My XM & Sirius Install in 1998 Mercury Mountaineer

[Steve Mehs]

Here’s my dual satellite radio installation. I’ve been meaning to take some pictures of this for a while, but my digital camera has been acting up so I finally went over to my uncles house and used my aunts digital camera.

Vehicle: 1998 Mercury Mountaineer
XM Receiver: Delphi Roady XT purchased December 2005 at Walmart for $50
Sirius Receiver: Starmate Replay purchased June 2006 at Best Buy for $100

Nothing too fancy, and not my ideal solution, but I think it’s a clean install, even if a little cluttered. I have the Roady XT and Starmate Replay mounted using 3M heavy duty industrial adhesive and have all the wires hidden behind the plastic housing in the center. I had to remove the foam in order to run and hide all the wires, but could never get that one spot on the passenger side back like it was. The Starmate Replay is actually mounted using the old mount from my Roady 2. I don’t like the suction cup mount look at all, so I took the Roady 2 mount and put an adhesive square in between it and the mounting bracket the Starmate came with and Vuh-la!

Both antennas are in the center on the roof next to each other, the wires run under the weather stripping of the front windshield, then run diagonally across the door frame, underneath the plastic door frame molding and then underneath the under part of the dash and floor panels where they come into the center. The drivers side is nice since I brought the XM antenna wire in through the fuse panel, didn’t have that luxury with the passenger side for the Sirius antenna. Speaking of antennas, where’s the one for terrestrial radio? You know the one that came from the factory that’s supposed to be on the passengers side in front of the hood.

Both receivers are powered by their respective cigarette lighter adaptors. The main cigarette lighter is being used for my Cobra XRS 9930 radar detector, so I purchased a 2 Outlet 12VDC Car Power Adapter from Radio Shack for $8 bucks. I didn’t realize it until after I opened it up that it has a pivot swivel head making it look less obtrusive and allowing me to hide the power cables.

And then there’s a rear shot of my decals that I display proudly showing fellow motorists that I reject the devils work aka AM/FM Radio. If you notice all XM stuff is on the left, Sirius on the right.

[Steve Mehs]

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[DonLandis]

I ran my antennal wires, GPS and Sirius similar to how you did. But I fed the wires under the weather stripping by lifting it off and then replacing it back so the wire was underneath and not exposed to the pounding of the door. The way you have it may also be a wicking place for water leakage.

I don't advertise my stuff with deacls. I think it is like painting a big bullseye for thieves. Now if XM and Sirius felt the need to pay me to advertise for them, then I might consider. :)

[Steve Mehs]

I see the pics are working right now. I was going to attach the images, but decided to use an image hosting service as not to eat up DBSTalk bandwidth. Last time I’ll use Imagehosting.us (well what do ya want for free). I saw original post earlier as I was heading out the door for work.

I didn’t like running the antenna wires like that, but it was the best I could come up with, not really worried about slamming doors. The XM antenna has been like that for a year and a half now and no problems. Besides I have so many spare antennas and other satellite radio parts it’s not even funny. I’ve purchased 7 plug and play receivers so far, so if anything goes bad, I have a few spares :D As for water leakage, this past Thursday night/Friday morning on my way home from work I nailed a skunk. I’ve went though the car wash now three times in four days. No leakage to speak of.

I’m actually surprised XM and Sirius don’t give out free stickers in the radios with the literature, or at least in the welcome kit that comes in the mail shortly after you sign up. Apple does it with the iPod, XM and Sirius should do it too. The Sirius decal came to almost $10, shipping was about 50% of the cost. I got 2 XM decals, one red, one yellow, for free when XM411 first started, I had the red one, but during the winter when I was scraping ice off I lost a few letters in ‘Satellite Radio’. Didn’t care for the yellow one so I ordered another red one. The decal was $3 and the shirt I’m wearing in the last pic was $19. Two decals and a t-shirt came to over $35. I would like to get a Sirius t-shirt and hat, but shirts only come in 2XL and the hats are pre-fitted.

Not really worried about theft, the receivers are in pretty much plain view, as are most peoples, all someone has to do is look down as they pass by. And in the general areas I travel in, I don’t think a few decals would be a red alert of thieves, besides, the car came with a security system. A $400 headunit is worth more then an eight year old Ford Factory radio with a pair of plug and play receivers. Hell the radar detector is worth more then all my audio stuff combined.

I would like to do a vanity license plate that reads ‘XM [picture of NY state] SIRI’, but when I was at the DMV a few months ago and asked, and heard the price, I didn’t even let the lady finish.

