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GPS Antenna Mounting!!

By Tim · Aug 28, 2007in General💬 23 posts👁️ 7,594 views
Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 17:03 UTC#1

I am curious to where and how most people installed their GPS Antenna. I am not sure if people put it upside down on the rear window, flat on the back dash, or in the front of the car somewhere. Let me know some feedback. I have a 99 Honda Civic Coupe. So pictures etc, of that type of car would be great. I am a very picky guy, so I don't want to install it till I know of a good clean place. Also I don't want it on the outside of my car at all.

Thanks.

Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 17:19 UTC#2

Left corner of dashboard. Don't have to worry about leaks from routing it outside of the car, it never loses satellite signal, and I pretty much don't even notice it's there most of the time. It's also pretty much the easiest place to put it.

 

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Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 17:25 UTC#3

Sweet, thanks for the fast feedback. I will continue to wait for more replies as I don't want to rush into installing it that way, cuz then I bet someone will reply with another great spot! Time will tell...keep the posts a commin'!

 

Also if it is installed upside down on the rear or front window...does that flat black mat need to be used? And then the antenna sticks to that? I am still not certain.

Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 17:26 UTC#4

Yep. The antenna has a magnetic base, and the mat is made of metal so the antenna sticks to it. The other side of the mat has adhesive on it so you can put it pretty much anywhere you want.

Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 18:32 UTC#5

Cool...I knew that....just wasn't sure wow it would work upside down...as the bottom of the Antenna would be facing up in the the sky! And outside the window you would see the stick side of the metal pad!

Posted Aug 28, 2007 · 19:00 UTC#6

i ALWAYS put them on the outside of car. i hear what your saying about leaks ive had to fix a few myself. if theres not enuff room to hide the wire in the windshield seal then i put i t on the trunk lid

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 01:03 UTC#7

Trunk lid, or dash here. My car however, the gps antenna is mounted to the 3rd brake light on the inside of the vehicle.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 02:58 UTC#8
i ALWAYS put them on the outside of car. i hear what your saying about leaks ive had to fix a few myself. if theres not enuff room to hide the wire in the windshield seal then i put i t on the trunk lid

I figure why expose it to the elements if I don't have to, you know?

Just means it's gonna last longer.

Also if you go through an automatic car wash, if you don't take it off you risk either having it ripped off or slid around and scratching your paint.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 03:08 UTC#9

Admittedly, I am a complete novice when it comes to doing navigation installs, but I left mine sitting on the dash for a week after wiring the hu, just to see how the reception was, and honestly, it was fine. I mounted it in the corner shortly afterward, and haven't had any issues. Really wish I had tried that before I stuck that ugly sirius antenna on the rear deck lid.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 06:46 UTC#10

So no one has mounted it upside down on the rear window up it a corner so it is not too noticeable? That is where I wanna put mine. Just don't know if the signal will be good upside down! Guess there is only one way to find out if no one has done it.....try it myself...ha

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 12:26 UTC#11

Mine is attached (magnetically) to the top of my AVIC. The dash is all plastics/composites, and the GPS signal passes right through. I always get full signal from all satelites, and helps that I don't have to advertise that my truck has a GPS installed.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 12:45 UTC#12

upside down won't work well as the magnet in the unit will block some reception. The cleanest look with decent reception is to install the antenna under the dash, as far forward as possible. Secure it to a flat metal bracket or use the magnetic pad.

 

In my vehicle, it's under the dash, pushed as far forward as possible, almost near the window, but still under the dash. It's velcroed to plastic and I didn't even use the metallic pad. I get 5-8 satellites with 1 to 3 green signal bars. You only need 3 satellites for the GPS to calibrate properly. Of course the more the better.

 

Most OEM nav units also mount their antennas under the front dash.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 18:48 UTC#13

I mount all my installs under the front dash. Make sure no metal is over the antenna. I just silicone it down and all is well. No one wants to see the antenna and you don't have to.

Posted Aug 29, 2007 · 22:10 UTC#14
I mount all my installs under the front dash. Make sure no metal is over the antenna. I just silicone it down and all is well. No one wants to see the antenna and you don't have to.

