XM Antenna Relocation - my DIY results

[Sledge]

Ok I have a lux Wildtrak, with XM reception issues due to a variety of reasons.
What I have learned from this thread: my stock single antenna receives both XM and GPS, so I can’t simply purchase an aftermarket XM antenna and do a relocation without losing my nav System when there is no cell signal, and I am out of cell range most weekends so I use my lux nav system a lot. (Besides, I like the breadcrumbs feature…)
The solution: a quick search revealed there are numerous XM + GPS antennas on the market. Also a nice antenna relocation mount for the bronco that would place the antenna on the tailgate by the spare. But I haven’t looked at the connectors, etc.
The ask (With a grin..): somebody to do this and tell us all what connectors to purchase haha!

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[sportcoupe]

I have to think the factory antenna is active because of GPS. Most GPS automotive antennas are active from all my researching for this. I actually question if we can split it at the back by the factory antenna to go back to 2 antennas. They use the splitter behind the radio to share the single antenna and make 2 connections. What's to say we can't use the same splitter to use 2 separate antennas? I found the splitter from Ford and other parts places and it's not expensive.

This is the splitter from Ford the Bronco uses behind the radio to share the single antenna FORD NAVIGATION ANTENNA SPLITTER (https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/e...ation-fm-antenna-splitter-p-m2dz10e928a?pdp=y)

I already started using a separate SiriusXM antenna and it's been rock solid. I think having 2 separate antennas is far better than a single antenna, single point of failure kinda thing.

Yes your dedicated XM antenna has worked well but you made 2 changes. An antenna change and a relocation.

Me wonders if relocating the factory XM would be just as good.

 

[sportcoupe]

The solution: a quick search revealed there are numerous XM + GPS antennas on the market.

Show me one mobile XM + GPS antenna combo with a single coax connection besides the factory Ford antenna.

 

[Sledge]

Well ok, the tone of your response told me that I must not have understood what i was looking at. I admit i'm not an expert here, and i have been learning from your posts in particular. Indeed, as i went back and looked closer at most of the hits, there were two connectors (except for one, which cost over $4k). But what is this one?
Infotainment SiriusXM Satellite Radio and GPS Antenna and Cable Kit for 2018-2023 Wrangler JL and 2020-2023 Gladiator JT - JustForJeeps.com

i will now be quiet

 

[kmntc4]

Everything I have looked for and at has not revealed any combo antenna except for this what appears to be custom bronco OEM antenna. Without pulling the dash apart to get to the APIM and unplug the GPS side of the splitter to plug in a dedicated GPS antenna to the APIM, the single cable antenna issue means that relocating the actual factory antenna. Considering how cheap the factory antenna is, brand new or surfing eBay, buying a second factory antenna and then relocating that would be a better option.

This is an option for Jeeps, and I believe someone used it on a bronco SiriusXM Antenna Relocation Mount, JL Wrangler, JT Gladiator (https://metalcloak.com/sirisuxm-satellite-antenna-relocation-mount.html)

The cable is a correct cable, but I am not sure if it is long enough, but getting a cable is easy from Amazon or custom from VCableMart.

 

[sportcoupe]

Well ok, the tone of your response told me that I must not have understood what i was looking at. I admit i'm not an expert here, and i have been learning from your posts in particular. Indeed, as i went back and looked closer at most of the hits, there were two connectors (except for one, which cost over $4k). But what is this one?
Infotainment SiriusXM Satellite Radio and GPS Antenna and Cable Kit for 2018-2023 Wrangler JL and 2020-2023 Gladiator JT - JustForJeeps.com

i will now be quiet

That is misidentified and is XM only.

Link below has same ad picture, XM only. There is an option for a GPS antenna split. Look at pictures.
https://www.extremeterrain.com/info...enna-extension-add-on-c-satf-jl-u-satext.html

And again direct from Infotainment website. XM only.
https://infotainment.com/shop/exter...adiator-siriusxm-satellite-radio-antenna-kit/

GPS add on antenna is the "soft install" option and a separate antenna.

 

[kmntc4]

That is misidentified and is XM only.

Link below has same ad picture, XM only. There is an option for a GPS antenna split. Look at pictures.
https://www.extremeterrain.com/info...enna-extension-add-on-c-satf-jl-u-satext.html

And again direct from Infotainment website. XM only.
https://infotainment.com/shop/exter...adiator-siriusxm-satellite-radio-antenna-kit/

GPS add on antenna is the "soft install" option and a separate antenna.

OK WAIT...

