Diy: Xm -> sirius no 56k!

[sf-si-02]

Ok, I love the nav, hate XM, so I needed to go back to sirius. I bought a starbase.

Here is the install:

The hardest part is this **** pc conector from the screen to the brain. Its huge:


So I cut a hole in the shifter case with the drill, then used a soldering iron to enlarge the hole to accomodate the HUGE plug.


Then I screwed in the holding plate to cover the hole. note the shifter case is curved, to keep the plate flat, I used some clear washers between the plate and the shifter case.

Now, to keep dust from getting inside and around the shifter, I sealed this ***** with a hot glue gun




Now, to the car, what a ***cing mess:


I used the guides from the DIY sticky to remove the center colsole


Because I run all wires into the center console. The brain is located beneath the passanger seat.


I ran a shielded ($30 :O) rca to minijack from under the seat, to the center console, and then up to the shift box. I drilled a small hole in the back, and again sealed it with hot glue. You CANNOT see the hole when installed:


For power, I tapped the fuse box:

The fog light fuse is constant power. And for the ignition, I used fuse number 6, which I believe is radio. These fuse taps are awesome, $10 each at pepboys. The power goes through the door runner on the bottom, then under the driver seat, through the console and to the passanger seat.

Now, for the best part: The Antena: There is NONE! I found a guy on the xm forums who makes harnesses to go from the honda antenna to a sirius antenna. Turned out he was local, drove to his place, and he did the following: He cut off the conector on the stock antenna, and soldered a standard aftermarket male plug. He then made me a mini coax with the aftermarket female plug to the sirius. He also made me a tiny pigtail, femae aftermarket, to honda male, so if I ever decide to go back to the xm honda system, its all plug and play. here is the pig tail:



And here is the antenna connected to the sirius



When I tested it, I had ALL BARS reception. And here is the final product:



And finally, the connection into the aux plug:



My biggest regret: I never use my ipod in the car. So I actually wanted to get rid of the aux port, and wire the sirius directly to it and tuck it all in the colsole. I spent 2 hours :mcry: trying to pop out the connector for the aux plug, it did not happen. My hands and bloody, knuckels busted. Bet, eh, it all worked out, and if anyone asks, I'll say its for the ipod :mwink:

P.S. with the radar detector plugged in, the aux plug is invisible

[sf-si-02]

This guy makes the adapter cables:


VERY NICE STUFF:

http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...=honda+adapter

[8thgenuser]

Nice DIY. DIYs deserve +rep!

[Nomar06]

Rep for you on a sweet DIY.

Yeah, the AUX plug is a b*tch to get off. I some how managed to cram a finger and a screwdriver and after 30 mins the thing finally popped out. Then you can take the cap off the hook up and put it back in the hole. Just like nothing happened.

I have the same sheilded monster clable, alot better quality and sound then the belkin rubber cable. I put an Ipod dock where you put the Sirius Screen.

[volvo9]

If it wasn't for XM's talk radio I'd love this install. I think Sirius has a better music lineup than XM though.

Nice clean install. I like how the XM antenna can be adapted to the Sirius unit. I wonder if they're the same thing, but just have different connectors?

To clean it up more I'd route that audio cable under the console and behind the dash, and see if you could pop out that aux input jack from behind and connect it out of sight, maybe even splicing it to another mini jack so you could still connect an mp3 player whenever you like.

Great work!

[sf-si-02]

Originally Posted by volvo9

and see if you could pop out that aux input jack from behind and connect it out of sight, maybe even splicing it to another mini jack so you could still connect an mp3 player whenever you like.

Great work!

slicing minijack cables is near impossible. And yes, I tried to pop the aux input out... i ttook me 3 hours to try and all I had to show for it was bloody fingers for a week. I have huge hands (size 15 feet) so....

[DJFriar]

So is it possible to have the Navi control the Sirius, or would I have to have a separate control head? like you did and wire it in as an aux?

[sf-si-02]

here is my fix

Diy: Xm -> sirius no 56k!

[DJFriar]

Originally Posted by sf-si-02

here is my fix

Diy: Xm -> sirius no 56k!

That's the thread you posted in, same one I did. ????

[bizzybearfigiblue]

Nice DIY.....although i see no point in that satellite radio stuff.....or even the difference between them (XM & Sirius)

[DJFriar]

Originally Posted by bizzybearfigiblue

Nice DIY.....although i see no point in that satellite radio stuff.....or even the difference between them (XM & Sirius)

That's cause you haven't had it. I know very very few people who have gone to satelitte and came back. The no commercials is so nice, channels that cater to what you like, as well as channels that have mixes, and the ability to stay on a single channel and go anywhere in the US is awesome. Not to mention the better sound quality.

[bizzybearfigiblue]

Originally Posted by DJFriar

That's cause you haven't had it. I know very very few people who have gone to satelitte and came back. The no commercials is so nice, channels that cater to what you like, as well as channels that have mixes, and the ability to stay on a single channel and go anywhere in the US is awesome. Not to mention the better sound quality.

Ok u know what ur talking about......NOT......Stock Navi units come with XM Satellite Radio, it's free for the 1st 3 months......and i have the stock Navi......as far as ppl trying it and keeping it i don't believe that either b/c i know at least 3 other ppl down here with the stock navi and once that 3 mos subscription went away they never paid to get it turned on again.....and to comment on the sound quality, naa i'd rather stay with my memory card with mp3's on it the quality on the card is way better than the radio.....satellite or not....ohh and i can go anywhere in the world and my mp3 still plays whatever music i want..

