Sirius Radio Installation

[mattb5150]

Hey Guys,

Santa brought the wife and I a Sirius Stratus 6 for Christmas. I would like to install a cradle in each of our rigs, 03 Dmax and 05 Sub. We want to be able to move the radio back and forth and bring in the house for use on the serious boombox.

The install kit comes with a cable to run from the Sirius unit to an AUX input on the back of the head unit. We both have stock units mine the 6 disc cd and hers the navigation unit. Does anyone know if the headunits wil accept the Sirius cable? From my research it will not. The next best thing is using a unit which goes between the FM antenna and the pigtail on the headunit has anyone done this. Any tips greatly appreciated.

Matt

[JohnC]

If you can get the right adapter, direct audio input is the way to go. Check out http://www.crutchfield.com/ for aux adapters. I'm not sure what the capabilities of your stereo systems are, but these guys had an adapter for my 2006. (2007 comes with an aux input for Ipod, MP3, etc...)

[Big Eric]

I drove semi for ten years and I used Sirius satellite from about '02 through 2007 when I quit driving. The unit that I ran from about '03 onwards was a cradle type unit where I could bring the system into the house when I got home. It broadcast on an FM frequency and all I had to do was find an FM station that was free and clear and there was no need to hardwire into the audio system, although the capability was there. I didn't need to. The original unit I had did have to be hard wired, but it went into the antenna, not the audio cables. I'm not sure of the unit you're using, but most new models have the capability to broadcast via the FM transmitter.

Just looked up your unit. It does have the capability to play via FM frequency. I see that it rates it as a "good" connection. I can assure you from a ton of use that the FM connection is great unless you run into a station that is already using that frequency or you run into another user broadcasting theirs on the same frequency as you. Both happen from time to time, but not so much as to make it unbearable. If you don't travel too far, you shouldn't run into the first problem. For the second problem to occur, you have to be pretty close to the other unit. The sound quality via the FM transmitter was excellent, just as good as any top notch FM broadcast signal, and it wasn't affected by lighnting or anything. Hard wiring can be a real pain in the butt, and if you ever sell your truck, you'll have to unwire it and re-wire into the new truck & that is an added pain in the rear. This way if you ever want to hop into your buddies vehicle and take your satellite radio along, it'll be much easier.

[JohnC]

Not to dispute your experience, but I found the FM transmitter unacceptable. Seemed like every time I rounded a corner or crested a hill I had to change the frequency. Maybe my experience is not typical, but I was really happy to switch to the direct audio connection. Of course, around here there's probably a station for every frequency on the band within a 200 mile radius.

BTW, I also found that if I forget to switch the FM transmitter off, the volume level on the audio jacks is pretty low...

[mattb5150]

I had the same experience as John C did, here in Kalifornia. Tried the FM transmitter for two- 200 miles trips and it was brutal, even knowing which frequencies Sirius recommended.

For the Burb with the Nav unit I ended up installing the unit which goes in the antenna cable, it works great now. I also hardwired the power instead of taking up one of my 12v outlets. The only thing I couldn't figure out was how to tap a fuse that retained power when the key is turned off.

For the '03 Dmax I ended up installing a new Clarion headunit with a front AUX input jack. Can't say the unit sounds any better than stock but it is more versatile. My favorite feature is the Bluetooth capability the Clarion unit has so my cell phone can play through the speakers just like Onstar. I can also play MP3's from my smartphone with the AUX input jack. I had to buy two aftermarket items with the headunit to retain the Onstar and the steering wheel controls which were kind of a pain but I finally got them working.

Matt