I'm looking for any good installation methods for routing satellite antenna coax into our trucks? I was looking at possibly routing the coax under the windshield gasket and into the door hinge area. Any other proven access routes?

 

My cab has what appears to be a grommet low on the rear part of the cab. I've never poked at it, but if that's what it actually is it might be useful.

 

Do the antennas have to be mounted on the roof, or can they be mounted on the hood? It would make it alot easier to wire.

 

Went up the pass side apiller and out under the center cab light used a dabe of silicone and no leeks.

 

Ya, I see that one a lot. Problem with mine is that I have a cap over the bed at the moment, so I'd have a pretty tight area to work in. Definite possibility though.


I supppose they could be, Mike. I have 3 antennas on the fenders already, so adding another one wouldn't matter I guess.

 

Mine runs out the 3rd brake light on the back of the cab. Had to put a dab of silicon also, but works great

 

Same way here,

except i did this up the passenger side of the truck... No issues yet... you can also mount them on your headache rack, or they do work on the front as well.


Tx

 

Another vote for out through the 3rd brake light here. I don't know if the shop used silicone or not.

~Rob

 

I think thats a cab vent, for when you close the door to relieve pressure. That would be a little low to exit for an antenna. I've never installed one on a truck, but I would also look strongly at the third brake light. They give you so much wire with those antennas, that would be the cleanest place I could think of.

 

I thought I'd post a follow-up. I got my Sirius unit for Christmas, and here's how I mounted my antenna. It's located on the roof just above the driver's door almost in line with the running lights. The antenna coax runs down along and behind the windshield gasket to where it enters the door hinge area. From there it passes into the engine compartment and thru the firewall gasket. Whole thing took about 30 minutes to recon and then route. It looks real clean and was pretty easy to do too.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Mount it on the hood, right in the middle ... if needed. Santa brought me Sirius too.

For tests, my antenna is inside. I snaked the coax up under the dash mat & the antenna is up as far front as I can get it, middle of the dash. Works great right now, we'll have to see.

Has anyone else kept theirs inside?

 

I went out the top of the third brake light. Little dab of silicone where the wire goes in and big glob in the hole I drilled to get the connector through. Route the wire along the headliner, then down the weather stripping to the plastic trim that holds down your carpet and door stripping.

Now, I took a razor knife and made a small slice in the carpet under the passenger front seat (close to the ridge near the center seat).

If you have a non-hardwired unit you will be contine to run the wire up to the dash and hook up from there.
I mounted my unit under the center seat, nice and clean. Ran the harness to the headunit under the carpet by taking off that plastic cover up from and using a coat hanger to fish up front from a small slice I made under the seat.

My pictures stink, partly due to our horrible Mid-Atlantic climate this time of year. I will post some better ones of the wire routing if anyone wants them.

 

I just put my sat. radio in the bottom left hand corner of the windshield. Ran the ant. wire up the behind the pillar molding and up the upper left next to the running light. everything looks clean and in place the controls are within arms reach. I have the Sirius sportster

 

My buddy with a PSD mounted his under the plastic that goes around the windshield wipers, after seeing a bunch of guys on the dieselstop doing it. He says his reception and signal strength is great.

Thinking about it, I put the antenna on my wife's trunk lid inside the garage, door shut, and the signal was maxed, and I get crappy reception of ANY kind on any frequency around my place.

I might try it.. I just dislike magnet mount antennas for long periods of time, they tend to trap water in my experience.

 

I did almost the same thing as P.J. including the coat hanger method . Only difference was I ran the wire through the underside of the brake light so I didn't screw up the seal with a wire running through it. no difference in clean look.