R1200RT radio outputs/fader

[Zardoz]

I just brought home my lovely 2009 R1200RT with all the bells and whistles. Gawd, is it great!

 

But as perfect as it is I still want more. I have an Autocom installed on my Silver Streak which is used to interface communication to my helmet, including telephone, mp3, radio and intercom.

 

The problem is that the output from the radio/cd goes to the external speakers. Fair enough, but I 'd like to know if there is a rear speaker output on the radio installed from BMW? The settings indicate that I can have fader output to front or rear speaker. When I adjust for rear, the sound disappears. A classic indication that the rear speakers are not plugged in!

 

Can anyone tell me if there is rear speaker output on this radio? Is the connection plug ISO? Are the rear output contacts there, but not connected? I find it hard to believe that BMW would commission a radio deliberately removing an extraneous component. I would like to believe that they just haven't bothered to hook it up.

 

Any BMW repairmen out there lurking?

 

Thanks for any help given...

 

[John Bentall]

The radio is borrowed from a BMW autombile with rear spaeakers. There are no rear spakers on the R1200RT (though there are on K1200LT model).

I have Autocom part number 1321 installed that links the output from the Radio/CD into the Autocom linky

 

Hope this helps.

[Tapatio]

The rear speaker leads are not plugged into anything but can be used. I plugged in a bluetooth transmitter to the rear speaker leads, allows me listen to the speakers or through my helmet by changing the fader. Here is the pinout on the back of the radio (as of 2006 model year).

 

[Zardoz]

Sweet!

Thanks for the pinout...

 

Cheers,

 

Roy

[IanW]

The radio is borrowed from a BMW autombile with rear spaeakers. There are no rear spakers on the R1200RT (though there are on K1200LT model).

I have Autocom part number 1321 installed that links the output from the Radio/CD into the Autocom linky

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

If you connected from the radio you should have used Autocom part number 1319, 1321 is to connect to the existing speaker wires and switch from speakers to helmet with the switch provided. 1319 uses the fader on the radio controls so no switch is required.

I used 1319 and use the radio controls.

Ian

[John Bentall]

The radio is borrowed from a BMW autombile with rear spaeakers. There are no rear spakers on the R1200RT (though there are on K1200LT model).

I have Autocom part number 1321 installed that links the output from the Radio/CD into the Autocom linky

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

If you connected from the radio you should have used Autocom part number 1319, 1321 is to connect to the existing speaker wires and switch from speakers to helmet with the switch provided. 1319 uses the fader on the radio controls so no switch is required.

I used 1319 and use the radio controls.

Ian

 

Ian,

Your solution is much neater, because it leaves no exposed switch.

On the other hand it takes a litle longer to install because the radio has to be removed. Nor am I bothered by the switch.

Maybe next time, I'll do it your way.

 

John

[IanW]

The radio is borrowed from a BMW autombile with rear spaeakers. There are no rear spakers on the R1200RT (though there are on K1200LT model).

I have Autocom part number 1321 installed that links the output from the Radio/CD into the Autocom linky

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

If you connected from the radio you should have used Autocom part number 1319, 1321 is to connect to the existing speaker wires and switch from speakers to helmet with the switch provided. 1319 uses the fader on the radio controls so no switch is required.

I used 1319 and use the radio controls.

Ian

 

Ian,

Your solution is much neater, because it leaves no exposed switch.

On the other hand it takes a litle longer to install because the radio has to be removed. Nor am I bothered by the switch.

Maybe next time, I'll do it your way.

 

John

 

John

I agree, it did take a while and was a little frustrating, but now it is done and as you say it is neater.

Ian

[Zardoz]

Follow up on the Rest of the Story....

 

I have used the pin out schema to connect up to the BMW rear speaker outputs. It was a bit of work pulling down the panels and ripping out the radio but I managed. I had to make the connectors out of regular crimp connectors but it went fine. Unfortunately I ran into a bit of trouble…

 

The pin out that was posted was correct. Since the input to the Autocom is a 3.5 mm plug and has only one ground I used only one output minus. This resulted in either the left or the right side being active depending on which ground I used.

