XM radio antenna

[Stan Simpson]

Has anyone ever seen this type of XM antenna, and do you think it would work on the roof of our Beaver?

http://www.amazon.com/Audiovox-XMARINE-Marine-Mount-Antenna/dp/B0015Z0QG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1380035495&sr=1-1&keywords=XM+Marine+antenna

Thanks,

Stan

[Edward Buker]

Stan,

That would probably work well but there was a caution about the cable end types in one of the posts. Because you have a fiberglass roof, I would buy an inexpensive antenna from Best Buy or Amazon that would tie into your radio if so equipped. If you set it forward on the dash by the windshield I would think it would work well. If you found an issue then go for the roof mount. There are in home audio systems with interior antennas for XM radio so without a metal roof you should be in a similar situation. Someone who has used an inside XM antenna in a Beaver may be able to comment on the performance.

Later Ed

[Stan Simpson]

Ed,

I've seen comments by users who have just stuck the little antenna up high on the windshield on the inside, and it worked fine.  We've tried everywhere without success, so this is my solution. I talked to BCS and they said they mount them on the roof. They route the wire through the roof to under the front cap, and then hide it behind the driver's side pillar.

Thanks for your reply.

Stan

[Joel Weiss]

I have a couple of thin antenna wires that I ran under the dash and up the passenger side windshield post, out the door and up the rain gutter to the roof  It's not 100% concealed but they don't show enough to bother me and I didn't need to make new roof holes or pay anyone to run them.  The only place the wire is exposed is where it comes out from behind the windshield trim and flips around to the rain gutter.  

One is for an XM radio and the other is for a Wilson Sleek.  Both antennas are mounted on a small stainless "ground plane" that I attached to the roof using the 3M tape designed for automotive trim pieces.  I don't think the XM antenna needs a ground plane, but the Wilson mag mount does and since I used the kind of stainless that a magnet sticks to it holds the antenna well and won't corrode.

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Is it possible to place the antenna in the cabinet above the windshield?  There is only fiberglass above that cabinet, and the radio waves should reach that.  It is only a few inches lower than the roof.

Larry

[Stan Simpson]

Larry,

The issue I'm finding, especially in the upper midwest, is due to the satellite being in the southwest sky, and lower this time of year, any position not directly in line with the satellite has intermittent signal.

Stan

[Edward Buker]

Stan,

Sounds like you have your answer. You have experimented and have not had success with various placements indoors.....Time to hit the roof. I do not think that there is any mistake to be made with a roof mount, it is the cleanest RF reception source that you can have, being line of sight to the satellite source. Any of the roof mount antennas should provide the signal that you need.

There is some chance that you will find that the radio receiver is involved here having a weak front end (initial RF amplifier or detectors) given others have had success with the internal antenna mount. If the roof mount does not give you a clean signal then I would look to the radio as the source of the problem.

Later Ed

[Dean Johnson]

I had a new dash HD radio with XM installed and the installer told me that the antenna, which is very similar to the one on the picture from the link, needs to be installed on a metal surface to work best. He installed mine in the upper cabinet on the front end cap frame and it works fine. That being said, satellite radio is great if you are in an area where there aren't a lot of trees and you have a clear shot at the satellite. For us it has worked pretty good on the I-5 corridor with the exception of the mountains.