XM revisited

[mtnh]

I would like to add XM to the MM. Since it's the wife's daily driver, she specified that the tuner cannot be mounted like mine is in the LS, on a Vehicle Specific Mount (VSM) which bolts to the face of the dash beside the climate control panel and angles the device toward the driver. This works great for me, but well, you know... Anyhow, I have purchased the Audiovox XM tuner, which is like a smaller version of the Skyfi2 that I have in my car. I looked around and don't see any thing that jumps right out at me as being the perfect location for not looking obtrusive. I then came up with alternative ideas, like buy a 2005 grand marquis radio that is satellite ready and hide the xm adapter inside the dash, but that is risky (it may not work, even though the radio I researched is of the same connector levels as our original radio) and very expensive to just add a radio band. So that brings me back to my original plan -- place the XM tuner somewhere that is is both functional and not dorky-looking. My wife even remarked that she thought it could go on the guage pod in front of the shifter, "since those things are useless anyway." That was funny and I'm almost leaning that way.

Please share your location specifics of how you integrated the XM tuner into your Marauder! I thought I saw something about this, but searching for XM errors out with a "too little information or ambiguous term entered" error.

Thanks,

Mike

[jimlam56]

Isn't there a unit that replaces the stock radio/cd with a satellite radio/cd?
I too am interested in satellite radio but I don't like the looks of the antenna either.

[Breadfan]

The XM antennas are generally quite small which is nice, so they don't look too bad.

Belkin makes the only mount i'd use my XM in my MM for. It's a cupholder mount. It sits in the cupholder and the radio slides onto it. Certainly not permanent, but useful. You can run all the wires in such a way that they come up from the console right there making it look nice.

The antenna can go on the trunk right near the back window, I think that'd be a nice spot for it. I'd glue felt to the bottom of the XM antenna though, otherwise as it ages and gets dirt around/under it, it can scuff paint if you aren't careful.

[Donny Carlson]

Okay, let's talk antennas first. There is NO NEED to put one on the exterior or of your MM. I did, mounted it on the rear part of the roof, ran the wire around the weather stripping to the trunk, where it tied into the XM Commander that was mounted there. The little Terk antenna doesn't look so bad, but it is attached with a magnet and even though it has little rubber bumpers, it scratched the hell out of the roof.

You can easily mount the antenna on top of the third taillight box with velcro or double stick tape. It works great there, even if you have tint. Satellite radio antennas can "see" through plastic and fiberglass, even if it's painted. Mine, for example is hidden beneath a black fiberglass trim panel that is next to the windshield. You can 't see the antenna at all, and it works great.

Alternatives on the MM would be to mount it behind the rearview mirror, or somewhere inside on the dash near the sunload sensor.

Now, to tuners. You can use what you bought with an interface kit to get best sound quality, but you'll still have a clunky head unit to deal with. I installed an XM Commander in my MM, the head unit was double stick taped to the area where the compass is in the upper console. This was a perfect location, visable and easy to reach. The cable ran along the headliner, and down the A pillar, along the rocker panel back to the tuner in the trunk, which interfaced with the sound system using a cable that plugged into the CD Changer and the data cable from the radio to the CD Changer. Display was on the head unit.

However, there is now an even better solution. Terk has a universal interface for radios with RDS like the Marauder has. It plugs directly into the stock head unit and using a Terk smart tuner, sends the signal directly to the unit along with display information for channel, song title, artist, genre, etc. This is exactly like the display when you tune into an FM channel with RDS. You can still use the stock steering wheel controls for volume and tuning.

This is pretty much what I have in my SSR, except it had a specific GM interface kit for the Bose premium sound system. The new universal kit is supposed to work with any RDS capable head unit, not matter what make.

[vpalhories]

However, there is now an even better solution. Terk has a universal interface for radios with RDS like the Marauder has.

Donny, are you referring to the Terk XMDFDK unit? If so, I don't see our cars (or CV/G. Marquis listed below 05). If that's not the unit you are referring to can you let me know which one?

