Kendrick Erickson

1992 Ford Explorer XM Install

Way back when I had a '92 Ford Explorer. I installed a Pro-Fit VSM and the Delphi FM modulator so I could have my XM in the truck. Beats commuting to the local radio stations. In any case, it eventually died and was replaced by the Focus.

  For the antenna placement, I chose the front side of the roof so I could run the antenna wire through the weather stripping along the door and the windshield. Externally, the only place you can see the antenna wire is leading from the antenna itself and from the windshield weather stripping to the door weather stripping. The weather stripping ends inside the door, so the wire spills out of the end of the stripping, and has enough slack to allow the door to close (it was originally taped down, but the truck is so dirty that it came off--I guess it's time to wash it) and then run in behind the dash paneling. From behind the dash paneling it runs underneath the dash. I used a plastic tie to keep the wire away from my feet in the course of normal driving. (The picture was taken at a weird angle. The tied part of the wire is vertical.) You can see the wire and the tie on the left, it then moves down behind the carpeting, where it is also taped in place, over to underneath the center console, on the right.  

  The wire moving up into the center console (dead center). The general exterior view of the center console. All the wiring and the FM modulator is tucked to the right of the climate controls where there is a nice gap to stick stuff in. The FM modulator is spliced into the power for the cigarette lighter. I would have taken pictures of the internals, but alas, I forgot. Behind the Delphi, a piece of electrical tape holds the wires to the back of the unit, and then are snuck behind the VSM into the center console. To those who think that electrical tape is a big !! >:(, you can't see it unless you're looking for it. *shrugs* It's good enough for me. A close up view of the front of the Delphi, you can't pick out the unused holes of the VSM while in the driver's seat. (See the following driver's side pictures.) I had to mount it off-center because it simply wouldn't fit the way it was supposed to be mounted. That and I'm too darn cheap to buy an extention for the VSM. :D A generic view of the SkyFi. (Darn JPEG artifacts.)  

  A view of the SkyFi from the driver's seat. Please note that the hairy leg does not come with the car kit. A closer, more representative view of what I see from the driver's seat while looking at the SkyFi. I'm a tall guy, so the SkyFi is a perfect distance from my seat, where my outstreched arm reaches the console nicely. Viewing angle is also optimal. The passenger side view of the installation. The VSM is not movable, I didn't see a need since it's usually a one-passenger vehicle. That and I hate people playing with my radio anyway. They'll get a hand slap if they try and play with it. The obligatory (((XM))) sticker shot, courtesy of XM411.com's Ziggy (whom I also purchased the VSM from--living in Minnesota where the company is based, I was able to pick it up the same day. Thanks again!).  

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