XM radio antenna placement

I drive 2 Freightliner's - the 2013 is already equipped with an antenna - on the 2010, the shop mounted it on the spot mirror. Some of the guys tried mounting them on top of the regular mirror but it doesn't work well. I had 1 mounted next to the far right marker light but if the truck was facing the wrong way, you would get no or very little signal. Since it's been mounted on the spot mirror, it works very well.

 

I've seen the mirror mount antennas mounted on the back of the cab up near the QUALCOMM unit. But I don't know how easy that would be to move around quickly.

 

I've done two different methods. Before I had a mirror mount antenna, I had one of those magnetic ones...I just threw it up on the dash because our Freightliner Columbia (daycabs) windows angle back towards the driver soo much. Most of the time I had a pretty decent signal. Then the wife bought me a mirror mount for Christmas...I slip seat so it's a pain taking it down all the time, never know what truck I'm going to be in...but the mirror mount is 3 bars all the time. It can be a challenge with our Cascadia daycabs and mounting the mirror mount...but so far I've ran the cord all the way to the back of the cab where the spring for the plugins go and mount it there...or on our CNG Cascadia's, I mount it on the handrail bracket. So I have a cord running down the side of my CNG housing, eh...I'm only in it for 14hrs, not that big of a deal.

If I had a assigned tractor that I was in, and it was a Cascadia...I would probably buy one of those metal brackets that mounts off the 2 mirror screws so I had some sort of post to mount it to.

 

I had both types. I accidentally broke my mirror mount one. Right now on my 13 letter, I use the magnetic one on the roof. Not sure what I will get after this truck is done so I'll have to wait and see. Thei know the newer ones come with built in antennas so that's a plus I'm sure.