Canadian Uconnect and Sirius

[North_Man]

I have the factory installed uconnect with a blackberry 7250 phone on Bell. Unit conects perfectly and hands free is awesome. One small issue, I can not get it to display battery level or signal strength on the factory REF (single disc) radio. Manual says it should and Chrysler has no answer so far. Anyone in Canada with factory Uconnect? In addition I think the REF radio IS capable of receiving sirius signal with some sort of dealer code upgrade. Anyone in Canada looking at sirius on factory unit?

[Mikeyjohn]

I have the factory installed uconnect with a blackberry 7250 phone on Bell. Unit conects perfectly and hands free is awesome. One small issue, I can not get it to display battery level or signal strength on the factory REF (single disc) radio. Manual says it should and Chrysler has no answer so far. Anyone in Canada with factory Uconnect? In addition I think the REF radio IS capable of receiving sirius signal with some sort of dealer code upgrade. Anyone in Canada looking at sirius on factory unit?

Sirius is not available on your car and was not installed as it is illegal in Canada. You will have to go to an after-market one with a US address, and that of course is now in the gray market area, thanks to our bloody government which may not be in power for much longer. Hammer give us an Amen on that!!!!!!

[mr.niftie]

Shipped it up from an American Dodge dealer and had my local dealer install it.
Haven't used FM since :)

[North_Man]

I know sirius is illegal, so is riding a bike without your helmet!!! That aside, I am convinced that the current Canadian installed radios ARE sirius capable with a simple flash upgrade or something. I also will go the US route soon if I don't have a solution. CBC is nice but I don't need it all day!!

[mr.niftie]

I'm not here to argue the finer points of law. I paid for my radio and my susbscription so I have no guilt!
All what I was trying to say is that YES, it does work.
The radios are all the same.
The dealer just activates it on the head unit to say that the sateliite radio is on the bus.
On a side note, Sirius has limited time offer where you can pay one lump sum and get an unlimited lifetime subsrcitpion and that's what I did.

[North_Man]

I'm with you mr niftie we should be able to get what ever we want. Thanks for the reply, could you just clear up a point or two. My assumption is that I purchase the sirius kit from the US, and ask my dealer in Canada to install it (I already know he will, he likes me!!) The canadian dealer is able to activate it on the head unit? or do I need the US dealer to do that? Thanks for you help..

[mr.niftie]

I'm with you mr niftie we should be able to get what ever we want. Thanks for the reply, could you just clear up a point or two. My assumption is that I purchase the sirius kit from the US, and ask my dealer in Canada to install it (I already know he will, he likes me!!) YES
The canadian dealer is able to activate it on the head unit? YES
or do I need the US dealer to do that? NO
Thanks for you help..

Lockwood in Oakville did it for me so they have a pretty good handle on it!

[Mikeyjohn]

I know sirius is illegal, so is riding a bike without your helmet!!! That aside, I am convinced that the current Canadian installed radios ARE sirius capable with a simple flash upgrade or something. I also will go the US route soon if I don't have a solution. CBC is nice but I don't need it all day!!
That was a snide comment!!!! Sirius is NOT available on Cdn cars, you have to get the module. What is it that you don't understand.? If you want to go with the Sirius then go ahead. Don't get me going on the CBC!!!!

[North_Man]

My somewhat snide comment was directed at the Canadian Government, not any of you folks. Unless one of you is the Prime Minister. Thanks for your help on my sirius situation.

[Mikeyjohn]

My somewhat snide comment was directed at the Canadian Government, not any of you folks. Unless one of you is the Prime Minister. Thanks for your help on my sirius situation.

Now I agree with you!!!! Good luck on your Sirius attempts.

[MaineMagnumRT]

So just to confirm things here. Sirrus will work in Canada? I'm from Maine but I am attending Bishops University next year. I'm not going to bother to renew my Sirrus subscription if it isn't going to work in Canada.

[mr.niftie]

I don't know if it works everywhere but it works in Southern Ontario for sure.
I've confirmed it to north of Peterborough.

[markyneutron]

The real block on sirius in Canada is our version of the FCC, but the satellite will receive in Canada.

[Mikeyjohn]

So just to confirm things here. Sirrus will work in Canada? I'm from Maine but I am attending Bishops University next year. I'm not going to bother to renew my Sirrus subscription if it isn't going to work in Canada.

You will have no problems anywhere up here.

[MaineMagnumRT]

Thanks for the info guys.

[albertabound]

Have been awaiting final approval of launch of Sirus Radio Canadian version and now that it has come and the radios are flooding into the big box stores I contacted Daimler/Chrysler Canada.

Thought it would be an easy feat to get my dealer to order in the radio and have them install it to my Magnum GPS Navigation/Radio system, just like they do in the US. After all Magnum is built in Canada; the Sirius radios that are now being sold in Canada are identical to those in the US with only difference being the chip to receive the Canadian signal. My manual for the GPS Navigation/radio system has all the details on operating the Sirius Satellite radio so off I got to the dealer.

The service tech and the parts manager think that I have come from Mars. They know nothing about getting the satellite radio and then having it installed and really don't want to. Suggest that I send an email to DC customer support.

Send the email and finally get a reply that contains the normal mumbo jumbo that I seem to get when I ask them a question. Chysler only sells parts and accessories through MOPAR so getting a Sirius satellite radio and wanting it installed would not work. I should make contact with my dealer so that I can be informed if and when they get satellite radios that can be installed by the dealer.

Why am I surprised. I got ripped off when purchasing the GPS system when I found out after purchase that Canadian coverage other than Metro Toronto , lower mainland area of BC and Calgary were about the only areas covered. I tried to get further info from the dealer, Daimler/
Chrysler and Alpine ( who makes the system ) about Canadian upgrades and got the same runaround.

