TSS-Radio Blog

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If you have purchased a Sirius radio recently you may have noticed the poor FM strength…..there is a solution.

The FM Direct Adapter (Wired Relay) is a great solution for overcoming poor FM signal. How this works is you pull your car stereo out and plug one end of this unit into your car stereo, then you plug your car’s FM antenna into this unit, and then there is a long cable that plugs right to the back of your docking station. It blocks out every other signal on the channel you are trying to use and taps it directly into the FM antenna so you get the best possible quality sound using the FM transmitter.Below are two videos that were created to display the function of this units.

NOTE: Some cars may need FM antenna adapters, because the car’s antenna is not the standard size. If you are unsure of which adapter you need see FM Antenna Adapters.

If you have been researching in-dash Sirius you most likely have heard terms like tuner and translator. This is a simple explanation of what these terms mean to you.

Tuner: a tuner is the device that receives the Sirius Satellite signal. It may also be referred to as being a receiver. The tuner may be a Dock and Play Sirius Radio or the in dash SIRIUS Connect Vehicle Tuner SCC1. To use a Dock and Play Radio you only need the car kit, but to use the SCC1 you MUST have a translator.

Translator: this is the unit that will translate to the SIRIUS signal to your specific car stereo. If you have a Pioneer you will need the SIRIUS Connect Vehicle Tuner SCC1 and the Pioneer SIRIUS Connect Interface CD-SB10, and so on with each specific car stereo.

IF YOU HAVE A DOCK AND PLAY RADIO AND WANT TO CONTROL IT THROUGH THE CAR STEREO SEE HERE

(example)If you have a SIRIUS Sportster 4 SP4TK1 and want to control it through your headunit, you will need the SIRIUS Connect Vehicle Kit SCVDOC1 and the translator for your headunit.

Here is a list of translators and the stereos they are compatible with:

SoundLinq SLS2 Toyota Sirius Interface:Select Toyota OEM Stereos

SoundLinq SLS Toyota Aux Input and Sirius Interface:Select Toyota OEM Stereos

SoundLinq SLS2 Lexus Sirius Interface:Select Lexus OEM Stereos

SoundLinq SLS Lexus Aux Input and Sirius Interface:Select Lexus OEM Stereos

Alpine SIRIUS Connect Interface KCA-SC100:Select Alpine Stereos

Clarion SIRIUS Connect Interface CLA-SC1:Select Clarion Stereos

SIRIUSConnect ECL-SC1 Eclipse Interface Translator:Select Eclipse Stereos

Pioneer SIRIUS Connect Interface CD-SB10:Select Pioneer Stereos

JVC SIRIUS Connect Interface KS-SRA100:Select JVC Stereos

Kenwood SIRIUS Connect Interface KCA-SR50:Select Kenwood Stereos

Just wanted everyone to see some new products that we just got in!

New Products Include:

• Polk Audio Designs miDock Portfolio

A small, sleek speaker dock that uses high-resolution micro-speakers and the ability to connect another device via 3.5mm Aux-In. Great for small offices or personal use.

• Pioneer SIRIUS Connect Interface Package CD-SB10

This package is to be used with compatible Pioneer headunits to get in-dash Sirius Satellite Radio.

• Lexus GS Shark Fin Antenna Adapter

To be used with compatible Lexus GS to use the factory installed antenna(If applicable).

• Lexus IS/LS Shark Fin Antenna Adapter

To be used with compatible Lexus IS/LS to use the factory installed antenna(If applicable).

• SIRIUS Connect Vehicle Kit SCVDOC1

To be used with appropriate Sirius translator! This dock will allow the user to control a Dock and Play radio from the compatible headunit. It must be used in a two-part system, this being a tuner and the second half being the translator for the headunit. SEE HERE

Josh made this cool video of installing a Vehicle Specific Mount along with a  Slim Swivel.  The Slim Swivel is a good idea for everyone because it provides some separation between the car kit and the Vehicle Specific Mount, making it easier to plug the wires into the back of the Vehicle Specific Mount.

As you can see in the video, installing a Vehicle Specific Mount can be quite easy. Please keep in mind, however, that the difficulty does vary depending on the model of your car.

Pioneer SIRIUS Connect Package
If you have a Pioneer headunit that is SAT compatible this is the package that gives you in-dash SIRIUS. It is a two-piece package that includes the Pioneer SIRIUS Connect Interface CD-SB10 and the SIRIUS Connect Vehicle Tuner SCC1. These two items must be used together they cannot be used on their own. The SIRIUS universal tuner SCC1 receives SIRIUS Satellite content and the Pioneer Interface translates the SIRIUS content for the headunit. The SCC1 cannot be used without a translator and the Pioneer translator cannot be used without a tuner.Here is a list of the compatible headunits:

