where to put satellite antenna?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Wesley Chapel Fl
That is odd. I have put them in the rear bumper ontop of the liscense plate box...several guys here have. I have also layed them under the carpet in the hatch. Have had no reception problems. Sat antennas do not work like a AM/FM antenna...they do not need a ground.
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Originally Posted by LuckyKid19
where are people mounting their satellite radio antenna's? too much fiberglass and not enough steel, i can't get any reception!
Join the club....XM reception sucked ballz....so I got SIRIUS....after speaking with rep from TERK antenna manuf. and talking with tech from SIRIUS...you do in fact need to attach the antenna to metal that is grounded to the car or you won't get squat..or crappy reception at best...now I know people have done this and that with success however none of it worked for me....so I am going to get a piece of metal and either mount it under the hood or in the back and run a ground wire to it from the ground where I used for the head unit and hopefully this will work....SIRIUS rep told me this is also very common with tractor trailers...the cabs are fiberglass....alot of them use pieces of mylar but she couldn't explain to me HTF to do it. Hopefully I will be up and going tonight....Everyone raved about how easy the set up was..blah blah blah...it has been nothing short of frustrating and a PITA for me. I cancelled XM and they refunded me 100%...hopefully I won't be doing the same with SIRIUS. I will be glad to share what I do with you as I know how frustrating this all is
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Originally Posted by EatRice
That is odd. I have put them in the rear bumper ontop of the liscense plate box...several guys here have. I have also layed them under the carpet in the hatch. Have had no reception problems. Sat antennas do not work like a AM/FM antenna...they do not need a ground.
I live in Clearwater...couldn't go 3 miles with continuos reception...the week I had it I never heard 1 song beginning to end without..hearing....shhhhhh......shhhhhh h....shhhhhh...complete
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 2
From: Wesley Chapel Fl
pewter...that is very odd considering the antenna is totally shield from the metal just from it's construction. Maybe they are talking about the metal being able to somehow cup the signal around the antenna. Mine works fine and so does the others I have installed. Very interesting though. I just came from Clearwater...no signs of hurricanes there. I think there must be a rise in theft though...everyone's windows are boarded up...lol.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,362
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From: Delray Beach FL
I put the antenna for my XM Commander inside the trunk area, taped into the upper rear quarter panel above the right rear wheel. I only get minor drops when I have very large or thick trees on my right side. Normally doesn't last very long. I am happy with my XM radio.
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Well get this...I bought a 12x12 piece of sheet metal and just threw it in the hatch...dropped the antenna on it and *poof* instant reception......go fish...anyway I just took some of what they call EXTREME Velcro 
made for outdoors and rough surfaces and used it to temporarily adhere it to my exterior rear glass...so far so good...going for a drive here in a few to see whats what....I just can't believe that I am the only person having these issues
made for outdoors and rough surfaces and used it to temporarily adhere it to my exterior rear glass...so far so good...going for a drive here in a few to see whats what....I just can't believe that I am the only person having these issues
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,306
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From: Wesley Chapel Fl
If you just dropped it in the hatch and now it works that proves my theory that the antenna needs to have siganl bounced around it. Sorry I am sure there is a much more technical term but I know very little about satallites. Also shows that the antenna does not need to be grounded. Good deal pewter.
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Team Owner
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Well get this..I now have it velcroed to my rear glass. with Extreme velcro 
and it works perfectly..no drops or nothing....I couldn't do this with XM..I tried...oh well I am happy...all I can say is try whatever you need to to make it work...apparently every situation is different 
and it works perfectly..no drops or nothing....I couldn't do this with XM..I tried...oh well I am happy...all I can say is try whatever you need to to make it work...apparently every situation is different
Pro
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 728
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From: knoxville tn
I originally mounted my roady 2 ant. on top of dash. I have to use the fm modulation since I don't have a cassette player. had more dropouts than I wanted, always under trees and in hilly areas. I relocated ant. to outside of windshield opposite of rear view mirrow mount. reception improved considerably but still not nearly as good as the reception in my truck or wife's acura, where ant. is mounted on roof and using the cassette adapter. I'm wondering if having the ant. mounted on metal improves reception or if the fm modulation is just worse for dropouts.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 695
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From: Edgewood WA
Originally Posted by pewter99
Join the club....XM reception sucked ballz....
I cancelled XM and they refunded me 100%...hopefully I won't be doing the same with SIRIUS. I will be glad to share what I do with you as I know how frustrating this all is
I cancelled XM and they refunded me 100%...hopefully I won't be doing the same with SIRIUS. I will be glad to share what I do with you as I know how frustrating this all is
I only lost a signal under a metal canopy at a gas station in New Mexico, in a very very deep road cut in a mountain in Oregon, and under a snowshed at Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. Absolutely crystal clear reception for the other 3,200 miles.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 69
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From: Houston Texas
I went to Wally mart and bought some 3M Auto trim double sided tape and mounted my XM antenna on the top of the rear glass on my coupe.
Great reception, only time I ever lose signal is when I spend an extended amount of time under an overpass, when I am pulling in to my garage, or when I am in a parking structure.
At first, the sight of that little wart on the top of my rear window bugged me, but now, I never even see it.
Great reception, only time I ever lose signal is when I spend an extended amount of time under an overpass, when I am pulling in to my garage, or when I am in a parking structure.
At first, the sight of that little wart on the top of my rear window bugged me, but now, I never even see it.