[DonLandis]

Gosh- You sound like a candidate for a new tattoo. :)

BTW- I have XM and sirius. The sirius is a lifetime module on my Kenwood Excelon. in otherwords, it's built in. The XM is internet only and on my XV6700 connected to my Kenwood via an analog stereo cable. Sounds great with slightly better fidelity than the Sirius channels. But as it is internet, I do get more frequent dropouts on the XM than the Sirius true satellite receiver. I may drop the XM soon now that I have found a better EQ for their otherwise muffled audio quality.

I wonder if you find the sound EQ more muffled on sirius? Hard to find others with a setup like you have to make a good comparison. I thought it may be the Kenwood adapter not really doing a good job of full range audio.

[ntexasdude]

Well hey, at least we know what you look like now.:) Um, you know, that radar detector will work better if you raise it up slightly above the wipers.

BTW - cool deal. I only have XM in my truck but I actually like the channels on Sirius a little better. I have the Delphi SkiFi 2 and my biggest complaint is the display is very difficult to read in the sunlight.

I think I saw an indash head unit once that XM & Sirius capable.

[Steve Mehs]

Well I decided to attach the pics after having them not show up again.

Gosh- You sound like a candidate for a new tattoo.

Thanks for the idea, Don :lol:

I wonder if you find the sound EQ more muffled on sirius?

Honestly I never really noticed. For sound quality, to me, XM sounds flatter but less compressed, Sirius sounds more dynamic, but more compressed. As far as full range goes, it’s hard to tell as I use satellite radio for quantity rather then quality. I use the built in wireless FM modes which is the least desirable way to listen and my radio isn’t really high end. Sirius seems to have equal sound quality though out all their much channels, with XM some are great, some not so, varies by channel. While XM and Sirius sound different, one’s not really better then the other, generally speaking.

Well hey, at least we know what you look like now.

My mugs on here a few times, but hey if you’re ever in upstate NY you can easily identify me (and my truck) :D

Um, you know, that radar detector will work better if you raise it up slightly above the wipers.
I know, problem is some dumbass (me), initially jammed the suction cup bracket thing into the slot on the detector backwards and it doesn’t hold like it’s supposed to. It’s fine resting against the dash, otherwise it flops down. Works good anyhow, I keep it in Highway mode most of the time since the Sheriffs use Pop instead of traditional X or K band. Always detects the sneaky cop that parks in the used car lot I pass and tries to blend in with the rest of the cars. Guy even uses VG2.

I have the Delphi SkiFi 2 and my biggest complaint is the display is very difficult to read in the sunlight.

Yeah, that’s probably the biggest complaint about the SkyFi and SkyFi 2. What I love about the Roady series is you can change the back light color. Doesn’t mean much in the sunlight, but looks sharp at night. The Roady doesn’t wash out like the SkyFi.

[Bogy]

Nice installation Steve. I think it looks very clean, except as you say, the two different units make it look a little cluttered, but not too bad. I haven't gotten into satellite radio yet. My Fusion has a six disc mp3 player, and I rarely listen to any kind of radio. But the day may come. Surprisingly, my wife has been asking about it. :D When/if I do get satellite radio, I will be able to use the aux input on my factory radio. :)

BTW, I haven't used a radar detector in years (either I'm driving slower or speed limits have gone up), but when I did I mounted it in one of two ways. The first was above the rear view mirror and used a power cord extension under the headliner to bring power to it. That way the detector was up where it did the most good, and I didn't have a cord dangling down the dash, or even worse through the air so a police officer could see a cord looking through the car. If you do get stopped the problem is getting detector down without the officer noticing. Then again, if you have telltale marks of little suction cups on the inside of your windshield, you have been made anyway. The second way I mounted it was an attempt not to use the suction cups. I put a piece of Velcro on top of the dash, right at the forward edge, and put the matching piece on the bottom of the detector. I didn't notice that much difference in the reception of the unit, and the detector could be easily, quickly, and unobtrusively removed. I used a straight cord instead of the coiled cord and was able to route it so it was not so obtrusive. One difference between the vehicles we have/had is that my interior was black and yours is camel. The black Velcro blended into my dash, I'm not sure you can find camel Velcro.

Anyway, the installation looks good. I appreciate a nice clean installation. When I got my Fusion one of the first things I did was hardwire a handsfree phone kit into the car. On my previous car I had an aftermarket radio, and that made it easy. The brand new Fusion was a little more difficult. Aftermarket harnesses are now starting to become available, but were non-existent in February of this year, especially for the audiophile unit my car has. I finally made my own wiring harness, and the phone mutes the cd/radio and then uses the car's speaker system. Figuring out the wiring of the three factory plugs on the back of the unit was the toughest part of the process.

