Yosmany

I have the XM Commander in my 03, and I've been getting static, on my channels. Sometimes, I can turn the radio (not the XM) off and then back on, and it's gone. Sometimes, I can change the FM modulated channel and it's gone as well. But other times there is nothing I can do. I took it back to Best Buy, who installed it and they opened it up, and checked all the connections. They said that the modulator was having metal to metal contact and that they taped it up, but there is still some static. They also said that some radios get static and that there is nothing else they can do about it?

Is anyone else having this problem?

Does anyone have the manual instructions for taking the radio out? Do I have to go in through the bottom, by removing the lower dash cover?

Thanks for the guys.

anthony1

iTrader: (1)

I think if you live in an area where there's a broadcast chanel near by, you're going to get static. Remember that you're using the FM modulator so if the signal from the out side is stronger than the modulator, you're gonna get static.
Best if if you can wire in to the amp directly.

I have a CD changer with fm modulator and get static when I go through certain part of town.

4Runner2003

Hey Yosmany,

I saw you lived in Orlando. I never get static up in Atlanta, but when I drove down to Orlando back in May, I too got static in certian sections. If I recall, I got it kinda bad near Universal Stuidos and a think highway 478 (??) was bad too. I'm pretty sure the highway started with a 4 . There is a radio station that broadcasts on 88.7 and that is where I was getting my static from. The 2 were competing against each other.

See if you can change which station the FM modulator broadcasts to. That might help you out some.

I doubt there is anything wrong with you unit though.

Scott

Yosmany

I did notice that 88.7 is pretty bad. I'm using 88.1 now and it's not that bad. I like I said it comes and goes. I glad to hear that it is noraml, and that Best Buy isn't avoiding having to replace it.

Anyone else getting static?

midiwall

There is a WELL documented problem with Delphi radios and static/noise/hiss depending on which FM modulator you used. So... who's did you use? The short form is that if you used _anyone_'s except Delphi's own then you will be getting static/noise/hiss.

If you don't want to change to Delphi's FM modulator, then you can call Delphi, sit on hold for 30 minutes, tell them that you have static using an FM mod, and they will send you a new audio-out cable for free. That's helped about 50% of the people I've seen that have had issues.

The technical side of the problem comes from a mismatch in Delphi's receiver output impedence and the rest of the world. The cable solution "works" because it incorporates a capacitor and resistor which will mock up the "correct" impedence.

Another way to deal with this is to get rid of the FM modulator in the system all together. There are a series of adapters from a company called BlitzSafe that will interface with most factory radios. The XM receiver will appear to your stock head unit as an external CD changer. The XMFanStore carrys 'em:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/xmfanstore/blauxad.html

Some noise issues come from noisey ignition systems. If the noise you hear is changing pitch with the speed of the engine, then you need to insert a noise trap in the audio output. This is an audio insert-filter that will sit between the outputs of the receiver and the inputs of the modulator.


btw, your best bet for XM hardware support is XMFan.com... For example, here's a thread that deals specifically with a Commander install that turned up noisey:
http://www.xmfan.com/viewtopic.php?t=14037

Good luck!

Yosmany

Is anyone else with a 4th gen using the BlitzSafe. The static is getting worse. I know part of the problem is that i don't know crap about radios. I am also starting to get static on my regular Fm channel. Even some of the strongest channel are getting static now. How do I know if my 4Runner(factory antenna) is weak. Maybe that is a cause for the problem? Then again what the hell do I know. Best buy installed it so I don't really know what the connections in the back are.


Will the Blitzsafe adapter work with my radio? I already have a CD player (you all know) and i THINK you can have a CD changer if you already have a CD player radio. I have the factory toyota (not the JBL 6 cd).

WOW $109 for the Blitzsafe!

rwmorrisonjr

I had the Commander installed with my Alpine and the FM modulator, and I got the low steady hiss you're experiencing. I changed the install to RCA cables and the Alpine adapter to the head unit and no hiss and no funky noise through the system when the modulator kicks in.

I'm sure that my wife is having the same issues in her Altima but then the whole car is noisy with wind noise, so static is not something to be easily heard or worry about.

tank_bmb

See Impulsebrklyn's webpage for links to PDFs for instructions on the audio visual system....

http://www.br00klyn.com/4runner/

bobzemuda

Sounds like the modulator or cable. I don't use a modulator, I use the aux in on my head unit, but XM doesn't really have static the way that trad radio does. It's either there, or it's not. Occasionally you get these static like sounds as you lose signal in forests, cities, under overpasses where you lose reception. But basically, you either have sound, or you don't.

