Easy Satellite Radio Setup for XM-less Canadian TL (photos inside)
06-04-2012, 10:37 PM
#1
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Easy Satellite Radio Setup for XM-less Canadian TL (photos inside)
Hi all - New member here but have been an occasional forum reader for quite some time. Like many Canadians with an XM-less TL, I have spent some time exploring the available satellite radio options. I decided that I wasn't interested in messing around with internal wiring, drilling holes, or anything else complicated or permanent for that matter. I also didn't want wires visibly running across the car. I used the XM Snap! for a year, but was not impressed with its flimsy nature, rattling/movement, and constantly worrying about knocking it out of my desired position.
After experimenting with positioning and numerous units, I discovered an excellent setup that suits this TL like a dream. There is no clutter as everything is located within the same area, and no wires need to be run anywhere in your car (obviously the antenna cord is an exception, but this is easy to conceal)! Best of all, you can DIY in under 30 minutes.
Required items:
- Sirius Stratus 7 radio
- Casette Adapter (see below for recommendation)
- Elmer's Tack Putty (or any equally effective adhesive putty)
Procedure:
First of all, the Sirius Stratus 7 is the only unit that will work with this procedure due to its size. While there are other models that are nearly equal in height, none can compare to the compact width that the Stratus possess, which is critical for this guide as the radio AND power adapter will need to fit side-by-side within the dash cubby.
Insert your cassette adapter into the tape deck. [Side note - After having personally tested 7 different cassette adapters, including the obscenely overpriced Sony, Phillips and Monster offerings, believe me when I tell you that the cheapy Dynex adapter sold at Future Shop and Best Buy absolutely destroys all of them when it comes to sound quality (I believe that THIS is the unit that I purchased). It produces a deep, rich sound, in contrast to the tinny, shallow sound produced by the others.] Pop open the top cubby beneath the dash audio controls and run the casette wire into it through the gap between the top of the cubby and the cubby door (this may require some fidgeting with the door to get the wire through). Repeat once again to get the wire into the lower cubby. Close the top cubby in a manner which ensures that the visible wire coming from the casette is tight and flush with the dash surface. You now have your audio output connection in the lower cubby with no visible wiring.
Mount your radio's antenna in your preferred location, then run the wire into the lower cubby. There are an infinite number of ways to do this, so I will leave this to your imagination. You can see my antenna wire running in from the left in the photos below.
Plug the power adapter into the socket with the green light on the bottom. Make sure that the wire's bulge is to the right and that the wire cleanly runs to the back of the cubby. You now have all of the necessary inputs located neatly inside the bottom cubby.
Connect everything to the radio (well, really, the dock that it sits in) and make sure all of the wires are pushed to the back of the cubby. In order to get a feel of where the radio should sit, play around with its positioning. By situating it so that the rear bottom edge of the dock is lined up with bottom edge of the cubby, the rear top edge of the dock should fit snuggly right into the groove at the top of the cubby door resting above (you may have to pull the power adapter a little to the right while you're doing this to get an ideal fit). Once you've figured out where the unit is going to rest, line the top and bottom edges of the cubby with tack putty, then place the radio firmly into place. Apply pressure at all points where the radio, putty and cubby meet. It will probably take you several tries to do this neatly and effectively, so luckily the tack comes off cleanly!
Photos of setup:
And there you have it. This unit's blue lighting matches up nicely with the car's interior at night, and the brightness can be dramatically adjusted to suit your preferences. It also comes with a remote control for easy access when you're driving. If you have any questions or suggestions, let me know! Thanks for reading.
After experimenting with positioning and numerous units, I discovered an excellent setup that suits this TL like a dream. There is no clutter as everything is located within the same area, and no wires need to be run anywhere in your car (obviously the antenna cord is an exception, but this is easy to conceal)! Best of all, you can DIY in under 30 minutes.
Required items:
- Sirius Stratus 7 radio
- Casette Adapter (see below for recommendation)
- Elmer's Tack Putty (or any equally effective adhesive putty)
Procedure:
First of all, the Sirius Stratus 7 is the only unit that will work with this procedure due to its size. While there are other models that are nearly equal in height, none can compare to the compact width that the Stratus possess, which is critical for this guide as the radio AND power adapter will need to fit side-by-side within the dash cubby.
Insert your cassette adapter into the tape deck. [Side note - After having personally tested 7 different cassette adapters, including the obscenely overpriced Sony, Phillips and Monster offerings, believe me when I tell you that the cheapy Dynex adapter sold at Future Shop and Best Buy absolutely destroys all of them when it comes to sound quality (I believe that THIS is the unit that I purchased). It produces a deep, rich sound, in contrast to the tinny, shallow sound produced by the others.] Pop open the top cubby beneath the dash audio controls and run the casette wire into it through the gap between the top of the cubby and the cubby door (this may require some fidgeting with the door to get the wire through). Repeat once again to get the wire into the lower cubby. Close the top cubby in a manner which ensures that the visible wire coming from the casette is tight and flush with the dash surface. You now have your audio output connection in the lower cubby with no visible wiring.
Mount your radio's antenna in your preferred location, then run the wire into the lower cubby. There are an infinite number of ways to do this, so I will leave this to your imagination. You can see my antenna wire running in from the left in the photos below.
Plug the power adapter into the socket with the green light on the bottom. Make sure that the wire's bulge is to the right and that the wire cleanly runs to the back of the cubby. You now have all of the necessary inputs located neatly inside the bottom cubby.
Connect everything to the radio (well, really, the dock that it sits in) and make sure all of the wires are pushed to the back of the cubby. In order to get a feel of where the radio should sit, play around with its positioning. By situating it so that the rear bottom edge of the dock is lined up with bottom edge of the cubby, the rear top edge of the dock should fit snuggly right into the groove at the top of the cubby door resting above (you may have to pull the power adapter a little to the right while you're doing this to get an ideal fit). Once you've figured out where the unit is going to rest, line the top and bottom edges of the cubby with tack putty, then place the radio firmly into place. Apply pressure at all points where the radio, putty and cubby meet. It will probably take you several tries to do this neatly and effectively, so luckily the tack comes off cleanly!
Photos of setup:
And there you have it. This unit's blue lighting matches up nicely with the car's interior at night, and the brightness can be dramatically adjusted to suit your preferences. It also comes with a remote control for easy access when you're driving. If you have any questions or suggestions, let me know! Thanks for reading.
06-05-2012, 10:35 AM
#2
That looks very clean. In retrospect, maybe I should have gone that route. However, I want it looking stock and so I got all of the internal modules and OEM antennae. Problem is, I think I need to buy the US deck. All in, I will be in it for around $600, before install. 
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