[Steve Mehs]

Thanks Bogy, the install would look more appealing if I had the new Sportster 4, since it's more the same style as the Roady XT. It also looks better with one receiver in the center and one in the cubby hole right underneath, but mounting it that way is tough. Having an aux input is a great feature, wish they had them standard on Fords back in 1998 :)

Your wife is very smart :) With either provider you can't go wrong, the nice thing is discovering music you wouldn’t normally listen to and then put it on CD or MP3. I never imagined I'd listen to Southern Gospel, classic rock now means something totally different to me and I never use to consider dance music, music. I've downloaded over 200 songs for my iPod thanks to XMs Big Tracks alone.

We're taking my moms Explorer on our trip to Philadelphia, that I’ll be leaving for in about 3 hours and I just mounted the radar detector in the center about 8 inches up from the dash. I managed to get the suction cup bracket like it's supposed to be. Ideally I'd like to put it behind the mirror were I have my EZPass, but not only would the power cord be in the way, but it wouldn’t fit right since the mirror is bulked up with the auto lamp controls and wiring, my mom's Explorer doesn’t have that, it's just a regular rear view mirror, but her EZPass is in the same spot as well, so it does no good.

I once thought about doing something similar with my cell phone, problem is since 90% of my calls are Direct Connect, a truly hands free system is just about impossible. I know there are solutions for 2 way but I wouldn’t call any of them practical.

BTW- I think you are the first guy to ever call my interior camel, it looks tan to me :lol:

[Bogy]

BTW- I think you are the first guy to ever call my interior camel, it looks tan to me :lol:

Camel is the official Ford name for the color. I have a 1997 Taurus with the color, and when I was deciding on what colors I wanted for my Fusion it was the color I DIDN'T want. It looks dirty to fast. I now have an all black interior. :)

[Nick]

...I now have an all black interior. :)Perhaps. to match your dark, troubled personality, eh, preacher? :D

[DonLandis]

but hey if you’re ever in upstate NY you can easily identify me (and my truck)


Steve- I'll be in Poughkeepsie NY Sunday night and Monday.

[Steve Mehs]

Camel is a Ford term? Guess I'll have to forgive you on that one. :lol:

Don, Poughkeepsie is about 5 hours from me, I wasn't too far away from there earlier today on my way back from Philly. Instead of Upstate I should have said, Buffalo/Niagara Frontier, Rochester/Finger Lakes, Syracuse and the Southern Tier from Jamestown to Ithaca. I often forget the Albany area is in upstate NY, by their priorities and policies, you’d think it was right next door to NYC :D

[Geronimo]

Albany is nothing like NYC. And Poughkeepsie is not really part of the Albany area.

[Steve Mehs]

Like I said could have fooled me, the folks that reside in Albany (meaning our ‘wonderful’ elected officials) seem to only care about NYC. True Poughkeepsie is about 70 miles from the Capitol, but it's still in the general area of the state.

[Geronimo]

Therw are a lot more people in Albany than those who work in the state Govt. And The folks in Poughkeepsie and Albany think they are in very different parts of the state. But you probably amused a lot of people from both areas.

[Steve Mehs]

Uh, it was a simple comment that I didn’t think I’d have to explain, but yes I’m generalizing on purpose, and I’m talking in terms of geography not culture or lifestyle. Jamestown is considered part of the Buffalo area, two completely different areas, 75 miles a part but still in the same general area of the state, and still in the same market, regardless of ‘cultural’ differences. That's exactly what I was getting at with Albany and Poughkeepsie, no more, no less.

[Bogy]

Perhaps. to match your dark, troubled personality, eh, preacher? :D

Preachers have traditionally worn black (the original "men in black"). I have never worn a "collar", yet I often wear a black suit, sweater and shoes. I was once approached from behind in a Catholic book store by a clerk who addressed me as "Father". She was very confused when I turned around and didn't have the little white tab. :lol: Like Mr. Cash said, more or less, I'm gonna wear black until the world and all the people in it are at peace. (although I do wear other colors occasionally.) :D

[harsh]

Camel is a Ford term?General Motors calls it "wheat". Either way, it is second to few (black and red come to mind) in terms of looking dirty when lightly soiled.

[Geronimo]

General Motors calls it "wheat". Either way, it is second to few (black and red come to mind) in terms of looking dirty when lightly soiled.


i once owned a GM vehicle whose color was referred to as "Medium Camel". to the casual observer it seemed like brown but apparently that was not exciting enough for GM. Ther was also a "dark camel" which presumably wasa darker brown. I am unaware of a "light Camel" so how minw eas medium is unclear to me.


FWIW that color hid the dirt rather well. Much better than the white vegicles I have owned.

[Geronimo]

Uh, it was a simple comment that I didn’t think I’d have to explain, but yes I’m generalizing on purpose, and I’m talking in terms of geography not culture or lifestyle. Jamestown is considered part of the Buffalo area, two completely different areas, 75 miles a part but still in the same general area of the state, and still in the same market, regardless of ‘cultural’ differences. That's exactly what I was getting at with Albany and Poughkeepsie, no more, no less.


