Opinions: XM Antenna

[bushpilot]

Im wondering what you guys are using for XM antennas (for the Cab radio).
im only considering mirror mounts (dont want to drill the body).

ive tried the small magnetic pucks (sitting it on the dash) and get far too much signal loss / drop off.

I recently bought an XM4-MM (30 inches tall) w/ the idea that i wanted to get the antenna as high as possible (to prevent blocking by the cab over bed).

the vendor shipped me the standard XM4 (10 inches tall)....is anyone successfully using the shorter (10 inch) antennas ? do you get much signal drop out / interruption ?

My XM/Sirus configuration is a little unique - i use in dash pioneer head units in almost all our vehicles...pioneer offers an external XM tuner that plugs in to their proprietary P-Bus...its a simple 3 connection set up (power, signal bus & antenna)....with strategic placement of the xm tuner (under the dash/fuse box in the coach, behind the glove box in the jeep & f350) this set up allows me easily move the tuner between vehicles (and only pay for one subscription).

[hot rod]

Don-

I am running that same Pioneer setup in my dually, and like the hidden tuner way better than the doohicky hanging from the a/c vent with wires running everywhere, plus everything is right there on the screen on the head unit. I don't know why more tuners don't have the xm built in like that.

How old is your Pioneer equipment? I'm looking for a little info there myself. I have the same setup in my dually now, but both the head unit and tuner were bought over ten years ago. The head unit is shot and needs replaced, plus I am going to need an xm for the project toter. Do you know if the current Pioneer head units are compatible with my older xm unit? Or I guess the question probably boils down to do they still use that same P-bus connection? I haven't bought a head unit for the project toter yet, but I will need xm and I like your idea of just moving the xm tuner from truck to truck. Should be easy to mount and wire with a quick connect plug. Good thinking.

Dos your xm tuner still have the older 2 wire antenna connection or the newer on wire connection? Mine is really old as mentioned, and when my antenna bit it a few years back nobody makes a 2 wire antenna anymore and I had a heck of a time even finding someone that sold the Y adapter so I could keep using my tuner. Any info would be appreciated. None of the stereo stores know beans about xm except they can read the box as good as I can and tell me it's "xm ready" which just means it has a headphone jack for the damn hanging pos.

I can't help you with your antenna, I just use the little stick on dome and it works fine, but neither truck will have a cab overhang.

Dave

[bushpilot]

Dave -

Pioneer is killing the P-Bus & moving to a non-propitary connection.
P-Bus based units (identified by the "DEH-P mod#") are getting short in supply.

Newer units (identified by DEH-Xmod#) are using a different XM/SIRIUS tuner.
the AVH-P8400BH is one of the few remaining (dvd type) left w/ a p-bus.

the AVH-P8400BH has integrated bluetooth & HD tuner (XM/SIRIUS tuner is still via external GEX-P920XM tuner)

everything is moving to the X platform which will use the CD-SB10 (external) tuner

In my f350 i have a high end DEH-P980BT the p980bt has pink noise generator, 16band eq, positioning programing, etc and im trying to preserve that investment.

my f350 set up is very high end (3 JL Audio slash series amps w/ 3 par of 2 way separates (12 speakers) plus a 12 inch subwoofer)...i am not the type that rolls up to a light and has buzzing body/door/truck panels...ive sound proofed the entire interior / body panels).

the f350 system is 13-15 years old, the coach/dash and jeep systems are new, brand new (if you call last years models "new").

i just picked up a close out unit DEH-P9400BH for 130 bucks (it has bluetooth & HD internal tuner)...i put the P9400BH in the coach dash....im thinking of buying another for the coach outside/basement entertainment system.

the new systems identified by the X (ie DEH-X????) use a new/different (CD-SB10) tuner (identified above)...the CD-SB10 is universal and can be used on other mfg & oem radios (alpine has their own equiv to the CD-SB10).

the GEX-P920XM tuner) only had 3 plugs, 1 for power (12v & ground), 1 for the P-Bus (digital audio interface to the head unit) and 1 for the sat antenna....so NO even the older external xm tuners dont use 2 wire antenna connections.

newer DEH-"X" head units will not be compatible w/ DEH-"P" (p-bus) add-ons.

P bus (identified by the P in the model number) is being phased out <consider it dead, if you want a P-bus unit, buy it NOW, theyre getting hard to find, and you may even have to buy a display unit to get P-BUS, unless you buy the AVH-P8400BH>.

[Doc Weaver]

I'm using a motorola mirror mount mushroom looking thing. I don't know its model, but its about 12 inches tall and it never drops out. I used to get lots of drop zones in the Appalachians, and now I get no drops.

I put mine pretty far out on the mirror to give it the best line of sight with the sky as possible.

FYI I have a glass mount powered TV antenna for the back and it works well while traveling down the road.

[bushpilot]

Thanks Doc !

that helps a lot !

im sure ive got the same "mushroom" antenna (despite wanting a taller version)....i hung it on the coach mirror today...and like you, mounted it as far away from the cab as possible...but (unlike you) i still have that over head bunk (we call it grandma's attic bed).

for an "over the air" tv antenna we use the pancake style winegard roadstar rs2000....it works VERY well for picking up HD (over the air) TV...its amplified & doesnt need any "pointing"....its pretty impressive.

we've got in-motion dtv sat on the coach, but we've never used it - since were cable tv subscribers at home (that may change)...but im NOT gonna pay 200 bucks a month for coach tv (when it sits in storage/garage a fair amount).

we find (from a TV perspective) that we only want local news/weather where ever were camping...we dont go to watch tv...it would be nice for the races that we attend but we do w/out much too easily to enable the tracvision sat.

[bushpilot]

this might give y'all an idea about how much of a "stickler" i am for CLEAN installations....
if it doesnt look factory im not interested ! i HATE wires all over the dash or interior (you may recall my cb install).

heres the amp lay out thats in my f350
and the sub woofer gain/control.

i even hid my valentine one radar detector in the dash (and mounted the mute button on the door/arm rest).