Got my Sirius Starbase installed... Now my factory Nav wont work - FIXED!!

[aphex]

I noticed after driving away from CC with my new Starbase and PIE installed in my Mazda3 that my navi wasnt contacting the satellites, no GPS symbol on the screen.

Went into the service menu of my nav and it shows it not connected to any of the sats.

The installer originally mounted the antenna on the dash in the corner with double sided sticky tape, but i couldnt get very good reception yesterday either. So today when i went back, i not only wanted him to check out the antenna location, but also to fix my nav that wouldnt connect to the sats.

The installer moved my antenna up on the roof now, right infront of the sunroof, and now my nav sporatically connects to the satellites, but it wont maintain a constant signal like it used to before. Downtown, where there are lots of buildings, it comes and goes more often. Out a little farther away where i live, i get no GPS at all.... Meanwhile my Starbase works great now...

Is it possible that the two antennas are interfering w/ each other? Would moving the antenna to the trunk solve this problem? The antenna on the roof seems to be farther away than it was yesterday and now i kinda get a signal on my GPS, not like yesterday when i got nothing.

Im not sure, but i believe the GPS antenna is up on the front middle of my dash, as there is a little nub that sticks up and dosent seem to be on any mazda3 w/o nav.

Any ideas?

(btw, posted this over at Mazda3forums and Siriusbackstage, but since there are so many nerds over here, thought i would give it a shot)

 

[aphex]

Where are all the einsteins?

 

Wrap them both in tinfoil.

 

[Night201]

Sirius backstage is a good place to start. Welcome to the Sirius club! I don't know why they would interfere with each other since they are both receivers and don't transmit anything, but I'm no expert. Sounds like there might be a lose connection or maybe they didn't hook everything up right. Might want to check with a different employee or go to another installer...sucks! Good luck and keep us posted. I'm interested to see what the problem ends up being...

 

[aphex]

I couldnt find any info over at SBS, Mazda3forums....

But i did come across a thread over at RX8Club that said when something unshielded is mounted too close to the GPS antenna, it can cause it to lose the sats (in his case, it was the dvd changer he installed)...

Over at XMFan, i found this in regards to a Roady...

http://www.xmfan.com/viewtopic.php?t=20172&highlight=navigation+antenna

 

[43st]

Mazda3 sirius install instructions => Text

I have no idea what your installer did, you may just have an underpower antenna. I have no idea. One fellow on the Mazda3 forums actually installed the satellite reciever in the hatchback spoiler, which I thought was pretty clever. The front dash knob thing is the light sensor, I have it on my non-Nav Mazda3.

 

[ViRGE]

Sorry to go OT, but am I the only one that read "Sirius Starbase" and started thinking "Cylon Basestar" instead?:Q

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Thera
Mazda3 sirius install instructions => Text

I have no idea what your installer did, you may just have an underpower antenna. I have no idea. One fellow on the Mazda3 forums actually installed the satellite reciever in the hatchback spoiler, which I thought was pretty clever. The front dash knob thing is the light sensor, I have it on my non-Nav Mazda3.

Light sensor for what?

 

[43st]

I think it only effects the interior dashboard dimming function. Toggle the dash light display at night and it only goes between two variables, toggle during the day and you have 5.

Seems like a waste of engineering to me but maybe that was the best way to get an international car, with automatic lights and climate control, ready for the manual light and control US market.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Thera
I think it only effects the interior dashboard dimming function. Toggle the dash light display at night and it only goes between two variables, toggle during the day and you have 5.

Seems like a waste of engineering to me but maybe that was the best way to get an international car, with automatic lights and climate control, ready for the manual light and control US market.

Actually i dont think thats right... The dimming function is controlled by the headlights as i drive with the headlights on most of the time and i only get two settings...

 

[Muadib]

Wow, I was just at Best Buy today looking at how I could upgrade my stereo. You just confirmed my fears.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: Thera
I think it only effects the interior dashboard dimming function. Toggle the dash light display at night and it only goes between two variables, toggle during the day and you have 5.

Seems like a waste of engineering to me but maybe that was the best way to get an international car, with automatic lights and climate control, ready for the manual light and control US market.

Actually i dont think thats right... The dimming function is controlled by the headlights as i drive with the headlights on most of the time and i only get two settings...

Could be... I honestly haven't looked at it closely. So it's not a light sensor and it's not a satellite receiver... any thoughts?

EDIT: Ah, here we go.

 

[SouthPaW1227]

Your problem was letting CC do it. Why in the world didn't you get your dealership to do it? Granted, it'd cost more, but look at this......

I would almost tell you it's got to do w/ the "aux" input. Most factory car-players have only 1 "aux" input, and that might be the issue.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
Your problem was letting CC do it. Why in the world didn't you get your dealership to do it? Granted, it'd cost more, but look at this......

I would almost tell you it's got to do w/ the "aux" input. Most factory car-players have only 1 "aux" input, and that might be the issue.

How would using an AUX input in the cd changer port cause my navigation (a seperate unit that is completely seperate from the HU) to have trouble seeing sats?

Also, the stealership wanted over $300 for the install and $350 for the unit.

I paid $100 for the unit and $50 for the install.

 

[everman]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Sorry to go OT, but am I the only one that read "Sirius Starbase" and started thinking "Cylon Basestar" instead?:Q

Only because you're a Cylon.... Maybe Aphex is a Cylon... anyone could be a Cylon, especially the installer at best buy! :Q

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
Your problem was letting CC do it. Why in the world didn't you get your dealership to do it? Granted, it'd cost more, but look at this......

I would almost tell you it's got to do w/ the "aux" input. Most factory car-players have only 1 "aux" input, and that might be the issue.

I hearby offer my heartiest thanks sir... I apolgize for doubting you...

It was indeed NOT interference from the antenna or the tuner, it was interference let off my the PIE Adapter (converted my cd changer port to RCA's).

The moment it was unplugged, my car was in full contact w/ 8 sattelites and had a perfect signal.



Thanks again...

 

[SouthPaW1227]

Outstanding!!! That's great to hear! Totally made my day

The only reason I knew is because I've had the headache already. I wanted to add a "in line adapter" for my iPod into my "aux" input in my factory CD player. Sadly, my factory CD player had a non-removeable (as it's in-dash) 6-disc CD changer attached in the "aux" input.
So I hadta yank that out & buy an Alpine HU + their iPod adapter to get the iPod working seamlessly in my vehicle.

Those "aux" inputs are a pain, and as soon as I read this I figured they just monkeyed with it b/c I knew NAV runs directly through the "aux".

At any rate I'm glad you figured it out, cheers!!

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
Outstanding!!! That's great to hear! Totally made my day

The only reason I knew is because I've had the headache already. I wanted to add a "in line adapter" for my iPod into my "aux" input in my factory CD player. Sadly, my factory CD player had a non-removeable (as it's in-dash) 6-disc CD changer attached in the "aux" input.
So I hadta yank that out & buy an Alpine HU + their iPod adapter to get the iPod working seamlessly in my vehicle.

Those "aux" inputs are a pain, and as soon as I read this I figured they just monkeyed with it b/c I knew NAV runs directly through the "aux".

At any rate I'm glad you figured it out, cheers!!

Well the mazda is kinda funny...

I have an in dash 6-disc changer, but my stock HU has an additional port on the back for an external cd changer (which is what the PIE used). It also has a port for Sat Radio and a MiniDisc/Tape, but those are apparenly impossible to make an RCA adapter for.