Satelite Radio

[Doug]

Has anyone installed Satelite Radio? Can it be integrated into the exsisting head unit?
Any info on this is much appreciated.

thanks!

[Doug]

Has anyone installed Satelite Radio? Can it be integrated into the exsisting head unit?
Any info on this is much appreciated.

thanks!

[SJ]

I think the verdict on this question was that you need to get a receiver, since the stock unit is not XM-ready.

Audiovox sells a fairly cheap interface and you'd have a small cube shaped antenna mounted on the roof.

Circuit City had the Satellite Radio packages on Sale a few weekends back; they may still be running a promotion. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[OUSUCKS]

I have an Alpine XM radio installed and it plays through an FM modulator. The sounds quality suffers a bit with the FM modulator...but I mainly listen to the sport-talk stations and Phil Hendrie anyway. I am looking to be able to play it directly through the factory stereo. A company called Blitzsafe(blitzsafe.com) is supposed to be coming out with an adapter soon for GM factory stereos which should work for the H2. I talked to them this week and the product is being developed..they said to try back in a month or so. XM is the greatest thing since Tivo.

[MAC]

Why is XM radio so great? more stations? better music? get radio stations in Europe? do you pay monthly fee? $? have not look into XM yet, seems like lots of choices on AM/FM/CD already. What am I missing?

[SJ]

MAC:

XM is not for me either, so I'm in your camp: perfectly pleased with AM and FM and the fabulous 6-disc changer.

Good question; I don't see the need to spend even more money on such stuff, but I'm guessing #1 appeal is NO COMMERCIALS.

[Doug]

Thanks for the input, I will have to hear the quality using the modulator. If it's not good then looks like I am replacing my head unit with a XM ready unit. I will have to research to find one functionally close to the factory unit specs.
As far as am/fm radio, here on long island, it is terrible. I agree it's the next best thing to tivo.

[DRTYFN]

I don't know about the validity of this, but an installer at a high-end stereo store told me that there will be an adapter harness available soon that will allow the interface between an aftermaket head unit and the steering wheel controls. The only problem remains that the factory head unit MUST be hidden behind the dash since it is tied into so many other systems in the H2.

[Afreet]

I posted the XM question a while back (on the old board) and I am still unsure about a few things. Basically, I drove a new 2003 Tahoe with an XM integrated into the head unit. The dimensions for the Tahoe head unit looked identical, as well as all of the controls to the H2 radio. Has anyone gotten a part number for the Tahoe and Hummer head units to see if they are the same? If not, could I order a replacement Tahoe head and use it in the Hummer? More to the point, does anyone have a photo of the back of the stock Hummer head unit?

[mpetrich]

I don't have my H2 yet (should be here by 12/1) but I thought that I read that there is an AUX IN on the H2 head unit. If there is, you can just plug the XM unit into that. You may have to build a wiring harness, but it would be MUCH better than the FM Modulator (been there...done that). And for those of you that have not tried XM radio, it's amazing and well worth the $10 / month.

[Doug]

There is no aux input to the factory head unit. I just went with Sirius over XM. Needless to say I went the Modulator route (Kenwood). The quality to me is no better than the standard radio.
The big difference with XM and Sirius is XM is Mono, Sirius is Stereo and has a lot better coverage. Programming is apples to apples. Sirius is also $2 more a month. No matter what you read XM and Sirius are in big financial trouble so beware. Check out the following.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techearnings/2002-11-15-satellite-radio_x.htm

[Afreet]

No offense Doug, but where are you getting your information? It just doesn't make sense to have a digital data stream with only mono sound. This could be the case if XM has twice as many channels as they do now, but given the fact that even analoge FM radio is stereo means that it is highly unlikely that XM would do such a thing.

[DRTYFN]

There IS an auxiliary input on the back of the radio.

[mpetrich]

Thanks DRT. I was almost positive there was one. And also, XM radio is STEREO and all digital quality...... /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
So now the question, has anyone successfully used the AUX In on the H2 head unit?!
Thanks for the help.

[scopelo]

I will find out today. I am having XM radio instaled in my H2 today. They were going to use an FM modulator, but I am going to ask them to pull the head unit and see if there is a AUX IN and if there is they can just put that modulator back on the shelf. I have also noticed that on the head unit there is a button on the lower left that reads CD/AUX, so I hope that mean there is a AUX IN. I'll know later today.

[mpetrich]

That's great! Please let us know.
Thanks.

