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Sirius/XM install

Old Jan 4, 2008 | 12:50 PM
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Sirius/XM install

I'm planning to install my Sirius this weekend. Any tips and pictures? I just can't decide where to mount the unit. I have a 6 speed to contend with, and my gauges are mounted all the way up at the windshield in the middle.
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Old Jan 4, 2008 | 04:18 PM
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My truck is an auto, so I don't know if this will work for you, but I bought a couple of cheap L brackets and used velcro to attach the unit to it..

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Old Jan 4, 2008 | 04:49 PM
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If he has heated seats that pocket is being used for the switches, otherwise it should be empty.

Personally, I've NEVER liked the sirius units with fm transmitters. My recommendation (which won't help mounting) is to find a way to feed the audio directly into whatever headunit you have (I'm assuming OEM?). If it's aftermarket, I recommend looking into a tuner box designed to work with your aftermarket headunit. The signal will be fed directly into it and it will have CRYSTAL clear sound and you'll never have to worry about finding a good FM channel to try and tune into without interference.

Don't take my word for it, just take a 1000 mile trip and count how many times you'll have to change the FM transmitter station you're using.
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Old Jan 4, 2008 | 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by AllonBlack
My Sirius is mounted right above this location between the Airbag switch & the pocket. I just took the bolt out of the back of the mounting bracket, installed a longer bolt & drilled a hole in the plastic for the bolt to attach. Great location! Word of advice, get a direct connection adapter from Radio shack which uses your antenna wire from your truck as the connection, no static & easy to install. $20
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Old Jan 4, 2008 | 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by xtoyz17
If he has heated seats that pocket is being used for the switches, otherwise it should be empty.

Personally, I've NEVER liked the sirius units with fm transmitters. My recommendation (which won't help mounting) is to find a way to feed the audio directly into whatever headunit you have (I'm assuming OEM?). If it's aftermarket, I recommend looking into a tuner box designed to work with your aftermarket headunit. The signal will be fed directly into it and it will have CRYSTAL clear sound and you'll never have to worry about finding a good FM channel to try and tune into without interference.

Don't take my word for it, just take a 1000 mile trip and count how many times you'll have to change the FM transmitter station you're using.

What he said! I had a sirius FM unit but mine was mounted on the floor. It suck having to change stations and having crappy sound. I ended up buying a kenwood CD play that was Sirius ready and the converter box (i guess thats was its called) and installed it in my truck. The sound is 100x better and i have now interuptions becuase of a bad FM station.
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Old Jan 4, 2008 | 05:25 PM
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Well they sell smart adapters to make the portable units plug into just anything brand of cd player or stereo with an aux input. The other way is to purchase something called a tuner box which mounts behind your dash anywheres you want, plugs into the cd player in the back, and is entirely controlled through the head-unit of the aftermarket CD player.
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Old Jan 5, 2008 | 12:47 AM
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Originally Posted by xtoyz17
The other way is to purchase something called a tuner box which mounts behind your dash anywheres you want, plugs into the cd player in the back, and is entirely controlled through the head-unit of the aftermarket CD player.
thats what i had up untill a few weeks ago....it worked good, and was easy to install...
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Old Jan 5, 2008 | 03:05 AM
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I had one of those but I didnt like the fact that I had to run a wire out onto the roof for a little magnetic antenna thing
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Old Jan 5, 2008 | 07:13 AM
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My Sirius Starmate 3 is mounted to the left of where J Lent's is, almost over the ash tray. The plug in unit is attached with Velcro and the wires run through the ash tray (not visiable). The head unit plugs in and out easily, so I don't have to leave it in the truck. I bought one of the booster units that plugs in between the antenna and the radio, about $20. I have the radio set on one pretty clear channel and never have to change it. I do run through a "dead spot" south of Dallas where no channel will work.

For now, I do use the 12V plug that came with the unit, but am going to install a terminal strip under the dash to connect the Sirius, GPS and phone charger.
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Old Jan 5, 2008 | 07:42 AM
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The Sirius antenna is not visible if you route it out the passenger side of the dash & tuck it behind the weaterstrip following it to the roof line. There is a small space behind the dash on the passenger side. The glove box pops right out with no tools required. You can't see no wires in my truck except where they plug into the Sirius.
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Old Jan 6, 2008 | 02:32 PM
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I have my XM SkiFi2 mounted utilizing a mount which came with Ma Mopar's 2nd Generation Truck cell phone holder.The cell holder quit working and when I tossed it I saved the mount to use with my satelite radio.It mounts under the dash facia,along the heater controls and works very well.I use the hardwired modulator in the dash for power and sound.I ran the antenna wire under the dash,up the passenger side door pillar and under the headliner edge to about the quad cab door where the antenna is on the roof.Its been like that for years and I have had no issues with it......Andy
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Old Jan 6, 2008 | 03:03 PM
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I guess the only thing I forgot to mention is that my antenna is run through my third brake light. 2 screws pop it out and the wire easily squeezes in under the headliner. Ran to the passenger side from there down inside the back seat panel, under the door sills, and back up under the dash.
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Old Jan 6, 2008 | 05:42 PM
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my brother, Txwelder, has an XM. PM him and ask him
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Old Jan 7, 2008 | 12:44 AM
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I have XM Delphi MyFi that I mounted to a flexible phone post by the 4wd lever. The nice thing about the Delphi MYFI is that it transmits an FM signal that goes a hundred feet or so. I listen to the satellite radio signal from my truck on the radio in my travel trailer when camping, or in my shop while at home. There may be other units that generate that strong of FM signal, but I haven't seen them.
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Old Jan 7, 2008 | 07:55 AM
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The only problem I have had with either my XM SkiFi2 or my Sirius Sportster 4 is the built in modulators.They are nice when your traveling in areas where the FM band may have some dead air channels,but,in the interstate corridors I run daily finding a dead air channel is almost non-existent.Thus the reason for the in dash modulators being used.

The XM version is far more superior than the Sirius.The XM in dash modulator has both power and audio feeds and will provide the power to your head unit which removes the need for the cigarette lighter plug.The Sirius in dash modulator only slips into the fm antenna line and while it really does eliminate the no dead air deal you still need to use the cigarette lighter to power your unit.It would be a cleaner install if it(the lighter plug)could be eliminated and only the head unit and mounts be seen outside the dash.

Of course it would be ALOT nicer if the government would allow the merger to finish so we could have the choices of what we wanted in one radio instead of needing two.................Andy

Last edited by Hammer; Jan 7, 2008 at 08:01 AM. Reason: spelling
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