XM Satellite Radio

[mikee179]

SoundGate and Blitz Safe are supposedly both working on adapters for the unused port (if you don't have the Tape/MD unit) on the back of the head unit. But they have not released them yet. So I went with an FM Modulator adapter for XM's SkyFi Radio. This involved getting the Delphi SkyFi Head Unit, the Car Kit, and the FM Modulator kit. Installed at Circuity City it was around 370 bucks all together. Finding a place to mount the unit was a bit of a challenge, but I ended up finding a place to the right of the LCD display just above the glove compartment.

In the car before I got the mz3, I had a pioneer head unit and IP BUS-connected XM Digital Tuner setup. With the line level on the SkyFi unit at maximum, and the FM station set to 87.9Mhz, the sound quality appears pretty comparable.

So if you are looking to get XM, don't have the tape player, and don't want to wait for a "direct" connection solution, the SkyFi FM Modulation setup works pretty well.

 

[frenzy2223]

Nice! I was thinking about getting either XM or Sirius. Where did you mount the antenna?

 

[mikee179]

It is mounted on the trunk. It's a "micro" antenna so its footprint is relatively small.

 

[frenzy2223]

The setup looks really good! Thanks for the info!

 

[Eugeosyncline]

FM Modulator

FM modulators are handy in terms of being able to avoid direct wire connections, but, for those who are audio purists, you're sacrificing fidelity in going FM. FM doesn't match CD quality frequency response, so the fidelity of your satellite radio isn't going to be any better than picking up your free local FM radio station. It isnt worth it, in my personal opinion.

Although, of course, you do have the advantage of better variety and sometimes no boring, irritating commercials to deal with when using satellite radio. That much is cool, I must admit!

 

[N1XRR]

FM modulators are handy in terms of being able to avoid direct wire connections, but, for those who are audio purists, you're sacrificing fidelity in going FM. FM doesn't match CD quality frequency response, so the fidelity of your satellite radio isn't going to be any better than picking up your free local FM radio station. It isnt worth it, in my personal opinion.

Although, of course, you do have the advantage of better variety and sometimes no boring, irritating commercials to deal with when using satellite radio. That much is cool, I must admit!

You obviously don't have satellite radio then. Free radio is NOT free! It doesn't cost you any money from your pocket's to listen, no. But your paying in advertising. I personally cannot STAND commercials. Satellite radio has NONE on any of the music channels. Choice is the other big advantage to satellite radio. I personally like 80's sometime, top 40 sometimes, Alternative sometimes, hard rock other time, and then I'll turn it to classical other times. Oh wait, but what if I want to hear the news? All of the major news networks, including BBC, are on XM.

For $9.95 a month XM is actually a GREAT deal for what you get. I haven't bought a CD since switching over.