SIGMA antenna

Iv'e seen several posts, including one of my own regarding the SIGMA unit. Doing some Googling revealed that the unit is being sold by some Toyota and Nissan dealers for about $80.00.

http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchant2/mer...ode=999U9-SGMA1

The Illustration along with the unit shows the SIGMA unit with an additional box. The question is: Is the satellite receiver built into the head unit, making the second smaller unit a break out box to handle power and signal leads, Or is the Head unit just a really clutzy looking antenna making the second box the receiver. Of course the third choice is " None of the above"

I spoke to one of the service advisors at my local Toyota dealer and he said that the receiver was integrated into the head. I'm not sure he really knew what I was look for.

Does anybody have any definitive information?

If the receiver is in the head, I'm stuck with it for the moment. If it's just an antenna, I'd be good to go for integrating an external antenna under a Shark Fin AM/FM antenna.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GeoGeek @ Jun 14 2006, 09:26 AM) [snapback]271049[/snapback]</div>

Thanks, Matt. I will be taking a look a little later today.


Sy

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(syclone @ Jun 14 2006, 09:58 AM) [snapback]271063[/snapback]</div>

Matt:

No Luck! The radio head was not in the place illustrated in your photos. I'm not going to continue disassembling the car - looking for the darn thing. I'll try to find someone at the dealership that actually knows where they really put the radio.

Just to double check: The unit you removed was an ugly wedge shaped unit stuck up at the top of the windshield partially behind the rear view mirror wasn't it?

Sy

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GeoGeek @ Jun 14 2006, 01:25 PM) [snapback]271206[/snapback]</div>

Success at last. Calling on the phone got nowhere. I stopped in at the service department and got to one of the techs that install radios. He said it's either in the passenger side kick panel, or up in the cowl next to the lower glove box.

No room in thekick panel - lots of wiring and connectors. It was nestled right next the lower glove box, and not too securely attached ( 1 or 2 tie wraps.) Looks just like the picture on your web site.

On to the next step - get a Sirius antenna that will go under a Shark fin antenna.

Thanks for all your help, Matt

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GeoGeek @ Jun 22 2006, 08:25 AM) [snapback]275173[/snapback]</div>

Thanks again Matt. It certainly looks small enough to go under the Sharkfin. I ordered the Sharkfin and will wait until it comes in to order the antenna.

I noticed that in the pictures of the SIGMA kits available from Toyota dealers, that there is a splitter. Did you need to use one. The quick look I took of the Receiver unit looked like the MCX connector is a standard one seen on most satellite units. I know the antenna needs around 2.5 volts to power its internal amplifier. I'm assuming that the receiver unit supplies that voltage to the coax cable. I would guess that the splitter (or maybe it should be called a combiner) is needed for receivers that don't feed the required voltage.

Sy