[Don604]

I have a stock 2003 IS300 and am looking to install a GPS. However, I do not want to put the antenna outside the cabin, or clip it to a trunk lid as that could eventually mess up the paint job, let alone the rubber seals (voice of experience).

What seems like a fair idea is to put the antenna on the rear window deck so it has a clear view of the sky, and then to run the cable to the GPS itself.

Any ideas on the best way to route the cabling from the deck into the trunk? Solutions that keep the esthetics of the cabin intact (aka not drilling holes) are preferred.

All ideas welcome!

Thanks, Don

 

[AZNHYPNOTIQ]

mine is on the front dash.

 

[peelsIS]

i've never had a GPS in my car. but for my XM i put it on the front dash.

 

[austin683]

I've got a globalsat receiver in the dash in the glovebox area. Connects to ~9 sats consistently. Under the dash tray area would be ideal but I was getting too much RF interference from my unshielded LCD monitor there.

 

[squished300ztt]

I mounted both my D3 and sirrius antenna's on the back dash and get great reception for both. I think it is a good mounting place because if your windows are tinted and you place the antenna's behind the headrests you can't even tell they are there.

 

[timmoonly]

Just remove the back seat and there are holes behind it to run the wires..

 

[Don604]

I am not familiar with how to remove the back seat.

In the past I had a Honda and pulled out the bottom seat, and then could unbolt the back. It is the same with the IS300?

 

[rL-gT]

When you take out your front dash vents. You have a nice little bit of space there.

I used that space to mount my D3 GPS antenna. I get great reception.

and the backseats for the IS3 can be a bit tricky. Removing the bottom bench is cake. Its the upper part of the seat thats tricky.

Search for it.

 

[timmoonly]

Back Seat

I am not familiar with how to remove the back seat.

In the past I had a Honda and pulled out the bottom seat, and then could unbolt the back. It is the same with the IS300?

The bottom pulls up like most cars do. Once the bottom is up the a a couple bolt that hold the back. Remove those and lift up on the bottom of the back. It will take some pressure but it will come. You wont be able to take it all the way out unless you remove seat belt brackets, but there is enough room with it pulled forward. After that is pulled forward take the piller panmel off of each side by the window by pulling. Then the top deck just pulls up.

 

[Rockhard]

I put my sirius antenna on the rear deck and it works great. I just put the hook side of some velcro under the antenna so it wont slide around when i hit bumps or take some twisties

 

[azn4life]

My GPS antenna is mounted on my rear window and Sirius on rear trunk

 

[Don604]

Thanks for all the good input. Here is how I did the install of both a GPS antenna and rubber-ducky transceiver antenna.

Following advice above, I took the front of my rear seat and yanked it straight up, then pulled it out. Four bolts hold the back, but it doesn't come free easily (at least not for me). Reinstallation later required a bit of care to get the bottom seat clip in place right and get it to "click" back in so the seat was solid, but it worked well.

On the right side about 8-10" below the deck and behind the seat is a port through to the truck where I could run my coaxial cables from the antenna. Ran the cables across the back of the deck at the seat join (will use upholstery pins/screws to hold down the cable. The GPS antenna is slung on the extreme back behind the speaker.

I got some plexiglass and using a small torch bent it about 30 degrees, and drilled a 1/2" hole. Then with great care pried the plastic cover off the seat restraint, and then removed the bolt (12mm). Then the plexi mount could be bolted down using the seat restraint.

An over-the-window mount for a rubber-ducky antenna could then be clamped onto the plexiglass to provide an in-the-car transceiver antenna with exposure out the back window, ground plain on the rear deck, and enough space to be mounted with slight angle toward the center head-rest. All inside, secure, and totally weather-proof.

Sounds like a lot of work for a simple GPS doesn't it? That's because it's more than a simple GPS or navigation system. It is all part of an active GPS tracking system so wherever my car is, I can find it -- even if someone else is driving it.

Maybe not everyone's cuppa tea, but cool to the techno-geeks I would bet.

Thanks for your help!
Don