That second link you posted has something that we need... https://infotainment.com/shop/exter...adiator-siriusxm-satellite-radio-antenna-kit/

We need the "multiplexer" part they have there that combines the 2 antennas back down to 1 antenna connection. Now I am very curious if the splitter Ford has behind the radio to share the 1 antenna connection between 2 inputs is effectively doing the same thing. GPS and SiriusXM are 2 completely different frequency ranges but that "multiplexer" your second link had from infotainment is just a crude jumper splitting the coax into 2 connectors.

I am going to do some hunting and check some things out.

 

[kmntc4]

Ok, after some more experimentation, I am at the moment successfully running 2 separate antennas connected to the 1 rear antenna cable. I found one of my mag mount GPS antennas and found a temporary splitter cable and some connectors and got the GPS antenna and XM antenna connected to the splitter cable and then connected to the rear antenna cable. Drove around for 3 days so far and things are working. Factory Nav is not complaining about no GPS and its back to live live updating to the point its now beeping at me when I get to school zones and rail road crossings and it never did that. XM is still working great as well.

I will keep testing and monitoring my test set up and if its rock solid, I am going to fine tune and get a custom splitter cable made with the right connectors so I can remove the various conversion adapters and keep running 2 antennas

 

[UtahBrandon]

Ok, after some more experimentation, I am at the moment successfully running 2 separate antennas connected to the 1 rear antenna cable. I found one of my mag mount GPS antennas and found a temporary splitter cable and some connectors and got the GPS antenna and XM antenna connected to the splitter cable and then connected to the rear antenna cable. Drove around for 3 days so far and things are working. Factory Nav is not complaining about no GPS and its back to live live updating to the point its now beeping at me when I get to school zones and rail road crossings and it never did that. XM is still working great as well.

I will keep testing and monitoring my test set up and if its rock solid, I am going to fine tune and get a custom splitter cable made with the right connectors so I can remove the various conversion adapters and keep running 2 antennas

That’s fantastic news. I’ll be watching for your updates and I hope you can get time to write up a full post of parts and directions when you’re ready. Thank you!

 

[kmntc4]

Ok so far after a couple days with dual separate antennas connected, there have been no issues. I am going to at the moment call my experiment a success and you can connect the 2 separate antennas back together to the 1 rear antenna cable back to the radio.

Going to work on my final and more "permanent" solution with antennas and the final cable connections. YCableMart said they would make custom Y splitter cable with the connectors I needed. Think this is going to work perfect.

 

[Toonces]

I'm sorry to sound like a noob at this point in the thread, but we're not talking about the whip antenna that's just off the hood/passenger rear mirror, right? Only asking because I've replaced mine, don't have any roof rack or anything that would otherwise block anything in the back, but I very regularly get the "no network connection, navigation and traffic may be affected" pop-up on my radio.

 

[Lcubed]

I'm sorry to sound like a noob at this point in the thread, but we're not talking about the whip antenna that's just off the hood/passenger rear mirror, right? Only asking because I've replaced mine, don't have any roof rack or anything that would otherwise block anything in the back, but I very regularly get the "no network connection, navigation and traffic may be affected" pop-up on my radio.

the antenna in question is designed for satellite reception.
you could potentially get 'no network connection' error if you're in an area
with poor cellular coverage (yet another antenna)

 

[kmntc4]

I'm sorry to sound like a noob at this point in the thread, but we're not talking about the whip antenna that's just off the hood/passenger rear mirror, right? Only asking because I've replaced mine, don't have any roof rack or anything that would otherwise block anything in the back, but I very regularly get the "no network connection, navigation and traffic may be affected" pop-up on my radio.

Depending on what year model your bronco is, there may be a TSB for the XM/GPS antenna about it needing to be "re-installed". The XM/GPS antenna is on the upper side of the rear rollbar under the roof.

 

[sportcoupe]

The antenna in question is the factory Sirius XM/GPS antenna. It does not use a cellular signal, it uses satellite. It is located on top of the rear roll bar under the hardtop.

 

[kmntc4]

Ok... playing with my experimental set up, the permanent solution will require watching and planning for the specific connectors used. I had an issue where NAV went stupid, said it lost GPS and 2 hours later it started working, but then stopped again. The temporary stuff I am using has SMA connectors for GPS and it seems even when I had originally tightened them, they backed off just enough from vibrations for the connectors to become lose. The moment I tightened it back down, issues went away. I got a piece of heat shrink, shrunk it down tight to hold the connectors together. Lose connector and the type of connectors will play a big factor into a permanent solution, but it gave me some insight as to how I want to do the permanent solution.

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