Has anyone used the new Skydock App for the iphone/ipod touch?

I'm wondering how it will work when connected to through the mini's aux cable.

thanks,

 

Hi PJrvero, I just got it. In the Cabrio the dock sits well, thanks to the flexible antenna. My experience is that the sound could be better. When I use the Aux in line or the FM transmitter, the sound is too sharp for my ears. It's like a bad treble boost that puffs up the mid range and leaves out the fullness of the bass range. Not sure if that is all from the xm skydock though. When I close the app, which works great by the way!, and I use the ipod to hear my music library, I was able to get better sound using the headphone jack to the aux in line.

The sound I get is almost like electrical interference. I noticed from other posts in other places, that this version of the xm skydock uses a different modulation technology to send the FM signal. That could explain the scratchy sound I get. Or it could be the inner workings of the MINI. Also, it doesn't explain why it would sound that way when going from the dock line out to the aux in port on the MINI. So it could be the MINI, but then again, the sound just using my ipod to the aux in sounds full and fine.

If I could get the xm skydock app to allow playing through the headphone jack, I think it would be an acceptable arrangement. I would prefer to allow the skydock to do the whole thing for me and not plug in any cables to the iphone.

The skydock has a long enough sat antenna. I didn't want to put it on the paint as recommended with the install guide. Thanks to the angle of the windshield, I was able to set the receiver under the glass on the passenger side, the signal was perfect and there is no wires showing. With the cigarette lighter right next to the aux in line port, the cables don't show at all. It does get in the way of the passenger cup holder, but I usually drive alone.

Would like to hear other sound impressions as that could be a deal breaker for me. I'll have to try this out in the other car to see if the perceived "electrical interference" persists.

Good luck!

 

How can a product this good suffer from such poor audio? I'm experiencing the same problem in my 2008 Mini. Using the aux in, the audio sounds like a low bitrate MP3 with a harsh splashy high end. The FM modulator seems acceptable from what I can tell, but I live in Los Angeles, so there aren't any open frequencies. Has anyone found a work around for this, or is there another satellite radio option that can use the Aux in with acceptable sound quality?

The iPhone app itself works great and the device seems to be pretty well made.

 

My best efforts were To slightly unseat the audio cable from the Dock. I got decent sound, perhaps not in stereo, but I was able to eliminate the wicked feedback. A friend of mine told me to sandpaper the entire tip of the cable, clean it, and put that into the dock. It seemed to help. There were times when I started the car with the iPhone already in the dock that it didn't have that noise but it would come back in a few seconds.

I decided to return it. I will be getting the online setup going. It's 2.99 per month to run Sirius/xm online. I know another person says he has been using it like that in his car and has gotten great reception via online through the iPhone ... So just using the headphone jack to the aux in Jack seems to be the best fix. I couldn't do that with the skydock using the skydock app.

Good luck.

 

Well, I got one of these for Christmas and got it installed the other day.

I really REALLY like the look of the unit and the application, and the way it works. After a couple of days of getting used to it I guess I would give it about a B-.

The main problems I have had, thus far:

Audio noise. I am using the audio out of the Skydock into the Aux input. There is a high-pitched whine in the background whenever the music is quiet or the Skydock unit is waking up. Annoying!

Audio quality. I am by no means a "golden ears" guy and I know I am listening to music in a revvy little car, but the audio has a noticeable echo at times. I've been an XM subscriber for several years and I've never heard that before on my other receivers. Maybe I'll try the FM angle but (as somebody already pointed out) Los Angeles doesn't really have a lot of holes in the spectrum.

Application switching. When I receive a call the Skydock app comes right back after I hang up, but if I place a call (using the handsfree BlueTooth in the car, of course) it ends up on the iPhone's "Phone" page and I have to exit and relaunch the Skydock app. Minor annoyance, I suppose, compared to the audio.

My thoughts, so far.

 

Just a quick update:

I purchased a noise filter to use on the aux input and it sounds much, much better, on both XM audio and on iPod music and podcasts. I do miss having podcast FF/REW on the steering wheel but it's nice to have the "rewind 30 seconds" button available - so that's a tradeoff.

The noise filter I bought was a PAC SNI-1/3.5. I found one on Ebay for about $13, shipping included. If you're having these problems you might give it a go.

Now I just have to figure out where to hide the filter.

Brad

 

Hi guys-
Got a skydock a few days ago, and wanted to let you know it works beautifully when connected to the external MINI satellite antenna using this cable:

http://www.cdint.com/catalog/model/SB9SBJ-174-5

Well worth the twenty bucks. In my 2010 Clubman, as indicated in numerous posts (search for XM) the connection is under the passenger seat. Kind of tricky to find, but it makes for a very clean connection. No need to remove the seat, however. Move the seat all the way back, pry up the carpet area behind the black plastic "vent", and use a stiff wire to grab the sat connector (single, shiny black wire with purple connector on end). I jammed a mini maglite in the space to hold it open and illuminate the area while I located the wire.

Plug it in, and connect right angle end of cable to skydock. Excellent reception! I'm using the built in FM method of connecting to the head unit, and it works well for me (I found the AUX connection noisy as well).

Just wanted to pass this along. The skydock works great (a bit heavy for the cig lighter connector, but not a deal breaker).

Jay

 

Good call, Jay - I was so wrapped up in the audio issues I was having that I forgot to mention that.

