Onstar Antenna

[Al Robinson]

fbodfather or anyone else. Does anyone know if the onstar antenna on the Camaro can be painted to match the body? If so using what paint? If not why not? I have seen other cars ( Lexus ) with them the same color as the body. Just a question.

[Moose]

I'm hope it's located at the rear of the roof.

I recently looked at the Saturn Aura, and the antennae is located directly over the windshield.

[Al Robinson]

Originally Posted by Moose

I'm hope it's located at the rear of the roof.

I recently looked at the Saturn Aura, and the antennae is located directly over the windshield.

It is. It's that shark fin looking thing on the roof.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Al Robinson

It is. It's that shark fin looking thing on the roof.

DOH! I knew that! (momentary brain cramp)

[Mblock66]

can you get the car without it. I won't ever use onstar

[Rocks RS]

Originally Posted by Mblock66

can you get the car without it. I won't ever use onstar

Nope, it will be standard on all models I think.

You might take it off yourself but you might have warranty issues and a hole.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Mblock66

can you get the car without it. I won't ever use onstar

It's standard for one year. If you never use it, your service will just stop after a year.

[35th02ss]

I'm sure someone will come up with a cover.........Trust me you'll be glad to have it if you ever need it........It's helped me once or twice.......

[aston70]

What happens if you let your service run out, and then you have a collision? Do they still call the paramedics?

[Bentley78]

They could have found a more discreet place to put the thing, trunk or something but right on top of the roof!?! Come on! If you dont like it as much as i do, bring it down to your local audio place and have them revert it to someplace else with a smaller XM antenna and patch the roof hole

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by aston70

What happens if you let your service run out, and then you have a collision? Do they still call the paramedics?

I think if your service runs out, then the OnStar button becomes a waste of space. There wouldn't be a satellite feed from the antenna anymore, so no, they wouldn't call the paramedics.

[aston70]

Originally Posted by Bentley78

They could have found a more discreet place to put the thing, trunk or something but right on top of the roof!?! Come on! If you dont like it as much as i do, bring it down to your local audio place and have them revert it to someplace else with a smaller XM antenna and patch the roof hole

This is just a guess, but the antenna probably uses the roof as a ground plane.

[speedbroker]

I agree they should have a smaller antenna and matched to the body color. If anything I am guessing aftermarket will offer a more discrete variant...

Personally, I am waiting for the convertable and they slap it on the trunk for that model. I am hoping by the time it comes out they will have made some basic changes to it. It should not cost GM too much to find a smaller one and offer a color coded options.

[ss09]

yeah they still are listening to everything ur doing even when the service stops. i leased a 2007 cadillac escalade for my girl. we broke up and i would of been stuck with the debt. last week she totalled it. She is alive and well and im out with no bill. ... when she crashed they called the 50. the service was off for months.

[ss09]

Originally Posted by aston70

What happens if you let your service run out, and then you have a collision? Do they still call the paramedics?

i answerd in the wrond section. its below. ss09

[aston70]

Originally Posted by ss09

yeah they still are listening to everything ur doing even when the service stops. i leased a 2007 cadillac escalade for my girl. we broke up and i would of been stuck with the debt. last week she totalled it. She is alive and well and im out with no bill. ... when she crashed they called the 50. the service was off for months.

I just wondered about that. It seems to me that if you know someone is hurt and you don't do anything about it, you could be held liable... I don't know. Especially if you're a large corporation with lots of money. Just seems like lawyers would have a field day with something like that. That's interesting.

[greenrail]

I may be mistaken, but that antenna may also be for the Standard Radio reception also.

Much like many changes in design and function, this is probably something you and I may have to live with. Much like a windshield antenna, power antenna or other design over the years.

Personally, I would hate to be the oddball with a stick type mast antenna sticking out of my front fender or rear quarter panel. But that's just me.

[fastball]

This is my biggest complaint about the car, and for me it's actually quite important.

When you look at other manufacturers, like Honda, Toyota, and BMW, their satellite radio/telemetry antennas are NOT as cheap and flimsy looking as GM's. They are all body color, solid, and aerodynamically more integrated into the roof than GM's. GM satellite antennas are all gray, unsightly, and grainy cheap plastic. If you get a light colored car, they stick out like a sore thumb.

I have continuously asked Fbodfather this question myself, but have yet to get an answer.

Untill I get the real answer, I will just continue to assume GM is just too cheap to make a good looking antenna and apparently see no harm in cutting corners.

For me personally, it's unacceptable. I will probably remove the antenna and have a professional body shop seal the hole, paint it, and blend the roof so you will never know there ever was one to begin with.

Now, if GM had opted to put an extra $.17 into the thing and make it look as nice as their competitors (even cheapo Honda Civics have a nice looking satellite antenna), I wouldn't even think about fiddling with my roof.

[aston70]

Originally Posted by greenrail

I may be mistaken, but that antenna may also be for the Standard Radio reception also.

I think it does have the XM radio antenna built in. Those higher frequencies allow those bands to use much shorter antennas.

The FM antenna needs about 30" (roughly) to be optimum length and may be separate in the window glass, while the AM is usually a coil inside the radio.

[radz28]

IMVHO, I don't think the antenna looks bad, however, it doesn't belong on this car. My wifey's Jetta has one, and it doesn't look bad, mostly because the car is black, so it doesn't jump out, but that baby just sticks out like a sore thumb. I think that they may use it regardless of the OnStar; it's probably the standard antenna. I don't know for sure though- just a guess

[fastball]

Originally Posted by radz282003

IMVHO, I don't think the antenna looks bad, however, it doesn't belong on this car. My wifey's Jetta has one, and it doesn't look bad, mostly because the car is black, so it doesn't jump out, but that baby just sticks out like a sore thumb. I think that they may use it regardless of the OnStar; it's probably the standard antenna. I don't know for sure though- just a guess

It will be on every car, because every car comes with OnStar standard for one year. So they will all have the OnStar electronics built in, even if you opt not to keep it after the year.

[Skyman 08]

Originally Posted by aston70

I think it does have the XM radio antenna built in. Those higher frequencies allow those bands to use much shorter antennas.

The FM antenna needs about 30" (roughly) to be optimum length and may be separate in the window glass, while the AM is usually a coil inside the radio.

AM uses the same antenna as the FM, try unplugging your antenna wire you lose reception on both am and fm, too much metal surrounds the radio for the am to work with a loop antenna in the radio...

[TAG UR IT]

I don't mind the antenna at all. Don't mind if it's painted or left black.

[aston70]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

AM uses the same antenna as the FM, try unplugging your antenna wire you lose reception on both am and fm, too much metal surrounds the radio for the am to work with a loop antenna in the radio...

Yeah, you're right. I didn't realize that. So I speculate they must tune the AM radio to the FM antenna electronically then. idk... BTW, I was thinking a long-wire coil antenna, not a loop. Loops are directional.

So do the satelite radios use the same antenna for all bands? I don't have one or I would check to see for myself.

[Mungo]

Back to the orininal question, can it be painted to match the body color without interfering with the reception? Does anyone know?