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[Z man]

Is anyone else frustrated with reception problems with their Harley XM radio?

I just got my 2010 Ultra Classic CVO and of course XM radio is part of the internal Harmon Kardon system.  I now use XM in two cars with only occasional loss of signal while I'm traveling.  I had also installed a reciever onto the handle bars on my 2005 Ultra that I just traded for the 2010 with few reception issues.

I expect to loose signals when I am near a significant hillside or some other major obstruction and there is no line of sight between the antenna and the satelite.  The reception is terrible on my HD!!!!  It looses signal even if it is completely out in the open with no obstructions to the satelite at all.  My dealer says this is a common occurance with HD's but I just won't accept that as an excuse for why THIS radio does not work as well as my other XM radio's. 

Any advise or input from other owners who use XM would be greatly appreciated.  I listen to XM more than any other source and I hate to install another portable reciever unit on the handle bars when XMs already built in!

Thanks!

Z man

[mjb765]

Some people have had luck relocating the XM antenna from inside the fairing to outside. If you have fairing pouches on the dash, the antenna slips in between them nicely.

[grc]

From what I've read here and elsewhere, the main problem seems to be the antenna.  Try moving it outside the fairing as noted by mjb765.  Then tell your dealer that just because something is a common occurrence with the crappy product he sells doesn't make it right or acceptable. 

Btw, have you ever wondered why the auto companies don't bury the sat antenna under the dash? 


Jerry

[Midnight Rider]

I moved mine on my '06 SEUC (same configuration) to the middle of the leather dash.  Attached it with a velcro sticky pad. It's black, so barely noticeable.  Reception was 100% better.  If you mount pouches, as suggested above, you won't see it at all, but it's not bad sitting there...it's small.  Don't know if you've taken a look, but where HD mounts the "puck" is on a bracket very close to the left side inner fairing, so direct line is right where the windshield mounts.  Worse possible place, but alternatives are limited...I tried it on top of the radio, inside the fairing, but it wasn't much better.  The wire is small, so with a couple of wraps of black electrical tape, you can run it between the outer/inner fairing without pinching it to any extent that matters.

[Z man]

When I installed the XM on my 2005, I placed the magnetic antenna right on top of the radio under the fairing and it worked just fine under there!  I left all the wiring and antenna on theold  bike when I traded it since the new one (I assumed would work as well) had been "professionally" installed?  So much for the Motor Company, right?

I hate to start taking everything apart to start experimenting with it myself.  It's a realpain to remove the faring, especially to get the windshield trim back on with leather bag on top of the dash!  I wonder if a "different" non-HD XM antenna would improve reception like I had it before?

Z

[Tirpitz]

I have the antenna on top of the left speaker (as you are sitting on the bike) inside the fairing and it works good and is protected from the weather.   

[Z man]

Now that sounds like something worth trying.  Thanks!

[Midnight Rider]

When I installed the XM on my 2005, I placed the magnetic antenna right on top of the radio under the fairing and it worked just fine under there!  I left all the wiring and antenna on theold  bike when I traded it since the new one (I assumed would work as well) had been "professionally" installed?  So much for the Motor Company, right?

I hate to start taking everything apart to start experimenting with it myself.  It's a realpain to remove the faring, especially to get the windshield trim back on with leather bag on top of the dash!  I wonder if a "different" non-HD XM antenna would improve reception like I had it before?Z

I don't think it would plug into the HK radio module for XM.  You could always upgrade to a Road Tech 665 which has it's own XM function, but then you have some other issues feeding it to the radio.

[Z man]

Does the Road Tech 665 send XM signal through the FM frequency like the protable XM recievers do?

[Midnight Rider]

Does the Road Tech 665 send XM signal through the FM frequency like the protable XM recievers do?

I'm not sure, but I think you'd have to feed it into the Aux input on the HK face, or install an Aux input on the back of the radio so you wouldn't have a wire exposed...a lot of folks here have done just that for other radio inputs.

[Z man]

I think I have the problem fixed!  I believe the antenna had a poor connection to the reciever and the location made a difference too.  I took the original antenna off, shortened the pink shaft the antenna attached to and anstalled another antenna on the front edge of the top of the radio.  I now have a solid three bar signal!  I know more when I road test it more, but things look good right now.  I hardly got any signal parked in my garage and now have a decent signal. 

Thanks for all the suggestions and replies!

Z man

[C2CRider]

From the same thread, earlier post.

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=65213.0

[spada84]

Mine loses reception if traveling certian directions (mostly within 2 or 3 degrees either side of North).  My 08 did the same thing after I installed the chrome trim on the batwing.  This piece of metal is exactly in the way of the antenna when heading north.  I wanted to install the HUGE home antenna that I have laying around in my office, but the antenna plug is different on the back of the HK unit.  I'm going to move the antenna next time I have the fariring apart.  Problem is, it's tight under my fairing with the addition of 2 HID ballasts, a BOMM, and a SmartTag.  On a side note, the SmartTag is wire tied on top of the HK unit at the proper angle and works every time.

[Jock]

I moved mine on my '06 SEUC (same configuration) to the middle of the leather dash.  Attached it with a velcro sticky pad. It's black, so barely noticeable.  Reception was 100% better.  If you mount pouches, as suggested above, you won't see it at all, but it's not bad sitting there...it's small.  Don't know if you've taken a look, but where HD mounts the "puck" is on a bracket very close to the left side inner fairing, so direct line is right where the windshield mounts.  Worse possible place, but alternatives are limited...I tried it on top of the radio, inside the fairing, but it wasn't much better.  The wire is small, so with a couple of wraps of black electrical tape, you can run it between the outer/inner fairing without pinching it to any extent that matters.

Nice call out...think I will give that a try...Thanks