I am also using the built-in satellite radio antenna. I found that if you move the passenger seat all the way forward you can remove the back two cover plate screws and get it completely out of the way. I reserved an hour to fish around for the connector and was quite pleased to have the satellite antenna cabling installed and the cover replaced in about fifteen minutes.

You may need a little more time if you have to go buy a torx-bit screwdriver...

Brad

 

Yeah, kind of strange that the configuration of the underseat stuff changed from the 09 to the 10. I've got this strange ventlike thing- no screws or box. Just have to kind of wrestle the carpet over it to get at the wires (which seem to be unchanged from the prior year).

In any case, it works great! And the skydock app is so much better looking than any radio interface I've seen.

Jay

 

Anybody having problems with the cigarette lighter assembly coming along for the ride when removing the Skydock? I can't seem to remove it without pulling the lighter socket along with it. Not sure if there's some trick to getting the socket to stay in place, but that Skydock plug is really tight- I presume to handle the weight of the unit (which is still a little "tippy").

Just wondered whether it was me, or if everyone has a similar issue...

Jay

 

Others have reported this issue with other items as well due to the poor holding clips on the MINI cigarette lighter socket. I have not seen a real good solution except to glue it in place.

 

I hadn't thought of gluing...any suggestions on what type of adhesive might work in this context?

 

Can anyone post a picture of their skydock while in their car? I'm just curious to see how much space it takes up and how it looks.

 

Here you go- a couple of views.

Jay

 

Funny - I have been thinking about taking some pictures for you every time I get into my car - but my phone is the only camera I have with me, so...

Yep, it looks like that!

 

Thank you for the pictures! I picked up a SkyDock yesterday and love the dock and placement. However, the audio issues are clearly evident. The AUX jack on it is just so poor. Wow. I cannot believe how poor the audio quality is. I never in my life thought the FM Transmitter would be a better option than an AUX input. I am leaning towards returning this thing right now.

 

MiniLe, totally agree with you. The FM sounded pretty good, however, in LA there is no space on the dial that you can just set it and forget it.

I was ready to pull the thing out too until I put in a filter - I used the PAC SNI-1/3.5, which installed inline with the aux jack. You shouldn't have to buy an aftermarket part to make something this spendy work, and really XM should have built a better product - but I figured I could stand on my principles and not have XM or buy a filter and be happy with it. I've been using it this way now for a while now, and I'm very happy with the results.

It was about $13 on Ebay.

Good luck,

Brad

 

Just curious if anyone has tried to adjust the AUX input volume? Here's a link to a thread that actually had a similar problem with another device (Sirius Sportster 5). The author found that the aux input volume can be adjusted.

I'm headed out in a few minutes to pick up a skydock since I've got a $50 coupon for Best Buy and the store that's 5 minutes away from me has it in stock. I'll try the volume when I get it all set up.

Craig

 

Before I found this thread, I went to our local Radio Shack at lunch today to see how flexible the "flexible arm" is. The salesguy let me take the unit out to my car to see how it would fit. Like someone else mentioned, it sure seems to be a tight fit into the lighter socket. Pulled part of the socet assembly out when I unplugged the skydock. I can't see glueing it in as an option as I sometimes need to charge my Droid ( I don't have an iPhone, but an iTouch) using it's charger. Which by the way is not nearly as difficult to plug in and out. Any other ideas as to a way to fix the too tight fit?

 

The Skydock jack has some pretty thick rubber "bumpers" on it that make the fit very snug. When I turned the thing clockwise - really the only option to remove it - the socket turns too and it unlatched from the dash.

I don't know if it's easy to remove or trim those rubber bumpers - that would definitely make it easier to swap the SkyDock with another charging device, but that could also allow it to bounce all over the place while you drive, making the radio controls harder to use.

 

I've been thinking of trying to shave the rubber bumper/ring near the bottom of the lighter insert on the Skydock. Maybe if it had less material it would be easier to remove. I'm also going to take the MINI in and see if the dealer has any suggestions about keeping the socket seated, since it seems to pull out with nearly any accessory.

I'll keep you posted. If that fails I'm going to run a lighter socket extender from the boot socket and plug it into that! Then I can just drop it behind my seat... Getting desperate!

Jay

 

You are the second person that suggested pulling up the carpet over the hole under the seat. I'm going to try that tomorrow. I'm curious about the skydock with the filter though? I bought an Xpress RCI head unit and I'd like to hard wire it in.

 

Just as an fiy, I purchased a Skydock, set it up and was dealing with some of the same sound quality issues that others have reported. Before I was able to sort through them, the Skydock decided to commit suicide. I came out to my MINI in the morning and found that the cradle had fallen off the gooseneck and was dangling by the wires. It has a locking ring inside the cradle that holds it to the gooseneck, and apparently when it was tightened at the factory, it stripped the threads inside it, and it was just a matter of time before it detatched itself The unit wasn't bumped or moved, it literally just fell off.

Anyway, dealing with XM to try and transfer the service from the Skydock to the replacement unit (I went with the XMp3i after my experience with the Skydocks issues) and having them try to charge me $75 to transfer the service pushed me over my threshhold of pain, and I cancelled the entire deal with XM and went back to one of my Sirius radios instead.

I realize that XM and Sirius are pretty much one and the same, but I refuse to deal with XM anymore. I have NEVER had usch bad customer and tech service in my life and am still disputing some charges with them, as they went ahead and started charging my credit card for various service and subscription charges after I decided to cancel the service. I would advise EVERYONE to stay away from XM. For some reason, even though I am pretty sure I am talking to the same call center when I call for support, the Sirius people do a much better job of taking care of me.