Got diggin' through the glove box on my 2011 ranger, putting my registration up and noticed a box that had Surius Satelite Radio on it. So, I popped the glove box down, out of the way to take a look. This electric computer box thing is about the size of the PCM, or ECU, pending on what someone wants to call it lol. It only has two electric connections, one which runs to the roof for reception, and I believe the other draws power?

Want to know, since I am not satisfied with the surius radio and since it costs an arm and a leg after my free subscription is up next month, if I could unhook and remove from the truck without causing problems? Has anyone done this?

 

I don't see why not... why not just leave it in there though?

 

I just feel like something isnt right with that surius box being that big. I'm not a conspiracy person, or screwed up extremist, but it just seems like its doing more than just tapping into the surius satelite stuff. I was at least going to unhook it, might remove it but not sure. Just has two bolts holding it in.

 

How big is it? I've got the universal sirius car kit tuner thing and it is tiny and slim. I think its called the Sirius Sportster 5 looks like this
http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/...cle-kit-p11233

 

Its about 1.5" thick, 4" or 5" wide, and 6" or 7" tall. I dont know why it would be that big. Its different than what you have frosty. weird if you ask me lol

 

Well here is some pics of the bad boy lol Pulled it out and doesn't affect the truck.

 

What a waste of time.
All the box does is transfer signal from your Sat Antenna to the radio. If you really wanted to get rid of the Sirius Radio, you'd have to get a whole new radio.

 

Wow that is definitely unnecessarily big.

 

What time? Took me three minutes to get it out of the truck, thats including putting my tools up. Also, the Surius doesn't work without this computer so you dont have to get rid of the radio. I know because when I hit the AUX button it shows "No Signal" and it doesn't effect the rest of the radio functions.

To beat it all, Surius called me, which was less than an hour after removing the computer from my truck. Asked me about my subscription through them.....

 

You may not be a conspiracy man, BUT, It is a fact that those are used to track vehicles if necessary. Stuff like this is being put into more and more vehicles so they are easier to find if the law, or big brother for that matter, needs to find you.

For example, A game some people like to play is that when leasing a vehicle, if they can not make the payments, they will switch the vehicle with a friend/family member that may be in the same situation. That way, when the repo man comes to take the car, it is no where to be found. This will no longer always be the case.

NOW with these handy little "satellite radio tuners" they not only get xm/surius radio, but they also can locate a vehicle based upon the gps signal (and unique GPS ID) obtained by the same antenna and sirius box. If it has a satellite antenna, it can be tracked. Cell phones are the same way. Even those that may not have GPS, based upon what cell towers you are using, your position can be triangulated and you can be found.

For the record, I am actually a fan of this. If I am ever to buy a vehicle that has this in it, i wont even care. I have nothing to hide.

I think its actually kinda cool.... now there is a line, but this does help in situations like the one i just mentioned.


But if you are not a fan of big brother, removing the box is a solution.


anyway, enjoy and happy conspiring!!!


(I am not a conspiracy person, I just have a good understanding of technology)

 

Good understanding of tech? Sirius isn't GPS, nor is sat radio. Sirius broadcasts a signal from a satellite and when you call them and activate your account you are good to go via your device because, if i remember correctly, they broadcast an activation code. When you cancel your subscription they broadcast a "kill code" to your unit that stops it from receiving.


I like watching the nuts come out though. Because Sirius pays howard stern 100 million dollars and simultaneously cares to spy on a random ford ranger.

 

As to the sirius radio box. OEM always sucks. So many aftermarket radios have sirius support built in and need a tiny receiver or box to get the signal. It's funny the junk we have in our rangers.

 

I believe it is Sat Radio now. I think Sirus and Sat combined not too long ago. I could be wrong though.

 

Its just Sirius/Xm now, since they merged. All the DJ's and random ad's (on the comedy channels) all mention Sirius/Xm when talking about the station.


As for GPS in the Radio.
Really?
I mean. Really? All that box does is take a satellite signal, and convert it into something the radio can interpret and play. Like Aaron said, So many aftermarket kits do it in the HU now anyways with much smaller tech.

 

Big or small, I would have just left the box in since it doesn't get in the way of anything. My wife and I both have the option of having the satellite service, and it is very pricey, so we chose not to. Anyway, if you ever remove the Ford stereo, there are only two plugs and a wire, I believe. The bigger plug is like a hard drive cable plugging the hard drive into the motherboard, the second plug is for Sirius/XM, and the wire is for the regular radio antenna. All that was necessary was to pull the plug for Sirius. I don't believe in conspiracy theories either, and on another forum recently, the discussion turned to the "black boxes" that all cars/trucks/SUV's after 2004? have to have. Although they are not fully hooked-up and record only the last 30seconds or so of info., I would be more concerned about them than the Sirius/XM technology. What happens when/if the government mandates that those 'black boxes' have to be fully functional? They might-as-well put computer chips in us because potentially our every move could be monitored by satellite!

 

XM and Sirius are satellite radio tuners use satellites to acquire a connection then broadcast audio(data) from them to the receiver. "GPS" Uses satellites to pinpoint your location as well. The Siruis/XM antenna is the exact same as any GPS antenna. You may not realize it, but the hardware is there in the XM/Siruis box to also pinpoint your location. The technology is getting smaller, that is way GPS is built into almost every phone.

Im not saying that Siruis spys on rangers or any vehicle for that matter that has Satellite radio built in it. All I am saying is that the technology and hardware is there to do so.

 

I want to call to prove they don't track anything. It's not onstar.

Yeah that's, they combined with XM. Thank you.

 

you would literaly freak and blow up if you had onstar lmao.


This thread is a joke, im laughing so hard right now. your worried someone is gonna track you? dont ya think they could just go to your home address, or work to find the truck and you? also what would give anybody a reason to track YOU?

LMAO just made my day with this one haha.

 

Its going to take alot for me to freak and blow up. I would never own a GM anyway. I'm not paniced by this at all, I just dont know why some piece of crap like surius would need something that big just to get a signal from the antenna, through this computer thing, to the radio. I have never liked surius, and after buying this truck with the free 6 month subscription and using it a few times, I like it even less so I wanted it gone. So to me its just a little weird of the size of this thing.

I would be more worried for ford to void my powertrain warr. since I have been doing alot of dohnuts, and 180's in the field... but oh well, its fun when I do it.

If I was truely paniced, and afraid of being tracked, I would buy an older car without all the electric crap on it lol

 

LMAO. If wanted that badly anyone can find out anything about you.

 

Yup

 

Correct.
I actually don't mind sirius, and the next radio i get in my truck will be sat. ready.
I also own two GM products.

either way, I also hope you don't take your truck to the ford dealer for anything behind the dash related.
They'll see the computer missing and void the warranty .

 

I like Sirius but if I didn't have lifetime I definitely would not pay the monthly charge for it. As for the size of the box, it really is not that large. Sure it's bigger than it needs to be but so is almost everything else electronic.

 

Stopped by the dealer today to ask a few questions about my vic, and decided to ask about what you said about voiding my warranty, they told me the only way it would void my warranty is if I caused any damage to surrounding materials around the surius satelite computer, or damaged the wiring harness/ connectors to the surius sat. or any other electrical damage to the truck. By removing this box only, my warranty is not voided. Also, they told me that my roll on bedliner will not void my warranty either. Maybe this is the state I live in or the dealer I go to, but thats what they told me. If you read the warranty book that comes with the truck, some states have laws that can affect the warranty on new vehicles, especially California, which is a book in itself lol.

 

Its the dealer you go to.
They send it out to a warranty dept. they approve or deny it.