martymcleod's Full Review: Delphi SKYFi3 XM Radio Receiver with Car Kit
I've installed, tested, & used almost all Sirius & XM satellite "dockable" units, including the SkyFi3 unit. I previously owned the SkyFi3's competition, the Pioneer Inno.
Having installed & used the SkyFi3 on several occassions gave me an oppotunity to provide enough information here for a suitable review.
General Layout:
The SkyFi3 is a little bit different than others in the the button layout is more similiar to a media player than the other "dockable" XM radios, not unlike the Pioneer Inno.
Similar to the Inno, the displayed information is rotated 90 degrees when inserted/removed from the car kit dock.
A media card (SD card I believe) slot allows you to take extra .MP3 audio with you for playback. However, just like the Inno, you cannot transfer recorded XM radio content on to a PC.
Display Quality:
I did not like the display. While it is somewhat larger and easier to see than the Inno, it is not that great-contrast is not as good, and a bit bland. It can be harder to see depending on the viewing angle.
Also you may be surprised at the amount of unused space in the LCD display...seems a little bit underdeveloped!
FM Modulator Functionality:
The FM modulator is fair, pretty much the same quality as the other XM radios: some audible distortion in the sound reproduction.
Note: I used the SureConnect in this installation.
Also, in this case, there was audible noise of a somewhat unusual nature that I believe was from the ignition system of the vehicle (Ford F150) which caused interference with the SureConnect when the factory radio was used with AM radio. I had to create a custom relay circuit, operated by a switch, to isolate the SureConnect from the factory antenna to prevent noise when the SkyFi3 was not being used.
Audio-out Quality:
The sound quality was about the same as other XM radios, not great treble/high frequencies, with perhaps the exception of channels #76 & #110 which are higher-quality channels.
The audio line-out level was average also-a bit on the low side.
Mounting accessories:
Antenna: the usual micro magnetic XM radio antenna and cable. The car dock includes pushbuttons for presets and channel entry, which is one advantage over the Inno. Otherwise, it mounts very similarly to other XM car docks.
In this case I built a custom bracket to mount the dock with no permanent damage to the vehicle. That is not really typical and a bit difficult. I have to say that the dock works well for holding the radio, and feels slightly more substantial than the Inno's dock.
Note!: A poor quality installation will lead to lots of frustration & poor reception, if not worse for any make/model of radio. Also I recommend against using double-sided tape due to climate changes/sunlight causing the tape to fail.
I highly recommend a professional installation and avoiding the use of FM modulated-adapters/SureConnect if possible.
Generally I get excellent results using AUX input adapters for radios in almost all factory stereos.
Bottom Line:
THE GOOD:
Nice features, including recording XM content, allows playing your .MP3s on the go (portable) and live XM listening on the go. Car dock gives the ability to use presets and direct channel entry. Larger display than the Inno. Media card allows more music capacity.
THE BAD:
Display is not as clear and not even close to being as attractive as the Inno. Also, I found that it took additional time to turn off when the ignition was turned off (turn off delay??). Not the greatest "feel" overall to the radio.
Overall if it were me, I would choose the Inno again.
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