Terry O'Sullivan's 1998 Mercedes ML-320
When Terry O'Sullivan bought an Alpine CDA-9825 CD receiver and a Delphi SKYFi™ XM tuner from Crutchfield, he planned to look for a local installer to put them in. After giving it some more thought, he decided to do it himself. As Terry says, "I care more about my car than anyone else." With a little creativity, and a few phone calls to Crutchfield for support, he put together a highly usable and attractive installation.

The Delphi SKYFi tuner, ready for action, with the Alpine CDA-9825 in the dash.
The gear
Terry knew that the Alpine CDA-9825 would give him the high performance he wanted in an in-dash receiver, but he was also anxious to tap into the wide variety of programming on satellite radio. Although Alpine makes the CDA-9820XM, an in-dash CD receiver with XM capabilities built in, he wanted XM Radio in his home also, and liked how the Delphi SKYFi tuner can move easily between home and car docking stations. With the SKYFi receiver, there's only one subscription necessary to enjoy his favorite XM channels in the home and on the road.
To feed the output of the SKYFi tuner to his CDA-9825, Terry purchased the Alpine KCA-121B auxiliary input adapter. With the SKYFi tuner plugged into the auxiliary input, Terry has a direct audio input to the Alpine, and can control XM functions from the face of the SKYFi tuner. As an added bonus, the auxiliary input can also used for Terry's Apple iPod. Nice!

Note how the docking station is bolted to the metal bracket.
Mounting the SKYFi tuner
Terry's biggest challenge was where to mount the SKYFi tuner. Although Crutchfield carries many Pro.Fit vehicle-specific and universal mounts for the SKYFi tuner, there wasn't one available that fit Terry's specific needs. With a little thought and some shopping around, a solution soon presented itself. A trip to the local Home Depot store in Bakersfield yielded an L-shaped, 3" x 2" metal bracket, called a Simpson Tie, that looked like it would serve his needs. Terry mounted the longer side of the bracket to the left side of the glove box compartment and attached the SKYFi docking station to the other end of the bracket by drilling four holes through the docking station and securing it to a plate on the bracket with nuts and bolts. The result was a solid platform for the docking station that doesn't interfere with the working of the glove box. The wiring to the docking station is routed through the bottom of the Crutchfield dash mounting kit for the receiver.

The bracket mounts securely to the inside wall of the glove box.
There you have it! With a little work and a nice dash of creativity, Terry has a strong and serviceable bracket that holds the XM tuner right at fingertip distance, in perfect view, and out of the way of the dash controls. Thanks for letting our readers take a look at your resourceful solution, Terry!
Shop for gear that fits your car.
by Crutchfield's
Meet Ken Nail
My name is Ken. I seek the Holy Grail of car audio excellence. My favorite color is blue.
I came to Crutchfield in 1999. During my six years as a Crutchfield Advisor, I learned a lot about the technology behind great car and home audio. I learned even more about what people wanted in their car stereo systems.
I've been a writer for car audio and fitness tech at Crutchfield since 2005. Over the last few years, I've also carved out a niche producing demo videos for our in-dash car stereos. The hands-on experience I get with car stereos while doing video production is an invaluable aid to me in learning about their exciting features. This helps me convey that information to our customers when I write about the stereo on our website.
Before coming to Crutchfield, I spent 10 years teaching music in Charlottesville area schools. I keep my musical interests satisfied by volunteering as a classical music DJ at a local community radio station, and I stay up to date with the latest in outdoor tech by cycling, running, and backpacking.
Fun facts: I've completed an Ironman triathlon, run the Boston Marathon, hiked 1150 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and lost on Jeopardy!
More about Ken
More from Ken Nail
Fitness gear for a triathlete-in-training
Fitness tracker buying guide
Quick guide to matching subs & amps
Car stereo FAQ
Car stereo installation gear made easy
Pro audio cables buying guide