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installing satellite radio (or other aux input) via FM direct adapter

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#21
PhilCaps said:
thats great. I just intstalled an siriusxm oynx ezr. I only connected the FM direct adapter (to fm radio cable) to the m3 FM radio (replaced the white plug) and it seems to be working great.

is the m3 antenna adapter the black cable going into the FM radio?

also where is the anetnna ampilifier?
Click to expand...

the black ribbon cable going into the FM radio i believe (based on conversations here) is powering the amplifier, but i'm not 100% sure. i have that disconnected right now as well, the only thing i have going into my FM radio right now is the xm fm direct adapter (and i don't have the actual antenna connected to it at the moment, that's what i meant when i said i completely disconnected the antenna adapter). i just have the output from the FM direct adapter into the antenna adapter, which goes into the FM radio unit. the cable that originally went to the FM radio is disconnected rather than going into the other side of the FM direct adapter.

the antenna amplifier is directly opposite the radio unit, in the driver side c pillar.
 
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#22
thats great. I bought both oynx ezr and road T
crackers8199 said:
the black ribbon cable going into the FM radio i believe (based on conversations here) is powering the amplifier, but i'm not 100% sure. i have that disconnected right now as well, the only thing i have going into my FM radio right now is the xm fm direct adapter (and i don't have the actual antenna connected to it at the moment, that's what i meant when i said i completely disconnected the antenna adapter). i just have the output from the FM direct adapter into the antenna adapter, which goes into the FM radio unit. the cable that originally went to the FM radio is disconnected rather than going into the other side of the FM direct adapter.

the antenna amplifier is directly opposite the radio unit, in the driver side c pillar.
Click to expand...

oh! got it. i have the same set up as you and just did a ride around all of houston and didnt have any issues with 88.1. What do you do about the 12V being "always on". I've noticed that the xm radio get super hot while not in the car.
 
#23
PhilCaps said:
thats great. I bought both oynx ezr and road T


oh! got it. i have the same set up as you and just did a ride around all of houston and didnt have any issues with 88.1. What do you do about the 12V being "always on". I've noticed that the xm radio get super hot while not in the car.
Click to expand...

it's not always on, it does shut off at some point after you leave the car.
 
#26
crackers8199 said:
been flawless for 3+ years. the only change i've made since originally writing this is that i have completely disconnected the model 3 antenna adapter and antenna amplifier, because i don't use FM at all (and even if i want to, it still picks up some stations). the sound quality isn't perfect, but it's good enough (and better than the silence i'd otherwise have around my house where there's no cell signal).

one note: i did test the roady BT last week...that seemed to have even better sound quality than the onyx. i'm not sure if that's placebo, but i may actually switch to it at some point in the future if it goes on sale (it's not worth $100, but if it goes on sale for $50 or $60 i'd probably switch to it for the magnetic mount and one wire solution. the roady BT has bluetooth available too, but i didn't love that solution because it would always connect to my phone first if the car was asleep when i got in...i would rather keep the FM ability to just get in and go and have the XM come on as soon as i pull out of the garage.

i actually did just buy a USB 12v adapter and harness to finally move the XM power supply behind the dash instead of inside the console like it is on this post...i'll write up a new post once i install that later this week. it'll also let me get fast charging to my wireless pad in the phone dock.
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I’d love to get a Bluetooth capable SiriusXM radio to add to the Tesla. Please link the usb to 12v adapter.
 
#27
ElectricNerd said:
I’d love to get a Bluetooth capable SiriusXM radio to add to the Tesla. Please link the usb to 12v adapter.
Click to expand...

this is the one I bought but haven't installed yet...


two of the three ports will be connected to my wireless pad to enable fast charging. the other will power my echo auto, leaving the two built in ports open for two USB drives (one for music and one for dashcam).

I'll do a full write up on the install once I find a 30mm hole saw to drill the hole. my plan is to wire from behind the 12v and run wires down behind the console...one that has a regular 12v socket, which will power my xm unit (I'll just tuck the wires in under the dash rather than having to run them to the inside of the console like I am now), and the other will power that USB outlet adapter which will go to the right of the two built in ports.
 
