I thought some of you folks might find this interesting, so let's play "find the XM antenna!"

I took my 2007 XLE to my favorite car stereo place (NOT my Toyota dealer!!), and had them install the Terk XM system. I asked them to install the antenna "just like Toyota recommends, on the rear parcel shelf next to the center brake light, on a metal grounding plate."

And this is what I found when I checked out their installation:



Can you find it??

No, it's NOT that little black thingy kind of "in the crosshairs" behind (or in front of, take your pick) the center stop light -- that's the "grab tag" for the XLE retractable sunshade. You can see the two hooks for the thing raised up aways away on each side of it.

Still can't find it??

Oh, it's back there, all right. And, it works really quite well -- far, FAR better than I ever expected. I had XM in the 2004 Honda Accord EX-L I traded for the Camry, with the antenna inside the little bubble blister on the rear of the roof. So far, the reception seems to be directly comparable to that I experienced in the Accord -- no increase in dropouts or any other reception problems. And we have very few terrestrial repeaters in our whole STATE, and those we have are about an hour's drive up the freeway from where I live. So, I'm talking about total "from the satellite" reception. And I'm pretty darn happy so far.

Oh, do you give up looking for the antenna??

Hmmm. "Metal plate." Keep on thinking "metal plate." The thing has to be MOUNTED ON METAL. Hmmm. So, what's UNDER that plastic parcel shelf?? One big hunk of METAL. You bet! The antenna is back there -- mounted on the metal shelf BELOW that plastic parcel shelf covering. Absolute, total satellite antenna stealth installation!!

I couldn't be happier!

I tell you, I looked around for about 10 minutes before I figured out that they must have done it that way -- they sure didn't mention it to me at all when I picked the car up.

I called my installer guy back, and started out accusing him of "hey, I think you guys ripped me off! I can't see an antenna ANYWHERE!!" Hehehehe. Of course, it wouldn't have worked at all without one. He stammered a little bit, but then I broke out with stuff like "That's outrageously cool!!" And he confirmed that they had done this kind of thing a number of times, with very good results. Indeed, I'm just really really happy that I've got XM and I've got no outward evidence of it. My car is nearing its first "birthday" -- I purchased it on St. Patricks Day last year, one of the very first new Camrys my dealer received. And I've been holding out on putting XM into it all this time, mainly with concerns about how the antenna would be installed. So, I'm just thrilled beyond belief that I've got no outward evidence of the installation whatsoever!

Of course, the road into the future with XM is cloudy at this point with the "merger news," but if this gives any of you hope in terms of getting it installed and truly "hiding" the antenna, I hope this helps!

Now that is creative! Very nice - thank you for letting us know.

You're welcome! Indeed, I though it was a WONDERFUL idea to hide it under the plastic shelf covering!

Oh, and now I realize that I somehow managed to miss adding "XM" to the title of this thread -- what an oversight! Hopefully anyone with "XM" on their minds also has "Terk" on their radar screen!

Ever since I saw another thread with the Terk install, I'd been contemplating doing that. Nice idea on the antenna. Since the merger news, I'm leaning toward keeping my Audiovox Xpress in use until it sorts out, but may still hide that antenna in a similar fashion.

"When you get to the fork in the road, take it." --Yogi Berra

Very cool! I hadn't thought of under the plastic cover. I've been wrestling with where to put my Sirius antenna. On our Murano, I was able to mount it inside the rear hatch (where the 3rd brake light is), since the hatch is plastic. Sitting it on the parcel shelf on the TCH lets it slide as much as the free cable that I left back there...

Thanks for the idea. I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

-Mike

The others: