First things, first. Yes, I've searched the forums, but I haven't been able to find what I'm about to ask.

I have the Roady 2 installed in my 8. My first run of the wire placed the antenna on the front dash and I got pretty good reception, but I had to run the wire over the top of the dash, into the glove box (to store the extra 400' they give you), and then out of the glove box to my Roady.
Since I didn't like the look of that, I put the antenna on the back, inside the cabin, but I get horrible reception to the point where it's unuseable. I managed to run the wire through the trunk and up the side, so it looks good, but....crap reception.

So, my questions are thus:

1) If I keep the antenna on the front dash, is there a good way to run it so that it doesn't show as much?
1a) How the heck do you remove the ashtray and cig lighter assembly so I can maybe run a wire up through there from the back?

2) For best reception, I'd like to put the antenna on the hood (either front or back), but the rubber seal around the windshields doesn't seem to pull out enough for me to get the wire in there so it doesn't show (and so it doesn't flop around in the wind).

I'm open to any knowledge that you all would like to float my way.

Thanks!

 

I put my receiver in the back of the car, on the inside, between the two rear speakers. The reception is fine there.

 

Yeah, that's exactly where mine is now and the reception is horrible. I'm not sure if it's the tint, or what.

 

Okay...I have a question.....I have a roady2 and am putting the hardware power kit in so that I can unload the cig adaptor. I want to tie this into the power leads of the cig lighter itself. There are two wires...one yellow and one black with red stripe. I have no working voltmeter available at this moment, so....which one is postive? Thanks!

 

I have my antenna in the very back of the package tray in the center. It's virtually up against the window, and I get good reception through my H.O. tint.

If that doesn't work for you on the inside, you can always go through the back seat, out the front weather stripping on the trunk, up the side of the rear glass, and onto the roof. That's how I had to mount my wife's Sirius antenna on her Accord, and it works great, but it doesn't look as good as the antenna position on the 8.

 

One reason you may not be geting good reception with the antenna mounted on the deck under the rear window, is i don't believe there is metal under the speaker deck. Try this, get a sheet of tin foil, and put a 12" by 12" section of foild, flat under he antenna. XM antennas are designed to work on the metal roof of the car, and actually use the metal roof as a reflector. Best solution would be on the roof though, which would give you good reception without blockages no matter what direction you are driving.

 

I ran my antenna wire unter under the silver lip that trims the sides of the center console (I chose the right side since my Roadie2 is mounted on the right center air vent). That lip provides an easy pipeline straight to the rear of the car, through the trunk passage door in the backseat and into the trunk with plenty of extra slack to route the antenna itself on the back hood. It's the least obvious place to put it since there is virtually no trace of wire on the outside of the car if you move it right to the edge and run the wire right under the edge of the trunk closest to the rear window (centered). I have never had a problem with reception with it in that location. Inside the trunk you can tidy up the extra wire however you wish. That is the cleanest wire route I have experienced.

As for the Roadie itself, I too have tried to decide on the best position to mount it. But like I mentioned before, I ended up just using the vent clips that it came with. I WILL not mount that on my dash board to stick out from the top or on my passenger side to look out of place. I'm just a neat freak like that I guess. In my opinion it's the best place to put it to keep the uniformity of the stereo (especially at night with the screen color set to red). It keeps it within comfortable arms reach too. The only thing I am disappointed in is that I have to use the cigarette lighter for the AC plug, but with the cords tightly wrapped and set flush with the side of the Roadie it does not look "ghetto" at all.
Good Luck

 

FYI...

Should you choose to loose the cig power adaptor and hardwire the power, and you choose to tie into the wires to either AC plug, the yellow is the positve lead (thanks Charlie). works like a charm.....