In 6 months I've lost reception a handful of times. Even wheeling at Telico I still had strong signals.

The one time I was getting static, it turned out I had a bum mini to rca cable.

See if moving the wires around makes the static change. If so, it's a short in the cable.

Bill

L33T35T 4Runner

http://www.carstereohelp.com/strtoyota.htm

midiwall

You never really answered my question from 6 months ago... Who's modulator are you using? Did you do something to make it better back in November or have you been living with it this all this time?

Are you getting Static or a Hiss? If you're getting a hiss, then again it's the "Classic Mismatch" between the XM receiver's outputs and a _NON_ XM modulator. I had this problem in one of my installs using a JVC FM Modulator and it went away when I switched to XM's modulator.

Another option is to use the "noise cancelling cable" which is (was?) available from XM for free. There are threads on the XMFan.com site about this:

http://www.xmfan.com/viewtopic.php?t=4709

cruizin01

Ive looked around before but if im just missing it point me in the right direction but does anyone make a good mini to rca adapter. My buddy has a eclipse HU but it only has a single mini aux in and he wants to use the rca outs on his commander. I cant stand the poor SQ using the modulator.

bobzemuda

Monster cable makes one that Crutchfield sells. It's like $30. I think monster cable is overated though myself. I'm sure other audiophile type companies must make one as well, I just haven't seen one.

Frankly, satellite radio is compressed, so I don't think you'll see much difference between a middle of the road radio shack mini > rca and a more expensive one.

Bill

Yosmany

I am using the the modualter that came witht the XM Commander. So I guess it's the OEM XM one. I have had the static, hissing, and fading in and out the whole time. I called Trek, which makes the commander, and they lady was fully aware of the problem. She said that the the static with the XM commander FM modulator has been an issue. Thye changed the modulator, and they are sending me out a new one.

The real problem is that in Orlando, FL out of the 6 FM channels available, only 2 have nothing one them. 87.9 & 88.9, Now they both have actual channel on both sides so they are really weak FMs. At any given time of the day, on either channel, the static fades in and out. It really appears as if the FM freq. are over powering the modulator. I can usually turn the radio off and back on, and the static will be gone for a while. I can't tell if the 4Runner attenna sucks and is losing the FM freq. or if the Modulator sucks and can't hold the signal.

turboale

Man, I'm sorry to hear about all that stattic problems. I just have signal issues due to trees in savannah. Oh, and my brother accidently ripped my antenna off the wire the other day . I'm trying to find one of the mirror mount Terk Antennas (SIR4-MM) but they are discontinued and I can't find one ANYWHERE. I want to mount it on my loadworrior b/c the way it was setup now the antenna was right under the main lower bar of my loadworrior.

Yosmany

I called terk and they told me that the FM mod that origianally came with the Commander was defective. They sent me a new one and I installed it on Thursday, and haven't had any problems yet. But then again, it's only been 4 days.

nrgetic99

Glad you got a handle on it,...for now

Just as a point of interest.

XM (Digital) > Direct input e.g Aux channel/RCA's = Digital signal & Digital reproduction.

XM (Digital) > Commander (Digital converted to analog) > Recieved at head unit as analog ...Reproduced as analog.

In short, if you really want to avoid interference and get the best quality reproduction XM will allow, you really need a direct digital input via RCA's or similar. FM modulation introduces 2 sources of noise... converting to analog and transmitting as an FM signal.

Direct connection avoids all this BUT you must use a compatible reciever or Blitzsafe ...

Same holds for FM modulated CD changers...

David

bobzemuda

While your statement is mostly true, I'd just like to point out that R/L RCA cables are not a digital conection.

The RCA digital connection is spdif, and I haven't seen a headunit with a spdif in, nor a commander/delphi/etc unit that had a spdif out. For instance, the rca's go from my skyfi into the aux of my Pioneer head unit, but that aux is analog not digital.

Unless of course, the signal goes, digital, analog, digital, analog.

All these units are analog after the signal is passed from the receiver to the headunit. But a direct connection is always better.

midiwall

??? Are you talking about the hack that people are doing to pick the digital signal before the DAC?

Yosmany

What else could I use for a direct signal with the 4Runner headunit, besides the $109 Blitzsafe?