Auto com Active 7 Smart issue

[Matts_12GS]

Everyone,

I finally got my wife out on the RT yesterday (it's not easy have a 3 year old!) and we had some issues with the AutoCom system that I believe to be set up related.

 

the music was just fine for both of us but the intercom kept cutting off in mid speech, almost like it was "clipping"

 

Any thoughts as to what it might be?

Matt

[Ken H.]

I suppose the VOX set too high would be too easy of an answer.

[JohnJC]

In addition to VOX make sure the mic is in a good position.

[Matts_12GS]

thanks both. It is the passenger mic so it quite possibly could be off some, I'll check the vox setting as I set it initially with just one set attached. Per their instructions that can cause some issues too.

[Bernie]

Matt, I had the some problem with my wife on the r11rt. I got a windsock from Autocom for her microphone, which solved that problem. I know the windsock is normally only used on an open face helmet, but the rt creates a turbulance for the passenger that blows right into the buttom of the helmet. After that you can lower the Vox. She uses a Shoei helmet, I also velcroed her Mic in place.

[Cheechoo]

The mic needs to be placed so it almost touches the lips.

[EffBee]

If intercom use is shutting off mid-sentence, then whoever is speaking at the time isn't speaking loudly enough to keep the VOX open at its current setting. Reset the VOX to a more sensitive position (looking down onto the VOX adjustment knob, you would turn it clockwise). If you're not sure where to begin, a good place to start is to set the flat part of the adjustment knob parallel with the flat surface of the front of the Autocom box, then go clockwise about 20 degrees.

 

Such situations are common when one of the people using the intercom is much more soft-spoken than the other.

 

Set it so the most soft-spoken of the two of you can easily trip the VOX and keep it open while speaking normally. If this setting then is found to be too sensitive and the VOX gets tripped open by the wind rushing past your helmets, use Autocom's wind sock kit to cover the mic. This reduces its sensitivity to wind, but not to your voices. Also, for maximum results, be sure the mic is placed ON your lips, perfectly perpendicular to the flow of your voice, and right in the center of your smile.

[Matts_12GS]

Great advice all!

I'm going to do both, get windsocks and adjust the VOX sensitivity. It is set for me with my shield open for up to about 65 mph. I'll have to work that with hers.

[Ken H.]

Tom B will probably shake his finger at me for posting this...

 

Because of the difference in wind noise levels coming in with one mic input (my usual riding configuration) vs. with two mics connected, and having to always fiddle with the VOX level as a result, I ended up modifying Donna's Part 26 with a push-to-talk. It's easy for her to reach down and push it to say something and now two active mics aren't always breaking the VOX from the wind. Now I can leave the VOX setting found for one mic alone.

[Tom B]

Ken, you and Donna both know I wouldn’t do that, but how about a

 

Anyway you are right of course and it is a fact that two headsets into one VOX circuit has more noise attack than just one headset, and if you have set the VOX for just one headset then you may find that with second headset plugged in that you have to readjust the VOX to suit the two headsets, as you rightly point out. Indeed on most bikes the passenger normally gets more turbulence/noise than the rider so this can be another reason why if you are going to regularly ride with a passenger that you should set the VOX for both of you.

 

However you should be able to preset your Autocom VOX to a level that is suitable for both rider and passenger such that it is very easy for either of you to speak to and NEVER false triggers even at very high speeds well over 120mph, and so it shouldn’t need changing when you ride solo. Indeed you may find that you can get to 140mph before it false triggers?

 

The secret to getting the best out of your Autocom is in using the microphone loud spot’/s correctly, and projecting your voice through it which produces more than twenty times more speech into to the VOX circuit than noise, which means that you can then set the VOX to a much higher level that never needs adjusting and still find it very easy to speak to, yet it will be extremely reliable against false triggering.

 

VOX ease of use and reliability against false triggering all comes down to signal to noise ratio (SNR) and dare I say for the benefit of reassurance that it is because of Autocom’s incredible noise cancelling abilities that our SNR is typically many times greater than most others and why you should find (like so many others have) that the VOX can be set up for both rider and passenger so that it is easy to speak to yet never false trigger and does not need readjusting when you ride on your own or together, fast or slow.

 

As an example I set my Pro-7 VOX for both rider and passenger to the 120mph level and it is easy for both Karen and I to speak to and never false triggers unless I go over 120mph (in Germany) and that’s on our GSXR1000 or Blackbird which I know has less wind protection than RT’s and LT’s. When I do a track day I set the VOX to 150mph and I can talk back to the pits reliably on VOX and again it never false triggers, but we do find 150+mph VOX setting a bit too much for normal riding on the road so I do have to reduce it back to the 120mph setting after a track day, but that’s only a few times PA. I never have to change it for normal road riding with or without Karen, (remembering my bikes can do nearly 90mph in first, according to the books officer, which of course would be an entirely involuntary act should I sneeze!)

 

May I suggest TWO main areas to look into; firstly you need to look at your microphone covers and consider if they need changing, as over time these consumables can clog with dust, damp, lipstick and other foreign bodies? that will cause a reduction in speech input (slowly over time that you most likely don’t notice) thus rendering a much lower SNR causing a need for the VOX level to be reduced in order to activate it, or perhaps you will have to shout, although if the volume is set too high you will naturally want to speak quieter which may cause you to want to reduce the VOX level to compensate?

 

If you do replace the microphone covers and find it helps please let us know.

 

Secondly as you are using part 26 it suggests that you are using monitor speakers, (custom moulded in ear speaker plugs)? If so it is possible that that these are perhaps louder than require thus unbalanced the original Autocom design, and if you are hearing yourselves now at a louder level than is natural then it will be causing you to want to speak much quieter and as such you will be providing far less speech volume into the VOX circuit and as such will want to set the VOX much lower than normal to compensate?

 

Have you considered changing the two attenuating resistors in part 26 to reduce the sound level through the monitor earplugs? If you try increasing their values you will find that it reduces sound levels through your monitor earplugs, which if quieter will help you to naturally speak louder, thus providing you with a better SNR allowing you to increase the VOX for you both without the need to adjust it when you ride on you own.

 

Also if you can try your original Autocom speakers, perhaps also with normal earplugs you may notice a difference in sound and perhaps notice that you then naturally speak louder, thus can have a much higher VOX setting that does not need to be changed when you ride as a pair or solo?

 

Hope this helps as while I see your logic in you fitting a microphone PTT to Donna’s lead, I would like to sleep at night without having nightmares about you sneezing while Donna’s not holding on! Or Perhaps Donna likes the idea of being able to sing merrily to her favourite tunes without you hearing it? Nice one Donna and what a GREAT idea, thanks Ken.

 

Autocom-UK-Tom