[Doug]

No offense takin', I am just going by what my dealer told me. I agree that being a digital stream and the fact it's just audio, why not stereo? Anyway I went with SIRIUS with the modulator, I am satisfied with the system overall. Although I am curious about the aux input. I looked at the radio when the dealer pulled it out and don't remember seeing aux inputs.????

[OUSUCKS]

I think Sirius and XM are about the same...the difference for me was that XM has NASCAR radio...and I gotta have that.

[scopelo]

No AUX IN. Decided to change head unit to Alpine with fold-out LCD since I plan on doing the whole sound system in stages. I'll be able to keep the functionality of the steering wheel controls, but I'm going to lose the Onstar. Oh well, it's called a cell phone.

[mpetrich]

Thanks for the info. I wonder if something like this would work. GM Audio AUX Input (http://www.logjamelectronics.com/piegm9aux.html)
I had the FM Modulator in my Lexus RX300 and it is not the way to go. Poor sound quality and it screwed up the regular FM stations. Hopefully, we can figure out another way.
Thanks.

[OUSUCKS]

No aux. input? That sucks...guess I'll have to be content with the fm modulator. I wonder why they put the aux. button on the stereo if there is no aux. input.

[MAC]

Scopelo, Having the unit at the lower On*Star location does have some access problem, it is not as easy to reach behind the shift column. The screen also blocks the Ventilation panel. I think you are talking about same unit as shown in DVD/LCD topic on same forum here.

[scopelo]

I'm having the unit installed where the stock stereo is located. I meant that once I switch out the stock head unit the Onstar will not function any more...at least that is what they told me. I will probably have them take the Onstar panel out if that is the case and have them install a storage pocket.

[dhummer]

Delphi is supposed to come out with a FM modulator that will work without the interference problem. Circuit City hopes to have them sometime in Dec. One advantage of the Delphi unit is that you can see what is playing on other channels before switching. If you switch head units there is a module that will allow the ON-STAR to keep working.

[Klaus]

I was doing a little research with my GM SI CDs looking at the sound system on the Tahoe / Yukon, which comes with the XM radio option.

The radio itself "looks" exactly like ours. However, the XM option adds a separate tuner module mounted under the dash behind the glovebox area. To select XM radio on those vehicles, you scroll with the "band" button to select XM.

I am curious if the connectors for the XM module are part of our wiring harness behind the glovebox.

Klaus

[scopelo]

I asked about the module that would allow the aftermarket headunit to interface with OnStar. Apparently, the newer modules which are made by a company called Soundgate won't be available until sometime next year because they are waiting for licensing from OnStar.

[TonkaH2]

There is an accessory kit for the Pioneer head units that Crutchfield sells for $100 to access Onstar. Don't know if they have it for Alpine, etc.

It would be nice to have the mute function to turn down the music when the phone rings. . .

-Jack
Yellow H2 on order
"I think I can make it. D'OH!"

[dhummer]

Apparently there is a way to connect without the FM modulator. It is called a PIE adapter. I've emailed www.pie.net (http://www.pie.net) to see if compatibility exists. A website that might be helpful is www.ClubXM.com (http://www.ClubXM.com) and www.pie.net (http://www.pie.net). The adapter apparently allows the use of the cd/aux button on OEM equipment. They make one for GM products and I hope they can do so for the Hummer.

[LNP]

I spoke to Blitzsafe yesterday and they said the harness to adapt XM to GM radios should be ready in January. This should be the ultimate answer to adapt the radio without using an FM modulator.

[Li\'l Davis H2]

I have an XM Unit in my H2, The Alpine RF is mounted just to the left of the steering column. The cable actually runs through the space between the dash and the the column. The installer said it was the only place to mount it without drilling into the dash. Truth be told it's difficult to see down there and XM is not that great. Also the LCD monitors for my DVD set up
cause the XM to whine sometimes when they are both on. My advice is to wait for a better H2 XM system.

[Tiger Bait]

in big red letter not comaptible with in dash 6 disc cd changers. so all adv and lux package h2'S NEED NOT APPLY /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

[dhummer]

see my unit install--search the forum under install.

[dhummer]

i'm sorry--search the forum under satellite

[beernerd]

If you are in to music, I recommend Kenwood, they make a thing called the KEG, it is a 10 or 20 gig hard drive that mounts like a CD changer, and can hold thousands of MP3's and the head unit also gets sirrus. Just a thought.

If the going gets tough, the tough go cyclic.