# AVH-P4000DVD
# AVH-P4900DVD
# AVH-P5000DVD
# AVH-P5900DVD
# AVH-P6600DVD
# AVH-P6800DVD
# AVH-P7600DVD
# AVH-P7800DVD
# AVIC-D2
# AVIC-D3
# AVIC-N2
# AVIC-N3
# AVIC-Z1
# AVIC-Z2
# AVX-P8DVD
# DEH-P2900MP
# DEH-P3000IB
# DEH-P3800MP
# DEH-P390MP
# DEH-P3900MP
# DEH-P400UB
# DEH-P4000UB
# DEH-P480MP
# DEH-P4800MP
# DEH-P490MP
# DEH-P4900MP
# DEH-P500UB
# DEH-P5000UB
# DEH-P5800MP
# DEH-P600UB
# DEH-P6000UB
# DEH-P680MP
# DEH-P6800MP
# DEH-P690UB
# DEH-P6900UB
# DEH-P700BT
# DEH-P7000BT
# DEH-P780MP
# DEH-P7800MP
# DEH-P790BT
# DEH-P7900BT
# DEH-P80MP
# DEH-P800PRS
# DEH-P860MP
# DEH-P8600MP
# DEH-P880PRS
# DEH-P8MP
# DEH-P960MP
# DEH-P9600MP
# DEH-P980BT
# DEH-P9800BT
# DVH-P5000MP
# FH-P5000MP
# FH-P800BT
# FH-P8000BT

How to mount a Sirius Satellite Radio

There are several different ways to mount a Sirius Satellite Radio.There are as many standard mounting options as there are custom options for placing a satellite radio. It can be as simple as a suction cup on the windshield to a piece of ABS plastic cut to fit and placed in an open DIN.

Depending on you level of skill, you can mount Sirius Radios any way you see fit,but here are a few suggestions based on my experience:

• Suction Cup Mount-This is the simplest way to mount your radio. It’s pretty self-explanatory, push the cup onto the windshield in an area where it will give you the best view of your radio and more importantly the road. This is a beginner skill option.



• Vent Mount-This is an option if all others are not available. This is a slightly more difficult install, but does give a nice clean OEM look. A great feature to this option is that you can run the Sirius power adapter, Sirius Antenna, and audio cable from your Sirius Radio through the vents behind the dash, making this a cheap and effective mounting option. Also a beginner-moderate skill option.



• Vehicle Specific Mount-This is the best way to mount your Sirius Radio, hands down. These brackets are tested and made to fit your specific radio. The brackets are made to fit in a specific spot on your dash and cannot be moved elsewhere. They typically use a factory screw or bolt that is already in your car holding you dash in. You simply unscrew the screw or bolt, place the bracket, and then replace the screw and dash. It is a firm hold and fitted with a Swivel it can be angled to be viewed from different seats in the car. A moderate skill option.

Like I always say if you have any questions please feel free to call us up and we’ll give you the best advice our collective minds can give.

All the new Sirius radios have the same weaker FM transmitter, there I’ll just say it. Now that we got that out of the way we can begin to solve this dilemma.

It does not matter why or really who turned down the transmitting signal in most FM Transmitters sold today( Sirius radios included). What really matters is what can we, together, can solve it.

Almost any car has the ability to solve the weak FM problem. There are typically three solutions, listed in order from good to best:

• The Tape Cassette Adapter
  This device is simple. Remember when walkman CD players first came out? And you rushed out and bought one, but couldn’t listen to it in the car. And then someone handed you a cassette with a audio cable coming out of it. That was a Tape Cassette Adapter. It allows you to play any audio device that has a headphone jack( IPOD, CD Walkman, Sirius, etc) through your car stereo’s tape deck. If you do have a Tape deck this is the most painless way to directly connect your Sirius Radio.

• The FM Direct Adapter
  Some people feel this is lesser quality sound than the Cassette adapter, which I half agree, but I ranked this higher because it does not have that pesky audio cable running from you tape deck to the back of you Sirius radio dock. It gets installed into the car’s antenna and then has a cable to run to the FM OUT of the Sirius dock. This gives you a more hardwired look and still provides you with adequate FM reception. It is a great solution for a semi-permanent application like Company cars, leased cars, and Semi-Rigs.

  

• Aux-Input Device
  This is the BEST way to connect to radio. These devices plug into the CD Changer port on most car stereos and gives a set of RCA line inputs.The RCA inputs can be connected to any audio device via appropriate patch cable. Some car stereos are not enabled however, so be sure to refer to our website for compatibility charts.

For in-home FM transmitting see this product: Whole House FM Transmitter

If you have any questions of concerns about the products described above feel free to visit our website or call us here and we will be more than glad to give you a more detailed list of products that may be available for you car.

SCVDOC1 Sirius Connect Vehicle Dock

If you’re a Sirius nut like me, this new toy is a got-to-have item!

This dock is different from all others. It allows you to use your Dock and Play radios and Stilettos, through your compatible head unit. You can now control your unsightly Sirius receiver from your head unit and leave the receiver in the glove box. It uses the Sirius Dock and Play Universal connector giving you the flexibility to use any of the newer Sirius Radio Receivers.

Comes with the

• SCVDOC1 dock
• 3 interchangeable adapters for all the Dock and Play radios
• Sirius Connect interface cable
• magnectic mount satellite antenna
• dash mount with adhesive base

Please before you decide to purchase this item, make sure the car stereo is Sirius Ready and has the appropriate translator for you radio.
If you are not sure please feel free to refer to our website for further reference.