Is the Roady 2 worth looking into? We are going to be driving down to LA from Oregon and we lose radio in some spots.

Wade

[quote:510da0e3a5=" "]Is the Roady 2 worth looking into? We are going to be driving down to LA from Oregon and we lose radio in some spots.

Wade[/quote:510da0e3a5]

Hell YES! Been a subscriber for over a year and still love every minute of XM.

Second the HELL yes!!!

Third time on the hell yes is a charm. Love my Roady and XM.

totally.

i've got the roady and the fiance has a roady2. haven't listened to the radio or used the cd player since. :D

I've been intrigued by satellite radio since it came out, but have stayed away because I did not want the decidedly "aftermarket" look of a receiver/control unit afiixed somewhere to the interior, nor did I want the additional cables dangling from the dash if the unit was removed. In short, I wanted a solution that was no more complicated to use than my ipod, even if it means hassle during the install phase. From looking at the roady2, it seems as though I may be close to that solution.

So, for those that have a roady, my question is how the antenna plugs into the roady unit (what type of plug). My ideal solution would be to run the antenna wire under the plastic roofline trim and into the E behind the firewall, and then permanently add a jack to the dash area next to the power point/AUX jack. I would then just have a short patch cord connecting the roady unit to the antenna jack, just like plugging an ipod into the AUX jack. I had considered ordering an additional AUX/powerpoint cover assembly from Honda just to make the whole thing look neat. I would even be willing to assemble a patch cord with the correct plugs to make this antenna jack system work. Can a roady owner chime in and opine as to whether or not this is feasible? I truly believe it could work, but I just need to understand the antenna plug configuration.

Thanks!

The antenna route you describe is 100% feasible and probably the easiest issue to deal with if you want a completely clean look. The bigger issues, IMHO, are power and mounting.

The power adapter obviously can plug into the outlet near the AUX. But the adapter has a good 6 feet of wire. One post I saw the dash panel above the outlet was removed and the cables stuffed up in there. So that is an option.

If you want to mount the roady to the passenger side dash, the AUX cable is easy, just get a 1' 1/8" to 1/8" cord from radio shack and you are set.

Then comes the mounting. Personally, I decided to deal with a little bit of exposed wiring and mounting my SkyFi (About 50% larger then the roady) to the driver side dash directly to the top right of the gas gauge. I can reach the controls and see the display a lot easier. I ran the wiring under the driver side dash, through the back of the sub woofer, and back up the passenger side. So yes, I have exposed wires and no big deal for me. The trade off in practical usability was worth it for me.

You can buy a roady remote (it is not included) as an extra if you mount it to the passenger side unless you want to reach over to it. Pro-fit makes some excellent aftermarket mounts that I prefer over the stock ones the roady comes with, but I understand the roady 2 includes 3-4 mounts instead of the 1 that Delphi use to provide. Check out the Pro-Fit mounts on myradiostore.com (also check out xm411.com for excellent advice on installs.

The reason I use the SkyFi over the roady is because of the cradle situation. They roady is portable, but requires 3 cables to disconnect to remove it. The SkyFi has thec cradle, so you just take the unit out of the cradle, but the trade-off is size.

My wife does have a roady and it is light enough and small enough that I was able to mount it to here dash with nothing more then velcro on the back of it.

Best of luck and let us know if you get it and how the install goes. There are 100's of options of where and how to install.

Nickel - fabulous reply - thanks. I commonly use a mini-jack cable with my ipod and just toss the ipod into the tray on the passenger side. The patch cord is only about 1', but its long enough for me to use while seated in the driver's seat. I have been looking at mounts, and will probably go that route, especially once I figure out how to manage the roady antenna wire.

I commonly deal with a small rat's nest of cord with the ipod, especially when I have the power cord plugged in, and I don't mind that while the device is in use. I would just like to remove the whole setup and stash it away when not using it, hence my desire for the clean antenna mount. I often leave my E in parks or roadside areas while kayaking, and the local methamphetamine set frequents a couple of these areas to steal equipment, as they know kayakers are typically gone for long periods of time. I'm simply trying to limit the E's appeal as a target. Plus I just like the concept of a totally clean install.

I guess my only other question relates to the antenna plug itself. I'm assuming there is a plug on the roady for the antenna to connect to. What style of jack/cord is it? I'm trying to figure out how easy or hard it would be to find a jack I could mount into the dash.

Thanks!

Nickel II is right on about the antenna mounting etc. Good advice! But if you mount it in front of the passenger, you'll be moving it again as I did. The problem is that the driver will be unable to see the small buttons and read the display while driving. This would be just fine if you only listen to one station.

Try using it "on the go" placed somewhere near the intended location before mounting it permanently. Happy listening!

Old Man - Houston

heres the plug style for the roady its a 90 degree
http://www.myradiostore.us/antennas-cables/for-roady/mrs-roady-micro-antenna.html
i ran mine from the back by tucking under upper trim to seam above where the doors meet then down into rubber following the door to the bottom of the dash and under
then ran through subwoofer housing using the supplied bracket i mounted just above the sub

[quote:702a3665f6=" "]Nickel II is right on about the antenna mounting etc. Good advice! But if you mount it in front of the passenger, you'll be moving it again as I did. The problem is that the driver will be unable to see the small buttons and read the display while driving. This would be just fine if you only listen to one station.

Try using it "on the go" placed somewhere near the intended location before mounting it permanently. Happy listening!

Old Man - Houston[/quote:702a3665f6]

Old Man Houston - Where did you mount yours. Seems like I might be the only one who has stated they mounted the XM above the gas gauge. Either passenger side or above subwoofer seems to be the most popular.

I'm like you, I didn't want to look that far to the right and down to see the display.

whats best about the roady is the preset buttons so you dont have to really look down at it that much