New Radio
Ξ March 20th, 2011 | → Comments Off | ∇ Interesting |
Finished the radio install. Near disaster when I realized I had accidentally bolted the passenger seat on top of the XM antenna wire. I had been worried that I was having power issues again with the XM receiver when the head unit told me to check the antenna (the receiver is a separate box from the head unit), but when I realized I was actually getting a signal from the receiver, I traced the antenna wire and realized my mistake. Once I removed it from underneath the passenger seat, the whole thing worked again, flattened wire and all. Despite it’s tiny gauge, that antenna wire is pretty sturdy.
The install isn’t perfect, and there were some failures and things I need to fix. The whole unit isn’t flush with the trim – it’s a bit crooked and recessed. I put in some spacers to try and correct the problem, but it’s good enough for now. AM doesn’t work, and FM is kinda weak. There was a “antenna boost” wire that I didn’t hook up because there wasn’t a clear place to on the radio – that might be the culprit. Also, the DVD player thinks I’m always driving, so it won’t show me a picture. Need to fix that as well. Also realized that under the passenger seat isn’t the best place to mount the XM receiver – should have been back under the rear seats or in the trunk space. Might get around to that eventually.
But, man, it sounds and looks so much better than my factory unit.