 

I tried to connect both speaker grounds to the one shielded cable ground, essentially shorting out the two output grounds together but that didn’t help. When I did that there was no output at all, either to rear or front speakers! Thinking that this was causing feedback I inserted a small diode between the speaker ground and the shielded cable ground. I ended up using only one speaker ground, not both. This did work and I was able to get both speakers working with the balance between them adjustable.

 

Is there anyone out there who has done this configuration and can tell me how they have managed the two ground lead situation? I have ordered a 1319 car isolator for stereo car systems without speakers but have not received it yet so I don’t know if that has four leads input.

 

Cheers,

 

Roy

 

 

[Tom B]

Yes that part has two separate speaker positives and two separate speaker negative wires (4 wires) for you to connect to the 4 speaker wires on the bike.

 

Please do not try to connect your speaker earths together, not even with a diode etc as this may well result in you damaging the audio output amplifiers in your music system

 

The way our lead works is by taking the left channel positive and negative wires from the bike and feeding this into an isolation transformer, so that it is totally isolated from the Autocom, the other side of that isolation transformer is connected to the left channel input contact on the 3.5mm plug and also to the common earth on that plug which goes into your Autocom system.

 

The right positive and negative wires from the bike are fed into the second isolation transformer so that it is again totally isolated from the Autocom and also from the left channel speaker wires. The other side of that isolation transformer is connected to the right channel input contact on the 3.5mm plug and also to the common earth on that plug which goes into your Autocom system.

 

The two independent earth speaker negative wires from the bike can only be connected together to form a common earth/negative point AFTER they have passed through the isolation transformers,

 

Our isolation lead also has resistors built in to reduce the powerful car type audio output level down to a more suitable portable type audio output level. This makes the on-bike volume control far less sensitive to small movements than it would otherwise be without the built in audio reduction

 

Autocom UK Tom

 

[Zardoz]

Follow up:

 

The radio kludge was very successful.

The hardest part was pulling down the outer panels and loosening the radio box. On the RT they use Torx screws to fasten the covers. Don't attempt this with Allen wrenches or Umbraco. You must get a Torx set. I mean that it’s a 10 and 12 needed but can’t remember. The outer cover has three screws, one in the front (looks like 2), one at the outer curve and one beside the lower speaker grid. The inner side panel has a series of screws where two by the cylinders ar larger (12 maybe). You also must remove the tank bag mount by removing the 4 long screws. Be VERY careful removing the front screws on the tank bag holder and the inner panel. You might drop one down somewhere in the maze of alternator/cylinderheads cables etc. It is almost impossible to get out and the screws are NOT magnetic!

Don’t ask me how I know this…

 

Release the air scoop by pulling the locking C clamp out towards you, two releases on the ends of the C lock. The as you slide the air scoop out you have to pop the pin out of the rubber grommet half way along the air scoop on the motor side of the scoop.

 

Unscrew the three screws holding the radio box in place and lift the whole box up and out of the holder. Remember to put a cloth or rubber cover on the tank or you’ll scratch the sh|t out of it. Remove the four screws on the cover and you can lift the radio unit up high enough to work on. The diagram is correctly displaying the pins as you look straight at them. Note the fuse as the point of origin.

 

I had to find some straight crimp connectors which would fit on the round pins and solder them to the ends of the Autocom 1319 unit. The 1319 has 4 leads, 2 ground and 2 output. By soldering the one end to the leads and squeezing the other end slightly with a pair of small dykes I could just make a pressure fit. It’s possible to remove the connector so you can get a better sampling just look at the release notation stamped on the connector. You have to flip out a lock in order for the plug connector to release.

 

Another factor is getting the leads inn through the grommet at the bottom of the radio box. I found it was easiest by taking a funnel shaped piece of plastic, something the cables can pass through. Then I greased the tip and forced it into the grommet. When that was in place I threaded the leads in and after I was done I slide the funnel shaped tube out so the grommet closed on the extra leads. Then I carefully sliced the funnel shaped tube off the leads.

 

Check that the leads are the correct way around before reinstalling everything. I managed to get right and left turned around and had to pull out the leads.

 

There is no way around it, it’s a bitch of a job but its well worth it to get the sound ported to your helmet in clear good sound. Good luck.