Wow, I'm just new to this forum, and it's Awesome!!
Over the past few years, or since the beggining of OnStar, everyone wants to intergrate their cellular phone with the features of the OnStar hands free. This would be fine and dandy if it were easily accomplised, but I think everyone has came to the consensus that it's not.
The one part of OnStar that we can easily utilize, is the antenna. We all know that OnStar needs two antennas to function: a cellular, and a GPS antenna. All the new vehicles have these two, but some older ones don't. To the best of my knowledge, every GPS antenna is the same. But, there are two types of cellular antennas on GM vehicles:
1. Analog compatible
2. Digital compatilbe
On most of the vehicles that I've worked with, you can easily use the OnStar antenna for cellular purposes, as long as you know which technology it uses. This can be found out easily by calling OnStar and asking which cell type this vehicle uses. Once you know that, you are well on your way.
The next step is finding the OnStar control unit. On most trucks and SUV's it is behind the glove box. The glove box can be opened completely by pressing the little tab in on the right side. Once you open it up, you'll see some cable plugging into a module way back in the dash.
Look for the two antenna cables. The GPS coax is thinner than the cellular coax. The cell coax is just a slip on mini-uhf connector, with a white piece of plastic around it. Just pull away from the module on the plastic piece, and the connector will easily come off.
You now have a cable that can connector to a cellular device! The trouble is, the slip on connector will not easily mate with many female mini-uhf connecors. (Here's that part where I get to be a salesman!)
What I have done to fix this problem, is build a cable setup to overcome this problem. I have searched high and low, and found a connector to mate with the OnStar connetor. With this connector, I build cable assemblies to connect with the OnStar antenna one one end, and a consumer specified end on the other.
Typically, for analog compatible vehicles, I build a 3' cable with the special connector on one end, and a bulkhead mini-uhf on the other, mounted on a litlle L bracket. This assembly can be easily mounted under the dash, and is often used for bag phones. With a small jumper you connect your bag phone to the outlet on the bulkhead connector.
In situations where digital antennas are present, and the antenna needs to be intergrated with hands free kit, I build a cable that connects to OnStar and has the neccessary connector on the other end.
Lastly, I build assemblies for systems that intergrate with the litle antenna adapters that plug into cellular phones. This is a cheap way of getting better reception.
Wow, I thank you for taking the time to read this far!! If you are interested in have a cable assembly built, I charge very reasonable rates, and ship quick. For more information, e-mail me at john.extremenetworks(at)gmail.com. (replace the (at) with @, I don't want those spammers to find my address!
John Vandenborn
Extreme Network Services
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