KNGM1V6 problem - never activated 902

[jsm174]

Hello.

 

I just installed a KNGM1V6 in my 2003 Silverado on a Bose

radio.

 

Has anyone ever installed one of these with a never-activated

Kenwood 902 Sirius box. Does the channel display on the radio

stay on 0 until the box is activated? Ie, turning the channel knob

left and right does nothing. I hate to activate the service if

there is a problem.

 

Here's a little background to further confuse the situation. I had

a KNGM1V5 in this same truck running a Music keg. I decided

to switch to Sirius.

 

Because the display is stuck at 0, I thought the box was bad, so

I had it warranty replaced. When I put the new KNGM1V6 in, I'm

having the same problem.

 

I'm wondering if my radio is in some weird state and if it needs

to be somehow needs to be reset, rebooted, reprogrammed,

etc.

 

All other functions of the radio work fine, as well as displaying

Sirius 1 and Sirius 2 when pressing the band button.

 

Thanks,

-- Jason

[endo]

I did this with an KNGM1Vsomething and while I can't remember exactly how it behaved, that does sound similar. You can get the serial # off the 902 box for purposes of activation, then you wait 10 minutes or so listening to channel 0. You are hearing the repeating announcement about how great Sirius is on channel 0 though, correct?

[endo]

I did this with an KNGM1Vsomething and while I can't remember exactly how it behaved, that does sound similar.  You can get the serial # off the 902 box for purposes of activation, then you wait 10 minutes or so listening to channel 0.  You are hearing the repeating announcement about how great Sirius is on channel 0 though, correct?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

One more thing...Sirius is really good about moving and cancelling accounts in my brief experience with having to do so. When I got my new truck with XM and cancelled my Sirius service, they even pro-rated back the amount unused.

[jsm174]

I did this with an KNGM1Vsomething and while I can't remember exactly how it behaved, that does sound similar.  You can get the serial # off the 902 box for purposes of activation, then you wait 10 minutes or so listening to channel 0.  You are hearing the repeating announcement about how great Sirius is on channel 0 though, correct?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

One more thing...Sirius is really good about moving and cancelling accounts in my brief experience with having to do so. When I got my new truck with XM and cancelled my Sirius service, they even pro-rated back the amount unused.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately there is no audio at all on channel 0. Antenna has a great view and is totally unobstructed.

[endo]

I did this with an KNGM1Vsomething and while I can't remember exactly how it behaved, that does sound similar.  You can get the serial # off the 902 box for purposes of activation, then you wait 10 minutes or so listening to channel 0.  You are hearing the repeating announcement about how great Sirius is on channel 0 though, correct?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

One more thing...Sirius is really good about moving and cancelling accounts in my brief experience with having to do so. When I got my new truck with XM and cancelled my Sirius service, they even pro-rated back the amount unused.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately there is no audio at all on channel 0. Antenna has a great view and is totally unobstructed.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

Okay, I haven't seen that before. Could the soundgate unit not be grounded properly? Might be worth trying to see if there's any sound if you plug something directly into the RCA output jacks on the 902...though I don't know if you should expect to hear anything if the controller is not working.

 

Would also recommend calling Soundgate tech support...they normally have good answers.

[jsm174]

Well, I activated the box anyway. After fooling around for hours, the box finally went to channel 1 and then it went to 184 and stayed there. I don't know what I did.

 

We had them reactivate the box while it was on 184, and blamo everything worked.... For a while..

 

So I pulled the truck back in the garage and permanently mounted the antenna, tuner, etc... I started the truck up and the battery died from leaving the doors opened, etc. So I jumped the truck and now the radio is back to channel 0. I can't tune to anything..

 

I'm back in the same situation I was before. I don't know if the soundgate unit went bad after I jumped the truck.. I am totally confused...

 

 

BTW, for the ground, I grounded it to one of the screws on the back of the radio chasis.

[endo]

I'm guessing that's not a good ground...in talking to the Soundgate techs when I had some issues with mine they indicated that they were very finicky about grounds. I tied mine into the ground for the cig lighter. When I later called the tech support again w/ regard to an alternator whine, they informed me that even that was likely not good enough (which I still don't understand). I believe they recommend grounding off the interior sheetmetal or some metal bracket in the driver side footwell. Whatever it was, they did describe it somewhere in the directions, IIRC.

[jsm174]

I'm guessing that's not a good ground...in talking to the Soundgate techs when I had some issues with mine they indicated that they were very finicky about grounds.  I tied mine into the ground for the cig lighter.  When I later called the tech support again w/ regard to an alternator whine, they informed me that even that was likely not good enough (which I still don't understand).  I believe they recommend grounding off the interior sheetmetal or some metal bracket in the driver side footwell.  Whatever it was, they did describe it somewhere in the directions, IIRC.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Here's some more news. I went out this morning, fired up the truck and it was working fine. My wife and I went to a Starbucks drive-thru. When we got around the corner, we didn't have a very clear view of the sky. The music still played fine, but Octane disappeared from the display, and the unit was stuck on channel 20. When I pulled out of the drive-thru, the unit stayed stuck on 20 until I drove home. I shut the truck off, started it back up, and the unit is locked up tight at channel 0. (Maybe what was playing was buffered?) I have a feeling that the unit is resetting when I let it sit for a while. Maybe when RAP (retained accessory power?) shuts down.

 

I am going to try to move the ground, but it really stinks. You'd figure if the radio itself was grounded, it's chasis would be grounded. There is a metal bracket right behind the radio that I could hook it too.

 

I'm wondering if maybe the KNGM1V6 just can't keep up with the SR-902.

When I had a KNGM1V5 my display used to say Sirius 1 and Sirius 2. Now when I press band, it just says 1 and 2. They must have made some big changes.

 

BTW, again thanks for all your comments and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

 

 

-- Jason

[jsm174]

Another update... I'm not ready to announce victory, but I switched the ground to the stud by the kickplate -- the one that holds the emergency brake and lower fuse block chassis down. I also bought one of those Littelfuse Mini Add-A-Circuits at Pep-Boys (boy those things are tough to find anymore.)

 

Anyway.... It seems to be working much more reliably... I'll give another update after a couple days of driving...

 

-- Jason