Thanks

[BigCars4Ever]

Se my picture gallery. http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/3/1/4/xpress2.jpg I have the same audiovox tuner. I bent a piece of stainless to clip onto the trim and used 3m tape to hold the mount to the stainless. No holes needed. I put the antenna on the roof and ran the wire under the weatherstripping. Then I pulled up the gasket and put a piece of tape on the trunk lip, layed the wire over the lip and put the gasket back on. Then I just snaked the cable forward under the trim, up the passenger kick pannel, behind the glove box and to the unit. I use the RF adapter that goes inline with the radio antenna and it also supplies power..

[mtnh]

Thanks for the info, guys. I really like that idea of an RDS-capable hidden XM system. However, it looks like the first unit has yet to ship! Donny, do you know if the XMDRDS100 has actually been released?

Also, a word of caution regarding antenna placement. If you live in the south, using an inboard antenna will probably suffice, but up here in Nude Hamster, our latitude causes problems with antenna location. I have the antenna on my LS mounted about 4" aft of the forward edge of the trunk lid, and believe it or not, that location is sometimes obscured by the roof, if ascending hills and pointing the car directly at the transponder in space. My in-home kit for my Skyfi-2 has its antenna aimed at the transponder, and the elevation angle of that antenna, for maximum signal gain, is somewhere under 45 degrees. With our elevation angle so shallow in the north, we also have a lot of problems with tree interference. I get drop-outs for a good half-mile in one particular area of my town due to trees, and lesser-duration dropouts in many others, when headed south-southwest. Anyhow, I put up with that and try not to drive on roads with a lot of interference. Next time around, the antenna will be on the rear end of the roof for the MM. Y'all in the south probably almost never see these problems with interference due to the transponder being at a much steeper angle, probably close to 80 degrees or better.

Bigcars, thanks for the photo. The bracket looks to be a great idea and from a driver perspective, it is probably very clean-looking. Nice town to live in, too. :P

[SMOKE]

I'm running Sirius, but had the same issues re: satellite receiver and where to put it. On my unit, the suction cup for a windshield mount config happens to press down into the larger/forward cup holder and holds tight. Good tilt angle and fingertip access right off the edge of the center armrest. Out of my direct line of site too...my particular unit has blue backlighting that's a bit too much at night.

This link should point at a picture I've posted here..

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/showimage.php?i=1219&c=3&userid=4490

I'm from Connecticut, and also deal with overpasses and dense tree-lined roads and get occasional signal drops. Went the roof mount route, then pulled the antenna inside and mounted on top of third brake light. Same performance and no paint damage.

[fastblackmerc]

On Hertz rentals that have Sirrus, the antenna is usually mounted to the trunk lid and they put a thick clear pad under it so it deosn't mess up the paint. Same with the NeverLost antenna

[Donny Carlson]

Thanks for the info, guys. I really like that idea of an RDS-capable hidden XM system. However, it looks like the first unit has yet to ship! Donny, do you know if the XMDRDS100 has actually been released?


http://www.audiovox.com/images/products_large/XMDRDS100_y.jpg

I thought it had. There's pricing on it (MSRP of $49.99). You have to also buy the tuner box, which is also $49.99

Let me look around.

Edit: According to the Audiovox website (Audiovox bought out Terk), it will be available "mid 2006" which is about now.

Here's the website:

http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=14946&langId=-1

I gotta say, for $100 to add XM to your stock head unit, that's a real bargain. A commander and interface sets you back over $150.

[mtnh]

http://www.audiovox.com/images/products_large/XMDRDS100_y.jpg

I thought it had. There's pricing on it (MSRP of $49.99). You have to also buy the tuner box, which is also $49.99

Let me look around.

Edit: According to the Audiovox website (Audiovox bought out Terk), it will be available "mid 2006" which is about now.

Here's the website:

http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=14946&langId=-1

I gotta say, for $100 to add XM to your stock head unit, that's a real bargain. A commander and interface sets you back over $150.


