Location of sat radio antenna (Sirius)?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheOtherGoose @ Apr 23 2007, 04:44 PM) [snapback]428699[/snapback]</div>

There's no way it's gonna work unless it has line of sight of the sky. Your garage I assume is mostly wood, that's not going to impair the signal too much. The metal in your car will. Put the antenna inside your car and under your roof for a min and you'll see what I mean.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheOtherGoose @ Apr 23 2007, 11:16 PM) [snapback]428815[/snapback]</div>

I have mine placed inside at the base of the windshield, using double sided tape. Works good enough, I only have an occassional dropout going under an overpass.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cjs2000 @ Apr 24 2007, 09:59 AM) [snapback]428953[/snapback]</div>

Sat antennas work best on the inside if they have a ground plane under them. There are several suction cup mounts that provide proper mounting and a ground plane.

Here is one available from Garmin.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=573

The nice thing about a suction cut mount is that it places the antenna high up on the glass and gives an unobstructed sky view. The glass introduces very little signal loss.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cjs2000 @ Apr 24 2007, 09:59 AM) [snapback]428953[/snapback]</div>

Same here (XM, not Sirus), though this method is not completely out of view. But you wouldn't notice it from outside the car if you're not looking for it.

It (XM, anyway) needs a clear view of the southern sky. With the long, sloping windshield it seems to have it with the car pointed in virtually any direction. My reception experience is comparable to cjs2000's.

I have a piece of non-slip shelf liner material beneath it. I didn't want a permanent installation in case the reception was sub-par. It stayed put with the shelf liner, so I've left it that way. That serves the added benefit of being moveable for cleaning around it.

Besides the aesthetics and potential paint damage of an antenna on the roof, this also saves the time and hassle of routing the wire through the car.

I can't help you with how it might do mounted beneath the dash or somewhere else completely out of site.

Here's a pic:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimboK @ Apr 24 2007, 11:25 AM) [snapback]429008[/snapback]</div>

Jim, how/where did you route the wire for your installation? Looks very nice btw.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusFTW @ Apr 24 2007, 12:34 PM) [snapback]429051[/snapback]</div>

Thanks!

I did the radio install myself (Vais Tech integrated unit), so when I had the dash apart for that I just ran the wire to the left end of the dash behind the left-most AC vent panel. (Somewhere behind there I bundled up the extra wire with a wire tie.) From there the wire makes a turn upward. The plastic trim below the triangular window can be easily pryed loose, and the wire tucked beneath. Finally, I took a thin dull plastic or wood object (to avoid scratching -- sorry, can't remember what) to gently push it out of sight between the bottom of the "A" post cover and the end of the dash covering. If you look closely at the pic you can see it emerge from there near the base of the windshield, and then you can barely see it in the shadow running along the base until it reaches the antenna. I thought about tucking it in at the windshield base all the way up to the antenna, but I chose to leave it out so I could adjust the antenna's position more easily as needed. I've left it that way because it's still pretty much out of sight, and it makes it easier to move the antenna for cleaning.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimboK @ Apr 24 2007, 02:20 PM) [snapback]429134[/snapback]</div>

Yes I can see the wire when I look closely and infact did right after I posted my question. How do you find your reception? Do you think it is almost or just as good as a roof install?

Thank you.

 

I had a Roady XT, with the antenna on the roof, for about a year before I put this in. I've noticed no difference in reception between the two -- just the rare and predictable dropouts through tunnels, in parking garages, or beside tall, steep hills or mountains.

 

It will work if placed inside plastic or fiberglass, like a shark antenna or the rear spoiler. Think about it the antenna itself is inside plastic.

 

The dealer installed a SIR-ECL1 SiriusConnect and placed the antenna on the dash just in front of the center speaker. I get lots of signal dropouts depending on the direction the car is heading. I've had Sirius for three years in other vehicles using the cheap portable receivers and antenna on the roof and had much better service. I can't say that having the antenna located on the roof will fix the problem, but that is my next step.

 

I put mine under my sharkfin antenna, no issues with reception there and is out of view, now if only the sharkfin worked well...lol.

I would be careful of Toyota, they are instructed to place the antenna on the right upper corner of the windshield. Pretty crappy if you ask me, esp for charging so much for the unit. Don't buy it from the dealer, install it yourself or get someone to install it like it is meant to be, on the roof, always good reception and nice professional installation look.

Good luck!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusFTW @ Apr 24 2007, 11:34 AM) [snapback]429051[/snapback]</div>

I used Sirius Dot Ultra Low Profile Car Antenna mounted UNDER the dash at the a location shown in yellow circle (original picture borrowed from PriusFTW). A small amount of glue was used on the silver colored dot on the antenna. A small piece of sticky backed flet cloth (purchased from fabric store) was utilized between the electric wire and the antenna back to eliminate contact rattle noise while the car is in motion. I've occasionally experienced signal drop out while under an overpass in the city or while placing my hand at the yellow dashboard location in the middle of nowhere such as on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. . Otherwise, it works great, completely out of sight.

 

You need to distinguish between

1) XM vs Sirius, and

2) Satellite vs. Terrestrial repeater reception

If you live in an area with lots of terrestrial repeaters, you may be able to get away with an antenna location that is poor for satellite reception. My Sirius antenna in my office points NORTH out my window towards the local repeater. I get zero satellite signal out my window, but full bars on the terrestrial signal.

I haven't seen this mentioned in any previous post, and it has a lot to do with whether an interior or hidden location will work for you.

Also, I have found that XM is a lot less sensitive to antenna placement than Sirius, at least where I live. That may have have something to do with the location and number of terrestrial repeaters though. The one data point I do have is that I could tape the antenna of my MyFi to the dash of my Prius and never once lost the signal, while taping the antenna (standard one included with PnP kit) of my Sirius radio to the dash did not work at all. Even with it on the roof I experience dropouts in concrete canyons and even some tree-lined streets.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheOtherGoose @ Apr 23 2007, 04:44 PM) [snapback]428699[/snapback]</div>

I mounted my Sirius attenna on the grill of the center speaker. I popped the grill, drilled a very small hole, and routed the antenna wire down past the MFD wiring to the left of the glove box and then through the plastic to underneath the center console where a strip of velcro is mounted. The magnet in the antenna grips the grill securely.

I cut a square piece out of a plastic CD container, mounted the companion "hook" strip of velcro to one side, and the suction mounting bracket for my Sirius receiver to the other side. Press together, hook up the antenna wire to the receiver, power cord from the electrical plug in the front console, and I was finished. Works great.

My only drop offs are when I'm in a tunnel or other structure that completely blocks access to that section of the sky with the satellite.

Bob