xm radio
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 157
Likes: 11
From: Mansfield texas
xm radio
Ok I have a Pioneer touchscreen aftermarket radio that I put in last year and I was looking at adding an xm radio to my car. The radio is xm ready but when I looked at the part that I need to connect to the radio is looks like it comes with an antenna. Do I have to use that antenna or will the stock antenna work since the stock radio had XM already on it?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 6,139
Likes: 1,962
From: Morris County New Jersey
Quick answer, you can re-use the cars existing antenna.
The long answer, you still need to buy the Sirius/Xm tuner and attach it to the back of your head unit. You can not re-use the existing factory tuner. To re-use the antenna, you will need to buy a 10ft Sirius/Xm antenna extension cable, available on amazon ($12), and run it from your new tuner to the factory tuner located above the rear drivers side wheel well and attach it there.
My opinion, I tried it and the reception wasn't good for me. I also tried placing the antenna that came with the tuner in a couple of different locations and the reception was still bad, and I ended up cancelling Sirius/Xm on my vette. I'm not sure if it was my location, the car, or anything else. But I know I am not the only person unhappy with Xm reception in a vette with an aftermarket head unit.
Here is a thread done by our former forum audio guy that will show you the steps to re-use the factory antenna.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...is-to-diy.html
The long answer, you still need to buy the Sirius/Xm tuner and attach it to the back of your head unit. You can not re-use the existing factory tuner. To re-use the antenna, you will need to buy a 10ft Sirius/Xm antenna extension cable, available on amazon ($12), and run it from your new tuner to the factory tuner located above the rear drivers side wheel well and attach it there.
My opinion, I tried it and the reception wasn't good for me. I also tried placing the antenna that came with the tuner in a couple of different locations and the reception was still bad, and I ended up cancelling Sirius/Xm on my vette. I'm not sure if it was my location, the car, or anything else. But I know I am not the only person unhappy with Xm reception in a vette with an aftermarket head unit.
Here is a thread done by our former forum audio guy that will show you the steps to re-use the factory antenna.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...is-to-diy.html
VETERAN
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 592
Likes: 57
From: Dayton OH
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I put a JVC HU in my 99 and installed the SiriusXM unit behind the HU. I ran the XM antenna lead from the rear of the car to behind the HU and placed the small antenna on one of the rear brake light buckets. Works great and I do not lose reception.
Jim
Jim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 6,139
Likes: 1,962
From: Morris County New Jersey
Last edited by TorchRedFred; Jun 8, 2018 at 01:53 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
Quick answer, you can re-use the cars existing antenna.
My opinion, I tried it and the reception wasn't good for me. I also tried placing the antenna that came with the tuner in a couple of different locations and the reception was still bad, and I ended up cancelling Sirius/Xm on my vette. I'm not sure if it was my location, the car, or anything else. But I know I am not the only person unhappy with Xm reception in a vette with an aftermarket head unit.
My opinion, I tried it and the reception wasn't good for me. I also tried placing the antenna that came with the tuner in a couple of different locations and the reception was still bad, and I ended up cancelling Sirius/Xm on my vette. I'm not sure if it was my location, the car, or anything else. But I know I am not the only person unhappy with Xm reception in a vette with an aftermarket head unit.
I spent hours over a year or so trying different Sirius antenna locations all around my C5. The best reception was mounting the supplied Sirius antenna on the outside top center of my coupe's rear hatch.
But after a couple of years and thousands of dropped signals, I canceled my subscription. Left the radio and antenna in the car just never used it again.
7th Gear
Joined: May 2022
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