need a 3 foot xm radio antenna extension

n8scstm · 01-18-2006, 06:04 PM

I want to mount my XM radio in my case and be able to plug or unplug everything directly into the case just like you would an actual computer. Make sense? I would run a short cable from the XM to the case. Then the antenna would plug into the outside of the case rather than running inside my case directly to the XM. Any ideas?

cabj21 · 01-18-2006, 07:55 PM

how many wires does the cable have?

n8scstm · 01-18-2006, 08:09 PM

I'm not sure. I've been doing some research and I think the connector is called an SMB. I have an old antenna that I can cut then solder a SMB bulkhead to the loose end. So I'll have the original XM connector on one end and the new bulkhead at the other. My current antenna can then plug into that. Here is the link for the part. Does anyone know whether this will work?
http://drawings.amphenolrf.com//pdf/40.pdf

daPyr0x · 01-21-2006, 01:31 AM

XM antennas do have an SMB or SMA (I forget, honestly - always get em confused) connector. Yeah, that would be POSSIBLE, but not neccesairly optimal. High frequency antennas like XM or GPS or WIFI are very very specific about their specifications, from length of wire down to the resistance of your solder/receptacle. What I'm trying to say is that you may find your reception to suffer as a result of your extension (in all honesty, it may be unusable, I've seen it before - though not with XM). I'm not an expert by any means, I just know there are very specific specs that go into antennas that includes making the antenna a multiple of the wavelength and a whole bunch of other things I am not bright enough to understand.

n8scstm · 01-23-2006, 02:35 PM

HHHMMM. Well my other option would be to buy the shortest extension I could find. But would that also hurt the signal? I really don't want to wind up 25 feet of wire inside my computer case. Does anyone have any other ideas?

jcdillin · 01-23-2006, 04:25 PM

Which XM receiver do you have?

Legarcondemerde · 01-23-2006, 04:46 PM

In one of my vehicles I soldered a standard antenna cable on (I previously cut the XM antenna cable) going to an antenna adapter for late model VWs and BMWs. With slight modification, the adapter fits onto my XMD1000. RoadRunner indicates a green signal strength most of the time, so it works pretty well. For this instance, you would need both the forward and reverse antenna adapters, Metra model numbers 40-EU10 and 40-EU20. If the length of the adapters alone is not long enough, you could use a standard car antenna extension in between the two adapters. This is probably not the preferred method of going about this, but the parts should be readily available at most car audio shops, and it has worked fine for me.

n8scstm · 01-23-2006, 11:18 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Legarcondemerde

In one of my vehicles I soldered a standard antenna cable on (I previously cut the XM antenna cable) going to an antenna adapter for late model VWs and BMWs. With slight modification, the adapter fits onto my XMD1000. RoadRunner indicates a green signal strength most of the time, so it works pretty well. For this instance, you would need both the forward and reverse antenna adapters, Metra model numbers 40-EU10 and 40-EU20. If the length of the adapters alone is not long enough, you could use a standard car antenna extension in between the two adapters. This is probably not the preferred method of going about this, but the parts should be readily available at most car audio shops, and it has worked fine for me.

It says its for foriegn antennas. Does that mean that foreign antennas have the same connector as an XM radio? I have the actual XM PCR. The one that is discontinued. It came with the big directional home antenna but I switched it for the small in car antenna. Same basic plug. Just slightly different. But it works fine. The only difference is that one locks in place and the other does not.