Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: robltoyerjr on November 22, 2011, 11:00:12 AM
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Anyone know of the best way to go for music/cb/nav all in one.....or is there such a thing?
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Couple schools of thought on this one, and sure many folks will chime in. Here are a couple options i see:
1. J&M CB2003: CB radio, intercom, and audio port that can connect to almost whatever you can mount on the handlebars that "talks" (ie a GPS).
2. Smart phone: I personally use an Iphone 4 with a Scala G4 bluetooth helmet comms system. I can make calls, listen to police scanner, radio, music stored locally, receive calls...I just keep my phone in my pocket or tank bag and away I go. Some people actually put a RAM mount on their handlebars and slide the phone in a cradle on the RAM, most likely for GPS applications. I personally don't do this and prefer a separate GPS unit. To each his own, and gotta find what works best for you.
3. Some of the Garmin units also have blue tooth and MP3 capability, and interface with your smart phone for making calls. Haven't seen one with a built in CB though.
4. other systems: someone else is gonna have to fill in the blanks here...
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The only direct way for general usage comms and CB radio on a motorcycle is J&M as far as I know. Otherwise, you could use any number of comm systems (Starcom1, Audiovox, etc.) and add a CB radio to it. Unfortunately the whole communications thing gets pretty complex pretty fast but if you specifically want CB, take a look at J&M.
Brian
Anyone know of the best way to go for music/cb/nav all in one.....or is there such a thing?
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I can vouch for the bread of support for inputs with the Starcom1 Digital, its been 99% flawless with my wife and I.
But I have to be honest...still not happy with how it works for the phone via blutooth, tried every combination except eliminate BT or 660.
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Can you elaborate a little on that? I am using a Starcom1 digital with bluetooth successfully but through a bluetooth adapter on one phone, and through a Zumo on the other bluetooth to cell phone connection. I did have blue tooth problems that I could not overcome but only when trying to use two blue tooth devices connected at the same time to a third device. Blue tooth links through my Starcom have been flawless as long as it is a single wireless link connected to another device at the same time; I use multiple blue tooth devices by connecting each one to its own wired port into the Starcom now.
That is another problem with comm systems in general- they get expensive and complicated very quickly, mostly because there are really no complete solutions, only partial solutions that mate to other partial systems; both systems are expensive and the link can be very problematic.
Brian
I can vouch for the bread of support for inputs with the Starcom1 Digital, its been 99% flawless with my wife and I.
But I have to be honest...still not happy with how it works for the phone via blutooth, tried every combination except eliminate BT or 660.
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I have a J&M CB and I have a Garmin 765T. The 765 plays MP3's and has blue tooth for your phone and plugs into the AUX port on the J&M CB unit. Works great and you don't have batteries to recharge like with a blue tooth set up. Some Garmins have blue tooth & MP3"s so that will take care of everything with 1 unit, plug it into the J&M CB and your set.
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+1= Starcom
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Anyone know of the best way to go for music/cb/nav all in one.....or is there such a thing?
You can go with a Sena SMH10 and SR10 to get bluetooth from a CB, add a GPS that has MP3 capability and you have what you are looking for all bluetoothed to the helmet.
I don't know of a device that will give you all in one unit
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Can you elaborate a little on that? I am using a Starcom1 digital with bluetooth successfully........
When talking to my wife helmet to helmet or via a Midland CB (Bike to Car) we can hold a perfectly clear conversation. But then using Starcom1 to Phone via Starcom Bluetooth Dongle or via Zumo 660 via wire and Bluetooth to Phone....I can hear her clearly, but she can't understand a word I'm saying.
In discussions with Starcom via BikeEffects they couldn't find anything wrong with the unit, they replaced the headsets which I thought wouldn't make a difference since other forms of communication were fine. The only other variables are Bluetooth or the Mic-02 and Stereo leads to the Zumo. In thinking about it and reading other forums the Mic-02 lead may have been miss labeled and could be a Mic-01 which I think has the wrong impedance (I think). Otherwise I was considering ordering the specific Phone lead and removing the Zumo and Bluetooth all together, but further expense isn't really something I'm looking for.
Since I rarely make phone calls on the bike it hasn't been high on my priority list but it is a bother when I'm out and the phone rings.
