My Sirius radio car installation (and what I listen to)

Since I appear each week on Sirius Radio (Maxim Channel 108) on the Level Up show about video games, I thought I should finally get Sirius in my car. After all, the traffic can be brutal in Seattle and this would certainly help pass the time. While I already have a Stiletto 100 at home (with an external antenna mounted on my house) I decided to take the plunge for the car, which I seem to be spending a great deal of time due to said traffic.

I decided early on that I did not want to take a portable unit and just use the AUX jack on my 07 Prius. I wanted to do it the right way and I wanted an installation that is integrated with my factory installed JBL audio system. For about $150, I was able to get the SCC1 and the TOY-SC1 that was exactly what I was looking for. The SCC1 is the part that receives the satellite signal and connects to the TOY-SC1, which allows my headunit to control the Sirius signal. (You need both parts.)

I wanted to the install to be even better, so instead of mounting the antenna on the top of the car, I decided to do something a little more interesting: I mounted the antenna INSIDE the rear fin of the Prius. Since the fin is fiberglass and hollow I was able to mount it inside which, in addition to protecting it from the elements or theft, also relieves me from having am unsightly wart on the top of my car.
I decided go this route after chatting with an old radio engineer I used to work with (and who now works in engineering at Sirius) told me that my reception won’t suffer greatly (if at all.) I do wish that this unit had the ability to tell me the signal strength, so I could know what’s going on…but oh well.

So far it works greatcompletely seamless in to the car’s audio system and a ton of channels to listen to while I am in traffic. Currently, this unit gives me 18 presets, which I have set as:

1 (8) Big 80’s
2 (12) Super Shuffle
3 (14) Classic Vinyl
4 (30 Coffee House
5 (33) Area 33
6 (34) Boombox
7 (53) Soul Town
8 (72) Pure Jazz
9 (75) Siriusly Sinatra
10 (100) Howard 100
11 (108) Maxim
12 (118) Radio Classics
13 (120) ESPN Radio
14 (130) Bloomberg Radio
15 (132) CNN Headline News
16 (134) NPR Now
17 (141) BBC World Service News
18 (156) Seattle traffic/weather

I would post pictures, but that is the beauty of this installationyou cant tell at all. Pictures would therefore be pointless. If you have a Toyota, Lexus or Scion (made after 2004) and you are looking for a way to expand you audio universe, I highly recommend this approach. Let me know if you have any questions.