#28
crackers8199 said:
this is the one I bought but haven't installed yet...


two of the three ports will be connected to my wireless pad to enable fast charging. the other will power my echo auto, leaving the two built in ports open for two USB drives (one for music and one for dashcam).

I'll do a full write up on the install once I find a 30mm hole saw to drill the hole. my plan is to wire from behind the 12v and run wires down behind the console...one that has a regular 12v socket, which will power my xm unit (I'll just tuck the wires in under the dash rather than having to run them to the inside of the console like I am now), and the other will power that USB outlet adapter which will go to the right of the two built in ports.
Click to expand...
you wont be able use that set up with the roady BT without further modifications bc the car adapter has the microusb, FM and antenna ports built into the 12v plug.
 
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#29
#32
PhilCaps said:
you wont be able use that set up with the roady BT without further modifications bc the car adapter has the microusb, FM and antenna ports built into the 12v plug.
Click to expand...

I'm aware. I said one wire coming from the console will go to a regular USB receptacle that I'm going to tuck underneath and behind the console and plug the power adapter into that.

doing it that way will work both now and if I switch to the roady bt.


that will be one set of wires coming from the console, the xm power will plug into that and it'll get tucked in the empty space behind and at the bottom of the console.
 
#35
PhilCaps said:
nope, only 1 bluetooth device can be active at a time (hopefully elon allows multiple connections in an update though), which is why i use FM direct so that i can still connect my phone to the tesla for calls
Click to expand...

not only this, but with the roady bt if the car is asleep it will still connect to your phone first even if you set the roady as a priority device. the roady takes a few seconds to boot when it gets power, and the car will always connect to your phone first and not automatically switch over.

this was the other reason that while I was testing the roady a few weeks ago I still was using the FM adapter...I couldn't deal with having to switch automatically every time I left the house (first world problems, I know). when using FM, you just leave it on a certain station and the sound comes on as soon as everything starts up.
 
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#37
ElectricNerd said:
Thank you both. I’m hoping I can do the FM option as much as I don’t like it. I wish we could just add an aux input.
Click to expand...

the FM connection really isn't a bad way to go - as i said, it has been rock solid for me for over three years now. i can count on one hand the number of times i've had an actual FM station override the XM signal in those three years (still annoying though, this is the reason i just completely disconnected the actual antenna).

like i said too, the roady BT seemed to have better sound quality than my onyx plus even using FM. this might have been placebo, but it also might have just been because it's a new piece of tech and was able to better interface with the FM direct adapter to give better sound quality. who knows...i only spent about two weeks testing it before returning it for a different reason. i may still go back to it again in the future though, it's a much brighter and clearer screen and i like the one wire simplicity over the onyx.
 
#38
crackers8199 said:
the FM connection really isn't a bad way to go - as i said, it has been rock solid for me for over three years now. i can count on one hand the number of times i've had an actual FM station override the XM signal in those three years (still annoying though, this is the reason i just completely disconnected the actual antenna).

like i said too, the roady BT seemed to have better sound quality than my onyx plus even using FM. this might have been placebo, but it also might have just been because it's a new piece of tech and was able to better interface with the FM direct adapter to give better sound quality. who knows...i only spent about two weeks testing it before returning it for a different reason. i may still go back to it again in the future though, it's a much brighter and clearer screen and i like the one wire simplicity over the onyx.
Click to expand...
I’d much rather have a Bluetooth option but would like to keep my phone connected too. That doesn’t sound like an option though.
 
#40
crackers8199 said:
this is the one I bought but haven't installed yet...


two of the three ports will be connected to my wireless pad to enable fast charging. the other will power my echo auto, leaving the two built in ports open for two USB drives (one for music and one for dashcam).

I'll do a full write up on the install once I find a 30mm hole saw to drill the hole. my plan is to wire from behind the 12v and run wires down behind the console...one that has a regular 12v socket, which will power my xm unit (I'll just tuck the wires in under the dash rather than having to run them to the inside of the console like I am now), and the other will power that USB outlet adapter which will go to the right of the two built in ports.
Click to expand...
Do you have a fuse on the 12v outlets you added?
 
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