I know the TCH is XM radio ready, but how do you actually hook it up? I've never had satellite radio before. Do you just go buy the little units they sell at Best Buy or other places and plug it into that storage area in the dash that has the 12v outlet and the aux outlet? For those of you who have it, is it even worth the monthly subscription?
You can bring it to the dealer and have them install it. Or buy the TCH model on the internet from a discount dealer and install it yourself or via a local stereo installer. I had the Sirius installed and love it - but whether its worth it depends on your subjective views. Toyota has a hold up on the Sirius kits and I think they can't be ordered till the end of the year.
Can I ask what it costs to have it installed either by the dealer or a local stereo place? I think I'd really enjoy it because we don't get many good (English speaking) radio stations here.
Just talked to the service manager about this very thing last night...my Camry will be in on the 11th, I already have an XM subscription, antenna, and the MyFi portable unit in my Tiburon. I wanted to find out if the MyFi could be wired to the back of the Camry's stereo, allowing me to control the XM through the buttons on the steering wheel and in-dash stereo. His answer was no, since the MyFi and the stereo controls wouldn't be speaking the same language (so to speak). He offered to wire the MyFi in with an FM modulator (and hiding all the cables), but I figured if I was going to pay for something, it wasn't going to be for an FM modulator. I opted for the $399 aftermarket XM install...I'll transfer my subscription to the car unit, and apparently that unit can be transferred to other Toyotas if you purchase another one. I'm not unhappy about this, since my husband and I have both had problems with our MyFi's, I just figured if I already had the receiver and the antenna...
Sorry I can't provide better technical details, but I hope this helps!
Can I ask what it costs to have it installed either by the dealer or a local stereo place? I think I'd really enjoy it because we don't get many good (English speaking) radio stations here.
What Clovis doesn't have any good station you have B 95 oh I miss that station and Clovis/Fresno has plenty of good English station just avoid the French stations LOL...
Jenn about Xm I would replace your factory Head unit din and get a unit like Mine with Xm traffic navi and a better upgrade vs the factory the key hear is integration yea it's going to cost you in the long run but with Blue-tooth Navi and Voice rec you can't go wrong. The Unit i have is the Pioneer Avic Z1 the unit has a 30 g hard drive Hdd system and stores all my cd's in the unit so No cd's which waste space plus with the Voice controls I talk to my unit and it plays the songs from the Label system the unit does. For a playback on my unit view this Link
Cost is priceless that's why i have my Visa card and pay the interest off and unit off soon
the Link below is my unit on using some of the features click on the pict to view the short video
If you have not experienced satellite radio yet, listen/play with it in a friends car or at any big box retailer. I think you'll be amazed at the content and be hooked. I've completely abandoned 'free' AM/FM to relieve myself of the nagging commercials and stale content.
As for how to get satellite radio for the Camry - you can buy a retail plug-n-play unit from XM or Sirius and transmit the signal by FM modulation or aux input into the Camry's JBL head unit. Costs for the units vary between $30 to $400 depending on features. Because this approach is not integrated into the JBL HU, you cannot change channel from the steering wheel or HU controls nor display the data (song title, artist, genre, etc).
The integrated approach is to buy the satellite tuner and fit kit (from dealer or on-line) and have it installed. This would be the cleanest approach with no visible added components on the dash. I went this route and bought the XM tuner/fit kit on-line from a toyota dealer in the northwest. Total cost was under $240 about 2 months ago and they will also send along the 15 page detailed Toyota installation instructions. I went very slowly and it took me slightly more than 3 hours to install and you don't have to be a technician to follow the clear instructions. The only additional tool recommended is a clip removal tool for about $10 that was very helpful to pull off panels and trim pieces. Dealer or radio installers will charge approximately 2 hours of labor.
The answer to your question is it worth it is rather subjective. Once you get past the initial equipment/installation cost you'll have to subscribe at $12.95 monthly (cheaper for yearly commitments). XM raised their price last spring while Sirius is expected to raise their price soon since they have not increased since the launch of service.
My drive is 20 minutes to work and it is worth it for me to avoid the stale content and 6 to 8 minutes of nagging commercials. My wife's drive is about 45 to 60 minutes one way to work and she cannot live without it. She says some of the music channels actually help relieve her stress level.
Hi, I have had the Hybrid for almost 4 month and 4,000 miles. I ordered it with the dealer installed XM radio. The Toyota set up is pure Rube Golberg. The reception antennae is mounted on the flat surface beneath the rear window and is held in place by a circular magnet. I live in the Northwest and we have many mountains and trees to interrupt the signal. This occurs very often with the antennae as it is. My dealer has had an earful from me and has authorized me to have an exterior mounted antennae installed at my choosing, and he will pick up the tab. An interior mounting just does not cut it. I traded in a '06 Acura TL with XM, and it worked very well, so I know it can be done. Another weak feature is the Toyota navi system, leaves a lot to be desired compared to the Honda system. Oh yes, the XM subscription is transferrable from one vehicle to the next.Just a simple phone call, and the number of your previous vehicle.
We recently rented a car from Avis that came with XM Radio.
In the 6 hr trip to Cincy my wife couldn't find any channels she liked.
I set it to one of the oldies channels but the playlist seemed only about 2 hours long before the songs started repeating.
Needless to say my TCH and XLE-V6 do not have satellite radio in them.
J
Hi, I have had the Hybrid for almost 4 month and 4,000 miles. I ordered it with the dealer installed XM radio. The Toyota set up is pure Rube Golberg. The reception antennae is mounted on the flat surface beneath the rear window and is held in place by a circular magnet. I live in the Northwest and we have many mountains and trees to interrupt the signal. This occurs very often with the antennae as it is. My dealer has had an earful from me and has authorized me to have an exterior mounted antennae installed at my choosing, and he will pick up the tab. An interior mounting just does not cut it. I traded in a '06 Acura TL with XM, and it worked very well, so I know it can be done. Another weak feature is the Toyota navi system, leaves a lot to be desired compared to the Honda system. Oh yes, the XM subscription is transferrable from one vehicle to the next.Just a simple phone call, and the number of your previous vehicle.
I agree with you I think the Toyota Navi system flat out sucks it's not as good as the Honda/Acura voice rec system much less the Unit is outdated technogoly. The new unit's coming from Honda are superior On design and feature's even thought Toyota updated the navi for 2007 with blue tooth and Mp3 these unit still come up rather short on feature's. If your buying new your better off to go aftermarket and Buy a pioneer Z1 with bluetooth and a 30g hard drive the system is as close to Honda on the features and has better overall value vs the Factory Toyo Navi head unit...
How do you get satellite radio on the Camry?
LOL...
Linear Mode
