XM XAPV2 PowerConnect Vehicle Kit for the XMp3i

Review by Douglas Waski for XM XAPV2 PowerConnect Vehicle Kit for the XMp3i
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*If your car has an AUX jack, you are good to go! Otherwise, you will need an FM transmitter or another type of adapter to connect to your vehicle’s radio. I already owned an FM transmitter so I was all set.

After receiving the XMp3i for my birthday, I ordered the car kit so I could enjoy satellite radio in my vehicle (2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer). The cable for the antenna is nice and long, so you can run it from your dash, all the way to the top/rear of the car, with a little leftover. All of the cables plug into the dock, so you can remove your XMp3i and hide it or take it with you without any hassle. It comes with a remote control, which I thought was silly at first, but after using it, I realized that it’s much easier to use the remote when driving, than to use the buttons on the player. As long as you position the antenna like the instructions describe, the reception is just as good as a factory installed XM radio (I’ve had both).

It comes with two mounting methods (dashboard mount or clips for your air conditioning vent). If you use the adhesive dashboard mount, make sure you know exactly where you want it, since it only comes supplied with a single adhesive strip. Otherwise, you’ll have to go buy some of those super-adhesive foam strips made by 3M. Certainly not a deal-killer, but a little annoying.

Overall, the car kit from XM was easy to install. Now I can listen to satellite radio on those long road trips! Hooray!

Review by Mike Frerkes for XM XAPV2 PowerConnect Vehicle Kit for the XMp3i
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I am not the most mechanically-inclined indivdual on the planet, so the idea of installing an external antenna on the roof of my car and running a wire through the trunk to the dash was a little intimidating. However, the installation kit has everything you need to get the job done and its instructions were easy to follow. It only took me 15 minutes to get everything properly connected. I was very pleased with the end result. The sound quality from the PowerConnect FM transmitter was better than expected. It’s so nice to have Live XM programming in my vehicle with absolutely no interruptions. In fact, I still had a reliable signal even when going under a large freeway overpass.

There is one gripe I have with this device, however. It requires that you run power to the dock at all times, even if your XMp3i is already fully charged. I tried running it without the power adapter connected and the XMp3i would not work very consistently. You’ll probably want to invest in a 12-volt socket splitter if you run multiple devices (cell phone charger, GPS, etc.) on a frequent basis. Without a constant power source to the dock, you’ll find it challenging to keep the XM receiver working. This is a minor complaint, but I don’t understand why a fully-charged unit is not allowed to run off its own battery power.

The easy installation and included remote control make this kit well worth the price. Having the ability to take an XMp3i on the road now adds even more value to my Sirius/XM subscription.