Please provide feedback and a LINK for the XM Commander Satellite Radio Receiver.

How easy is the system to install? How much for professional install? (range)
Can it be installed in the ashtry easily?
Thanks !

 

Mine was $150 for the install and took about an hour and a half. $150 for the commander unit, $10 for activation, and $10 per month. I love it and its worth every penny!

 

I had mine installed at circuit City .. Total cost (installed) $214.00 and the installer put it in the ash tray for me .. Watched him do the install didn't look that difficult, but for $60.00 extra it was worth not having to mess with it ..

 

on a scale of 1-10 (10=hardest) I rate the install 6.5. Search this forum for some EXCELLENT instructions from Fanman2. He pretty much walked me through the entire install process. If you need instruction on how to easily remove the carbon-fiber/wood-grain dash trim and side kick panels from the console, go to f150online.com and search from "xm radio installation" and it will pull up a thread with VERY detailed pictures of how to remove all this stuff with out causing any damage.

I'm a very picky person and I refussed to let some 19 year old punk at curcuit city install this in my new truck, and I'm only 22. Total time for me to install the commander was ~3 hours because I had to work on it at night with a flash light so I did half the install one night and finished up the next night (and studied for an organic chemistry test at the same time). For me, it was worth saving the $75 install fee and doing it myself for the purpose of learning more about my truck and how it was put together (former engineering major).

BTW, I purchased my Commander at Curcuit City for $134.99. Check there website which had the price of $134.99, the instore price was $160, but the store matched their online price. This was just 4 weeks ago so you might get lucky and still find it that cheap. GOOD LUCK, but the install was very fun for me and rewarding because I took my truck apart and put it back together and it doesn't squeak, rattle or anything.

 

Ultra, Did you use the FM modulator or wire it to the truck radio?

 

I'm not sure how you can make the general statement that all In installers working at circuit city are 19 year old punks ..

The guy who installed mine was in his thirties ... Electronic Engineer .. seems a lot of them are out of work nowdays ...
He had all the wiring info on the truck, and the tools required to do the job correctly.
He took great pride in his work, and I had no qualms about letting him work on my truck ...

Granted had I found these forums before I went for the XM radio install, I might have done it myself. But then again my weekends are for my motorcycle , not radio installs ...

 

Thanks for all the info. I found a site, PriceGrabber.com that compares prices:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...terid=1397729/

The best price is $129.95 with free shipping and tax depending on location.

 

For the commander you have to use the FM modulator, not sure if it is even an option to use the Aux button, i think that you have to order a special hook up for the new 150s Aux button. The modulator sounds great.

 

okibama, hovy, and others.....

I previously posted VERY DETAILED instructions for installing the TERK "Commander" XM Radio in the new '04 F-150.....with the control unit mounted in the ashtray receiver.

I installed mine by myself, and designed the mounting "device" for locating the control unit in the ashtray receiver. Quite a few guys here on FTE have used my instructions to install their "Commander" XM radios, with GREAT success. Please do a serach of my previous posts on this subject....and also look at the pictures in my gallery.

Also, you CANNOT use the TERK "Commander" XM radio in the new F-150 WITHOUT using the RF Modulator that comes in the XM radio package. The "aux" button on the front of the factory radios is ONLY for selecting the input sound signal when you are watching FORD'S "rail mount" DVD system.

Hope you find this information helpful.

Fred

 

Thank you!

 

Thanks fanman2 ! I found the Thread you referenced w/ all good info about the XM.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=216012

 

Yes I did give a very GENERAL statement in regards to the age of the installers at various audio stores. I'm sure most of the guys I'm calling "punks" know 100X more about audio equipment than I'll ever know, but then again they don't understand nor respect the fact that my truck cost $36K and it's "funny" to squeal the tires pulling in the shop and so what if I cracked the trim piece around the ashtray it'll take 6 months before it shows up. That's what I was afraid of happening. BTW at my particular Curcuit City the installers working the day I purchased my Commander were all 20 yrs old or younger. If you got lucky enough to find a 30 year old Electronic Engineer to install your Commander at ANY audio shop you were indeed VERY lucky. Recall from my earlier post I told me age,22, so I feel like I can call them punks with out steeping on anyones toes because I'm sure in your eyes I'm a "punk".

Fanman2, your instructions were beyond EXCELLENT, and infact the guys at Curcuit City advised me to do the install my self when I showed them your instructions. BTW, I read a post by a guy called "rambunctios" either here at FTE or over at F150online and he works for Johnson Controls (manufactures of our stock HU and the over head rail) and he said they were getting close to releasing a system/wiring harness that would alow us to finally use the AUX button for satellite radio. The system was called "iris"

 

Ultramax21......

Thanks very much for your kind words of praise. From what I have read here on FTE, it appears that my instructions helped out a lot of guys. Glad I could be of some assistance....

Please do ALL of us a favor and keep us posted on the Johnson Controls "iris" wiring harness / system that will allow us to use the "aux" button to listen to our satellite radios. My guess is that the satellite radios will sound EVEN BETTER if we can use a DIRECT SIGNAL INPUT via this new "iris" thing, instead of the RF modulator method we are now using.

Thanks again....

Fred

 

Yes I agree they will sound better, but you've got to admitt that Terk did an outstanding job with the modulator that is supplied with the Commander. Only thing I don't like about it is sometimes I really have to crank the volume up (well beyond half way) just to get ample sound. Sometimes, this creates a "hissing" sound especially on talk channels instead of music channels.

 

I don't have the same type ashtray as you folks, so after investigating the situation, I decided on the Roady. I wanted as clean, and easy an install as possible, and was very leary of opening my dash to run the wires. I used the Roady, and the Delphi Ski Fi FM modulator. This install technique should also work for the Terk, and is idiot proof.

Here is what I found:

1. The rear of the head unit where the antenna plugs in is accesible without removing any dash components. Open the glove box, and push the top right corner to the left, the box will then open further forward revealing the inside of the dash. Follow the orange cord to the head unit, where the antenna is pluged in. The antenna is plugged in to the very bottom corner closest to the passenger side. You may need someone with small hand to get to it for you, but I had no problems.

2. One of the fuses in the fuse panel is for the auto off accesories, such as lights and radio. A fuse tap was used to power my modulator and Roady. Refer to your manual for the actual location of the fuse.

3. The panels which run down the sides of the doors are easily removed by pulling upward. This is a very good way to run the antenna through the brake lamp located at the top rear of the cab.

That's basically all there is to it. Anyone who knows how to use a philips screw driver should be able to install one in less than an hour.

Pictures: