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View Full Version : XM radio installation in OC.



Ultracrazy
06-03-2005, 10:50 AM
Want to install xm radio in my Ultra.........it has an xm radio "ready" head unit. Anyone know who installs in OC and the appx. cost??

Ultrafied
06-03-2005, 12:08 PM
Nice avatar Ultra Crazy !!! I love it!

phebus
06-03-2005, 12:50 PM
Who makes the head unit?

Throttle
06-03-2005, 12:52 PM
Who makes the head unit?
Head, did you say head?

Throttle
06-03-2005, 12:54 PM
Who makes the head unit?
Hey RS, howz it? give a call when your done getting head (therapy).

Ultracrazy
06-03-2005, 02:39 PM
Nice avatar Ultra Crazy !!! I love it!
opps.......hehehe.......sorry.......haven't taken any good picks of mine yet.....same boat......different graphics :hammerhea
I believe the unit is a panasonic.......does it matter? I know it's xm ready.

chub
06-03-2005, 05:33 PM
Howzit???? No idea who could do the work. How you been?

Ultracrazy
06-03-2005, 06:25 PM
Doing well dude........and you? Going out this weekend? Might be there out the 13t - 15th.

K9Blitz
06-04-2005, 01:28 AM
I just had xm installed in my truck with an XM ready head unit. AL/Ed's in H.B. charged me $50 for labor. I bought the equipt myself at BestBuy. I only had them install it because I was not familiar with the dash disassemble ect. otherwise I would have done it.
If you are not going to do the plug and play, you will need to buy a brand specific Adapter for who ever makes your head unit. I think Ultra uses Kraco stereo's or whatever is on sale at Chief Auto Parts. (just kidding). Then you need to buy a Universal XM Tuner (comes with antenna). The adapter is small and allows you to connect the tuner to your head unit. The tuner is about 4"x5"x3/4" and comes with the antenna that plugs into it. You can buy both of these at Best Buy for about $100. Both products are made by Terk. Super easy install since your stereo is easily accessed. We could do it in the time it would take to hook up your trailer. I'm hear for you if you want to self install. You might not want a "permanent" antenna mounted on your new g-ride thought.

Ultracrazy
06-04-2005, 02:52 PM
I just had xm installed in my truck with an XM ready head unit. AL/Ed's in H.B. charged me $50 for labor. I bought the equipt myself at BestBuy. I only had them install it because I was not familiar with the dash disassemble ect. otherwise I would have done it.
If you are not going to do the plug and play, you will need to buy a brand specific Adapter for who ever makes your head unit. I think Ultra uses Kraco stereo's or whatever is on sale at Chief Auto Parts. (just kidding). Then you need to buy a Universal XM Tuner (comes with antenna). The adapter is small and allows you to connect the tuner to your head unit. The tuner is about 4"x5"x3/4" and comes with the antenna that plugs into it. You can buy both of these at Best Buy for about $100. Both products are made by Terk. Super easy install since your stereo is easily accessed. We could do it in the time it would take to hook up your trailer. I'm hear for you if you want to self install. You might not want a "permanent" antenna mounted on your new g-ride thought.
I think I'm going go the Roady route......seems simple. Like you :smile:

Outnumbered
06-04-2005, 03:50 PM
I think I'm going go the Roady route......seems simple. Like you :smile:
Got the Roady in mine. The concept is great but sound quality is lacking. Forget the FM modulator--too much static for high volume listening. I just hard-wired the Roady with RCAs and its better but still not clean. I get lots of static on some chanels and clean reception on others. I think its an antenna issue. I have been surfing the XM forums and the geeks over there insist that the mag antennas need a ground plane. Fiberglass no-worky. So at this point, I am considering a true marine antenna or a home antenna mounted either in the glove box or under the engine hatch.

Ultracrazy
06-04-2005, 04:00 PM
Got the Roady in mine. The concept is great but sound quality is lacking. Forget the FM modulator--too much static for high volume listening. I just hard-wired the Roady with RCAs and its better but still not clean. I get lots of static on some chanels and clean reception on others. I think its an antenna issue. I have been surfing the XM forums and the geeks over there insist that the mag antennas need a ground plane. Fiberglass no-worky. So at this point, I am considering a true marine antenna or a home antenna mounted either in the glove box or under the engine hatch.
Keep me informed of your tests.......I think I'll hold off till I do some more home work.
Thanks.

NashvilleBound
06-04-2005, 05:01 PM
Got the Roady in mine. The concept is great but sound quality is lacking. Forget the FM modulator--too much static for high volume listening. I just hard-wired the Roady with RCAs and its better but still not clean. I get lots of static on some chanels and clean reception on others. I think its an antenna issue. I have been surfing the XM forums and the geeks over there insist that the mag antennas need a ground plane. Fiberglass no-worky. So at this point, I am considering a true marine antenna or a home antenna mounted either in the glove box or under the engine hatch.
When you figure out what works best let me know.....I'm going the same route. Hows the new ride doing for you??

