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Old 07-16-2008, 07:10 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
Location: PA
Hidden GPS and Satellite antennae for Passion?

Has anyone tried putting GPS and/or satellite radio antennas on the underside of the roof just aft of the sunshade? Seems like there's enough room there, and they'd be invisible from outside. A couple audio installers told me they need to be outside, but I don't see how the roof would interfere unless the opaque part somehow shields the signal.

- dan

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Old 07-16-2008, 07:33 PM   #2 (permalink)
 
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Location: DELAWARE
Drive: MP3, smart & MadAss
Mine are in the inside of the car on the dash. One on the right, one on the left. Not having any reception problems. Proves that they don't have to be outside. Not sure about the underside of the roof though.



Last edited by MP3SMART; 07-16-2008 at 07:36 PM..

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Old 07-16-2008, 09:21 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
Location: Winter Park, FL
Drive: 08 Smart Pure & 04 MS MX-5
The GPS antenna works fantastic where MP3SMART shows it, that is how I have it. However, I found my Sirius antenna not to receive so well inside the window (where MP3SMART has his), so after a day I moved it to the rear back of the roof. It was really easy as the cable has a natural feed on the OUTSIDE right from the passenger door, up the pillar, following the rain gutter, back towards the hatch.

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Old 07-16-2008, 11:29 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Location: San Diego, Ca
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My sirius antenna in in the little "niche" below/inside the hood where the left windwiper is if that makes sense. And my GPS antenna in located behind my AVIC D3 under the main radio cover, near where the Tach would mount.

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Old 07-17-2008, 06:12 AM   #5 (permalink)
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I placed mine between the 2 dash gauges, double stuck taped to the dash, reception is perfect.


Last edited by tigerwong58; 07-18-2008 at 07:33 PM..

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Old 07-17-2008, 06:19 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Location: Kettering, OH
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XM antenna under the service flap - very easy to do, works great.


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Old 07-17-2008, 06:53 AM   #7 (permalink)
 
Location: Winter Park, FL
Drive: 08 Smart Pure & 04 MS MX-5
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunDiego View Post
My sirius antenna in in the little "niche" below/inside the hood where the left windwiper is if that makes sense. And my GPS antenna in located behind my AVIC D3 under the main radio cover, near where the Tach would mount.
I thought about that, but Sirius has terrible coverage in Florida (smallest tree can sometimes affect it), so I put it on roof instead for maximum exposure. XM has much better pickup (plus local Orlando transmitters), but I prefer Sirius' channel selection and the fact that Sirius has a $495 lifetime membership (have that on all three cars).

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Old 07-18-2008, 11:17 AM   #8 (permalink)
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I put a picture of the antenna position in my gallery for you

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Old 07-30-2008, 07:50 PM   #9 (permalink)
 
Location: So Cal
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XM antenna under the service flap - very easy to do, works great.

Great idea and the plastic panel won't affect it. In my MB I put it between the instrument cluster and dash pad and it worked find there, should even work better where you put it. Now I have to figure out where to my my Roady XT so it looks nice and professional, any ideas?

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Old 07-31-2008, 09:18 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dbarrans View Post
Has anyone tried putting GPS and/or satellite radio antennas on the underside of the roof just aft of the sunshade?
Yep, I have my tomtom extended aerial in that position, I took the interior roof panel off and the A pillar cover off and routed the wire so it was hidden.

The factory 1 DIN sat nav for the 450 had an aerial under the front panel with no effect on coverage.
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