Satellite Radio Antenna Replaced (5 Viewers)

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This is the antenna I plan on using .

XM antenna.jpg
 
mep1811 said:
This is the antenna I plan on using .

View attachment 2696988
Click to expand...

That should work great. I'm going a little more stealth with the standard $20 magnetic antenna stuck to the center of my roof right above the dashboard. I may end installing a WeBoost stystem eventually so I'll have an antenna similar to the one you've pictured. when I go adventuring.
 
I used the same antenna on my FJ60 for many years with great success pulling a signal when my friend with an antenna like yours had nothing. Nothing stealth about having a 200 Series Land Cruiser.

thumbnail (7).jpg
 
Just an update. Since I made the change to the new antenna the signal has been great. However, I've had to re-calibrate my nav system twice now. For some reason, it gets out of whack and thinks I'm in a different place and going in a different direction than I actually am. For example, this evening it said I was going north when in fact I was traveling almost due west. I really don't have any idea how that could happen. However, I'm now really leaning towards the theory that the one wire that I cut and have not patched is somehow tied to the new problem.
 
mep1811 said:
I used the same antenna on my FJ60 for many years with great success pulling a signal when my friend with an antenna like yours had nothing. Nothing stealth about having a 200 Series Land Cruiser.

View attachment 2697037
Click to expand...
How did you route the antenna wire? Down A-pillar on outside tucked and then Through firewall?
 
BigMF said:
Just an update. Since I made the change to the new antenna the signal has been great. However, I've had to re-calibrate my nav system twice now. For some reason, it gets out of whack and thinks I'm in a different place and going in a different direction than I actually am. For example, this evening it said I was going north when in fact I was traveling almost due west. I really don't have any idea how that could happen. However, I'm now really leaning towards the theory that the one wire that I cut and have not patched is somehow tied to the new problem.
Click to expand...
FYI, I re-spliced the plug (gray) that I'd originally thought was the XM antenna and have not had to recalibrate my location in the nav since. Prior to the repair, I was having to do it every couple of days. So, that wire must be connected to the GPS antenna. The wierd thing is how it was inconsistent and the compass was even off, but only sometimes. Anyway, all is well now and the new XM antenna is working like a charm.
 
BigMF said:
So, I got tired of sketchy XM reception while driving around in wide-open spaces and decided to replace the antenna. The conversation about "why Satellite versus cellular/XM app?" has already been had and there are pros and cons for each that don't need to be re-hashed here. My challenge parsing through the sparse information that I could derive from threads on here, wiring diagrams, ClubLexus, etc.. I even looked at threads on the decidedly LC/LX antithesis.....PriusChat.com as well as some Tacoma forums. I could find no good step-by-step solution to my problem. Here are some wild goose chases I went down:
  1. There is a lot of chatter about using some special connector called a FAKRA connector. That MAY work for some model years but it will NOT work for a 2011.
  2. Some folks say you need to connect to the module under the front passenger seat. Once again, that is NOT the case for 2011. The module under there is for multimedia but not for XM as far as I can tell.
  3. Others have said that it connects directly to the head unit. I believe that may be a semantics issue, particularly since the entertainment center is actually comprised of 2 separate units in the dash. More on this later.
  4. I've read threads saying the Navigation and the XM radio use the same antenna in the shark fin. This is NOT true for 2008 to at least 2011. There is a separate Navigation antenna at the front of the dash. The shark fin antenna is called a "telephone antenna" in the FSM.
    1. View attachment 2683045
What I found on my 2011 LX via testing and some error is that the XM antenna plugs directly into lower section of the head unit. This is the portion that contains the CD player:

View attachment 2683046

It is the blue port in the middle:
View attachment 2683049

Here's the plug itself:

View attachment 2683050

As you can see, the plug is rectangular as is the pin. FAKRA connectors are round and will NOT fit.

I had no ideal where to find a plug like that other than buying the whole antenna cord sub-assembly for who knows how much. So, I went all-in and cut the OEM plug off and spliced it to an SiriusXM antenna from Amazon that costs $20. Works like a charm! I haven't driven around a lot in some areas that are usually sketchy reception but will soon and will update back here what my experience has been.

By the way, the Sirius XM installation guide explictily says "do NOT install under or near a roof rack". So, mounting it in the rear, near the factory antenna, which is practically under the rear crossbar of my Prinsu rack was a no-go. I've place it in the center of my roof, right behind the windshield. My only real concern there is if a low hanging tree branch might grab it but I'm not overly worried about it.
Click to expand...
 
Great info here, Thank you guys. Been dealing with the terrible service for a few years and finally got enough of my primary list out of the way to finally take care of this annoyance. Just to confirm, the XM outlet is in the head unit and not under the passenger seat and there is not way to tie into the junction box ( left rear shown in the original diagram). Thanks you!
 
SDHQ FJ 200 2018 said:
Great info here, Thank you guys. Been dealing with the terrible service for a few years and finally got enough of my primary list out of the way to finally take care of this annoyance. Just to confirm, the XM outlet is in the head unit and not under the passenger seat and there is not way to tie into the junction box ( left rear shown in the original diagram). Thanks you!
Click to expand...
The XM plug is on the back of the head unit. Don't confuse it with the GPS plug.
 
mep1811 said:
The XM plug is on the back of the head unit. Don't confuse it with the GPS plug.
Click to expand...
@mep1811 is absolutely correct, at least for the 2011 LX. Also, as he said, do NOT confuse it with the GPS plug like I did. :rolleyes:
 
Good thread here. Wondering if anyone can confirm that the mentioned adapter works? Also before I pull the head unit can anyone confirm the location of the antenna plug on a 2017?
 
bajamatic2 said:
Good thread here. Wondering if anyone can confirm that the mentioned adapter works? Also before I pull the head unit can anyone confirm the location of the antenna plug on a 2017?
Click to expand...
I'm using it so it must work.
 
This is the post I made about changing out the XM antenna to an external high gain antenna.

forum.ih8mud.com

Adding an aftermarket XM antenna to a 200 series

Thanks to @BigMF for his work on identifying where the plug was and a great video on how to take the radio out. After seeing his post , I was a mission to find an adapter so I could use a high gain XM antenna on my truck. After much searching, I found the adapter that is needed to use an...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com
 
Thanks for that. Just ordered the adapter. I recently installed a rack and my reception became spotty. Then put on the RTT for the first weekend and it was miserable. There’s nothing worse than bad satélite reception. I’d rather listen to static. Thanks for posting this.
 
bajamatic2 said:
Thanks for that. Just ordered the adapter. I recently installed a rack and my reception became spotty. Then put on the RTT for the first weekend and it was miserable. There’s nothing worse than bad satélite reception. I’d rather listen to static. Thanks for posting this.
Click to expand...
I highly recommend the high gain antenna rather than the small antenna since you are going through all the work .
 
bajamatic2 said:
Thanks for that. Just ordered the adapter. I recently installed a rack and my reception became spotty. Then put on the RTT for the first weekend and it was miserable. There’s nothing worse than bad satélite reception. I’d rather listen to static. Thanks for posting this.
Click to expand...
I wonder if my installing a Prinsu roof rack a few years ago had anything to do with my loss of the gps function.the two were real close timewise, but I concluded that the gps antenna in the ‘11 LX is under the dash. Does anyone know if there is any gps wiring going to the rear of the vehicle?
I am about to tear back into the dash and see if there are any loose connections to the head unit. Again.
 
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