 

I mounted mine under the dash too, no need for silicone however, I agree that nobody wants to see it, I have my sirius antenna on top of the cab and would like to move that somewhere too, preferrably i would like to mount it by the 3rd brake light but would need to feed it under the headliner somehow, some day I'll get to it

 

BTW, my signal status displays reception from all of the satellites shown

Posted Aug 30, 2007 · 02:06 UTC#15
I mount all my installs under the front dash. Make sure no metal is over the antenna. I just silicone it down and all is well. No one wants to see the antenna and you don't have to.

 

I mounted mine under the dash too, no need for silicone however, I agree that nobody wants to see it, I have my sirius antenna on top of the cab and would like to move that somewhere too, preferrably i would like to mount it by the 3rd brake light but would need to feed it under the headliner somehow, some day I'll get to it

 

BTW, my signal status displays reception from all of the satellites shown

 

I never trust the sticky tape. I like silicon because it doesn't fall off, but you can still remove it completely if and when you need to.

 

I always put the satellite radio antennas outside the vehicle. Because reception sometimes cuts out I like to put them in the best possible location. Plus if you put it inside the vehicle and it cuts out the customer usually comes back and wants it located outside for better reception. I have mounted XM antennas inside under the dash pad before and not had problems, but I don't do that unless the customer asks that I hide the antenna.

Posted Aug 30, 2007 · 03:07 UTC#16

My GPS antenna is under the dash on the metal plate stuck to a defrost duct. Work great.

Posted Aug 30, 2007 · 04:36 UTC#17
I mount all my installs under the front dash. Make sure no metal is over the antenna. I just silicone it down and all is well. No one wants to see the antenna and you don't have to.

 

I mounted my under the dash too, no need for silicone however, I agree that nobody wants to see it, I have my sirius antenna on top of the cab and would like to move that somewhere too, preferrably i would like to mount it by the 3rd brake light but would need to feed it under the headliner somehow, some day I'll get to it

 

BTW, my signal status displays reception from all of the satellites shown

 

I never trust the sticky tape. I like silicon because it doesn't fall off, but you can still remove it completely if and when you need to.

 

I always put the satellite radio antennas outside the vehicle. Because reception sometimes cuts out I like to put them in the best possible location. Plus if you put it inside the vehicle and it cuts out the customer usually comes back and wants it located outside for better reception. I have mounted XM antennas inside under the dash pad before and not had problems, but I don't do that unless the customer asks that I hide the antenna.

 

Yes GPS antenna is mounted on a metal base under the dash as well. No need for sticky tape either. And trust me, it's not going anywhere. If you have installed in a Silverado you would know where I am talking about.

 

I did not mean that I was intending to place my Sirius antenna inside the cab. I would still like it mounted outside on the roof of the cab. Currently, I have it mounted above the windsheild (as shown in Sirius' installation guide), off-centered the equivalent and opposite side the shark fin that houses my On-Star and factory XM antennas (the older silverados had two separate antennas for those features; i located my Sirius antenna where the second one would have been). I would prefer that I wire the antenna lead under the headliner and through the opening exposed when the third brake light is removed. It would be six inches or so forward from the top center of my rear window.

 

I would not like to imagine what kind of reception is received by the satellite radio antenna if it were placed inside the vehicle. I live in one of the flatest regions of the U.S., and still the signal cuts out easily when I drive around tall objects such as rows of trees and downtown buildings. I was not able to distinguish and differences in reception between the antenna supplied with my Sirius tuner or the factory XM antenna.

Posted Aug 30, 2007 · 17:40 UTC#18

I actually mounted mine inside the dash where scion would have put the oem navigation. Works fine and out of sight.

Posted Sep 02, 2007 · 19:32 UTC#19

I put mien where the stock navi goes

 

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2007 Nissan Frontier

Posted Sep 04, 2007 · 18:59 UTC#20

ha-ha, that’s exactly how I did mine on ford focus :)

Posted Sep 04, 2007 · 21:15 UTC#21

Mine is mounted in the far front passenger side corner of the dashboard and then covered with my "Dashy" dash mat. It disappears and works flawlessy.

Posted Sep 05, 2007 · 04:17 UTC#22

I have mine on the dash. hardly notice it, and stay weather free.

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Posted Sep 14, 2007 · 01:25 UTC#23

In your 2004 Pilot, where did you connect your vss wire...thanks