Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Small Boat Electrical
  Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna

mrdrago posted 04-29-2008 10:58 PM ET (US)
I own a 2001 Conquest 26, and I [plan] to install a Sirius radio that I already purchased. I do not have a hard top, only a Bimini top. [What is] the best antenna to purchase? Where to place it? I want it to be as unobtrusive as possible. I was looking at the [TERK] SIR5 antenna, but am not sure the best placement for it. Ideally I would like it next to my VHF antenna on the side of my Cuddy cabin directly next to the radio, but I am unsure if the reception will be good. Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Mark
Ridge Runner posted 04-29-2008 11:23 PM ET (US)
Take a look at the Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-25, http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/antennas.asp?antenna=SRA-25 , this antennas is very small and can be flush mounted on top of you cuddy's top, next to the hatch. It's nice because it is very low profile and will be completly out of the way.
jimh posted 04-30-2008 09:57 AM ET (US)
Sirius Satellite Radio signals are transmitted from their satellites in a high elliptical orbit designed to maximize their time over North America. Your satellite receive antenna needs a clear view of the sky.
Do not mount the receive antenna too close to the transmit antena for your VHF Marine Radio. When you transmit on your VHF Marine Radio with 25-watts, you may cause interference with the receive antenna for the satellite if you have located it too close.
The Galaxy antenna mentioned above certainly looks like it has a much lower profile than the TERK SIR5.

mrdrago posted 04-30-2008 04:21 PM ET (US)
Thanks guys. I spoke to Shakespeare and bought the SRA-25. I plan to mount it on the dashboard of the boat. They said it would work there as long as it is horizontal. I might prefer mounting it on the cutty top next to the hatch like Ridge Runner suggested, but I am worried about how to run the wires. The inside of the cutty is lined with padding and material so I don't see how I could make it look clean. Has either of you done that type of installation? Any pictures or advice you can give would be appreciated.
In case you are interested, I also bought a cool Fusion stereo that allows for connection to my Ipod and has a built in Sirius receiver so no extra hardware is required. Check it out at www.fusionelectronics.com. The nice thing is the Ipod actually fits completely inside the unit. I should be all set for music once this baby is in place.
Thanks,
Mark
jimh posted 04-30-2008 05:41 PM ET (US)
For more information on the Sirius Satellite orbit, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra_orbit
Compare at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit
Ridge Runner posted 04-30-2008 06:32 PM ET (US)
On my Conquest 295, the padding is attached with screws that have a plastic cover, just pop the cover and remove a few screws, use an electrical cable snake ($20.00 from Home Depot) to go down from the hole in the cuddy to your access inside, attach a string pull it back through, attach the antenna cable to the string and pull the cable back down from the inside. Remember to seal the SRA-25 with 3M 4200, you don't want a leak. Also did you buy your MS-IP500 from West Marine? As an FYI, I checked with the manufacture the unit is Sirius ready, but you still need the SiriusConnect SC-C1 universal tuner.
mrdrago posted 05-05-2008 06:26 PM ET (US)
Ridge Runner,
Thanks for the advice. I ended up mounting the antenna just inside the dashboard above the walkway in the middle of the boat. According to the satellite map I saw, and based on my location in Wisconsin, the satellite is almost always directly overhead so it should be ok. Fingers crossed. We'll see how it works. I did drill through the dash and accessed the paneling the way you suggested. Worked great and you cannot see the wires. This has turned out to be quite a little project. The most difficult part is I found no way to run the short remote wiring from the dash to the stereo. I have ordered an extension cable to run the wire all the way back to the transom, then across and up the other side. You are correct the unit requires a small Sirius box $49.99. I have ordered that as well. Should be working by next weekend if all goes well. The unit and remote look great, pricey though.
Thanks,
Mark

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna
mrdrago	posted 04-29-2008 10:58 PM ET (US) I own a 2001 Conquest 26, and I [plan] to install a Sirius radio that I already purchased. I do not have a hard top, only a Bimini top. [What is] the best antenna to purchase? Where to place it? I want it to be as unobtrusive as possible. I was looking at the [TERK] SIR5 antenna, but am not sure the best placement for it. Ideally I would like it next to my VHF antenna on the side of my Cuddy cabin directly next to the radio, but I am unsure if the reception will be good. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks, Mark
Ridge Runner	posted 04-29-2008 11:23 PM ET (US) Take a look at the Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-25, http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/antennas.asp?antenna=SRA-25 , this antennas is very small and can be flush mounted on top of you cuddy's top, next to the hatch. It's nice because it is very low profile and will be completly out of the way.
jimh	posted 04-30-2008 09:57 AM ET (US) Sirius Satellite Radio signals are transmitted from their satellites in a high elliptical orbit designed to maximize their time over North America. Your satellite receive antenna needs a clear view of the sky. Do not mount the receive antenna too close to the transmit antena for your VHF Marine Radio. When you transmit on your VHF Marine Radio with 25-watts, you may cause interference with the receive antenna for the satellite if you have located it too close. The Galaxy antenna mentioned above certainly looks like it has a much lower profile than the TERK SIR5.
mrdrago	posted 04-30-2008 04:21 PM ET (US) Thanks guys. I spoke to Shakespeare and bought the SRA-25. I plan to mount it on the dashboard of the boat. They said it would work there as long as it is horizontal. I might prefer mounting it on the cutty top next to the hatch like Ridge Runner suggested, but I am worried about how to run the wires. The inside of the cutty is lined with padding and material so I don't see how I could make it look clean. Has either of you done that type of installation? Any pictures or advice you can give would be appreciated. In case you are interested, I also bought a cool Fusion stereo that allows for connection to my Ipod and has a built in Sirius receiver so no extra hardware is required. Check it out at www.fusionelectronics.com. The nice thing is the Ipod actually fits completely inside the unit. I should be all set for music once this baby is in place. Thanks, Mark
jimh	posted 04-30-2008 05:41 PM ET (US) For more information on the Sirius Satellite orbit, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra_orbit Compare at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molniya_orbit
Ridge Runner	posted 04-30-2008 06:32 PM ET (US) On my Conquest 295, the padding is attached with screws that have a plastic cover, just pop the cover and remove a few screws, use an electrical cable snake ($20.00 from Home Depot) to go down from the hole in the cuddy to your access inside, attach a string pull it back through, attach the antenna cable to the string and pull the cable back down from the inside. Remember to seal the SRA-25 with 3M 4200, you don't want a leak. Also did you buy your MS-IP500 from West Marine? As an FYI, I checked with the manufacture the unit is Sirius ready, but you still need the SiriusConnect SC-C1 universal tuner.
mrdrago	posted 05-05-2008 06:26 PM ET (US) Ridge Runner, Thanks for the advice. I ended up mounting the antenna just inside the dashboard above the walkway in the middle of the boat. According to the satellite map I saw, and based on my location in Wisconsin, the satellite is almost always directly overhead so it should be ok. Fingers crossed. We'll see how it works. I did drill through the dash and accessed the paneling the way you suggested. Worked great and you cannot see the wires. This has turned out to be quite a little project. The most difficult part is I found no way to run the short remote wiring from the dash to the stereo. I have ordered an extension cable to run the wire all the way back to the transom, then across and up the other side. You are correct the unit requires a small Sirius box $49.99. I have ordered that as well. Should be working by next weekend if all goes well. The unit and remote look great, pricey though. Thanks, Mark