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That is a known problem and seems to be because the Starcom over modulates the cell phone resulting in garbled comms from the bike. Comms to the bike are fine, as you mentioned.
Someone made a R-C filter to cure this problem and was successful. Unfortunately I do not remember where the thread is but I can look later- you can look now of course. ;) The basic idea was a capacitor and a resistor (the poster used an adjustable potentiometer but it works as a resistor) and attenuated the signal until it was clear. In a perfect world, someone would make such an attenuator and package it in a 3.5 mm stereo extension but I don't know that there is such a device with an acceptable value for our use.
Poke around a bit on the forum and you should be able to find the info- it was quite recent, maybe two months ago as I remember.
There is also a very able guy on the FJR forum who is very well versed with Starcom although I do not know if he is familiar with cell phone comms. or not.
Finally, you can give Starcom a call directly in England- I have spoken with Tony there several time with mixed results. Also, if you purchased the unit from Jeff at Bike Effects, he may be able to help you.
Brian.
When talking to my wife helmet to helmet or via a Midland CB (Bike to Car) we can hold a perfectly clear conversation. But then using Starcom1 to Phone via Starcom Bluetooth Dongle or via Zumo 660 via wire and Bluetooth to Phone....I can hear her clearly, but she can't understand a word I'm saying.
In discussions with Starcom via BikeEffects they couldn't find anything wrong with the unit, they replaced the headsets which I thought wouldn't make a difference since other forms of communication were fine. The only other variables are Bluetooth or the Mic-02 and Stereo leads to the Zumo. In thinking about it and reading other forums the Mic-02 lead may have been miss labeled and could be a Mic-01 which I think has the wrong impedance (I think). Otherwise I was considering ordering the specific Phone lead and removing the Zumo and Bluetooth all together, but further expense isn't really something I'm looking for.
Since I rarely make phone calls on the bike it hasn't been high on my priority list but it is a bother when I'm out and the phone rings.
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Thanks, I read that other thread previously. I invested a few dollars on the gear to build it out and found that it did improve the audio. But when I started the engine there was way too much electical noise, which I couldn't resolve. I used sheilded cables but obviously my workmanship wasn't enough.
I might reach out and see if that guy can make me another one off.
Also I spoke with Jeff, very helpful (would be happy to shop with him again)...but he didn't seem to think this was a known problem and through his testing couldn't find a fault. Yet I know its not working like it should.
Thanks for the feedback.
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I have had mixed results with mine- sometimes it seems to work OK and other times the speech is garbled (going by the reports of those I have spoken with using the Starcom). I wonder if it could be the Starcom microphone sensitivity changing with the level of ambient noise? There is also a setting on the digital unit which changes the sensitivity of the microphone and again I wonder if that would change the Starcoms' output to the cell phone itself?
When you tried the attenuator, were you using Starcom's isolated audio cables?
Brian
Thanks, I read that other thread previously. I invested a few dollars on the gear to build it out and found that it did improve the audio. But when I started the engine there was way too much electical noise, which I couldn't resolve. I used sheilded cables but obviously my workmanship wasn't enough.
I might reach out and see if that guy can make me another one off.
Also I spoke with Jeff, very helpful (would be happy to shop with him again)...but he didn't seem to think this was a known problem and through his testing couldn't find a fault. Yet I know its not working like it should.
Thanks for the feedback.
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Yes I have isolated cables, but introducing my own wiring into the connection caused the problem. I don't experience any engine noise otherwise.
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I use starcom1 andance connected with: mp3 player ,gps TIBO A1200 and a midland G7 CB.Every works fine now.
My broblem was only when I connected gbs to the 12V bike socket.
Finally i put a ground loop isolator buying from ebay
(http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/7268/81244211.th.png) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/831/81244211.png/)
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Right, all my audio cables (from starcom) are isolated, so no engine noise with any input.
I'm going to reach to Grant in this thread and see how its working, maybe he can wire one up for me (I obviously can't do it)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=3844.msg47577#msg47577 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=3844.msg47577#msg47577)
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You can go with a Sena SMH10 and SR10 to get bluetooth from a CB, add a GPS that has MP3 capability and you have what you are looking for all bluetoothed to the helmet.
I don't know of a device that will give you all in one unit
I'd second the Sena. I have the SMH10 only but it works great.