Delphi SA10003 SkyFi XM Satellite Radio FM Modulator | List Price: $69.99
Discount Price: $29.99
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Brand: Delphi
Binding: Electronics
Features: - Plays XM signal through an unused FM station
- 3 modulation frequencies
- Reduces channel bleed
- 1-year warranty
- Auto Power on feature
Clean and Clear Sound [Posted on 2005-08-15]
Overall a great solution to connect xm receivers to the car radio. According to xm the highest quality signal to the head unit is from the tape insert and the fm modulator is a close second. Frankly I prefer the clean installation provided by the fm modulator (i.e. no hanging wires).
Pros: If properly wired it will turn your xm receiver (mine is Skyfi 2) on and off with the car stereo. It provides a clear signal to the radio without interference. Provides a really clean installation.
Cons: You have to get to the back of your car stereo which in my case required taking apart the dash. If you don't know your vehicle, this is a bit like figuring out a puzzle. It usually requires some tinkering to find the right combination of screws and pressure clips. I found [...] had some good online installation help on the basics of this operation. If in serious doubt, get a professional installer.
Tips: ONE - Figure out where you want the xm receiver. Ideally it should be easy to see and use while driving (If you channel surf like me I strongly recommend taking time to figure out the right placement). Make sure it does not interfere with anything else (steering wheel, turn indicators, shift lever, etc.). I personally preferred keeping it located down near the center consol in front of the stick shift. TWO - During installation you need to find a switched power source (i.e. turns on and off with the car). Some cigarette lighters are switched but mine was not. On your car stereo there are two 12 volt leads going in. One is switched and one is not. I found the switched line by using an extra car lamp (turn signal) and two wire leads to create a simple circuit tester. Place one lead to a grounded metal surface and try the other on the wiring harness till you find the (likely red) lead that switches off when you remove the key. One final piece of advice - connect the black ground wire to the same wire harness as the red switched wire (this minimizes the chance of interference).
excellent XM accessory [Posted on 2005-09-18]
I bought the Roady2 because it has a built in wireless FM modulator. That works OK if you are in the middle of nowhere. When you get close to a big city, (NYC, Washington D.C., Baltimore, etc.) forget it! You won't find a station without interference.
The SA10003 is the solution.
Piece of cake to install (if you've ever wired anything on a car). I know, it doesn't provide digital sound, it still sounds great, crystal clear with NO interference.
It installs behind the dash (do yourself a favor and run your satellite antenna cord behind the dash as well.) so all you see is 3 wires sticking out of a hole that you drill (choose a location wisely, preferably close to where your receiver is mounted.) In addition to the audio plug, it also has a power plug that supplies the 6 volt power to your portable XM unit. No need for those annoying lighter plugs and cassette adapters.
Thinking that such an easy, affordable solution sounded too good to be true, I only bought 1 to try it out. Well, I'm about to buy 5 more.
Will not work with a Roady [Posted on 2006-05-19]
After dismantling my dash and splicing wires into a 12v outlet, I was shocked when I tried to use the 6v volt plug that supplies power to the XM receiver and realized it's too big! At that point I was pissed after doing so much work just to realize I was stuck with a piece of junk that I couldn't return. Roady users beware!
Great improvement [Posted on 2006-10-13]
If you are currently using a tape adapter to play your xm, switch to this, it is well worth the money. Very impressed, love the sound quality upgrade.
Works great [Posted on 2008-07-08]
Had to find an alternative the the cassette based converter for the Skyfi (series one) in my wife's 2001 Jeep Cherokee when the cassette deck quit working. This seemed like the best option and it turned out great. It makes for a much cleaner installation and provides sound quality that is almost as good as the cassette. In my wife's car, the sound quality difference is minor but if you have a really nice car stereo I suspect the difference might be more noticeable. It is easy to install if you have some experience with car stereos. The signal level is rather low so you have to adjust the volume when you go back and forth between the Skyfi and the radio or cd player.
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