installing sirius antenna/tuner

lauravanb wrote:
I am looking into installing an antenna and tuner in my class c. We just got a Sirius ready aftermarket stereo. So I'm a bit unsure how this will work. Anyone have experience with this??

The radio in your RV may be "Sirius/XM" ready, but it may NOT be Sirius/XM "CAPABLE" without an additional tuner/receiver.

I have had after market Sirius radios for over 10 years in 2 RVs and 5 cars.

I currently have 3 of THESE in the RV and 2 cars. I got them on sale for $10 each.

Because the Sirius/XM satellite broadcasts in the same frequency band as Wi-Fi, the rules for antenna placement and signal reception are pretty much the same. You don't put your Wi-Fi antenna outside on the roof. When they say that the antenna needs a clear view of the sky, they mean at RADIO frequencies (no metal in the way), not optical light frequencies.

IF you have a fiberglass or rubber roof, you probably do not need to put the antenna outside and/or on the roof.

In our previous Class C, the antenna lived under the air bed in the cabover. In our newer Class C, the antenna lives flat on the dash, near the windshield and between the windshield wipers. ALWAYS have the magnetic side of the antenna down.

Try several easy locations inside before going for the hard locations outside.

In the RV, I plug the audio output into the AUX jack on the dash radio.

Good luck with getting up and running. Feel free to PM me if you want more specifics. I am an EE and a Ham operator.

Tim

XM/Sirius has radio kits for sale for $9.99 right now but you have to sign up for a subscription or renew the one you have. The kits have everything including the antenna. I suspect these are reconditioned, but nothing wrong with that. Chuck

Sirius/XM ready simply means that the head unit has an auxiliary input marked Sirius. When selected the head unit looks at that input for signal. You still need to buy the appropriate sat radio adapter and antenna to receive the signal. You are usually forced to buy the same brand receiver as head unit. This will come with an antenna, usually with a magnetic base. Once tou get everything connected, you will need to experiment with antenna placement. Start on the far foreword corner of the hood and see how it works while your traveling.

I recommend just getting something like this kit. It buffers 10 preset stations up to an hour. Offers song/artist alerts. I just ran the antenna wire under the dash and placed the antenna on the dash, inside the vehicle. It works pretty well, enough for me vs. mounting to anything painted outside my vehicle. I use 3.5mm stereo cable to aux input of my OEM system.

You may find it easier to replace radio than find parts to make a older model radio work.
I use Crutchfield to get radios and hookups.
If all you need is a antenna. I use a Tram Trucker Antenna mounted on side of overhead cab of motorhome.