very happy with Autocom

[krussell]

I bought an Autocom SuperPro AVI a bit ago and finished the install this weekend. A couple of hundred miles later and I am very happy to say this is a great product, and exceeded my expectations. The install was straightforward, my Nolan helmets were not an issue, and everything works very well. My pillion is delighted, and I enjoy the music that I can actually hear. I have a slight noise issue when listening to the zumo that I am working on, but suspect that is something particular about my install. I bought it direct from autocom america and was pleased with the service.

 

Funny, I was riding on some superslab here in town on my way home from a day trip yesterday. I came upon two of Milwaukee's finest with the typically mandatory exhaust 'enhancements.' As I rode by the autocom notched the music up given the additional background noise. Sweet system, adjust for your ambient noise, as well as your fellow riders.

 

Anyway, I'm a happy customer, and looking forward to xm and bike to bike upgrades when I can.

[Semper_Fi]

Kevin - I just added mine - have you set it up for Bike 2 Bike?

 

If so did you notice a delay between transmit and recieve of approximately 3 to 5 seconds.

 

Agree that the sound quality is fantastic.

 

Luis

[krussell]

Kevin - I just added mine - have you set it up for Bike 2 Bike?

 

I haven't done bike to bike yet, I typically ride alone, and no one I ride with has bike to bike. I'll probably set it up in case I end up riding with someone some day, and I want to set up a ham radio anyway. My plan is to go either icom or kenwood, and get a GMRS and ham portable and swap them out. What radio did you get? I wonder if the delay is autocom or the radio.

[Martyn]

Kevin - I just added mine - have you set it up for Bike 2 Bike?

 

If so did you notice a delay between transmit and recieve of approximately 3 to 5 seconds.

 

Agree that the sound quality is fantastic.

 

Luis

 

Have been using several generations of Autocom over the years; currently an AVi with Kenwood TK3101 (I think!)- anyway, I've always been impressed with the speed of transmit/receive - haven't noticed a delay,

[Semper_Fi]

Kevin - the radio I got is the AT2 Autocom Prefered - hereis the link http://www.autocomamerica.com/product_details.cfm/productid/47308

 

Let me clarify the delay of which I speak. The delay only occurs on the initial word spoken, once the system is "in use" there is no delay and the clarity is spectacular.

 

I would speak and my wife would hear the second word of what I was saying; e.g. Test 1 2 3, she would hear "....st 1 2 3" and then we would converse back and forth. If we stopped for a bit and then started up the xmit/rcv cycle the first word is cut off - that is the delay - sorry for the incomplete information.

 

Anybody have that?

 

Luis

[ShovelStrokeEd]

It is very common on VOX systems. The thing has to sense sound and then close a relay (maybe electronic) to allow the voice signal to reach the transmitter. Many old time hams used to give a short whistle and then start speaking. Listening in on 80 meters sometimes would sound like a bird convention.

[Dundee387]

No, don't have that problem. Do still have some noise in the line "clicking", alternator whine, whatever they call it. I'm going to Autocom this spring to have them make it 100%. You can ride into the factory in NY. Just e-mail them before you go. Other than that, it works awesome. No delays.

[Ben_Ricci]

Congrats. I gotta say my experience with Autocom has been terrific. It's one of the few products that works without compromise the way they say it will. Both my wife and I have it on each of our bikes and the bike-to-bike is wonderful. We have the Active-Plus and it works perfectly.

[Semper_Fi]

It is very common on VOX systems. The thing has to sense sound and then close a relay (maybe electronic) to allow the voice signal to reach the transmitter. Many old time hams used to give a short whistle and then start speaking. Listening in on 80 meters sometimes would sound like a bird convention.

 

That is what i figured - we were doing something similar to get the system going.

 

It was annoying until figured out - thanks for the confirmation

 

Luis

[lawnchairboy]

where are they in NY?

[Chris K]

where are they in NY?

 

From their website: Slingerlands, NY

It is outside of Albany.

[lawnchairboy]

thanks chris

[Tom B]

Hi all

The Autocom VOX is almost instant and with minimal delay if you use the microphone loud-spot and project your voice through it. You can hear just how quickly the VOX turns on through your own side-tone. It can help if you learn to drag out the first word, for example; instead of saying one two three, you try saying the one slowly and slightly louder before saying two etc.

Part of the delay when using bike to bike is that transceivers are on battery save standby mode when not transmitting or receiving and need a split second to wake up. The one that is being voice activated has to go from standby into transmit mode, and then when the receiving radio gets the signal it has to wake up and then receive the coded tone before letting the received signal go to the speakers.

You can see this short transceiver delay if like the TK3101 your transceiver has a TX RX LED. Set the two systems up close together and you will notice that when you speak the VOX turns the transceiver on to TX and a red LED almost instantly comes on, but most of the delay can be seen on the receiving radio as the green RX LED comes on a split second later.

All in all it all happens very quickly considering all that has to happen, and with some radio discipline (as its called) you can learn to help use the transceivers without needing to whistle or say a first trigger word. However I personally have learnt to say “ok, at the lights turn left” and they hear at the lights turn left. It would be good practice for example not to say “don’t shoot” as they may hear shoot! But ok don’t shoot should be fairly safe!!

Hope this helps

Autocom UK Tom

[Dundee387]

I believe the town is called Singerlands, or Slingerlands, NY......

[Switz]

Autocom is a UK company with a single distributor in the US in New York state.

 

We have tried to get the recommended CB to work with negative results. There is too much feed back and no apparent shielding for the CB frequencies. Unfortunately, the Honda Gold Wings and Harley Classics all have CBs.

 

BMW wants you to acquire their K1200LT with a CB. A friend in the Phoenix area took a year to get the CB operational here (happens to be a J&M Corp product from Tucson, AZ).

 

I also never did get the their Bluetooth module to connect to my BlackBerry (the largest market share PDA with voice activation capabilities). Frankly, all their marketing claims aside, I am less than pleased with their very expensive limited functionality. As I ride solo on the RT, all I am getting for this investment is audio from the XM radio in my Garmin GPSMAP 378. And there is no volume control.

 

YMMV

 

Anyway, the FRS spectrum Autocom recommends might be usable in the distant future....

[Axe]

I love my Autocom, I have the FM/AM/CD, GPS Promps, Intercom, cell phone and bike to bike all working great. It's a Super Pro Avi and the folks at Autocom America or Top Gear Accessories as they go by could not be more accommodating. Not sure what you mean by FRS may be usable in the distant future. I am using a Kenwood 2 watt FRS/GMRS with a non ground plane antenna mounted on the side of the top box and I could not be more pleased with it. The reception is crystal clear it was EZ to install, one lead works great right out of the box. The range is at least 2 miles on the open road and I don't have to listen to all the noise and breaker 19 that comes with CB.

[Semper_Fi]

All in all it all happens very quickly considering all that has to happen, and with some radio discipline (as its called) you can learn to help use the transceivers without needing to whistle or say a first trigger word. However I personally have learnt to say “ok, at the lights turn left” and they hear at the lights turn left. It would be good practice for example not to say “don’t shoot” as they may hear shoot! But ok don’t shoot should be fairly safe!!

Hope this helps

Autocom UK Tom

 

Tom - that missed word is what we are experiencing - thank you for the insight. I placed the mike as per instructions but will double check, i may have put it too close - will re-adjust and check. Other than that once its going it is great.

Luis