6/06/2012

Delphi SkyFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Car Kit Review

Delphi SkyFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Car Kit
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(More customer reviews)
After much research, I finally decided that this was the receiver for me! So far, so good.
I am primarily using this in the car, so I grabbed this version that included the car kit. If you only want one receiver but want to use it in two cars, you will need an extra car kit. It's too annoying to try to move the antenna between cars. I had looked at a few portable units, but I chose this one since it was designed primarily for those in the car, and I wanted the a unit that was going to be easy to use when I'm in the car.
Installation was very easy. I did it myself, and my antenna is on top of my roof near the front. The antenna cord is about 24 feet long, so there is plenty of extra cord if you are in a sedan like me. I ran my cord right under the weatherstripping on the front windsheild as was suggested at cruchfield.com, then through the door and around the door jam. The kit also includes one of those little tubes that you can fit around your cords, as you will have three: antenna, power and the cassette. All cords plug into the base.
I used the air vent base installation instructions (the kit also comes with dashboard mount and a swivel mount, but both can damage your car when you're ready to remove the mounts). The only thing is that I wish it were a little more steady from side to side when I am pushing the buttons. It takes some playing around with to get just right.
The receiver itself has been pretty easy to use. I definitely recommend actually reading the instructions on how to use all of the different buttons. There are 30 memory buttons available. There is also a neat feature that will alert you to when your favorite artist or song is playing, and the alert will allow you to go straight to that channel if you so desire.
One downside is that only the buttons have a backlight. The labels above them do not have these lights. So, until I get to remember exactly where the "jump," "memory" and "menu" buttons are, it's going to be to difficult to use them in the dark.
There is also a 30 minute record/replay function on this receiver. However, anything you save is erased when the unit is turned off.
I tracked this item for a few weeks before I bought it, as I noticed that the price occasionally would change from day to day. Amazon's price when I bought this three days ago was $93.99, and today it is listed about $3 less. Some third party merchants have dropped the price below the Amazon price from time to time, but generally, the Amazon price has been the lowest.
If you buy this item before the end of April 2006, there is also a $30 rebate available from XM.
Although I have not actually been a Sirius subscriber, I took advantage of the online trials with Sirius and XM. I also read some reviews of both and examined their channel guide. Their offerings are very similar. If you are interested in sports, XM has great college ACC/Pac 10/Big 10 channels (I am a UNC grad, so I have to have my ACC sports!), NASCAR and MLB. Sirius offerings are more towards NFL/MLH fans. One review I read said that the music on Sirius tended to be what he phrased as "riskier," which the reviewer defined as playing more deep cuts, etc. I have been very, very pleased with the XM offerings, playlist, variety, talk, etc. No complaints with XM here!

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