Delphi SkyFi XM Radio Install?
01-30-2003, 05:25 AM
#1
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Delphi SkyFi XM Radio Install?
Has anyone purchased the Delphi SkyFi receiver and the car mount? If so, where and how did you choose to mount it? Also, did you do a permanent install (ie. direct power instead of cigarette adapter, etc.) Where did you run your wires? Pictures would be excellent!
01-30-2003, 07:10 AM
#2
working on it as we speak. I plan on removing the ashtray and making a bracket. However, it will just affix to the ashtray itself. I was going to run all the cabling thru there. Also, I plan on getting a 12V recepticle and with the Skyfi power hardwiring it behind the shifter panel, under the climate control.
I plan on hacking into the CD changer cable for AUX in.
you should check out clubxm.com or xmfan.com, both great sites.. Lots of info. One interesting note, ALOT of people are getting noise and hiss with their Skyfi units. Some are suggesting ground loop isolators. I've already had a Pioneer XM unit in my max, but I moved it to our Pathfinder. For a short time I had the Skyfi in the PF, and there was no hiss at all. I think most of the people complaining have GM cars. I hope its just their crappy electrical systems.
I'll have some pics up soon. btw, on those sites, they show the color mods! tempting.. expensive, but tempting.
I plan on hacking into the CD changer cable for AUX in.
you should check out clubxm.com or xmfan.com, both great sites.. Lots of info. One interesting note, ALOT of people are getting noise and hiss with their Skyfi units. Some are suggesting ground loop isolators. I've already had a Pioneer XM unit in my max, but I moved it to our Pathfinder. For a short time I had the Skyfi in the PF, and there was no hiss at all. I think most of the people complaining have GM cars. I hope its just their crappy electrical systems.
I'll have some pics up soon. btw, on those sites, they show the color mods! tempting.. expensive, but tempting.
01-30-2003, 07:47 AM
#3
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That's great that you're in the process of doing it now. I had checked out the two websites you mentioned and was reading a lot of the problems people were having. It almost convinced me not to buy the Delphi, but I was able to purchase the receiver and the car install kit for $99, so I thought it was a good deal. I searched the sites for Maxima installs but couldn't find any. Please let me know when you've finished so we can discuss any issues you had or recommendations you might have. By the way, I'm not completely trying to use you as a guinea pig, but I just ordered mine this morning and don't have one to install yet. Thanks for the reply!
01-30-2003, 09:05 AM
#4
nah, you'll love the Delphi. I havent had any problems. I've had it since the day *before* they were released My car kit has no hiss in the Pathfinder. I'm hoping the max will be the same. All I know is I cant live without sat radio.
My car kit has no hiss in the Pathfinder. I'm hoping the max will be the same. All I know is I cant live without sat radio.
02-05-2003, 05:30 PM
#6
well... there was this
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=186529
at this point, I have it sitting on a vent mount clip with wires everywhere
really nasty looking. I actually have holes drilled inside the ashtray/coin thing already. If you open that little door, you'll see a space inside, underneath. Thats where I ran the cables. When you shut the door, you cant see the holes and the wires come out from that area. The cradle will be stuck on that door. I dont think you'll even really see the cables at that point. Should be really clean and everything tucked underneath and behind, with nothing modified on the car that you can see.
The reason I have it on the vent clip right now is that after the CD Chg hack, there isnt enough line out power on the Skyfi to give full volume. Its plenty loud, but will blow your ear drums/speakers if you switch to FM or other source. So.. I need a line driver. Line drivers are made for matching components at a pre-amp level. Should be really clean. As soon as I get that part in a few days, I'll put the cradle in its intended spot and snap some pics.
you can get a line driver for ~$20-30. However, at the moment I'm rolling the dice on an Ebay unit I hate ebay.. anyway, I hope to get a *really* good line driver for alot less money than retail. this one is normally $100. its what I hope to get for 30-ish
http://www.phoenixgold.com/pld1.html
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=186529
at this point, I have it sitting on a vent mount clip with wires everywhere
really nasty looking. I actually have holes drilled inside the ashtray/coin thing already. If you open that little door, you'll see a space inside, underneath. Thats where I ran the cables. When you shut the door, you cant see the holes and the wires come out from that area. The cradle will be stuck on that door. I dont think you'll even really see the cables at that point. Should be really clean and everything tucked underneath and behind, with nothing modified on the car that you can see.The reason I have it on the vent clip right now is that after the CD Chg hack, there isnt enough line out power on the Skyfi to give full volume. Its plenty loud, but will blow your ear drums/speakers if you switch to FM or other source. So.. I need a line driver. Line drivers are made for matching components at a pre-amp level. Should be really clean. As soon as I get that part in a few days, I'll put the cradle in its intended spot and snap some pics.
you can get a line driver for ~$20-30. However, at the moment I'm rolling the dice on an Ebay unit
I hate ebay.. anyway, I hope to get a *really* good line driver for alot less money than retail. this one is normally $100. its what I hope to get for 30-ishhttp://www.phoenixgold.com/pld1.html
02-08-2003, 07:35 AM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 27
TimW, for some reason, all of your pictures aren't coming up in the other thread. I decided to dig into it this morning and I finally have access to the back of the HU. Also, I have the Non-Bose factory install. Now, I have a few questions for you:
1. Where exactly did you drill the holes in the coin/ash tray (picture please) and when you close the door, are your wires getting crimped if you didn't drill the outer door?
2a. How are you powering the cradle? Since the output of the Delphi cradle is 6v and we have 12v power, is there some sort of converter you used?
2b. Related to above, what power cord did you use? Did you go buy a new one or just cut off the "lighter" end of the one they gave us and spliced it somewhere (and where did you splice it to)?