Outnumbered
06-04-2005, 09:30 PM
When you figure out what works best let me know.....I'm going the same route. Hows the new ride doing for you??
Loving it. We just got back from 3 days at Powell. Some pretty rough water up there last weekend due to the high winds. The Ultra did great. We ran it 50 miles up the lake. Funny thing was that I was the small boat out there with the exception of all the 19' Bayliners. Did you pick up your new sled?

NashvilleBound
06-05-2005, 03:33 AM
Loving it. We just got back from 3 days at Powell. Some pretty rough water up there last weekend due to the high winds. The Ultra did great. We ran it 50 miles up the lake. Funny thing was that I was the small boat out there with the exception of all the 19' Bayliners. Did you pick up your new sled?
We fly out today to San Diego for a week the to Havasu next weekend. I 've had mty truck in SD since I dropped the Ultra off(miss it) so I will drive the new sled back solo and the family flies. No drama....only takes me a day and a half to go cross country. You made a great decision.... best to you and yours. Maybe we'll see you around town while were there.

K9Blitz
06-05-2005, 11:56 AM
I'll be the XM Roady test case at Mohave in a week. You would think there wouldn't be any interference out there considering the total lack of FM radio stations to distrupt the modulator. I'll report back with my findings.
Best case scenario would be floating my boat next to Ultrakookoo's new G-ride in a flat big basin at Mohave listening to some clean sounding satellite radio drinking a frosty beverage. Sorry for the run on sentence... got carried away.

Outnumbered
06-05-2005, 12:08 PM
I'll be the XM Roady test case at Mohave in a week. You would think there wouldn't be any interference out there considering the total lack of FM radio stations to distrupt the modulator. I'll report back with my findings.
Best case scenario would be floating my boat next to Ultrakookoo's new G-ride in a flat big basin at Mohave listening to some clean sounding satellite radio drinking a frosty beverage. Sorry for the run on sentence... got carried away.
That's what I thought too. Ran the modulator for the first trip. Don't get me wrong, it works OK, but the SQ is no where near CD and its just too harsh to crank up. So the RCAs went in for the next trip. A little cleaner but still static. That is when I figured that I am not getting a strong sat signal. So now its time to test out some antennas.

Ultracrazy
06-05-2005, 05:09 PM
That's what I thought too. Ran the modulator for the first trip. Don't get me wrong, it works OK, but the SQ is no where near CD and its just too harsh to crank up. So the RCAs went in for the next trip. A little cleaner but still static. That is when I figured that I am not getting a strong sat signal. So now its time to test out some antennas.
The problem is K9blitz is running his in an Essex..........those things are so heavy I'm sure the issue is hidden in that aircraft carrier of a hull :D

b's sanger
06-09-2005, 10:41 AM
Sorry Ultra C, K9 e-mailed and dissed my tiny little boat. Something about you towing mine to make a race even. Thought i would pipe-up since i got gragged into this.
The bottom line in the race is, K9 has less wind resistance, heres the formula:
Shaved chest hair = less wind friction = more speed
Pretty simple really.

Outnumbered
06-09-2005, 11:26 AM
Sorry Ultra C, K9 e-mailed and dissed my tiny little boat. Something about you towing mine to make a race even. Thought i would pipe-up since i got gragged into this.
The bottom line in the race is, K9 has less wind resistance, heres the formula:
Shaved chest hair = less wind friction = more speed
Pretty simple really.
Post a bigger pic of that Sanger. It looks just like my buddies old Super Jet. I think it was a 1978-79. Candy red fades.

K9Blitz
06-19-2005, 02:53 AM
Well I plugged the XM Roady into the cig adapter, tuned my Alpine head unit to 88.7 and used a small piece of velcro to hold the antenna on the horizontal area in front of my instrument panel... then all of a sudden I had satellite radio the entire time on Lake Mohave. No reception issues, even in the coves. I'm running a Rockford Fos. amp on my Alpine head unit with Eclipse Point Source speakers and didn't experience sound quality issues.
I guess I was lucky to have a good flat area for the antenna. I also brought a thin metal clipboard along in case I needed to set the antenna on it, but that was not to be.

Outnumbered
06-21-2005, 02:33 PM
OK, I have an update. Had a good weekend at Mohave and Mead with the XM. The Roady XM car antena is fine. Found out the house ant is directional and won't really work in any moving vehicle. My problem ended up being the level was set too high on the RCA output from the Roady to the Alpine. The modulator still sux in my truck so I bought a wired modulator and will install it soon. That should fix the reception issues.