New Sirus Satellite Radio options.

I hear you on all counts. My knuckles are still cut up from this install.

As for the plug, I feared it wouldn't be secure, but so far so good. I figured if I had a problem, I would add some lightweight plastic glue to the sides of the plug to keep it in place - but it hasn't been an issue yet.

On the antenna, I had on the dash for the first 2 days, but I had too many dropouts under over-passes and in tree lined areas. I ran the antenna to be on the roof just behind the regular antenna - going through the trunk seal (punched a hole through the opposite side of one of the existing holes) and my reception is great now.

 

I'm gonna give it another try at lunch.
If I'm still not comfortable with the plug fit, I might go back to my starmate.
I really like that receiver and getting the extra features (pause buffer/artist alert/etc) might be enough of a beneficial trade off to having to deal with the extra hardware.
I saw the instructions for putting the starmate in the cd holder...that might work. the biggest bummer would be have to dedicate the cig.lighter to it. I wonder if someone could patch into the wires and hard wire the power to the starmate...

 

I actually looked into the Starmate option for the extra features (I'm a fan of the song bookmark feature) and I may play with that myself as an option. Right now, the thought of a clean install and integrated function won out, although the steering wheel control bug is a downer.

You can easily tap into the wiring behind the power plug for the power, but I wouldn't be too concerned with using the power plug since I don't use it anyway.

The one thing that had me concerned with the starmate install in the tray was the heat generated by the starmate. I read some reports of a lot of heat being generated and in the confined box area, that seemed like a dangerous concern.

 

Ok, here's my install of the Sirius SC-C1 Tuner and TOY-SC1 interface.
As posted earlier in this thread I already installed the antenna inside my rear spoiler. I've had the tuner for a while, waiting on Dogstarradios.com to come thru with the TOY-SC1. Well, I gave up waiting and ordered from TSSradios.com. 2 days later, and Brown has a package for me. Install took about an hour. I accessed back of Prius radio via short-cut vent removal. I decided to put the tuner/interface units between the upper and lower gloveboxes. I had noticed that a slot exists inside the dash between them, and the tuner/interface fit well there. As a result, no glovebox space is taken up, and I don't know of anyone having done this before.

Likes: size and portability of units. Price. $140.00 for both units. (would have been $100.00 if Dogstar had come thru). 16 character display.

Dislikes: When units are attached, making one unit, the wiring goes out the bottom of one and the top of the other. That makes no sense to me, I want all my wires on one side. I left them detached and turned them where wiring plug-ins are all on one side. IMHO the two units should just plug into each other somehow. Steering wheel controls will not seek presets, they only tune stations up/down. Oh, well.


First remove vent to right of MFD. Must open both glove box doors, and door below radio helps too. detach from bottom first, then top and slide out.


Remove lower glove box door.


That allows access/ detachment of white wiring harness, that allow access to back of radio from the side.


Back of radio, from the side, and stock radio plug. The empty one we need is just on the other side of it.


Here is the empty plug-in for the Sat. harness. (mirror image)


Here is Satellite harness plugged in. You don't get a reassuring "click" , but it does lock into place if you pull the locking tab down after fully inserting plug into radio.


Here is one of the units being slipped into place betweeen the lower and upper glove boxes, behind the dash.




Here is both units in place, wired together, and supported with some foam to stop any rattles. Looking from passenger floor, upward under the upper glovebox.


The units are located inside here, behind the dash, and completely hidden. ***Update, I have found the units tend to overheat and not function properly in this location, so I have moved the units behind the far right vent, to the right of the lower glove box. Lots of room there.


Put it all back together and everything is completely hidden, and no glovebox space is utilized.

 

That's awesome! I gotta try that too.

You've mentioned my biggest disappointment in the product--that you can't control switching between the presets. The dumbest thing ever!

Sorry that dogstarradios dropped the ball on us both. Did you ever get in touch with them to cancel the order? I still can't...