3. Is there some way to tap into the antenna that's built into the car, or do you still have to use "Car adapter kid" antenna and just find some place nice to mount it? Have you found someplace nice?
I'm sure I'll have many more questions, but this is a good start. Thanks.
1. Where exactly did you drill the holes in the coin/ash tray (picture please) and when you close the door, are your wires getting crimped if you didn't drill the outer door?
2a. How are you powering the cradle? Since the output of the Delphi cradle is 6v and we have 12v power, is there some sort of converter you used?
2b. Related to above, what power cord did you use? Did you go buy a new one or just cut off the "lighter" end of the one they gave us and spliced it somewhere (and where did you splice it to)?
3. Is there some way to tap into the antenna that's built into the car, or do you still have to use "Car adapter kid" antenna and just find some place nice to mount it? Have you found someplace nice?
I'm sure I'll have many more questions, but this is a good start. Thanks.
02-09-2003, 04:47 PM
#9
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Posts: 27
Originally posted by TimW
fixed
I'll get some pics tomorrow hopefully. it will explain everything.
fixed
I'll get some pics tomorrow hopefully. it will explain everything.
Also, I called around and there is no way to make any auxillary connection to the back of the factory HU. It's either the cassette adapter, the FM modulator, or nothing. I think I'm going to stick with the cassette adapter and just try to make the cable look natural (if that's possible). Besides that, I'm still trying to find the best place to put the antenna. Right now, I have it running down the floor panels on the passenger side, through the trunk, and up the window seal to the rear center of the top of the car. I need to find some way to keep the antenna wire tight in the channel of the window seal. Lastly, I just went to Radio Shack and bought the female end of a cigarette adapter to hide underneath the dash. The other end of what I bought is just a ground and a hot wire to tap into the power line behind the stereo (if I can find it). Then, I can just plug in the power adapter that comes with the Delphi and not have to worry about anything else.
02-12-2003, 05:36 AM
#10
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I'm contemplating mounting on the passenger side of the dash, just above the left corner of the glove box. That way it's a little closer to eye level, and all of the cords can run into the glove box and under the dash pretty neatly. You'd think that the glove box would crimp the wires, but there is actually a very small gap at the top that allows the wires to flow just fine. I just need to secure them with some extra stick tape to the top of the box to keep them from moving around.
I've decided to put it there, because I just can't see how it can fit nicely where the coin tray is. I don't think it's a smooth enough surface to just mount the cradle, so you'd have to put the mounting bracket on, then you barely have room to shift. If I remember your pictures correctly, I think you have an automatic, so you may not be in the same predicament.
It also really bugs me that Nissan does not have any auxiliary inputs on the back of their factory stereo. It has really limited me to the cassette adapter of an FM modulator, and from what I've read about the modulators all over ClubXM, I think I'll just try to keep the cassette adapter's cord, tight against the face of the stereo. At the height I'm going to install cradle, it actually goes straight across to the tape without crossing any buttons.
I think about all of the time and effort I put into this and then think about the fact that it cost a couple hundred dollars, I probably should have just bought a "XM-ready" HU and had Circuit City install it.
I've decided to put it there, because I just can't see how it can fit nicely where the coin tray is. I don't think it's a smooth enough surface to just mount the cradle, so you'd have to put the mounting bracket on, then you barely have room to shift. If I remember your pictures correctly, I think you have an automatic, so you may not be in the same predicament.
It also really bugs me that Nissan does not have any auxiliary inputs on the back of their factory stereo. It has really limited me to the cassette adapter of an FM modulator, and from what I've read about the modulators all over ClubXM, I think I'll just try to keep the cassette adapter's cord, tight against the face of the stereo. At the height I'm going to install cradle, it actually goes straight across to the tape without crossing any buttons.
I think about all of the time and effort I put into this and then think about the fact that it cost a couple hundred dollars, I probably should have just bought a "XM-ready" HU and had Circuit City install it.
02-17-2003, 12:41 PM
#12
sure I do.. max output is about 2V on the delphi, whereas the changer is about 4V.
You can get about 80-90% full volume without a line driver. However, if you switch back to another source, it will be painfully loud. So, boosting the output is also a matter of matching the other sources so I dont blow a speaker or an ear drum going back to FM or CD.
Unfortunately, to perfectly match the sources, I have to have the Skyfi at 100% and the line driver at 100%. Leaves no room to drop the noise out. I wish I had gotten a 8V line driver instead of the 4V PAC model, although I saved $70 by going with the pac.
Its been too cold the last few days, but I intend to get behind the radio and try a ground there. My ground at the accessory plug is too noisy (even with the $15 ground loop isolator).
You can get about 80-90% full volume without a line driver. However, if you switch back to another source, it will be painfully loud. So, boosting the output is also a matter of matching the other sources so I dont blow a speaker or an ear drum going back to FM or CD.
Unfortunately, to perfectly match the sources, I have to have the Skyfi at 100% and the line driver at 100%.
Leaves no room to drop the noise out. I wish I had gotten a 8V line driver instead of the 4V PAC model, although I saved $70 by going with the pac.Its been too cold the last few days, but I intend to get behind the radio and try a ground there. My ground at the accessory plug is too noisy (even with the $15 ground loop isolator).
02-17-2003, 01:20 PM
#13
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 95
I Understand.....
I installed a JVC-sh707 in my 2k2 maxima, and it has an aux. on the front AND each source has a settable volume, such that everytime you switch sources, it can automatically attenuate or boost as per the setting you entered.
02-17-2003, 01:26 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 95
I Understand.....
I installed a JVC-sh707 in my 2k2 maxima, and it has an aux. on the front AND each source has a settable volume, such that everytime you switch sources, it can automatically attenuate or boost as per the setting you entered.
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