removing the radio ('02 Durango)

The plastic bezel around the radio speedo pulls off with just fingers. Only
2 screws in radio.
I have a radio/CD/Tape player to sell, its infinity, asking $150 + ship. Out
of 97 dakota.
dick

First, yes this can be done. HOWEVER!  Using that type of FM Modulator is
going to make your newly purchased Sat radio system sound, well, to be
blunt, like ass.

Depending on what Sat system you are looking at ( XM or Sirius) both make a
unit with an internal wireless FM Mod.  All you have to do is plug in the
cig lighter power cord, run the antenna and turn it on.  No need to remove
the radio or anything.

If you go XM, use the Roady 2.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=700SA10109

If Sirius, use one of the XACT units, such as
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=612XTR3CK

Larry
Senior Installer
AutoSound FX
Sierra Vista, AZ

So wait...  a hard-wired FM modulator will sound like crap, but the built-in
wireless modulator won't??


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=700SA10109

You can get these for $50 from http://www.xmradio.com , because they're being
phased out in favor of the Roady XT.  The XT is smaller, and IMO has a
better mounting system if you're going to be moving it from auto to home.
It's got a cradle, whereas the Roady2 has two (or three) individual wires
that have to be plugged/unplugged.

Tom
Basic run-of-the-mill Sat Radio Owner
Myself, Inc.
Readington, NJ

Right, because you are not getting direct input from the hard line antenna.


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=700SA10109

Mind you I am not saying that the wireless FM Mod is great, just better then
the hard line.  If you want true digital and all that you have to go with a
sat ready radio and the tuner for it.


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=700SA10109

That's the exact opposite of my experience.  When I was using the wireless,
I got considerable "bleed-through" of stray signals.  With the in-line
modulator, input from the antenna is cut off, and the only signal available
on the radio's antenna input is from the modulator.


Digital schmigital...  my ears are analog  :)

Yes, I'm aware that units from Sirius and XM can be listened through my
stereo wirelessly.  HOWEVER, I have a wireless transmitter from Belkin that
I use in my car for my MP3 player.  It works pretty good but I do get static
from it.  I also noticed that the further away from my stereo, the worse the
reception.  So, depending on where I were to place my sat radio, it may or
may not give me good reception.  I do get much better sound quality from my
MP3 player when I use the cassette adapter (I know I can do this with the
sat radio as well but I'd like to avoid the hanging wires).  This is why I
was exploring the possibility of doing a hardwire setup.  Frankly, if you
got worse results, I'm tending to think it's more of an isolated incident
because from what I've read on other posts (in other newsgroups), hardwiring
worked better.  Be that as it may, if I can't easily get access to the radio
in my car, then all this talk is moot because I don't really want to pay a
lot for someone to do something that, on the surface, seems so simple.


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=700SA10109

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-QhEuGNLQBcJ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=247350&I=612XTR3CK

That's been my experience.  I currently use an XM MyFi with a hard-wired FM
modulator, and I have absolutely no complaints at all with the sound
quality.


You don't necessarily need to take your radio out.  In fact, an '02 Durango
probably has the newer Chrysler antenna connector on the radio, which isn't
compatible with the GM-style plugs on most FM modulators.  Behind the
passenger kick panel, you should be able to access the antenna wire, and
here you will find a GM-style male/female disconnect (this is where the wire
from the antenna connects to the wire that goes to the radio).  You can
splice your FM modulator in here.  Remove the glove box, and you have plenty
of room to mount the modulator, stuff the excess wire, and run your sat
antenna wire.

Do you think the Chilton manual would have this sort of info in it?

Well, think what you want, I only gave you the advice off of 15 years
experience, so I guess you know more then I.

I know that with a Roady2 and wireless modulation, I pick up all kinds of
static...  not to mention when driving on a road in proximity to another
vehicle with a modulator on the same freq. (had this happen several times).
I also know that when I installed an in-line modulator, all those problems
went away.  Go figure...

Well, then I guess you are right Tom (and J), what the hell do I know and
what does years in the car audio and electronics business mean?

All the customers that we install wireless mods in everything from Sat radio
systems, to "blasters" for headphones, to wireless mods for DVD systems, are
all flukes.  I guess the years of experience, going from wired mods of all
sorts to the newest wireless ones don't mean squat.

So, next time all you "self proclaimed experts" deal with it.

Okay...  deep breath time...  how is a wireless transmitter less susceptible
to interference and signal loss than something that's wired directly?  That
just seems counter-intuitive.  They're both doing FM modulation, right?
It's just that one is directly connected to the radio's antenna input, and
the other transmits through the air, to the same antenna input.  How could a
direct connection produce worse signal quality than a wireless connection?

It looks like the two of you may be talking about two different things.  If
I read this correctly, axwiley1 is saying that the radio or IOW other FM
radio stations besides the sat frequency could sound like crap with a direct
connection because of the separation of the antenna from the radio causing a
signal loss while Tom is saying that the wireless transmitter is more
susceptible to interference from other sources such as causing less than
desirable performance with the sat receiver.  If this is the case then I
would think that they both are correct and the type of connection used would
depend on where you are and what you want to listen to.  If you are in the
middle of nowhere where signals tend to be weak and intend to continue to
listen standard FM as well, then the wireless setup may be your best bet for
quality sound from both and if you live in or near the cities where signal
strength is strong and or intend to listen primarily to the sat receiver,
then a direct connection would be your choice since it is much more
resistant to outside interference and the minor possible signal loss on
other FM frequencies will be negligible.

--
If at first you don't succeed,  you're not cut out for skydiving

Yo, relax.  I never said I was an expert.  I was just telling you my
experiences with the little wirless unit I had.  Maybe you're right and the
ones on these radios are better.  Who knows.  I just THOUGHT that hardwiring
would give me better reception.  I DO know that my cassette adapter gives
better sound than the Belkin unit I have in my car for my mp3 player so I
figured the same for sat radio.  I don't even have it yet.  I was just
looking for advice/help/suggestions well in advance of me buying it so I
appreciate any answers I get.