4lbs? I presume you're talking about the Mazda/Sirius box...

 

Hm.. Hah, sounds pretty hard installing these satalite radios on your 8. I didn't want to disable anything on my car.. --

 

Yep, it's a big monolith.

 

Now you've got me wanting to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey again...

 

Hard? Disabling things? Hardly, in both cases.

At worst it's time-consuming, but it's not hard. I probably spent an hour installing mine, but that included very careful routing of the antenna cable. Given 10 minutes, possibly less, I can have the whole XM system out of my car and you'd never know it was ever there, as I didn't do any drilling or other permanent modifications. Installing the AudioLink (which I use primarily with my iPod but can also connect to the XM) took longer and was far more involved... If you're using the FM modulator, you don't have to pull the radio out or any of that nonsense.

 

I'll need an AudioLink first I suppose. I'll look into this.

 

You don't NEED an AudioLink at all. Just about all Sirius and XM units have an FM modulator. I'm sure that even Miami has a few open frequencies that those radios could transmit to... I managed just fine with the FM modulator in the NYC area when I didn't have a direct line-in to the head unit. A direct line-in will give you better sound quality, though, and if you have an iPod or other music player an AudioLink (or equivalent) is a Godsend.

The only problem there is that I understand the newer satradios have weaker FM transmitters as a result of an FCC action, so maybe getting an older radio would be a good idea. They're probably going to be cheaper as well.

 

^^^ Using the FM modulator gets to be a PITA on the open road, because, whatever clear frequency you find at home, you'll invariably encounter interference as you roll past dozens of small towns with their own assortment of FM broadcasters. You're constantly switching around to find a better frequency.

edit: I hadn't read page 2 when I posted. tjbourgoyne (post #21) makes the same point.
As DrDiabolico (post 24) mentions, the cassette adaptors work great (if you have a tape deck in your head unit). I use the dashboard pedestal mount that Delphi provided, DC power adaptor, and the cassette adaptor. Antenna is on the rear deck (inside the car), with the wire snaked along the bottom edge of the console cover. This is quick, costs nothing, damages nothing. Of course, it is definitely not elegant when everything is in use.

 

Very true. That is the drawback of the FM modulator... But then again most people don't drive far enough most of the time for it to be an issue. OTOH, when do you want satradio the most? On a longer trip. You'll have to change frequencies a few times over the duration of a trip if you live east of the Mississippi River or on the west coast. I think on my drives from NE Indiana to the NYC area I'd have to change stations about four times.

My point, really, was that you can get away with not getting a hardline connection, if that's all that's holding you back.

 

Hm, yes, I think I'll first get the AudioLink. I do want to use my ipod in my car. You can connect the satalite radio into the AudioLink correct? It's gotta be a hastle I bet.

 

I'm not gonna lie, it IS a hassle. Unplugging one to use the other is not ideal by any means, so I actually just use the FM modulator most of the time... Meaning when I'm just tooling around town, as it's not worth the hassle. On road trips, though, I won't go through the "finding an open FM frequency" game, I'll just use the miniplug.

I've noticed that the design of the Audiolink has changed, so I don't know if you can even do what I'm doing without even further fiddling. Mine has both the iPod connector and the miniplug (headphone plug) coming out of a shared junction, and I think now you have to choose one or the other (or a USB plug). Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

 

Well, I guess scratch Audio Link off my list. I don't intend in removing any Audio parts on my 8. I guess I'll use the FM modulator. There's a lot of stations in SoFL which don't have any signal. Thanks for the replies.. Really helps.

 

You don't have to "remove any Audio parts" to use the AudioLink or other equivalent. What you DO have to do is yank the radio to get access to the back of the HU. The AudioLink plugs into the Sirius jack on the rear of the radio... And then the cable runs from there to wherever you wish to place it. Getting the version with the miniplug end means that you can plug practically any portable audio device into it... Getting the version with the iPod plug means you can only plug in an iPod, but of course it also charges the player while it's plugged in.

Here's the link, if you don't know it already:

http://www.therpmstore.com/product_i...roducts_id=142

And it appears that I'm wrong, you CAN still get it with both an iPod connector and a miniplug in the same unit, so it'll work with any conceivable audio device that you would want to plug into it, be it XM, Sirius, CD player, MP3, iPod, cassette walkman, etc...

 

The AudioLink has the ipod connector, 1/8" line input & RCA video output. You can choose the connections you want. I'm guess the ipod connector & 1/8" line input would be best for me. I don't need video. I'm thinking XM/Sirius can connect with the line input right?

 

So I have the JVC unit for Sirius (which kicks the **** out of XM, I used to have XM) Can I add factory Sirius to my 04' without much hassle?