Blaine_M

XM Antannae location

I have a question on the antennae location for an XM radio in a car. I'm considering the Roady2 and I'd like to place the antennae low on the dash, by the edge of the windshield on the side where the FM antennae is for the car stereo. A friend of mine did this for a while in his car and he said it worked fine. Will this work ok? Has anyone tried it? I've got an 04 Trailblazer.

Bob_L

That's about where mine currently sits and it works very nicely. However, I think the area you live in may have more to do with the quality of reception than the position of your antenna. In L.A., the driver's side dash works great.

Blaine_M

I'm in Iowa, I think when I get mine I'll try setting it up there for a while to see how it works, It seems like it would be fine, but unfortunately there is no way for me to find out I guess until I actually get one.

Tom McA

... unless you're driving the other direction. But seriously folks...

Mine's on the roof, and it works flawlessly. My wife's is inside the car (VW New Beetle - acres of windshield) at the far forward corner of the driver's side of the dashboard. Hers does occasionally drop out for a second or so. It seems to happen on freeways with high sound walls on both sides, so perhaps when she's in a "trench", combined with the fact that it's inside the car, she briefly loses direct line of sight with the bird.

My recommendation is outside - ymmv.

Bob_L

All I can say, Tom, is you should see me backing up at 75mph in the northbound lane of the 405. With nary an XM dropout.

Blaine_M

So, if I put it on the roof, it doesn't need to be close to my FM antennae does it? Like I said, I've got a trailblazer, if I were to put it on the roof I'd rather put it on the back and run it through the rear hatch door, and not through a passenger door. Will it stay on in a touchless car wash?

Tom McA

Bob - Har! Waittaminute... That's how I get to and from work. When the $@&*! do you have the opportunity to go 75mph on the 405? 3AM?

Blaine - The XM & FM antennas don't have anything to do with each other. Mine is magnetically mounted on the back of the roof just ahead of the rear hatch, and the wire runs thru the top of the hatch to the receiver black box in the trunk. (I installed the Prius XM kit from coastaletech.com - highly recommended) The antenna stays on in the car wash just fine.

Blaine_M

Sounds good. I got my Roady2 yesterday, tempararilly have it set in the windshield, works ok, but I'll definitely be having it installed on the outside of the truck somewhere soon.