XM FM Direct Modulator

I have one and it works excellent. I put mine on 88.1fm and just let it go. I have never had a station overpower it yet. The xm radio i got HAS to have it as I don't have a cassette player to use. It took me a day to figure that out. The sound isn't the greatest but its definitely above regular FM quality. I definitely recommend it.

 

The FCC fined XM and Sirius mucho money a couple years ago for having radios that exceeded FM transmission limits. Both companies now have had to cut the power back on their radios to the point that the FM transmitter is basicially useless, and XM seems to be the worst.

I have both radios, and the XM will not even transmit to an MP3 player held within 1 foot of it, while the Sirius will transmit to the same MP3 player almost 25 feet away.

This is very aggervating to someone who slip seats, but still wants a good radio when crossing the desert. I can not wire direct into the radio, and the factory antennas are hard to get to with the little antenna leads the companies supply, especially the XM "direct connect" antenna adapter.

The truck radios where I drive also do not have MP3 inputs, or that would solve the problem.

Thank the government for screwing up something else.

 

STRANGER:
I agree. I just bought a "second" XM radio. Complete FRUSTRATION tuning in. Tried a "cassette tape" adapter. THAT took a crap after 3 days.
MORE OVERPRICED JUNK.
Then I bought a UNIVERSAL FM transmitter. Works well, I have only had to change channels once, but it eats AAA batteries, about every 15 hours or so.

 

The FM modulator you find in Pilots and Loves works the best. it requires NO batteries. You just plug the XM antenna into the modulator, and plug the modulator into the antenna jack on the stereo. theres a pass through plug to plug the AM/FM antenna into the FM modulator as well so you don't lose AM/FM abilities. you just have to make sure the XM is off when you want to listen to the AM/FM. Don't bother with a wireless transmitter. You will not get good service from it

 

In a Freightliner century class, you need to pull out the stereo to get to the stereo's antenna jack unless you want to disassemble the dashboard around the stereo.

Once you get it pulled out, it's simple to just pull the antenna connector out and plug in the modulator then plug the antenna into the modulator, plug the satellite antenna into the modulator as well and you're in business.

I have no idea about antenna access in other brands of trucks.

 

Same with a Volvo, reallt simple.