Where to locate an XM Antenna

On the cowling in front of the windshield.

Is it small enought to somehow mount on the 3rd brake light?

Or maybe a custom bracket made to place the antenna right behind the spare, just high enought to meet the top of the tire (could also prevent theft by keeping it somewhat out of sight.

Chad

Chad did pass the time by typing:

If your just keeping a soft top on it then you can mount it to the rollbar inside. Just keep the cable neatly stowed incase you ever put a hard top on. Soft top material won't bother the XM antenna one iota.

Actually I know a few folks with hard tops where the inside antenna seems to work well. The bracketry looks like _(

You can do a test by simply using some zip ties to hold the antenna up

Sorta ASCII cutout for the bracket. not to scale but just for an idea.

_________________ | _ _ | |(_) (_)| | | | | | _ _ | |(_)| |(_)| |___| |___| | | | | | antenna | | | |_________|

You cut up the sides and bend the tongue out. The (_)'s are holes for running zip ties, if you bend the edges in slightly they will bite into the roll bar. If you have padding you may want to glue some rubber to the back and run the zip ties so the bracket won't cut the padding. YMWV

Up high, on top of the rollbar or soundbar is a good location. Those locations are good because nothing can block the signal which passes right through a fiberglass hardtop or fabric soft top like they weren't there. Mounting it low like on the hood or cowl will cause sporadic drop outs as the windshield frame or rollbars get in the way of the satellite that isn't always directly overhead. :)

Jerry

Bill,

I've got the mini antenna with the Roady. It's perched center-stage atop the roll bar.

Mark '98 TJ '98 XJ

I notice that my XM Radio worked while in the lower decks of the parking garage at LAX, but doesn't work in my garage at home. I also do not get reception under freeway overpasses and bridges, which I expected, but the reception in the parking garage at the airport was amazingly good, which I did not expect. Since the radio worked at the airport, it would be cool if it worked under a bridge, or in my home garage.

Most of the major metro areas have XM repeater towers that help provide signals in the downtown caves. Once you're away from the metro areas you're back to 'line of sight' to either satellite - Rock or Roll. Sometimes on the PA turnpike, the southern sky is so blocked in the hill cuts that the XM drops out for a moment. This happens Eastbound but rarely Westbound. Enjoy! I love my XM - All of them! - m

I was planning on building an "L" bracket and mounting it behind the footman loop on the top of the windshield frame, but the top of the roll bar(or sound bar for that matter)sounds better.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51