BU-353 Mounting locations and signals

Fooch · 04-09-2007, 09:18 AM

I currently have a BU-303 and it has worked great for me ever since I got it. I have been searching this site for hours on the BU-353. I saw in a poll that it was rated the best GPS reciever with 51%+ of the votes. The only thing I DON'T like about the BU-303 is inside the car it gets absolutely NO signal so I have to mount it on the outside of may car and I put a ziplock bag around it when I wash the car to make sure it doesn't get wet(no waterproof) and so I can clean the paint underneith it.

So my question is, does anyone have, or know if you can, theirs mounted INSIDE the car with no issues? The only reason I would update to this receiver is if I can mount it inside. Also, these get their power from the USB port, correct? And it doesn't have to be USB 2.0 does it?

DarquePervert · 04-09-2007, 09:23 AM

I wouldn't say it's the best receiver, based on that. I'd say it's the most popular receiver.
Granted, it's popular for a reason: It provides top-notch performance for the buck, making it an excellent value. It's small, very reliable and setup is pretty much hassle-free, which are also big selling points to most of us.

My BU353 is inside my truck. It sits on teh front dashboard, behind the windshield. I get consistent, quick lock all the time in that location.
Ultimately, it will be buried under the dash, as close to the windshield as possible in order to provide stealth. I'm pretty certain that it will perform just as well, as my dash is all plastic.

No, it doesn't have to be USB 2.0.

crabbdaddy · 04-09-2007, 09:27 AM

i have my bu-353 mounted under the rear package tray out of site at the rear most position under the window. it locks fast and everytime i go to navigation it works great.

Fooch · 04-09-2007, 09:46 AM

You guys may have just sold me lol. I wanted my receiver in the car because that was the ONLY thing on the car that you could see from the carPC...inside or out.

MrJayDeeOne · 04-09-2007, 11:12 PM

mines mounted with doublesided tape on the passenger side of my dashboard near the pillar. I have no problems with it at that location

Fooch · 04-09-2007, 11:18 PM

I hope it doesn't have an issue with going through plastic. I am mounting it under plastic on the rear strut tower under the back window in the Z. I tried installing my last one there and it never got anything. I tried it on the dash, never got anything, HAD to be outside.

JimmyFitz · 04-10-2007, 01:20 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Fooch

I hope it doesn't have an issue with going through plastic. I am mounting it under plastic on the rear strut tower under the back window in the Z. I tried installing my last one there and it never got anything. I tried it on the dash, never got anything, HAD to be outside.

What kind of car are you trying this in? Some windshields and metalic tints are known to block GPS signals.

My BU353 is installed in the lid of my trunk in the channel outside of the weather strip underneath the deck lid. You can't see it unless the trunk lid is opened. It is in an area that gets wet but only a little. The BU353 is supposed to be waterproof . The body of the car is composite material (plastic) and does not interfere with the signal at all.

crispyrabbi · 04-10-2007, 04:14 AM

Mine is mounted beneath(inside) the dashboard and I have good reception. I think its great to be able to hide away most of the carpc equipment. Actually the only thing that is visible on the truck is the touchscreen, an antenna for dvb-t and a rearviewcamera.

tmarks11 · 04-10-2007, 07:03 AM

The SIrf-III chipset/receviver combo is awesome in this GPS. I am amazed that this gps can reliably get signals no matter where I put it in my Dodge Dakota, even when it doesn't have a direct line of sight to the sky through the window. It works great sitting inside my ash tray inside the dash, or in the center console.

Your results might vary, as my front window doesn't have the metallic type of tint/glare shield that some cars (like my wife's Toyota) has. I haven't tried the gps in her car.

evandude · 04-10-2007, 07:50 AM

I was in your situation, I had a BU-303 and I could only get signal with it under the windshield, where the reflection off the windshield was distracting to me, or outside the car, which ended up killing it due to weather. I recently bought a BU-353 and it's amazing - I now have it under the rear window of my car, right under the defroster lines and everything, (where the BU-303 couldn't even really get a lock) and yesterday I was getting 11/12 satellites there. It does so well inside the car there's no reason that I would need to put it outside and subject it to the weather.

Fooch · 04-10-2007, 08:21 AM

The car that it is going in is an '07 350Z. And the windows do look fairly tinted stock. I hope this doesn't cause an issue. Maybe if it does I will mount it under the hatch plastic and try it there. I just have to find a way to use this inside the car lol. It started to ruin the paint on the roof of my car and I hated seeing it there...looked unfinished or slapped on.

JimmyFitz · 04-10-2007, 05:12 PM

Another location that works good on some vehicles is underneath the plastic cowl area near where the windshield wiper motors are mounted. This area is hidden from sight but not sealed from moisture.

zdero · 04-11-2007, 03:17 PM

Well I am currently having some issues with my GPS. But I have an 05 Z and you can fit the antenna under the dash behind the three gauges. It should get a signal fine.

Fooch · 04-11-2007, 03:21 PM

do you have the BU-353? What kind of issues are you having? In my 05 with the BU-303 I couldn't get a signal with the receiver pressed against the front windshield

seanz0rz · 04-11-2007, 05:39 PM

im considering mounting mine up on my roof rack, but im not sure how exactly i would get the cable back in the cab.

now it sits on top of the dash between the dash and the windshield, works great all the time, but it does have a tendency to lose sats when im going down a very very steep grade, but im assuming that as long as you keep to paved streets, you will be fine with it. its worked flawlessly for me so far.