Reception w/ factory Sirius

[johnqpubluc]

How is it? I'm thinking about having it installed, but I'm a little nervous about the internally mounted antenna.....

[jburson250]

Reception is excellent with the SIGMA antenna. That being said, I've never had any other type of antenna. This is my first experience with sat radio. My first SIGMA antenna failed - that's explained in a recent thread right here in Visual & Audio.

My new SIGMA provides much better reception than the original did - in terms of lack of signal interruption on streets with dense, overhanging trees, under bridges, drive-thru ATM's etc. Maybe the first one was defective from the begining.

Anyway, don't be afraid of the antenna. Based on my reading at the SiriusBackstage.com forum, brief interruptions in reception will happen in conditions like those I've described with external antennas,too.

Installation of the antenna is simple. If you install the receiver on the knee bolster, that's simple, too. Do a search here on "satellite radio" or "Sirius" or "XM". One of the threads has some excellent photos of a knee bolster install. The receiver simply plugs into the head unit with the "N-Bus" cable, already in your truck. Of course I'm assuming your head unit has the 6 CD changer. Those are the only ones that accept sat receivers.

IMO Sirius is well worth the subscription price. I'm sure XM is too. I like the variety of the channels and the sound quality is very near CD.

Hope this info helps. Sorry for the long post.

[jburson250]

BTW SIGMA stands for "Sirius Interior Glass Mounted Antenna". Far as I can tell, it's only sold through Nissan and Toyota. You won't find it at places like Crutchfield.