[caveman74]

I cant even remember the last time I have listened to Atlanta radio. once you go satellite you will never go back

[DJFriar]

Originally Posted by bizzybearfigiblue

Ok u know what ur talking about......NOT......Stock Navi units come with XM Satellite Radio, it's free for the 1st 3 months......and i have the stock Navi......as far as ppl trying it and keeping it i don't believe that either b/c i know at least 3 other ppl down here with the stock navi and once that 3 mos subscription went away they never paid to get it turned on again.....and to comment on the sound quality, naa i'd rather stay with my memory card with mp3's on it the quality on the card is way better than the radio.....satellite or not....ohh and i can go anywhere in the world and my mp3 still plays whatever music i want..

Nothing in your post indicated you have Navi, so whatever. Although not renewing is as much a function of lazyiness than not liking the service. So I'll restate, I know very few people who found that radio was tolerable after using Satelite. But you are right, the PC Card in the Navi makes it easy to playback MP3, which makes the Sat. not as necessary. I run my iPod almost exclusively unless I'm in a comedy mood, or I just want to check out new music. I also won't be renewing with XM (I too have Navi), but that's cause I already have 2 lifetime subscriptions with Sirius, so it'll be going in soon.

Anyway, not everything is an attack on you, so chill the hell out.

[bizzybearfigiblue]

like u said after all the options with the pc card, ipod hookup, etc....sat radio is pretty much useless to me.....not b/c of the music, i can get that anywhere...but b/c i listen to audios in my car and i can't get those from sat radio only from me putting it in my car.....so have fun with all ur satellite choices

[[IVI]]

Originally Posted by bizzybearfigiblue

Ok u know what ur talking about......NOT......Stock Navi units come with XM Satellite Radio, it's free for the 1st 3 months......and i have the stock Navi......as far as ppl trying it and keeping it i don't believe that either b/c i know at least 3 other ppl down here with the stock navi and once that 3 mos subscription went away they never paid to get it turned on again.....and to comment on the sound quality, naa i'd rather stay with my memory card with mp3's on it the quality on the card is way better than the radio.....satellite or not....ohh and i can go anywhere in the world and my mp3 still plays whatever music i want..

Grow up. Saying NOT at the end of sentence makes you sound like a 12 year old. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean no one else will. I have the stock navi unit and didn't renew my subscription either. It's not because I don't believe satellite radio isn't nice, it's because it's an expense I just can't afford right now. That and seeing as how the car isn't a daily driver it just doesn't make sense.

I have an iPod too and like the sound quality and music choice as well, but think about this...If you always listened to your MP3 player and never listened to the radio, where would you hear new music? FM and AM radio only play what's going to get the ratings, so do you think you're going to hear all the latest and greatest music that is out there? Satellite radio expands listening to far greater reaches than just regular radio and MTV alone will do.

I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to get you to see it from other people's point of view. And certainly a good DIY article is not the place to have this discussion. How about opening your own thread if you feel your opinion needs to be voiced?

[bizzybearfigiblue]

Originally Posted by [IVI]

Grow up. Saying NOT at the end of sentence makes you sound like a 12 year old. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean no one else will. I have the stock navi unit and didn't renew my subscription either. It's not because I don't believe satellite radio isn't nice, it's because it's an expense I just can't afford right now. That and seeing as how the car isn't a daily driver it just doesn't make sense.

I have an iPod too and like the sound quality and music choice as well, but think about this...If you always listened to your MP3 player and never listened to the radio, where would you hear new music? FM and AM radio only play what's going to get the ratings, so do you think you're going to hear all the latest and greatest music that is out there? Satellite radio expands listening to far greater reaches than just regular radio and MTV alone will do.

I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to get you to see it from other people's point of view. And certainly a good DIY article is not the place to have this discussion. How about opening your own thread if you feel your opinion needs to be voiced?

you must really love me for writing all of that.....but ur right this is not the place for this discussion, so i won't comment anymore about it. i gave the guy props for the nice DIY and someone commented on my post so i commented back that was a discussion between 2 members....that's all

[sf-si-02]

Originally Posted by DJFriar

That's the thread you posted in, same one I did. ????

OMG, you are right Oh well, I'll add spomething substantive now: I am very jealous of theafter market that has been developed to integrate sirius into existing oem xm systems on cars like chevy and bmw. It must be the case that hacking the honda oem system is very difficult. Mind you, honda owns a minority (albeit sizeable) share of xm, so don;t expect to see sirius in any honda/acura vehicles as a factory option for a long time.

Why do I lixe sirius to xm? Honestly, the music channels are about the same between the two. It is mostly b-sides and unknown artists that need publicity, as sirius and xm do not want to pay royalities for broadcasting decent stuff (this is on the non-hits channels mind you). I got sirius for stern, though i am keeping it for channel 198.... those that have sirius will know what I am talking about

[[IVI]]

+1 for channel 198

[cappykd]

Originally Posted by bizzybearfigiblue

Nice DIY.....although i see no point in that satellite radio stuff.....or even the difference between them (XM & Sirius)

If you are a football fan then Sirius is worth it. NFL radio is awesome.. So is listening to the hometown radio feed of your favorite team. my 2cents