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Kota · 06-06-2012, 07:37 PM

I picked up XM before our last trip and really liked it. I was in a bit of a rush and couldn't find a good place to mount the antenna. I stuck it on top of the passenger side mirror to avoid drilling any holes. It worked great until we headed home (pointed West) in the northern lattitudes. (close to the Canadian border) The satellites were too low on the horizon and blocked by the roof.

Anyone tried mounting one inside of one of the marker lights? Totally concelled and easilly accesed wire routing. Might be a good place for the GPS antenna too.

Another question: Has anyone seen an external wifi antenna or maybe a repeater?

dwightdi · 06-06-2012, 07:46 PM

You can buy a cheap WIFI ubs adapter that has a detachable antenna and use some mini-coax to extend it to an outside mounted antenna. It works for WIFI at most McDonalds and some other locations. Campgrounds usually do not spend a lot for their setups and do not provide a good signal in the parking areas. I have found you need a repeater. Usually just a 300 -700 mw Linksys router will do the job. You can buy a 1000 mw repeater for less that $100.

ScrapIrony-2 · 06-07-2012, 04:10 PM

We use a Cradlepoint router that has served us well from the San Juan Mountains to the depths of the western Arizona desert...we use Verizon for mifi...the cradlepoint allows our close neighbors at a rally to use our hook-up, and we have an antenna that will extend usage up to 600 feet...it is a benefit most folks appreciate...the Cradlepoint is the real antenna, and can be purchased on-line...we got ours at 3G.Com...they were knowledgeable', and pretty darned competitive in price...a few quirks may first appear, and the password is usually the ending digits of the serial number on the particular unit...m

idroba · 06-07-2012, 05:24 PM

You might try your XM antenna inside a fake marker light I suppose, but just sticking it on the top with some adhesive will never be noticed. As XM looks at a satellite in the Clark belt over the equator, it is sometimes blocked by steep, close mountains on the South side of your rig. That is why it is best to get it up high, so no other parts of your motorhome will add to the signal loss. Sirius satellites are much "higher" in the sky to the US, and twist in a figure 8 over the country, so they have a signal which does not get blocked by mountains as often. I have XM in my Toyota, and Sirius in my Jeep, and the difference in steep narrow mountain valleys is fairly significant. The programing is virtually identical, but the Sirius signal drops out less.

And I hate the company for their billing policies and issues, but we had another thread on that. LOL.

btowntincan · 06-07-2012, 07:04 PM

You should mount the antennae up high. Trees and mountians can block the signal, but you dont need your AS to contribute to the problem.

Spend the extra couple of bucks on Howard Stern. Will drive 99% of the world insane, but worth it

Kota · 06-07-2012, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idroba

You might try your XM antenna inside a fake marker light I suppose, but just sticking it on the top with some adhesive will never be noticed. And I hate the company for their billing policies and issues, but we had another thread on that. LOL.

The antenna fits right in the middle marker light between the two bulbs. Very easy routing of the cable under the center windshield trim piece. Car Toys and Best buy couldn't explain why XM dropped out more often than Sirius. Salesman (sorry sales persons) at both places are basically clueless about the products they are peddeling. Seems to be the trend these days.