XM Satellite Radio in Boxster

DANNOV · 12-08-2003, 11:36 AM

Does anyone have any ideas or experience regarding placement of the XM satellite radio antenna in a Boxster? I was also wondering if I can get reception through the convertible top in an interior antenna installation, or is this a line-of-sight device.

Tool Pants · 12-09-2003, 06:50 AM

Put it under that plastic cover next to the battery and pollen filter. Jeff

DANNOV · 12-09-2003, 06:58 AM

Tool Pants
I don't understand...put the antenna under the metal hood? I thought that the antenna had to be out in the open and placed on a metal surface for the best reception.

DANNOV · 12-09-2003, 07:19 AM

Tool Pants
The instructions for mounting the antenna are as follows:
On a metal surface at least 12"x12"
Minimum of 6" from window or sunroof
Mounting inside car is not an option, it degrades performance, but I suspect they are taking about a hardtop not a convert.
But, for converts or non-metallic hardtops they suggest a trunk mount where the antenna is 4' from window.
It seems like a trunk mount would work but I'm not sure how to route the cable without interfering with the soft top operation.
I never would have bought this thing myself but it was a gift. I guess I could put a 12"x12" metal square on my dash and mount the antenna on that, but it would look terrible.

Tool Pants · 12-09-2003, 07:34 AM

DANNOV · 12-09-2003, 11:35 AM

Tool Pants
For some unknown reason your picture does not appear on the bulletin board, but it did appear in the email notification from Pelican. For those interested parties the photo shows a Terk satellite antenna mounted under the hood just in the spot Tool Pants noted earlier. I don't understand why this should work but I will take his word for it. What kind of Terk is that? I can't seem to identify the model from the photo. Was there anything special about the installation that I should know? Is there any difference in reception from an external antenna?

Tool Pants · 12-09-2003, 12:25 PM

The picture was on earthlink and it looks like earthlink has a problem and the picture is not showing up.

I do not have XM and that is not my picture. But many Boxster and 996 owners have the antenna mounted under the plastic cover.

Guess it works despite the instructions.

DOCKIRSCH · 01-12-2004, 08:23 AM

I had the satelite antenna originally place in the center of the front dash adjacent to the windshield. I reception was aweful. With the digital signal its "all or nothing." You don't get static just dropped sound. That was worse then the poor FM radio reception in the Boxsters. Ok, so we had the TURK FM antenna mounted on the back trunk, in the center just behind the brake light.

It may be a DOT infraction blocking a small bit of the brake light but you can't really notice it much. The wires run around the rear deck. Just be careful that the movement of the rear deck, trunk or cabrio roof doesn't impinge on the wire.

Good Luck.

ps I had a professional installer do the job after I interviewed him and made sure he had done several others before me.

WORKSL · 02-05-2004, 07:53 PM

I have a 2002 Boxster and spent a lot of hours figuring out where to place equipment for an extensive stereo upgrade. My advice is to install the antenna on the convertible top cover, where it is in clear line of sight to the satellite. I ran the wires underneath the cover and along the arms and then down the carpet behing the passengers seat. Be sure to check the wire lenth with the top gooing up and down so the wires aren't too short and get strethched out or pulled in half from the power of the top.

I installed the brain underneath the passenger's seat and put the remote in front of the shifter at the bottom of the center console. Be sure to have the key out of the ignition before removing the seat. I recommend disconnecting the battery, and then unhooking the wiring harness under the seat. If you disconnect the wiring harness with the key on, you will trip the air bag light and need to take it to the shop to have the light turned off. I used the Pioneer FM modulated XM system. It looks pretty clean and its easy to use. If you want a stealthier flush finish, I recomment stripping the guts out of the CD disc holder and putting a little face plate on it and doing a flush mount. Or just pull out the CD disc holder and save it and make a face plate for the opening. You can get some vinyl that matches nicely at the upholstery store, put some spring clips on the back of the plate and it will fit nicely into the slot. I don't recomment hiding the antenna, but apparently it works in the front compartment.

DANNOV · 02-06-2004, 04:48 AM

WORLSL
Did you have to put a hole in the convertible top for the antenna wire?

Eric-986 · 02-06-2004, 07:13 AM

I just had a Delphi SkyFi (XM) system installed in my Jeep Wrangler. I had similar issues with a soft top/removable hard top. The Delphi system comes with a small magnetic antenna (2" x 2") that the installer placed on the center of the hood. The cable was run thru the firewall and made for a very neat installation. The reception is great; no drop outs.

Obviously the Wrangler and the Boxster are two different beasts; however, I am now considering having XM installed in the Boxster.

Just my $0.02...

WORKSL · 02-06-2004, 08:09 AM

No holes anywhere, I stuck the antenna on the metal deck lid (which hinges up and down with the top). I placed the antenna with the rubber tail on the mouse style antenna pointing forward. The antenna has a peel off sticky back and I placed it so I had about 1" of the rubber tail to go around the front lip on the lid. then I used some electrical tape and speed ties to route the antenna cables along the inside of the metal deck lid and over to the hinges and then down the fire wall behind the seat and pulled the wires out underneath the seat to connect to the brain. You will need to splice two wires from the back side of the radio harness to connect the battery + and the ignitions + to the brain, There is a nut under the seat, which you can ground the brain to. Overall, it should take you about 4 hours to do and its not that hard.

DANNOV · 02-06-2004, 10:15 AM

WORKSL
I'm sorry, but when you said "convertible top cover" I was thinking about the canvas convertible top itself. But now I see how you did it. Installation on the metal lid is a good way to go, invisible when the top is up and hardly noticeable when the top is down. That should work nicely.
Thanks

WORKSL · 02-07-2004, 09:38 AM

Actually, its visible the antenna is visible all the time, whether the top is up or down. Since it is mounted on the top of the metal lid. Also, there are some new smaller antennas from the one pictured in the photo. I used a flat oval pancake one on my boat, and I saw this new one which is like a tiny mouse, about 2"x2" in width and about 1/2 of an inch tall. Not sure what you mean't by"invisible when the top is up and hardly noticeable when the top is down".

DANNOV · 02-07-2004, 01:30 PM

My error...I realized it as soon as I looked at my car. But the antenna is positioned close behind the top and when he top is up you would have to look hard to see it, especially if it is one of the small antenna. I frankly can't think of a better setup I think it is the way I will go.

WORKSL · 02-09-2004, 07:36 AM

Correct, I'm just getting ready to install one on my newest Boxster and going with the same setup. This time I went with the Alpine IVA-D900 head unit and the hide away XM brain, so I won't have to mount the brain controller on the center console, since the functions are built into the Alpine head unit.