Does anyone else here use Satellite Radio (Sirius or XM) in their 914?

What hardware setups do you have? How did you choose to run your antenna?

-Rusty

Rusty,

I have an XM receiver installed, mounted to the ash tray pull. It nests in the recess like it's a factory option. I might add that my son, who was a profession car audio installer at CC and Ultimate Electronics, did the install. I'll post a few pic tonight.

The antenna wire runs thru the engine bay and the antenna mounts to the rear deck lid just infront of the engine lid.

Here's what I did. It took about 20 minutes to run the wires and hook it all up. I use this radio in my daily driver too, so I got an extra car kit from Ebay. I needed a new stereo so I got one with an auxilliary input. This option is much better than the FM transmitter. I will never go back to regular radio.

last pic

Click to view attachment
Follow this link to a thread showing my installation, towards bottom of first page:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=32123&hl=

This is how it looks:

I have XM radio, the cassette car adapter kit.

I run the antana under the plastic dash cover that I have and have it sitting on the dash next to the windshield between the wiper and the windshield edge on the passenger side.
I had the antenna wired to be outside, but it seriously scratched my paint!!

I have the casette and power plug wires running under the dash and behind the center consol so that you only see a small bit of wire comming from under the dash to the cigarette lighter and from under the dash to the radio.

Then........I have XM radio sitting on the floor consol in front of the shifter. I have the cords running from behind the center consol, under the floor mats toward the seats and they plug into the XM radio from there.

Sorry, I dont have my camera with me today. But i'll get you pictures posted tomorow.

I have Sirius mounted under the dash and use the original radio for the reciever. Sirius has a unit that the antenna runs through so I can get great reception without having to pull the antenna up. Satilite antenna is discrete on the hood. I cut the power end off the cigarette lighter power plug and wired it direct to come on with the ignition.

No pic, but I mounted the antenna just inside the front window. The base of mine is magnetic and the there's metal under the padded part of the dash. No need to mount outside--at least in the area I drive

How do you guys hear a radio in a 914?

Earphones/Headphones? Or do you use 1,000,000 Watt Amplifiers and listen to distortion? I could understand perhaps while parked, one could listen, but not while driving.

I prefer the sound of the 3.2 engine (which is good because I can't hear the radio).

BTW, I tend to drive mine primarily with the top removed.

I have sirius attached the ash tray slot loose coils under the dash cover with antenna pushed up close to the mid right of dash inside get 3 signal bars most of the time. try different freq's to find the best in your area. plug power cord in cig lighter, I have an older sport model which gets warm, the newer models do better, can send pics
ZB

Ok Rusty,
Here are the pics!

Here is the overall setup.

Edit:
Well, looks like i will have to post them later. Pictures arent attaching for some reason.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

The reason I even brought this up is because I'm tired of swapping my Starmate between my the 914 and my Wrangler. I'm going to get a dedicated car-kit for the 914, and am hoping for a non-intrusive installation. Since our cars are so different from the average econo-boxes... it's interesting to see how people do their installs.

I think the easiest is just to get a head unit that's got Sirius installed - but then you can't move it around easily.

Robby, did you do your power wire like Michael?

-Rusty

Hi Toasty! thanks for trying with the pictures.

I powered mine to the standard 3-spot cigarette recepticle that is hidden under the dash (I also can use it to recharge the cell phone and other devices), cost about $15.00.

I put my antenna right thru the hole for the regular antenna. Threaded it thru the wheel well and into the front by the gas tank. From there, you can pull it through the bottom of the dash. My head unit (hehe) is mounted on the windshield just to the left of the guage cluster. Makes for easy channel surfing while driving. I can actually change channels without removing my hands from the steering wheel. I still had loose wires from the cig lighter and the aux wire going to my stereo, but it was a temporary install.

Jen

Ok Rusty,
Here are thoes pics finally!

This is my overall setup.
I don't necessarily like where the stereo is sitting, but I didn't want to install a permenent mount in the car. I doesnt seem to go anywhere sitting there.

So it doesn't look so obvious and to deter breakin's, I put the stereo it inside the 3rd seat when I'm not in it(not disconnecting the wires), and hide the power plug under the dash (theres a metal lip right there) and put the cigarette light back.

I have the cords running behind and under the consol. Y can see the one that runs from the stereo to the top of the consol here at the top of the first pic.



The wires are right under the floor mat. They do not get stepped on as the mats run up to the consol box.I usually have the cord you see running along the side by the shifter and heater lever tucked under the board there and have it come up throught the slot where the heater lever is.



And here is where the antenna sits.



Hope this helped!