Hi guys I am new to club lexus but have been a fan of the site for a while now. I own a 99 lx70 and was considering putting in a =n XM radio. i would like to know if any of you have done this and where you mounted the antenna, reciever, etc. I would also appreciate some pics if possible.

Thanks

 

Hi..

I too have a 99 470 and have been checking out the satellite options. I have been told the reciever should/could go under the seat and the face could be mounted on the right side opposite of the four ways but in that same type of square. I was not 100% sold on either idea so I have waited. May do the whole system install with satellite ready receiver but getting into way more $ than I had originally planned. Just checking to see if you got any pm's with a better answer.
Thanks

 

I have also done some research into the xm radio and have been told that Sius uses much better technology than xm but is 3-4 bucks more a month than xm and they only have large clunky antennas and boring reciever desogns. I like the xm compatible hardware more than the sirus but i dont want to sacrafice sound and signal with xm. Tthe guy at my local stereo shop (who is an expert installer and customizer) suggested that I just buy a whole new head unit but i have seen this before and it looks terrible becuase of the large size of the factory stereo. I still have many decisions to make and i am not even sure if i wil do the satelite radio thing at all. I do however really like a sony controller for XM (not sure what model number) because it has a remote so i could mount it in a better spot and not even be able to reach it just be able to see the screen. Hope that this helps at all. Please give me any more suggestions that you may have.

Thanks

 

Don't ignore the fact that for your extra $3-4 for Sirius, you get no commercials on music channels. Sirius' studios are also located in the heart of New York in Rockefeller Center, so they have access to many artists, DJ's, and the rest of the music industry. Yes, Sirius technology is ultimately better, but it may not be at a point yet where it has made a big enough difference vs XM. The antenna size and shape is no big deal whatsoever, no matter which way you go. XM has many more subscribers than Sirius at his point in time, so you're bound to hear more about XM, especially from the in-store sales people. (I've even heard that XM offers free service to the in-store sales crew so that they have it in their cars.) But Sirius is beginning to catch up.
I would not categorize the Sirius receivers as 'boring', but rather functional vs non-functional (they're all basically boring if you're looking for excitement - you'll need to get that elsewhere). For any of the recievers, either XM or Sirius, the biggest functional problem right now is the fact that many of them do not allow you to see the channel#, channel name, artist, and title all at once, but force you to scroll through each. This gets mighty tiring, and wears out the buttons prematurely.
I consider the best choices for each to be the Panasonic and Clarion receivers for Sirius, and the Alpine and Sony for XM. Kenwood and Pioneer are acceptable. The other portable Sony unit that you can take from car to home is awful, as it has a built-in fan, is difficult to mount other than a glob on top of your dash, etc.
Biggest problem with satellite radio for audiophiles is adding to existing headunit - better to have Sirius or XM radio capable controller in headunit, otherwise faced with FM modulator (YUCCCCH!), or difficult aux input switching. Keep in mind that all available add-on receivers do not have RCA outputs, and thus will require an FM modulator unless you have a matching headunit. The Alpine (XM) falls into this category.