Hi guys, finally got the avic x940bt installed in my 06 gt convertible, and all of the av functions are working perfectly, and very satisfying. But my problem is the gps functions. I went for a drive on some country roads yesterday, and the positioning on the units map was way off. I checked the satilites acquired and there was only 1 or 2 at times. I suspect that is because I placed the gps antenna under the dash on top of the ground plane on the radio top. I guess I am going to have to move the antenna to a better location with a better line of sight. Any of you guys have a better experience or idea where I can move it to for better performance, and hide the wire, in a convertible.
Thanks

 

Can you post a pic of the antenna?

 

yes if you are not getting enough of a signal it is probably because of where its located. Try just holding it outside the car temporarily and see if it helps.

 

The best I've found is just outside on the plastic trim on the drivers-side under and below the wiper-arm on that side. I'm unsure if this is a weather proof GPS antenna though for the pioneer unit.

As in here, assuming it is weather-proof, it should reach routing the wire though the dash:


Only ever lost enough satellites to lose triangulation in a couple of spots in Manhattan and tunnels. Nobody notices it unless pointed out to them.

 

I have my sirius ant in the exact same spot and rarely notice it or have anyone notice it.

 

Hi Guys, appreciate the suggestions. Tomorrow I am going to relocate the antenna. I'll post the results. Before I try outside the car I am going to try either on top of the heater box, or on top of the guage cluster. I read on some forums that those locations gave good results. I don't want to remove the pass airbag to get to the heater box, but it shouldn't be that difficult if I have to. If neither of those spots work well, I will place it in the spots wayne and ttocs mentioned. The question for there is how did you run the wire back into the car, and I see that you did not use the square ground plane to stick it to, so how did you stick it to the plastic. And I guess you got good results without the ground plane, so is the ground plane all that necessary?
Thanks

 

Mine is a USB GPS antenna, no ground plane portion (metal shield for circuit going to car ground) that I know of. I think it does have a small magnet, but it's plastic insulated as well. I seriously doubt if there is one for the pioneer's will do much more than amplify the receiver to get more background noise anyhow.

The wiring just drops below the drivers fender channel near the top, then routing behind the plastic A-pillar and seal into the dash, zip-tied a few times to keep it from dropping or interfering in the future. Making it to the center section.

 

you signal will allways be lower then it could be as long as there is ANYTHING above it.

 

The Pioneer GPS antenna is NOT weather-proof! They used to be but are no longer. Do not install it outside of your vehicle. Best place inside is almost where you have it on the cowl, but inside the windshield on the dash.

 

Hi Guys, finally completed this project successfully. The sound with the stock speakers is crystal clear, full, and very satisfying. Far better than the oem hu. All of the av functions work perfectly, ie: USB media, SD media, CD/DVD media, AM/FM radio reception is excellant,(I removed the oem antenna, and installed a 13" flexible antenna that screws onto the oem mount). And finally the nav is right on position. I moved the GPS antenna from on top of the radio,(absolutely the wroug place for it, never had more than 1-3 sats), to on top of a brace that is located to the right of the right dash vent above the glovebox. There is nothing above it except insulation, and the plastic dash. This brace is steel, and connected to the frame of the car. SEE PIcts. I did not use the small 2.5" square self adhesive ground plane supplied by Pioneer, because the brace is a round shape and the supplied ground plane would not fit on it. The antenna is a strong magnet and stuck very well to the brace, after seeing that I was now acquiring at least 8 to 10 sats even in my garage, I used zip ties to secure the antenna to the brace. It is now tight and functional. I suspect that the entire car is now the ground plane, because I never see less than 8 to 10 sats. After finishing and buttoning it all back up,I took a long ride on the country road that I was on a few days ago, where I could not get even 1 sat, and with the new antenna placement I was acquiring 9 sats, so this location definitely works well, and is a good place to use, inside, secure, and no weather issues to worry about.
The brace is easy to get at, as all you have to do is open the glovebox door, drop it down by pressing inwards on the sides, and then remove the access panel on the side of the dash whick is visible with the pass door open, it just pulls out. You can now get good access to the brace and just run the wire from there over to the left behind the glovebox to the hu, only about a few feet away.
I have included some picts to show the brace area, the sats acquired, and the finished job. I also included a pict for the Microphone which I installed on the underside of the dash by the speedo. Also the small black boc you see stuck to the side plate of the hu is a remote sensor which allows me to use the handheld remote.
Thank you for all of your help and suggestions, this is a good forum, and a wealth of usable info.
Luck to all--Semper Fi--Jack