XM Skyfi2 in Mazda 3

[justjames]

I'm not sure if anyone has installed the Skyfi XM radios in any 3's but I have just recently. It's great. Though finding a clean installation area can be a pain.

Check out the pics. I ended up installing to the left of the steering wheel below the left a/c vent. Any other location just seemed "out of place". I mostly use the remote for changing channels and has worked out great thus far.

One pic is without the flash to give a feel of what it is like at night...the other of course is with brightness (plus you can see it better).

James

 

[italgal02]

I'm looking into get that sometime this or next month.... How much are the monthly charges if you dont mind me asking? Bestbuy has the best deal around me so i think i will be getting it there and having them install becaus ei dont know how to install it myself, but i think the charges are 10 bucks a month for XM.... true?
thanks

I'm not sure if anyone has installed the Skyfi XM radios in any 3's but I have just recently. It's great. Though finding a clean installation area can be a pain.

Check out the pics. I ended up installing to the left of the steering wheel below the left a/c vent. Any other location just seemed "out of place". I mostly use the remote for changing channels and has worked out great thus far.

One pic is without the flash to give a feel of what it is like at night...the other of course is with brightness (plus you can see it better).

James

 

[justjames]

I'm looking into get that sometime this or next month.... How much are the monthly charges if you dont mind me asking? Bestbuy has the best deal around me so i think i will be getting it there and having them install becaus ei dont know how to install it myself, but i think the charges are 10 bucks a month for XM.... true?
thanks

Yep, $10 per month for the service. They have extra stuff available too for an additional fee. If you get this, there is an activation fee. $10 if you sign up online...$15 if you sign up via telephone.

 

[GMAN17]

Get Opie and Anthony for the extra $2 a month...its worth it...

 

[italgal02]

I hooked up my XM yesterday and it was the worst thing ever! I ran the antennae, set it all up where i wanted it, made sure it wasnt in the way of anything made sure that I was able to see it just as well as anyone else riding passenger.... Anyways, so i subscribe and it was so staticy it was unbelievable... I called XM and they couldnt do a thing for me... THEY LITERALLY SAID "WE CANT DO ANYTHING FOR YOU" i was shocked... I ended up driving down to best buy and talking to someone and they said it was so simple to fix, it took 15 minutes..... What was happening was my car was recieving broadcast from FM while trying to recieve XM.... so he just set up some thing that cut out the FM station on 88.5 to make it so that when i listen to 88.5 its just my XM.... This may sound a little confusing, but it worked and now my XM is the best!

 

[GMAN17]

there are like 6-8 different FM stations you can put the setting on since there are so many stations all over the country...you prolly coulda just switched to like 107.1 or something...but glad its fixed...

 

[italgal02]

How about i switched it to EVERY station and tried every frequency possible.... I am glad I got it fixed, but i had to rely on someone from best buy to do it when XM radio could have helped a bit more!

there are like 6-8 different FM stations you can put the setting on since there are so many stations all over the country...you prolly coulda just switched to like 107.1 or something...but glad its fixed...

 

[dannyboy]

i just got my skyfi2 a few days ago. still haven't installed it though, but it's up and running at the moment. the best part about it was the price. I got a brand new skyfi2, the car kit, and 3 months of service all for $87.

 

[mazda3Steve]

I'm not sure if anyone has installed the Skyfi XM radios in any 3's but I have just recently. It's great. Though finding a clean installation area can be a pain.

Check out the pics. I ended up installing to the left of the steering wheel below the left a/c vent. Any other location just seemed "out of place". I mostly use the remote for changing channels and has worked out great thus far.

One pic is without the flash to give a feel of what it is like at night...the other of course is with brightness (plus you can see it better).

James

James, what bracket did you use to mount it there? I have the Roady 2 mounted there, well it was until the glue keeps losing the sticky and it falls off.

 

[Damnblackbetty]

i just got my skyfi2 a few days ago. still haven't installed it though, but it's up and running at the moment. the best part about it was the price. I got a brand new skyfi2, the car kit, and 3 months of service all for $87.

Where did you get yours from for that price? Also, how much is it to get it professionally installed? I have no idea how to do anything car related.

(dumbest question ever) But, I'm getting a system installed in two weeks and in any way will the skyfi2 affect this? Is it going to need any more equipment to run the skyfi2 to my speakers? Thanks.

 

[tsunami]

i kind of thought one of the advantages of sat radio was a digital signal, and if you are just using an fm modulator to get it to your radio doesn't that pretty much make it a worse signal then a good fm station in your area? (yes you still have all the channels and almost lack of commercials but the quality...???) just coming from some body who likes to get what he pays for... there has to be a better way to get your signal to the stereo... its like using a tape adapter to play cd's in a car....

 

[1clean03protege]

by the fm direct, and that will allow you to hard wire it to the acc on the car and will allow you to have more install optioins since you dont have to mount it close to the radio like you do when your using the wiresless fm modulator in the unit.

 

[justjames]

James, what bracket did you use to mount it there? I have the Roady 2 mounted there, well it was until the glue keeps losing the sticky and it falls off.

I used the mounting bracket that came with the skyfi2. I had Circuit City install all my wiring, etc for $50. Well worth it as it only took them a half-hour to install versus probably taking me a couple of hours or more for a clean install.

 

[mazda3Steve]

I used the mounting bracket that came with the skyfi2. I had Circuit City install all my wiring, etc for $50. Well worth it as it only took them a half-hour to install versus probably taking me a couple of hours or more for a clean install.

Is the braket screwed into the dash or is it mounted on some bracket?

 

[jnaylon]

xm input and mount

This is where I got my input information. It was a great help.
http://www.whatsmyip.org/ipodrx8/

My posted reply:
http://www.whatsmyip.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49

My instalation mount.

I mounted two thin triangles of plexi to the roady dash mount plate and spaced them to slide into the hazard switch.

 

[deon_ZoomZoom]

Bracket for the XM Skifi2

James, what bracket did you use to mount it there? I have the Roady 2 mounted there, well it was until the glue keeps losing the sticky and it falls off.

Steve, I also had the Roady2 and replaced it with the SkyFi2. The brackets are the same.

 

[justjames]

Steve, I also had the Roady2 and replaced it with the SkyFi2. The brackets are the same.

Yeah...my SkyFi2 ended up falling off due to melting of the glue (hot summer in Texas)...As much as I didn't want to I ended up putting 2 small screws in. Now it's a permanent fixture...but it ain't going anywhere now. heh.

James