I guess that the reference to the state governmenn threw me. But I was just getting on your case Mr. Mehs. Nice install job BTW.

[Nick]

...FWIW that color hid the dirt rather well. Much better than the white vegicles I have owned.YOU owned a VEGICLE??? I have wanted one of those ever since they came out in '77.
I heard that a Vegicle will run on almost anything -- broccoli, okra, cauliflower; rutabagas... :grin:

[Bogy]

YOU owned a VEGICLE??? I have wanted one of those ever since they came out in '77.
I heard that a Vegicle will run on almost anything -- broccoli, okra, cauliflower; rutabagas... :grin:

...and of course the ever popular soy beans. :D

[DonLandis]

Steve- Once you get above Elmsford / Whiteplains area the people attitudes are indeed different. Pughkeepsie are all country folk, like Newburgh, Kingston, Rhinebeck etc. However, Albany, yes, is more formal less country, but still friendly on the surface. But NYC varies from friendly under a rough defensive crust, to outright arrogance. Always in a hurry. I lived in MIddletown, NY for 11 years back in the 70's. Got to visit this trip and was amazed at how everything changed. The Chemical plant I worked at is gone, 5 sty building, 100000 sq ft facility replaced with apartment complexes. Have no desire to live there again!

Anyway back on topic- A bit of bad luck struck me. After 3 months of Sirius radio enjoyment, with my lifetime sub on the used radio I bought, it just quit working. So I called the tech support while on the road and they verified the original account holder had moved "his" lifetime subscription to a new receiver he bought! Here's the deal with these lifetimes- They now cost $499 and for $75 youi can switch it to new hardware , I think she said 3 times for an additional fee of $75 each. So, while I still got a good deal on the receiver price compared to the new cost of this module for my sound system, I only got 3 months of free service. She activated my own account and in a few minutes it all came back but unfortunately, I had to reprogram the 30 presets I had selected. As it was explained to me, the Lifetime activation is transfered with the receiver, but the account controls still belong to the original account holder for life. The many people explaining this to me on the forum were quite incorrect on how it works. BTW- I only activated per month since the cash up upfront deals were not enough incentive I thought.

[ntexasdude]

I didn't even know they had camels in upstate New York. Who knew?

This is true (because you saw it on the internet) there'e some guy that has a farm about 25 miles south of here and he's got 30 or 40 camels on it. You can see them when you drive down the highway. However, I don't think any of them are equipped with satellite radio.

[Nick]

How about a light saddle on a camel? (groan)

[brownclown]

Here’s my dual satellite radio installation. I’ve been meaning to take some pictures of this for a while, but my digital camera has been acting up so I finally went over to my uncles house and used my aunts digital camera.

Vehicle: 1998 Mercury Mountaineer
XM Receiver: Delphi Roady XT purchased December 2005 at Walmart for $50
Sirius Receiver: Starmate Replay purchased June 2006 at Best Buy for $100

Nothing too fancy, and not my ideal solution, but I think it’s a clean install, even if a little cluttered. I have the Roady XT and Starmate Replay mounted using 3M heavy duty industrial adhesive and have all the wires hidden behind the plastic housing in the center. I had to remove the foam in order to run and hide all the wires, but could never get that one spot on the passenger side back like it was. The Starmate Replay is actually mounted using the old mount from my Roady 2. I don’t like the suction cup mount look at all, so I took the Roady 2 mount and put an adhesive square in between it and the mounting bracket the Starmate came with and Vuh-la!

Both antennas are in the center on the roof next to each other, the wires run under the weather stripping of the front windshield, then run diagonally across the door frame, underneath the plastic door frame molding and then underneath the under part of the dash and floor panels where they come into the center. The drivers side is nice since I brought the XM antenna wire in through the fuse panel, didn’t have that luxury with the passenger side for the Sirius antenna. Speaking of antennas, where’s the one for terrestrial radio? You know the one that came from the factory that’s supposed to be on the passengers side in front of the hood.

Both receivers are powered by their respective cigarette lighter adaptors. The main cigarette lighter is being used for my Cobra XRS 9930 radar detector, so I purchased a 2 Outlet 12VDC Car Power Adapter from Radio Shack for $8 bucks. I didn’t realize it until after I opened it up that it has a pivot swivel head making it look less obtrusive and allowing me to hide the power cables.

And then there’s a rear shot of my decals that I display proudly showing fellow motorists that I reject the devils work aka AM/FM Radio. If you notice all XM stuff is on the left, Sirius on the right.

Why do you have 2 antennas mounted? I have the same set up(more or less), one antenna receives both signals.

[Steve Mehs]

I've always known the antennas were interoperable but I didn't realize you could run both services off of one antenna until afterwards. But still, I am a firm believer in the most direct connection possible, I’d rather have the two separate antennas.