Question about satellite radio...

[StillNoGodot]

Hey folks. I've been lurking here for awhile but i feel the need to ask you guys something as noone else seems to know.

I just got a brand new Nissan Versa last week and I love it. In my wife's car we have an xm radio. i would love to have this in my versa and i see that with the convenience package, my radio is pre-wired for satellite.

My question is this: what do i need to do to actually get xm on my radio? If it is as simple as adding something to my existing subscription that would be sweet. Any advice would be much appreciated as I feel like a total noob.

thanks guys.Will

[arco]

If you have the convenience package on the SL, then you are only prewired for satellite radio.

Unless you got the satellite radio option, you don't have the satellite receiver or antenna installed.

You could contact your dealer and find out if they can install the factory receiver/antenna. Or, buy one of the portable or hardwired self-installation kits.

@ codered
Modified by arco at 7:05 PM 6/9/2007

[KimberKenobi]

You can still get the stuff for the same price ($300) but you'll have to have a lump of an antenna attached to the top of your V.

Someone on here posted about splicing his aftermarket into his radio and you could probably find it. His sn is BullD0g.

[Ever Victorious]

The satellite receiver, bracket, and antenna are all available from your Nissan dealer, or any of the site sponsors that are also nissan dealers (ex: Scott@Westcovinanissan).

Your dealer will probably want to charge you 1.5 hours of labor to install it. Feel free to d!ck on this.

I personally felt it was worth the added money because the Nissan OEM units allow the satellite to be controlled by the steering wheel controls and radio controls, whereas an add-on unit would have to be controlled by its own interface controls... (the only thing that drives me nuts about the XM in my wife's truck is I have to reach so frigging far across to change the channels... I actually have to take my eyes off the road)

Also, an OEM unit will take up no additional dash space, as the receiver will be installed inside the inner trim panels near the left tail light.

[ErikM]

If you have the convenience package on the SL, then you are only prewired for satellite radio.

Unless you got the satellite radio option, you don't have the satellite receiver or antenna installed.

You could contact your dealer and find out if they can install the factory receiver/antenna. Or, buy one of the portable or hardwired self-installation kits.

@ codered

Modified by arco at 7:05 PM 6/9/2007

I'm a little confused on this...I just got my Versa 2 nights ago and I do have the convenience package (prewired for sat. radio). I have an existing Sirius subscription and the Stiletto 100 receiver...is there something special I can do to connect this to my stereo? Right now I just have the antennae on the dash and have it connected through the aux. jack...

What does "wired for sat. radio" actually mean?

[Ever Victorious]

What does "wired for sat. radio" actually mean?

It means there is wiring to hook up a Nissan OEM satellite receiver.

Aftermarket standalone receivers cannot be spliced into the stock system in the sense of an OEM receiver. There are ways you can "splice" them in via FM transmitters (by model) but you can't control the satellite receiver using the stereo or wheel controls as you can with the Nissan unit.

[ErikM]

It means there is wiring to hook up a Nissan OEM satellite receiver.

Aftermarket standalone receivers cannot be spliced into the stock system in the sense of an OEM receiver. There are ways you can "splice" them in via FM transmitters (by model) but you can't control the satellite receiver using the stereo or wheel controls as you can with the Nissan unit.

That's cool - I'd actually rather not because the controls on the device itself are much more extensive and it has a remote. But it would be great to be able to connect the Stiletto to the car's antennae. Is this possible? Is the antennae wire in the dash and impossible to get to?

[Wings]

Ahh another Stiletto owner. You can't splice the car FM antenna into the Sirius radio. The Sirius antenna will only pick up the satellite signal and the FM antenna will only work with the FM radio. I'm guessing that some have the two antennas built into the same unit. Not sure if that is the case and if you would get one from Nissan. Personally the Microdot antenna that comes with the Stiletto is not very noticeable, I have it on a red car and the Microdot antenna is a high gain antenna and would probably work better than what Nissan would give you. If you have any other Sirius questions, check out http://www.siriusbackstage.com

[Ever Victorious]

I'm not familiar with a stiletto, but just to clarify my part with the "splicing" into the FM is to refer to certain satellite radios that do not use an auxiliary cable to connect to the head unit, but rather retransmit the signal they receive from the satellite to an FM frequency, that then is picked up by the radio.

The satellite's antenna is still separately required.

[arco]

Ah... A quick note about the Microdot or any of the magnetic antennas... don't forget to put something between the magnet and your car to prevent scratching your V!!

It may seem like those strong magnets don't move at all, but they *definitely* will slide around. Pickup some of those cheap adhesive felt circles (or plastic/rubber ones) at the hardware store. (The kind you put on furniture legs to keep them from scratching floors.)

[Ever Victorious]

Yet another advantage of the Nissan OEM system. the antenna is permanent.

[ErikM]

Ahh another Stiletto owner. You can't splice the car FM antenna into the Sirius radio. The Sirius antenna will only pick up the satellite signal and the FM antenna will only work with the FM radio. I'm guessing that some have the two antennas built into the same unit. Not sure if that is the case and if you would get one from Nissan. Personally the Microdot antenna that comes with the Stiletto is not very noticeable, I have it on a red car and the Microdot antenna is a high gain antenna and would probably work better than what Nissan would give you. If you have any other Sirius questions, check out http://www.siriusbackstage.com

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

And I am a member at Sirius Backstage...I don't post much but I do check in every once in a while.

Yet another advantage of the Nissan OEM system. the antenna is permanent.

And the advantage of the Stiletto is that I can very easily pull it out of the dock and take it inside and plug it into the boom box, or put headphones in and listen over wifi.

[aj44mc]

I have found the FM transmitting antenna to be really weak. I have replaced it and am considering buying an after market deck just to listen so my GF can listen to her Stiletto.

[Ever Victorious]

If you do that, make sure to upgrade your speakers at the same time. the S has some notoriously... pathetic speakers.

[heelflip131313]

I have found the FM transmitting antenna to be really weak. I have replaced it and am considering buying an after market deck just to listen so my GF can listen to her Stiletto.

Get a Sirius FM modulator. That will take out all of the static and fix your problem. You will also need a forward and reverse antenna adaptor. You can get them from Metra.

[CodeRed]

Get a Sirius FM modulator. That will take out all of the static and fix your problem. You will also need a forward and reverse antenna adaptor. You can get them from Metra.

FM modulators are never GREAT, i was suing one for my MP3 player but i ditched it because in a state with many radio stations they work perfectly but when you live in the real world they suck. I got a $200 sony deck and its great im sure if you dont want to spend too much money and extremely high sound quality isnt a must for around $140 you can get a deck that you can plug your Sat radio into.