Satellite Radio - Anywhere to mount antenna w/o drilling?

[MMead]

I bought the Sirius equipment to install behind the factory radio. I'm going to do the install myself (since my five star dealer is an absolute joke), and was wondering if anyone had come up with a good place to put the antenna without drilling. I have a friend who put the antenna on his dashboard and says it works pretty good. Anyone else tried that? Thanks for the input.

 

[Matt400]

If I did it again I would drill.



I have an aftermarket magnetic antenna with a silly tail section but made it work by going through the 3rd brake lamp to get inside. Drilling is much cleaner IMO with no wires at all showing. Just seal it good and it will look like it came that way.



If you move the unit to another truck later on just leave the antenna and buy another.

 

[BStoecker]

I have mine sitting on the dash. It works pretty well, but notice it does loose signal a little more than the external one I use on my portable tuner. I didn't want the dealer tech who had "installed ONE in a mini-van once" to drill a 3/4" hole in a $45,000 truck.

 

[MMead]

BStoecker,



I knew I didn't want my dealer doing any drilling when they had to get out a parts book to see if it was even possible to order a satellite radio kit.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I have a magnetic one with the tail also and I would rather have one that I had to drill and hide wires. Once it's on there I would leave it. I just like the cleaner look of no wires. I couldn't find one that would work with what I had that didn't have external wires.

 

[Matt400]

:-laf Don't sweat the little hole, if its ok for the manufacture to hog out all those holes for the cow lights a little one for the antenna wire is not going to be a big deal. All the vehicles that come factory equipped with satellite are done that way.

 

[jam1on1]

i have two trucks 03&04 went to circuit city bought magnetic ant installed between my marker lights run wire down side of windshield then rightunder door seal into radio unit under dash works great better than pulling wires andrunning thru roof panel

 

[ThomasLawrence]

I have an XM, so I had the benefit of working with a smaller antenna, but I stuck mine just below the center marker light (just above the windshield), and ran the wire in the groove between the roof and windshield. A small dab of silicone where the wire turns 90° to go into the groove keeps it in place. From there, it's a straight run underneath the weatherstripping, down the A pillar, and through an existing grommet in the panel to bring it in behind the dash. Pop off the side dash panel (where the fusebox used to be in the 2nd gen trucks) for easy access, and pull your wire through.



You could also mount the antenna more in the middle of the roof, take off the center marker light, notch it a bit to clear the wire, and use a bit of silicone to seal the joint. This would require dropping the headliner to fish the wire through... more work than necessary. The windshield groove is quick and painless (took me about 10 minutes total to install my XM Roady2).



-Tom

 

[mgonske]

I installed my own too. I mounted the antenna on the dash. If you pull up the plastic dashtop piece (right up against the windshield--it just pulls straight up and back), there's actually a depression in the metal panel under it on the passenger side that perfectly accomodates the connector. It looks fine sitting there.

 

[sag2]

I made a bracket and installed mine inside the bed rail. I have the Mopar soft toneau cover and it works great. It drops out a touch more than my Durango factory mount, but not enough to worry about. I ran the wire under the rear seat storage and out one of the body holes. The Mopar antenna has the connector about 12 inches from the antenna, so you can disconnect it if you need to haul something large.

 

[Sled Dog]

Was shown one XM on the front of the hood, under the bug shield. Worked great, and was invisible. He had run the wire back under the hood and through firewall.

Xm closed today at $40. 20 GO BABY!

 

[JWChessell]

I've had mine (Sirius) in the left corner of the dash for 27,000 miles and have been happy with it. Just coiled up the extra antenna wire and tucked it into the left corner also. Occasionally the left windshield post gets between the antenna and the satellite, but not enough to be bothersome.



Mark Gonske: Could you elaborate a little more on your installation and this "depression" under the dash cover? What did you do with the extra antenna wire? Maybe a picture or two? Thx.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I had mine mounted on the center of the top. Put the wiring in a small wire loom under the seats and out the back slider. A couple of weeks ago I changed it to try out the dash mount, but noticed more blank spots.



Yesterday, after reading Tom's install, I mounted it behind the center top clearance light, to the window channel, dab of silicone, down door weather strip, into slot between plastic cowling and fender slot, under hood, through the firewall grommet where my boost and pyro go, through slot under steering wheel, and voile - to xm roadie. Thanks Tom

 

[tURBOdIEZEl]

ive got mine sitting on my dash. i am getting great signal strength... .

 

[chuckwilson]

I Got A Terk Antenna on My Rear Window That Sticks To Both Sides Of The Glass No Holes!!!! It Works Great

 

[LaxCummins]

Ant

I've got the really small Terk magnetic antenna that came with my setup from Crutchfield. I just routed the wires through the 3rd rear brake light with some silicone to ensure that it got sealed back up and stuffed wires along the headliner, down the c pillar to the foot plates under the driver's seat.



The magnet holds it fine, no holes drilled and reception is great.



LAXCummins

 

[BHaner]

Where are people with slide in campers putting the antenna? Not sure how well the antenna would work on my dash... Front of camper hangs over the windshield about 8".

 

[Po' Riggity]

Its quite easy. . get the magnetic antenna for about 30 bucks, mount it dead center on the roof of the truck, pull out the third brake light. . run the wire through there, into the headliner, down the pass side of the headliner, then down the A pillar on the pass side, and to the back of the unit. . thats what I did, and you can't even tell its there.

Scott

 

[demodogg]

Its quite easy. . get the magnetic antenna for about 30 bucks, mount it dead center on the roof of the truck, pull out the third brake light. . run the wire through there, into the headliner, down the pass side of the headliner, then down the A pillar on the pass side, and to the back of the unit. . thats what I did, and you can't even tell its there.

Scott

How involved was it, how long did it take and do you have any problems with moisture getting into the 3rd light now?

 

[MMead]

Do the smaller magnetic antennas from Circuit City work with the Mopar Sirius radio or do you have to use the big antenna that it comes with?