I installed the xm commander by myself, for anyone who is considering trying, DO IT!, its actually quite easy. I mounted it in the "not an ashtray" but didn't want to cut anything, so I settled for a stong adhesive that works really well but the door cant close b/c of the mounting location. Its OK with me, its easy to reach here anyways.

BUT, I am having trouble with the antenna, it has been mounted on the roof for a while, just ahead of the back glass. I have two questions:

1) Every time I get a car wash, it moves a bit and scratches the roof, any thoughts on what to do with it?

2) I routed the wire through the trunk and up around the back window, but at the top the wire is a bit loose. It stays in OK, but Id like it better. How can I keep it in the windshield without a loose wire? Some kind of sealer or something?

Thanks in advance. Also, Im considering the NAVi to DVD conversion. What exactly will I need for that?

 

24 views and no help at all? you guys suck... :fingerfawk:

 

I was going to make a suggestion to your first post, but then I read your second post...

 

CORRECTION: you guys do not suck





....sorry

 

I have mine still mounted inside the car, working perfect. I put mine just behind the keyed seat lock on the rear deck. No drop-outs or anything. It's been there since I did the inital install about 3 months ago.

 

Is your rear window tinted? If so, is it the dreaded metallic tint I hear messes with the signal?

When I got my XM done, the pinhead installer put it on the roof by the FRONT WINDSHIELD. It looks like ass. I want them to move it but they keep trying to acare me into keeping on the roof.

 

I live in malibu, so with all the canyons and cliffs dropouts are common, even on the roof. Will the locationi on the key lock affect this at all?

 

Probably... I have a similar location in the CR-V under the front dash, and I have problems in canyons...

 

Mine is on the roof in the back by the rear window. I have noticed a few scratches from moving it around during washing. I'm thinking about putting something like the clear bra material from 3M on the antenna on the spot it sits on, but cut to the size of the antenna.

 

that is a PERFECT idea!

Im gonna go browse the 3m website right now.

How do you keep the wire in place?

 

I keep the wire in place by wedging thick rolled-up electrical tape in the window edge, right where it enters the antenna, so it's tight enough that the wire doesn't pop out. I used a screwdriver to wedge it in real tight, so far after 3 weeks it's stayed in place.

 

I used 3M mounting tape, so the antenna actually isn't even touching the paint. I'm not worried about it falling off, it's the same stuff that held the fenderflares and window shields on my 4Runner for 70,000 miles and all my offroading trips.

 

I get lots of requests for things like this. Works awesome and isnt noticeable

 

Will painting the antenna mess reception? It'd be cool if I found a bottle of CG touch up paint and just spilled it all over the antenna.

 

I have mine mounted between the galss and dash on the front dashbord driver side. I have a pic of it in a thread. I dont have to much signal loss although it does occur on occasion, and from the outside the antenna is hardly noticable.

 

rockblocker...would you be able to get me a small sample of something like the 3M stuff? I;ve been looking around but no results yet.. all i need is maybe 1x1 ft. to work with.

Let me know how much somehting like this would cost.

 

You have been PM'ed

 

Live in Phoenix. Mounted the antenna on the dash, passenger side, snug against the glass. With the black dash, black antenna...almost invisible and have had no problems what so ever with reception, matter of fact, I can even listen to it when the car is parked in my garage.

 

Arg! This is driving me nuts. Ive been searching through posts. I want to mount my antenna on the front dash. How did you guys route the antenna wire???

 

do a search for my xm commander install. i placed the antenna with nmo adhesive or anything right under the front windshield next the the driver a-piller right in front of the tweeter, i get great reception, it is practically hidden and looks good too....check it out

 

ps---to run the wire - you simply just gotta feel it out. from where ever u placed the brain unit run the wire under the dash and if u feel around u can find a hole for it. u might have to remove the a-piller but i didnt. if u get the cable on top it will simply tuck between the dash and piller or u can run it just down the firewall. it is trial and error and how much effort u want to put into it

 

FYI - XM "in the garage" is a function of XM's terrestrial repeaters, NOT satellite reception... get out of town, say, on the freeway in the sticks, and you will find spots with issues.

I have the antenna in the center of the dash with my CR-V, and I get great reception in town... but I get out of town and I can get lousy or no signal - tree "canyons" or hills or even pointing the wrong direction.

This problem is worse in more northern latitudes... due to angle.

 

I have an xm myfi and it has a meter that shows terrestrial and satellite signal strength all the time and most of the time I am using terrestrial. I live in north NJ and there is a lot of trees and buildings to block satellite signal

 

Yeah, terrestrial is the only reason that they can even sell the MyFi... if it was sat-only, they would perform poorly indeed.