looped to act as double sided so it doesn’t fly around.
Everything is well hidden and when I close the cubby door to my unit, you would have no idea anything was there, you really have to look hard for the antenna on the dash to see that it doesn’t belong.
I have zero reception problems from under the glass, and I don’t have to worry about grime and sand getting under the magnet and rubbing a circular spot on my paint, much like a leather bra on a car does.
I really have to say that you should try to use electrical tape than double sided, it removes easier than double sided if you choose to move the antenna.

ok heres a question. say i were to drill a 3/8 hole in my center console. is there a part of the console that is replaceable (i have a lease) or would the entire thing have to be replaced.

The Q,

Yes, it has a seperate part. What is your method? Is there a seperate thread or pics? Got me curious here.

The Q,

Yes, it has a seperate part. What is your method? Is there a seperate thread or pics? Got me curious here.

No separate thread here. What I did was mount my Sirius antenna to the dash near the glass about 4 to 6 inches in from the post. I ran the antenna wire between the dash and glass, then along the passenger side trim, then behind the glove box ending behind the radio area. Like I said earlier, I used double sided tape, but Velcro or other methods will work, you just don't want it sliding around. Sorry, I don't have any pictures.

Why don't you just do what i did and run the wire for ant. all way to the back of the car and through the trunk and place it under the grey cloth that sits back of the rear seats.its basically right next to the rear speakers its get full signal as if it was outside.and its in the car and no silly ant. on outside of the car for some idiot to bother.

i put it dead center top of the dash, wedged right up against the windshield, and it works perfectly. ran the wire to the left and to the tuner. works perfectly.

Here are some oics of a Sirius antenna on my 08 Sedan. The wire lays in the channel between the body and the glass then down the left on the inside.

Sorry for the poor lighting. I just took them tonight

Thanks for the pics..that's pretty much how I was going to do it but I ran into problems with the antenna wire not staying in the channel between the glass and body of the car. There doesn't appear to be any rubber seal I can slide the wire under. How were you able to keep the wire in the channel?

As you run the wire under the trunk weatherstrip pull it taught while pushing the weatherstrip back in place

ok heres a question. say i were to drill a 3/8 hole in my center console. is there a part of the console that is replaceable (i have a lease) or would the entire thing have to be replaced.

yes it is replaceable, everything is. i would venture to guess that if you place it well, somebody might not even notice when you give the car back. if it becomes a problem i am sure there will be junkyard cars by the time your lease is up and should be a quick fix.

i avoided making 2 holes and keeping it down to 1 by just having the wiring come into the cubby through the space behind the cover door (theres plenty of room to work with and not have wires seen). Like i said in my earlier post, i just made that one hole to drop the power and the aux into the center console. There is a nice piece of fabric in the bottom of the arm rest cubby that covers the hole, and i am sure that the day i sell this car the buyer will be none the wiser about the hole unless i dress it up and put a plug in it and tell him the car came that way so that he could use it to do what i did:paranoid:.

on another note...
i would really caution putting the antenna on the paint, it did some damage on my last car (i didnt really care about it though).
there was grime under it, sand had made its way in and scratched the clear coat off, it was ugly. Even if keeping it inside under the glass gave me worse reception (which it does not), i would never put it on the paint of my car again.

I've never heard of the starmate but I have already purchased an Alpine unit and it has a standalone Sirius receiver. In other words, you can't mount it on your dash. You have to have an external antenna mounted to the car.

I called the dealership and they sell the EX-L antennas but i certainly do not want to drill through my roof so that's out of the question.

It looks like i'll have to do trunk mounted :thumbsdow Do they not make a small antenna that would stick to a windshield? I could easily hide this behind my rearview mirror and run the cable under the headliner of the roof or something.
Man up! Drill through the roof!:yes:

Man up! Drill through the roof!:yes:

haha, i think that might just be a little extreme for a unit you are going to suction to your windshield.
If your going to go all surgical on your roof, you might as well install a moonroof for the backseat. I swear you wont have any leakage problems.... ;)