Most definitely the price of playing with this unit is worth it. As an example, the unit is on sale at bestbuy.com right now, but still not available. It shows around $120 for the complete package there. At the same time, it is also on Crutchfield, same package, but showing up at around $180. They also show not in stock, no specific date for availability. I found a site, I believe xmfan.com, that shows updated availability for the next set of Terk XM products, and the XMDRDS100 shows availability of 31-may-2006, ad provided by one of the site admins in a reply to a string regarding this product. Again, THANK YOU very much for making this product known, I think I can wait 10-14 more days...(I mean SHE can wait another 2 weeks!) :eek:

Thanks also for the Sirius comments from Middletown CT. I had no idea that the micro antenna would be able to screw up paint. Then again, on my LS, the trunk lid is made of aluminum, so I had to double-side tape it down on that car.

Mike

[Tallboy]

http://www.audiovox.com/images/products_large/XMDRDS100_y.jpg

I thought it had. There's pricing on it (MSRP of $49.99). You have to also buy the tuner box, which is also $49.99

Let me look around.

Edit: According to the Audiovox website (Audiovox bought out Terk), it will be available "mid 2006" which is about now.

Here's the website:

http://www.audiovox.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=14946&langId=-1

I gotta say, for $100 to add XM to your stock head unit, that's a real bargain. A commander and interface sets you back over $150.

This is the only way I would put Satellite Radio in my Marauder. Thanks for the write-up and info, Donny. I'll bookmark this and come back to it in a month or so...:up:

[Donny Carlson]

This is the only way I would put Satellite Radio in my Marauder. Thanks for the write-up and info, Donny. I'll bookmark this and come back to it in a month or so...:up:

My pricing may be off. Bestbuy shows it on their website as "available soon" priced at $129, and I think that's the whole setup.

Edit: I think the BB page is just for the adapter. You'll still need an XM Direct unit.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7796922&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat450000 50001&id=1142292824114

Crutchfield shows the adapter with the XM Direct tuner at $160, listed as "out of stock."

The XM Direct box can be had at a lot of XM dealers, so it may be cheaper to buy the adapter separately. I've seen the XM Direct box at Walmart on sale for under $40.

The other thing to remember is that the XM commander uses the same XM Direct box. You may be able to pick up a used XM Commander on ebay, or even an XM direct, at a bargain.

[Tallboy]

My pricing may be off. Bestbuy shows it on their website as "available soon" priced at $129, and I think that's the whole setup.

Edit: I think the BB page is just for the adapter. You'll still need an XM Direct unit.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7796922&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat450000 50001&id=1142292824114

Crutchfield shows the adapter with the XM Direct tuner at $160, listed as "out of stock."

The XM Direct box can be had at a lot of XM dealers, so it may be cheaper to buy the adapter separately. I've seen the XM Direct box at Walmart on sale for under $40.

The other thing to remember is that the XM commander uses the same XM Direct box. You may be able to pick up a used XM Commander on ebay, or even an XM direct, at a bargain.

Thanks again, Donny! As long as I can get satellite radio through my OEM head unit, with no additional/external displays, I'm cool with whatever it costs...:cool:

[Rkammer]

Se my picture gallery. http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/3/1/4/xpress2.jpg I have the same audiovox tuner. I bent a piece of stainless to clip onto the trim and used 3m tape to hold the mount to the stainless. No holes needed. I put the antenna on the roof and ran the wire under the weatherstripping. Then I pulled up the gasket and put a piece of tape on the trunk lip, layed the wire over the lip and put the gasket back on. Then I just snaked the cable forward under the trim, up the passenger kick pannel, behind the glove box and to the unit. I use the RF adapter that goes inline with the radio antenna and it also supplies power..

What RF adapter are you referring to? I just bought the same tuner and it uses the wireless FM internal transmitter. I've tried it out prior to doing a final install and it seems to work fine if I pick the right FM station low on the dial (88.5 in my area). Are you using your cars FM antenna or the XM antenna that came with the kit? Thanks.