XM Radio

[yank dini]

So last year right before my personal episodes with my old Vibe I was planning on getting XM radio. Now that the worst is over I was thinking about get one again. The problem is now I have the factory radio "that will stay in the vehicle for now" instead of my last radio that was XM ready. I need a good spot to put the receiver Anybody got a good spot for installing the receiver inside the car?

[yank dini]

ummm.... I dont think that will work I have to change the stations you knowhere is a linkhttp://www.xmradio.com/images/offers/summer_rebate.jpg

[yank dini]

yeah now I know that the black box will go under the seat but the display box is what im concerned with. The good news is that it has a red display like the gauges.

[yank dini]

yeah looks a lot better than last years model

[joatmon]

That control head is about 1.5" x 4.3", about an inch wider than a creadit card. You should be able to find somewhere to put without too much trouble. Will you go with the FM modulator to tie it in, or do you have a secret you're not sharing?

[yank dini]

quote:That control head is about 1.5" x 4.3", about an inch wider than a creadit card. You should be able to find somewhere to put without too much trouble. Will you go with the FM modulator to tie it in, or do you have a secret you're not sharing?I didn't know it was that smallI haven't been in circuit city roadshop in a while so I haven't seen them in person. If this is the case then right over the dummy would suffice.

[rasermon]

Silverawd26, That looks like a good place to mount it.

[meathead333]

anyone know about sirus?? is it the same set up and so fourth? my deck is supposedly pre set up for sirus. i am thinking about it. sorry, didnt mean to change the topic.

[yank dini]

you get less channels on Sirrus but I think it's cheaper per month

[yank dini]

Is that for the XM?

[yank dini]

looks good

[yank dini]

is that even possible to remove the button without cracking the dash

[yank dini]

sweet

[yank dini]

well If it gets tight for me I can always downgrade my Comcast Digital Cable. I've had every channel possible since Dec last year ($150.00)

[joatmon]

quote:I didn't know it was that smallI couldn't tell from the picture that you linked, but whatever site it was on had a PDF owners manual that had some physical dimensions toward the back. (and an install guide)When I took off that bezel around the radio, it looked like the AC/Recirc controls were one assembly, and maybe the dummy button is part of that assembly. Might be you need to take that asembly off the bezel, and maybe the dummy button will come off easily. If not, there's always the dremel tool

[Sub-Vibe-R]

quote:You still can not see it too much, but the wiring to the left of the picture is attached to the recirculate and AC buttons. So, I am sure there is a way to take that "dummy button" off. In fact, you cannot just "remove" this dummy button. It is molded in the board. So you'll have to sand/cut, whatever you want, to make it flush to the rest of the board. It will be a permanant job.

[joatmon]

I know it's getting a bit off topic, but did anyone ever hear a reasonable explanation of why they put the dummy button there in the first place?

[KSNeptune]

quote:I know it's getting a bit off topic, but did anyone ever hear a reasonable explanation of why they put the dummy button there in the first place?Only the original dash designer can tell you for sure, but since I'm a product designer I'll give you my guess...Mocking up the center console, they had to lay out all the buttons/controls. There was plenty of space for the AC and Recirculate buttons left of the radio opening, so they put them there. But with only two to fill up the area, they were too far apart to seem related like they are. They tried moving them together, and they looked better, but it left an empty space which didn't balance with the overall look. They popped on a third button, and really liked how it looked there, balancing the design. They asked the engineers if there was some other A/C related "feature" they could control with that third button, but no one came up with an idea. The design team eventually had to show the upper execs their dash design ideas, and so they left it up to the execs... "Do you like it (the look) well enough with just two buttons? We (designers) think it would look better with three, but have no practical justification for a third button." The exec replied: "We don't have a reputation for justifying everything we do here as practical, so why should we start now? I say include the third button, and have it do nothing. It just looks much better that way."Now you have what might be a reasonable explanation. You can choose to believe it or disregard it. But it coulda happened that way! I've witnessed and participated in hundreds of design conversations that have resulted in purely aesthetic solutions over simple practicality.KSNeptune

[Savoy]

I have my xm display installed in that little cubby hole under the glass hatch release button. It fits perfectly and no wires are seen. It's nice to flip up out of sight. It is not nice that I have to take my eyes off the road to look at it . I'm used to it now so that I can change channels without looking. I'll get a pic of it if anyone wants to see.-Savoy-