 

Dogstar is a joke, they don't respond to phone calls, live-chat has been shut down for weeks, and they need to take down their web-site and stop fooling people. Don't do business with DogStarRadios.com. I haven't been able to cancel the order.

 

My order shows as tracking #, but according to UPS, only billing info has been received - no shipping has occured.
However my credit card has been charged.
I'm a day or two away from filing a dispute with my credit card company.

 

Thanks 9G for your great installation write-ups. I was going to get this unit but, now I am glad I waited because of the preset problem and the sirius merger.

 

I would'nt really call it a problem, just a poor feature programming choice on their part. Otherwise the unit works great. I wouldn't hold my breath for a merger and don't know how that would change anything.

 

I already have a Sirius portable xact unit in the car, but I want a satellite radio that I can control through the MFD and steering wheel. So I will wait at least until they correct the preset programming.

I was going to order from Dogstar because they had the best price. Sorry to hear they are not shipping. Glad I did not place the order. I think they cannot sell it at the low price they advertised and now they don't know what to do with the orders they have accepted.

 

Thanks 9G-man for the nice guide on the install, I went ahead and ordered the rest of the kit on buy.com for 83 bucks shipped. Now you mentioned that the 6-disc changer would need to plug in a pigtail after the tuner has been plugged into AUX. I have yet to open up the area to look until i get the gear. If anyone can confirm that i can still use my 6-disc changer with this kit, it would be very apperciated. Greg wasn't a 100% sure, because he owns a car with the JBL system already, which is a diffrent setup then mine. My radio is a stock factory set up, and dealer added 6-disc changer.

best regards

 

For those interested in the TOY-SC1 set-up options, here is couple layout possibilities. Fully integrated and perminate, or Fully integrated and portable.

 

Okay I have kind of been following this thread. Last year I installed a Sirius radio in my better half's 2006 Prius. I got the unit from Factory Interactive and the installation disc made the instal very easy. It cost $395 and the characters are limited to 10.

Now I want a Sirius in my 2007 Prius and understand we can get units with at least a 16 character display that scrolls and cost much less.

 

So I have been away for a bit, but I have been catching up and let me see if I have this straight:
TOY-SC1 (Sirius - Toyota/Lexus/Scion SiriusConnect tuner interface) and the SCC1 (Sirius - SiriusConnect Universal SIRIUS Radio Vehicle Tuner) are shipping now. You can do a self install in the area between the two glove boxes. It will integrate with the MFD and the steering wheel controls BUT: The buttons that next/previous buttons will NOT step through your Sirius pre-sets, it will actually do a scan?

Did I get all of that right? Did I miss anything?

 

You got it all right, except the up/dn (next/prev) buttons on the steering wheel simply tune (seek) the next channel, not scan.
As far as placement....Of course, the units can be put anywhere within reach of the cables, I just chose between the gloveboxes.
Other alternatives would be behind the right vent, inside upper and/or lower gloveboxes, inside lower panel below lower glovebox (maybe), one unit as mentioned above, and other under passenger's seat. The possibilities are many.

 

Correct.

 

Got it...seek.

Wow, what a stupid design decision. Do ALL Sirius units that interface w/ the MFD do this?

 

No, the (really expensive) factory one, works like the rest of the radio, and pushing up/dn tunes the next preset, and holding up/dn tunes the next station.
But, it's limited to 10 character, costs more and does not utilize the Sirius delay and ground repeaters.
So, I'm happy to sacrifice the preset scan, for what else Directed units have to offer.

 

how would one mount the antenna on the dash? the rest of my kit comes friday..and will be doing this saturday. Is the dash method easier? I see most audio places will put it on dash unless customer ask for something like the roof.

I may do it in the rear spoiler, but not so sure i can do the job...

 

What's the cheapest way to do this? This...

2004-2008 TOYOTA PRIUS DIRECT SIRIUS W/TEXT - eBay (item 360034184460 end time Mar-27-08 15:51:12 PDT)