I love the Magnum RT but the customer support sure does not live up to that I have had over the past five years from Toyota and Ford( and Ford was nothing great)

[North_Man]

Same situation here in Northern Ontario, my dealer has more than 20 people lined up for sirius and Chrysler knows nothing about it. I did the same calling. The part number required is in the warehouse in Winnipeg, I have one on order if they will release it. (they would not 2 months ago). I know the radio is compatable and I want it. Chrysler is dropping the ball on this one big time.

[mr.niftie]

CAll me crazy but why are some people so hung up on Sirius Canada?

Buy your Sirius radio & install kit from any Dodge dealer in the States.
It ships over the border NO problems and your local dealer can install it.
That's what I did in the Spring and I've been lovin' it ever since.
You do realize that Sirius Canada will be different than Sirius US right???
Sirius Canada WILL censor!!! They've already admitted they wil . . .

[Jaak]

The hardware's the same, so get the best deal you can find, US or Canada. Where you register the radio ID will determine which service you get, it has nothing to do with where you buy the hardware.

[mr.niftie]

I'm confused. You say the radio ID determines which sevice you'll get but that's hardware right? So Canadian sirius radio would only get Canadian and US only US no? Putting an American radio into a Canadian car would get you American service? or not? . . . I did after all register with the American phone # and my American adress.

[Jaak]

The radio ID is programmed in to the hardware. When you register with Sirius, you have to tell them the radio ID and then they put it in their system which determines what channels are enabled in the receiver.

The entire system hardware is identical no matter where you buy it (Except for programmed ID), it's just what they allow you to receive that makes the difference.

So, the radio ID determines which service, only because you said "Hi, I'm IDXXXXX and I'm registering for the Canadian service." which they enter into the system as Canadian subscriber and enable as such. The system then broadcasts this information which all recievers ignore, except yours. When it finally catches it, it then turns on the permitted channels. (Which is why when you first subscribe, you have to leave the receiver on for a while.)

So if you buy an American sold reciever and register it in Canada with Sirius, you will get the Canadian version of their services. The receiver doesn't know which country it was sold in, but it does know what channels to enable reception for, soley based on what the system tells it.

On a side note, the worst place for coverage for Sirius, is Far north west and far north east. The constellation of satellites is a group of three that do this little waltz north and south up and down the centre of the US (and even dip below the equator). Normally your receiver should be able to "see" two satellites at a time, to ensure good coverage. Because the Sirius satellites move, dead zones in reception shift a little, depending on where they are.

XM works a bit differently, with two satellites, one on the left coast and one on the right coast, that are geosynchronous and don't move. (Relative to us, of course all satellites are moving, or they'd fall down.) There's a plaza near me that kills my XM reception when I drive in front of it, due to the shadow from the building. I'm curious to see how Sirius does there...

[mr.niftie]

Holy detail JAAKman! Thanks . . .

[North_Man]

Excellent info gents! I suspected that was the case, I tried to order the Canadian part again this weekend but the order was rejected by Chrysler. (Dealer part order refused by Corporate) Once I get the hardware I will decide "where I live" to enable the service. Turns out I have a clone in the US that I can use when/if required !!!

[Mikeyjohn]

I called my dealer yesterday, and they also know nothing about ordering the DC sirrius radio module. My newspapers are running major ads from both Sirrius and XM the last week or so since Sat radio was released in Canada.

I told my dealer they are missing the boat on this one as Christmas is so near.

I have the SG11 Boston system but without Nav and am wondering if any other Canucks have checked out if an after-market system can be integrated in our existing system, plus if the title of song will display on current radio as it does with MP3?

This could be my Christmas present!!!!!

[Inferno Red]

OK, just to be sure my ageing brain has this straight (my car was built Nov 14, if that matters):

Does my radio have the ability to receive Sirius as is? If not, does that mean that until last week, for every Canadian-ordered car with the Nav option, they installed a special, non-Sirius equipped radio unit?

[mr.niftie]

The Sirius radio is a separate unit that interfaces (quite nicely) to the factory head.

[albertabound]

OK, just to be sure my ageing brain has this straight (my car was built Nov 14, if that matters):

Does my radio have the ability to receive Sirius as is? If not, does that mean that until last week, for every Canadian-ordered car with the Nav option, they installed a special, non-Sirius equipped radio unit?

If you go to the US Mopar site www.mopar.com, and follow the links for other Dodge Accessories ( choose Magnum from the drop down list) your can get a look at the Sirius radio component. There is also a description of the components and also of the installation kit.

Everything is ready on Canadian registered vehicles. It is just getting DC Canada to release the units to their Canadian Dealers.

[Inferno Red]

Thanks, ab. So, since the sales brochure clearly says Sirius radio is part of SRT Option Group III, I'll call my dealer and ask when I can come in to have them install it (no charge, of course).

[Jaak]

It was clearly listed on the dealer's computer too, for that option group. In Ontario, two weeks ago.

[albertabound]

I have now contacted five dodge dealers in Calgary about ordering the Sirius Satellite radio component for 2005 Magnum RT with REC Navigation radio. The three that actually followed up on my request were all told that Chrysler will be releasing the component in Canada in the future but can not get a firm date.

I spend each March golfing in Oxnard Ca., so I contacted a Dodge dealer in Ventura County, They have the component in stock and can install it when I am down there. Contacted Sirius Radio Canada and the tech guy I talked with confirmed what JAAK said earlier on this thread. When registering the radio advise that I want the Canadian Channels and give my Canadian address. As the guy said we don't care which channels you want as long as you have a valid credit card.

Would be nice to have the radio to listen to on the three day trip down and keep in touch with what is going on in Canada. No problem once I get there as I take my laptop, but always nice to listen to the odd hockey game and keep up to date on the mens curling at the Briar.