Digital Home Thoughts: More Music Than You Can Shake a Stick At

Installation: As Complex As You Want It To Be
Once I had all the parts, getting the radio working in the car to test it out was easy. I simply attached the antenna, power, and audio out to the car cradle and then docked the receiver. I turned the unit on and instantly had the XM preview channel up and playing through my speakers.

For a more permanent installation I highly recommend having the car kit installed at the place of purchase, particularly for the antenna. For optimum performance the antenna must be mounted on the roof or trunk of the car, and unless you’re handy and don’t mind taking your car apart routing the antenna wire can be a challenge. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting the antenna outside of the car on the roof or trunk: satellite radio is line-of-sight to the south, and an improperly placed antenna can lead to audio drop-outs when driving on heavily-treed roads (many major metropolitan areas have repeaters installed so this isn’t an issue around tall buildings).

Finding a good place for the SkyFi receiver in a car can be a challenge. The receiver is big to begin with, and grows in height by another 50% when it’s in the cradle. It’s also not the standard DIN size, so an in-dash installation is pretty much out of the question. The easiest solution is to use the mounting bracket that comes with the car kit to attach the receiver to your dash. Here’s an example of a typical install:


Figure 3: A common mounting location

In my case I decided to go all out and install it in my dash. I don’t recommend this for the faint of heart :) It took me over three hours with a Dremel to get it to fit, and as you can see I still haven’t found a way to hide the circuit board that was in the car cradle. I also installed an adapter for my car that adds an AUX input to the stereo, since the audio quality from the FM transmitter I originally purchased was quite poor.


Figure 4: My mounting location

After connecting everything you have to activate your unit and give your credit card information for the monthly billing. You can either do this over the web for a $9.95 fee or via phone for $14.95. I chose to activate via the web.

Activation via the web was, unfortunately, plagued by problems. I was trying to activate on a Sunday evening and simply couldn't get it to work. The first page, for basic account information, worked fine but I was unable to get any farther. I was either shown a barebones error page about the Siebel Web Engine, errors that the username existed already, or that the password was incorrect. I tried with three different e-mail addresses, all with the same result. A call to XM Radio's activation center didn't help either: they closed at 8PM ET and I was an hour late. I wound up having to wait until Monday morning for a person in their activation center to able to help me out. At least they only charged me for the $9.95 web activation!

Not Just a Good Looking Unit
The SkyFi itself works well. The display is big and easy to see while driving, although it does wash out somewhat in direct sunlight. You can easily see the station name, current artist, and current song. You can select from several different "now playing" screens, including one that scrolls the information across the screen in a large-font that is useful when the receiver is cradled in a boombox.


Figure 5: The current song screen

The controls on the SkyFi are straightforward. To select a different channel you roll the big wheel. As with regular radios there are preset buttons across the bottom; with two groups of ten presets you’ll have plenty of room for all your favourite stations, or one set for you and one for your significant other.


Figure 6: The channel list

Because there are so many different channels available the SkyFi unit also supports browsing by channel type. Using the buttons above the wheel you can see what’s playing by category: hits, country, news, dance, etc. This is very handy when you want to jump quickly from one music style to another. You can also set the channel list to show the channel name, current artist, or current song title. I find that showing the current artist is the best for browsing through the channels.

The included remote is surprisingly useful, even for a car installation. Flipping through channels while you’re driving with it is very comfortable. I often put my arm on the armrest and flip around, just like I’m lazing on the couch in my living room :) My wife can also use it to drive the radio from the passenger seat without having to reach across the dash.