XM Radio

[stravis]

Anyone tried to put XM or Sirius in their cab tractors? I've become spoiled with XM in my truck and I can't stand to listen to FM radio come in and out. My John Deere has the Delphi AM/FM/WX radio in it and has an accessory jack. That made me think I might be able to install a cheap XM radio in the cab to listen to games, news, etc.. Surely someone else has had this thought and tried it, right?

I've never installed one, but I think all I would need to do is plug the radio into the accessory jack and into the cigarette lighter, then route the antenna to the roof. I could mount the radio on the window below the radio with a suction mount. Should that work, or would it take the abuse?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I don't have any answers, just more questions...

If you get another radio, do you have to get another subscription? Will it cost you more per month to run a second XM radio?

 

[fishpick]

If you have an iPhone - the XM App is rock solid.

But - yeah - I know a guy who pulled the factory stereo in his cab and put in one with XM... the challenge wasn't the installation - it was the antenna placement.

 

[Jimmyb33]

I have a couple of XM radios in my car & truck. On my XM unit, it had a FM modulator that would "tune in" to an unused radio station and broadcast to that station. So, even if you can't get the aux in to work, you could still use a FM modulator thingy. And yes, it should be as simple as plug into cig. lighter and put the antenna on the roof. The antenna has a strong magnet built in that will stick to the roof of a car/truck/tractor. I can't do without my XM either!

jb

 

[fishpick]

@Jimmy - are you Little Jimmy?

 

[Jimmyb33]

I was called that growing up... but not in a few (30) years.

jb

 

[BlacknTan]

I'm still ticked off about pay TV!!

Now pay radio???

NEVER!!!

 

[dgl24087]

Aren't most tractor cab roofs fiberglass?? Could make it tough for the magnet to stick.

 

[stravis]

Iplayfarmer: Yeah, you have to pay. I think it's about $11 a month or so. Might be less for the second radio.

Blackntan: I used to say the same thing. Honestly I thought it was ridiculous. Then I bought a Chevy truck with a trial period of XM. I was hooked by the time I got home. Don't try it, trust me.

I do think that the roof of my cab is either plastic or fiberglass. I could attach the antenna with velcro or some 3m double stick tape, though. To make it more economical, I've thought about installing the kit on my wife's car also and when she isn't using it, I could put it in the tractor. She's expressed interest in having it in the past. I'd feel kinda bad if I put it in the tractor before putting it in her car.

 

[Jimmyb33]

I got my first XM as a b-day present and had said the same thing about never paying for radio. I was hooked within a week and have never looked back.

I have 1 XM unit that I had mounted in my truck and began driving my wife's car more often so i went to Best Buy and got another car kit for it and installed it in the car. Now I can swap it out to either vehicle very easy!

When I first got my XM I didn't want to mount the antenna to the roof so I used velcro to mount it to the dash of my truck and that worked great for several years.

jb