I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
It took me about 2 hours, no drilling. The only tools needed are radio removal keys, a wire coathanger, phillips screwdriver, long tweezers or needlenose pliers.
I started with removing the air intake cover on the outside. Easy. There are no screws, it just pops off after pilling up the rubber air dam strip in front - see picture.
Next just lie the antenna in the trough and begin to feed the antenna wire between the fender and body to the door sill - see picture. This is where the tweezers/needlenose pliers comes in handy.
Next pull the entire antenna wire through, make sure it's behind the hood spring. Then begin stuffing it behind the weatherstripping in the doorframe - see picture.
Next remove the underside of the passenger dash, only three screws, and stuff the antenna wire behind the floor carpet.
Revove the air vent on the console below the passenger dash, one plastic screw.
Now remove the radio with the radio keys, make sure you have a code to go with the radio before doing this.
Now remove the store bin below the radio, it just pulls out.
Now remove the wood around the shifter on the center console by gently prying up the end closest to the ashtray, I just used my fingers, easy. The whole assembly will lift right off.
Now remove the ashtray by taking out 2 small screws which attach the ashtray to the console underneath the wood trim piece you just removed, then simply pull out the ashtray, I put the shifter in drive to do this.
Now using the coathanger, mine is pink in the pictures, I fed the coathanger through the vent where I previously removed the cover and into the space where I revoved the ashtray, then use the coathanger to pull the antenna through to the space where the ashtray was by bending the end sticking out of the vent under the passenger side dash around the antenna and pull through.
If you are mounting your xm radio in the dash then your done. I mount mine in the bottom of the center console between the seats so you don't see the xm radio unless you lift up the center console lid.
My car also has an xm modulater adapter for the car antenna so the output is diectly into the car radio antenna with the adapter set to whichever fm modulated station i choose,these are at wal-mart. These could also be put in at the same time as the xm antenna is being placed behind the dash as you now have access to the car antenna as well as power wires, that is for another forum.
Now remove the phone cable pad and cover in the bottom of the center console, one screw, and feed the coathanger from inside the console to just beside the shifter, which is exposed after previously removig the wood piece around the shifter. Again use the coat hanger to pull the xm antenna end through and into the console, which is where I set up my xm radio so it is hidden from view.
The recption is perfect and noone will ever notice the antenna, no drilling. The pictures should be in order from start to finish. Good luck.[:D]
RE: I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
You have inspired me to do a better job of hiding my antenna wire. I have the Delphi Skyfi reciever, it sits perfectly in the cup holder area, which allows for clear visibility while driving. No need to lift the armrest, I can change my presets (66 Raw, Suite 62, 169 etc) without looking. The wire to the tape deck is hidden, pushed it into the surrounding crevices and flattened the wire so the tape deck's door would close. The only piece I see is the part that goes into the cigar lighter for power, if it was smaller I'd be able to close the wooden door.
The antenna is placed on the rear deck, on the first aid storage. It comes from the back of the front armrest, down to the floor, hides between the space in the rear cushions and up to the rear deck (inside the car.
I'm thinking of trying to run it along the door sill, because if you are in the back seat area you can see one wire coming from the armrest. Nobody sits back there, so I'm cool with for now.
Your set up is nice. QUESTION: How is your Roady powered? Meaning is it plugged into the cigar lighter or is there a power source inside your armrest? My GS has that, but the CLK doesn't to my knowledge. Thanks for your detailed instructions and images.
RE: I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
It's powered from the hot wire to the radio. If you look carefully at the above picture where the ashtray, radio and storage bin are removed, just behind the shifter is the FM modulator. It has 2 blacks and 1 red wire with jacks on the right and 2 blacks on the left. That's where the ashtray was removed.
Above that is the area where the storage bin was removed, the optical cable from the cd player in the trunk is the bright orange wire with the red and white small lights.
Above that is the space where the radio was removed, and in the middle of that space is an in-line fuse holder, that's the hot wire to the radio. I simply spliced into that wire and ran the power wire from there to the console the same way I ran the antenna wire.
In the picture where the antenna is in the bottom of the console you can bareyl see the other 2 wires in the bottom, these are the power wire and the FM modulator hookup. You are using a cassette hookup instead of an FM modulator which is fine but with the modulator you don't have wires from the cassette player, it only has a radio station frequency which I choose and is then dedicated to the XM radio.
The FM modulator hooks directly into your existing FM antenna then to your radio, which is what those wires are on either side. When you're finished hooking everything up it just lays behind the ashtray with all the other wiring.
They're cheap to find on the internet or at wal-mart.[:)]
RE: I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
Can you show me a pic of how you've got your receiver in your drink holder area? I was thinking there or maybe in my ashtray, don't know if that's a viable alternative on a 208...thanks for any help.
RE: I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
It's not in the drink holder, it's in te console, just lift up the lid. I also bought a remote to use with roady-2. I'll post a few more pics in just a minute, hope it helps.[^]
RE: I found the best place for a hidden xm radio antenna
I'm the one with the cupholder XM setup. I have the Delphi XM Skyfi 1 unit (not the smaller Roady), when you put it in the cradle it is the exact same size as the opening in the cupholder area. Just sit it in there, after you take out the cup holder. I hide the wires down inside. The antenna cord comes out of the back of the center console, down to the floor, between the seats to the rear deck, which is where the small antenna sits (on the first aid lid).
You could do a better job at hiding the antenna wire than I did, but mine was quick. From wear I sit all you see is the end of the cigar lighter adapter.
Note that the new XM Skyfi 2 has a built in FM modualtor, mine uses the tape deck, you can't by looking though.
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