Jmac

I saw this on the XM Radio Web site:

"SIRIUS AND XM SIGN AGREEMENTS WITH PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA

Company Expects 100,000 Radios For Sale at Retail by End of December

Washington D.C., September 06, 2001 -- XM Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) today announced distribution agreements with Porsche Cars North America to offer Porsche customers a choice between the two satellite radio services. Sirius and XM are each building a satellite radio service, offering up to 100 channels of digital audio entertainment coast to coast for a low monthly fee. Satellite radio is expected to be offered in 2003 as an option for the Porsche 2004 model year vehicle line."

Has anyone heard anything about this option on 2004s from their dealer or how Porsche intends to make it available? An add-on to the existing stereo or a completely new audio system?

docjackson1

i can't tell you for sure, but typically what they have done is to offer an "xm ready" or "sirrus ready" reciever or head unit. the market is full of such units and i would be amazed if porsche would not do the same. this way, if you decided to elect to recieve sattelite radio, all that the dealer would have to do is to install a hidden reciever and an antenna, and deliver the car to you. this way, your head unit would be your all purpose tuner.

LAJ_996

any thoughts as to antenna placement.
that seems to be an issue with aftermarket installation of
these devices. one installer told me that the antenna is placed
inside. i am not sure how that affects reception.

Mark Wheeler

I have the Alpine XMA-T200RF which I installed in my wife's Saab convertible, which sounds great with the existing stereo. (The XMA-T200RF connects via the antenna output with an RF modulator.) I have an additional XMA-T200RF which I plan to install in my 996. I plan to install the antenna on the rear window. For that I chose the Terk glass/roof mount XM-11 antenna. I only need to find an installer who has experience with Porsche in my area.

Good luck.

docjackson1

the antenna can either be placed on the roof, on the glass, or inside the car on top of the rear deck, under the glass. the only caveat is that it must maintain line of site with a satellite.

loliver

my antenna is on the back deck It works fine although if you have metallic tint, it will not "see" through the tint.

DoubleNutz

That article was written two years ago and nothing has been heard about it again until...now?

Ghost Rider

Isn't this a problem for the 2003 cars and the 2004's that have the fiber optic system (can't recall the acronym at the moment)? As far as I know there aren't any Sat radio tuners available with fiber optic hookups. How would this need to work? hopefully not one of those tune to FM 87.1 etc. systems that then pipe it in over the radio, the quality on those is nowhere near direct XM or Sirius. (My wife has Sirius from the factory in her new car, sounds great)

CarlosR

Or, if you have a cab and none of those options are available, in the center of the dash works just fine. I've had my XM (Terk) antenna there for a few months, and have been highly pleased with the results. Plus that particular antenna's finish is exactly the same color black as my dash!

=Carlos=

BRUCE

I have the Delphi system running XM through the stock HIFI Becker head unit and the antenna mounted on the rear deck under the glass. The sound is very good and the reception is OK. The only times I lose reception is in tunnels, right next to hills and tall buildings. I live in the country and I would imagine the system would not work well in a city.

docjackson1

ghost rider-you are correct. my installer was unable to put an xm ready radio in, because of the fiber optic set up. as a result, i had to get one of those fm tuner adapters that you refer to. not only do they give you a substandard sterio set-up, but they prevent you from improving it, without going broke.

Ghost Rider

docjackson1 - sorry to hear that, it is what I expected. That being said, if this new fiber optic system becomes standard across a lot of cars in the future then eventually there will be a solution. I was wondering if you didn't have the CD Changer if the satellite radio could use that hook up or is the new CD Changer a special fiber optic unit now? We may get a solution in the future, just when though, who knows. Maybe by then we'll also have a better feel if either company is going to make it long term.

Karl S

Yes, the new MOST fiber bus on the 2003+ cars is used for communication with the CD changer and external amp if installed. The MOST system might be great for the manufacturers but it virtually eliminates aftermarket upgrades.

Karl