just got a 2003 maxima se with bose head-end/radio.
would like to have a MP3 compatible head unit and xm or sirius satellite radio. what re convenient/good looking ways to do this?
I dont want to use a magnetic base for antenna and attach to roof.
I would rather have a rear-glass mounted antenna
any ideas/links

 

I have the Alpine XM satellite radio. The satellite tuner I had mounted under the driver's seat. The wires were ran under the carpet to my Alpine head unit. The glass mounted antenna is too HUGE and besisdes it's easy to steal because they use doulbe sided tape to mount it. I went with the Terk TRK-SR2,(roof mounted antenna) $79.00, but Terk has a $30 rebate going on now, so that equalls $49.00. Terk recommends the antenna be mounted outside the vehicle. But once again it's mounted with double sided tape and easy to steal. Then the guys who installed it decided to try something! They mounted it on the rear deck using velcro and made a tiny hole in the rear deck to run the antenna wires under the rear deck,along the back window,under the trim and carpet to the tuner. The antenna wire is long enough to do this. This way your antenna wont be stolen! I have had no reception problems at all! I even sit in my garage and I still get perfect reception! Try it out, I know it will work. I've had mine for five months with no problems. Oh buy the way, the antenna covers the tiny hole so you don't see it at all. Good luck, hope this helps.

 

Do you have a pic of this setup? I'm interested in doing the same type of XM antenna install

 

i'll take some pics tonight and post them tomorrow

 

Here's the good news: I took the pics.

The bad news: after I was done taking the pics, my butter finger azz dropped the camera and of course it fell on the side where the memory stick goes,breaking the memory stick and my $600 camera!!!!! Sorry guys. But it's really not that hard of an install. Any half decent installer can do it. GOOD LUCK.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pcante1
[B]

I too was thinking of getting satellite radio...either XM or sirius, preferablly XM. Anyways my question isn't about the setup but about the radio itself...How do you like it? How are the channels? Do you recommend it over regular radio? Thanks

honeyface

 

So keeping the antennae internal works for sure? I have a 7878 and want to add XM but didn't like the current external setups.

Thanks for sharing the info

 

Yep. Works for me and I've had mine for five months with no interuptions. The only cars that I know of that this type of install does not work, are BMW'S and Mercedes. Those two vehicles have a slight lead content in the windows which do not let a signal(satellite) get through. Good luck.

 

I have had XM for about a month now. I too mounted the antenna inside my car on the rear deck. I mounted my tuner inside the trunk to the underside of the rear deck (screwed into metal). In urban areas the signal is always strong due to numerous repeaters and amplifiers, but on my trip to Acadia National Park in northern Maine I experienced many signal interuptions. The signal drops if you interupt the sattelite line of sight for more than 4 seconds. Sometimes if too many trees hang over the road, I lose a signal for just a moment. This said, there is never any static...ever. That, in and of itself, makes XM worth it!! I love the diverse channels. It is the best aspect of my system. Side note for safety: When I leave my car in questionable areas, I just throw a baseball hat over the antenna, that way there is no way of knowing what is inside. The rest of my system is stealth (but for the missing face plate there is no way of knowing it isn't stock non-bose).

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by honeyface
[B]XM radio is the SH-T! Reception is awesome. CD quality sound. Also there is a wide variety of music,sport and news channels. There's even 3 comedy channels so you can laugh your azz off when cruising. Its the best investment I ever made! Make sure you get a head unit that's XM ready. The sound quality will be awesome. If you dont get a radio that's XM ready the signal will have to go through a FM channel in your existing radio so you can get the sound. You lose sound quality that way. I've seen XM ready radios for as little as $200. Good luck.

 

Thank you for you response. I've been to shops and had my eye on a few systems that were XM ready that were not that expensive. I just wanted some input on whether or not the monthly payments were worth it and it seems it is. I always have to have something on while I am driving and I absolutely hate commercials...it always seems every radio station has commercials on at the same time But anyways thank again for your feedback

 

XM is where it's at! I have had it for about a month now, and I love it. I still haven't even bothered to set the pre-sets on my FM tuner. At $9.99/month it is totally worth it. That is less than it would cost to buy one CD!! I know of a few people who have installed there XM antennas UNDER THE DASH! Yes, UNDER THE DASH. You can't see it at all! Two of my friends have it like this and they have said that they have had no issues with reception at all. I will have over $6,000 invested in my car system by the end of next week, and the XM tuner is the best $280 I spent on the whole set up. If you dont have it now, GO OUT AND GET IT!!

Regards,
Drew