Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver

The Roady XT has made some major improvements over the Roady2. First and foremost, artist names and song titles will now scroll if they are longer than 16 characters. Each will scroll twice at the beginning of a song. If you need the complete name/title further into the piece, the best way to trigger the scroll again is to to hit the "display" button five times. This takes you back to the same display mode you were using, and it will begin to scroll again within a few seconds.

The sports ticker is great also. I was able to set it up for every NFL team, so there doesn't appear to be any limit on its size. It's not instantaneous, however; it takes about 2-3 minutes for an actual change in the score to be reflected in the ticker.

There is also a "Jump" button which allows you to flip to the previous channel.

The "Tuneselect" feature now allows you to search for songs not only by the song title, but by the artist name as well. This is accessed through the menu screen. You do, however, have to pick one or the other.

Another big plus: The Roady XT now gives you access to virtually the entire FM spectrum (88.1-107.9) if you want to listen via the FM modulator. The "Jump" button also comes into play here as well. If you hold it in for a few seconds, it will bring up a screen showing the last 6 FM frequencies you used. You can then use the arrow buttons to go to the one you want, then hit "Select." And by setting your in-dash radio's presets to the corresponding FM frequencies, it makes it much easier to adjust the modulator if you start running into interference as you drive.

Tip: The XM antenna also serves as the FM transmitter. If possible, place it close to your regular car antenna.

I own a Delphi SkiFi2 in my personal car and have purchased a Roady XT for my wife and sister-in-law.

The quality of the RoadyXT is excellent! The ease of installation and features it provides the user make it a great bargain. The only critique I have is that I got used to the larger display offered on the Delphi SkiFi2 which makes browsing channels easier to do. Other than that, I'd recommend a RoadyXT to anyone looking for a cheap, good quality sat radio for the car and home.

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Great improvement over the Roady 2 and it is amazingly lightweight. I bought the Roady XT after trying to get a home kit for the Roady 2, only to find out the A/C adapter in the Roady 2 home kit didn't want to power up/stay in the Roady 2 (after trying 2 different kits same thing). Certainly worth $99.

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The Roady XT is a well needed update to the previous model because it seamlessly goes back and forth between satellite and conventional AM/FM settings with a simple push of your preset button. The antenna is strong enough that I have mine inside my car and I seem to be enjoying strong enough reception. You may want your antenna outside your car as prescribed by the owner's manual, but I was concerned that the antenna would be too easy to steal or simply vandalize, so based on my installer's recommendation I had my antenna placed on the upper right windshield, inside the car.

The radio's interface is easy to use. You can scan, digitally enter desired station or use presets. The ticker feature is nice and easy to read. Also my professional installer (I recommend professional installation even though this is supposedly a "plug-and-play") said he has installed many satellite radios and he thought this one was the best he has seen.

Bear in mind all satellite radio is not a perfect technology. It's got great content but remember it's vulnerable to reception glitches in the same way that a cell phone is. Going under tunnels, bridges, for example; or driving up in the mountains or by the beach with lots of overhanging structures; even heavy cloud cover can compromise your signal. But even with its similar cell phone weaknesses, I think on balance satellite radio is a good buy, especially for long drives when you don't want to be faced with "cow pasture" radio stations.

In conclusion, the XM Roady XT, with its effortless transition between satellite and FM/AM radio, represents the best technology for this type of radio.

Post Script: Contrary to my installer's advice, the radio works better with the antenna mounted on the dash than it does in the upper right window.

Update 8/20/06: If I could do it over again, I'd only get satellite radio if it was pre-installed in the car because my installer, as a result of moving a car panel, has made a rattling sound in the side car panel, which he removed to put in the radio. Don't get one installed, only pre-installed.

Final Update on 12-15-07: I did not renew my XM subscription. As I said, the installation resulted in car rattles and vibration noise. The actual satellite sound was unacceptable: loud hissing, static, sometimes outright lack of reception, compromised fidelity even in best conditions. Living in LA, I have so many terrestial radio choices plus "radio" websites such as Pandora leave me with no desire for satellite radio.

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The sound quality and reception of my Roady XT using the built-in FM transmitter is tremendous at home as well as in my car using the car antenna on my dash and on my couch. It may have something to do with living in the San Jose area though. Pretty slick little radio. I am impressed. Good job Delphi!