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      05-05-2012, 07:24 PM   #1
Geauxkart
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Satellite Radio Antenna Placement Solution - MC

The factory GPS antenna is above the dome light.
I removed the bracket, and added a little bit of metal for a XM antenna mount.
I was going to just place the antenna in the area, and fill with padding, but this is more elegant, and gives the antenna a metal plate for the magnet to stick to - which should help with the reception.

It works, so well in fact, that it works inside my garage with no issues

Fist pic is the modified bracket, 2nd is after install, and third is all the crap in the rear.



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      05-06-2012, 01:00 PM   #2
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Nice, I would have never thought there was a space up there to put it. I spend hours trying to find a place back behind the seats to put mine but gave up and placed it on my trunk.

So how did you route the cable exactly? I'm guessing down the passenger A pillar, across behind the glove compartment and then down the center console to the trunk passthrough that's behind the passenger seat?
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      05-06-2012, 01:01 PM   #3
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P.S. If I don't have factory nav installed will that antenna bracket still be there?
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      05-06-2012, 01:25 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by portugee View Post
P.S. If I don't have factory nav installed will that antenna bracket still be there?
Doubt it, but I am sure you could buy it for pretty cheap, or bend and make you own - there are 2 tapped holes in the roof for attachment.

I ran down the apillar, and along the pass side, under the weatherstrip, into the bulkhead. These cars are built well. I had a hell of a time getting through the center tunnel to the rear for the ipod interface.
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      05-06-2012, 04:28 PM   #5
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Cool. The bracket is only $6.57 from tischer so I might just pick that up.

http://www.trademotion.com/parts/200...assy%20bracket
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      05-06-2012, 06:39 PM   #6
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Is this only on an MC? Been trying to find a good location in my '08 3.0i. If I remove the dome light, is there a location to mount the bracket if I get the one above from tischer?
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      05-07-2012, 09:23 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike519 View Post
Is this only on an MC? Been trying to find a good location in my '08 3.0i. If I remove the dome light, is there a location to mount the bracket if I get the one above from tischer?
Well, I haven't actually pulled the dome light out on my E85 yet but considering they sell the part for it I would suggest the stock nav GPS antenna is mounted in the same place for both the coupes and roadsters.
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      05-07-2012, 10:48 AM   #8
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Didn't know it would work through the roof - way cool if it does. Where was it before you moved it and how does the reception compare between the old location and the new one?
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      05-07-2012, 10:51 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by onebluemcm View Post
Didn't know it would work through the roof - way cool if it does. Where was it before you moved it and how does the reception compare between the old location and the new one?
New install. Looses reception under trees pretty easily, I think I can move the antenna a little further forward though. Acceptable though as is.

If you look, the bracket places the antenna under the blacked out part of the windshield, not actually under the roof.
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      05-07-2012, 05:38 PM   #10
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So, the next question is, is the black stripe not a sunshade...many of which usually contain a metal coating? I'm trying to avoid putting this stupid antenna on my dash. Right now I have it mounted with double sided tape to the underside of the windshield right up where you are talking, beside the review mirror mount. It loses reception a lot.

I also tried in the compartment above the centre storage bin but it was even worse.
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      05-07-2012, 08:00 PM   #11
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Dont know if it is a metal coating, but the factory antenna works fine there?
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      05-07-2012, 09:19 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geauxkart View Post
Dont know if it is a metal coating, but the factory antenna works fine there?
Right. If the reception there is good enough for the factory GPS antenna then it should work just fine for satellite radio.
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      10-29-2013, 08:20 PM   #13
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Any chance you can repost those pics?
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