Need down and dirty radar detector installation

[Bob_Minor]

My brother and I are taking off on a 6 day trip tomorrow and he just surprised me with a brand new Escort. No time to find a ball mount or a shelf for my R12RT. Will it still be effective if I just put it in my tank bag? I'll be hooking it to my Autocom so at least the audio warning will be OK.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Yes, but perhaps with a bit less sensitivity and the LIDAR detection won't work.

[johnlt]

I used my V1 in the tankbag for 5 years in VA and it didn't seem to suffer any sensitivity loss at all. Worked great but as Tom said, the laser detection will not work without a direct line of sight.

[Bob_Minor]

When it comes to laser don't the detectors pretty much just provide "pending ticket notification"?

[motoguy128]

When it comes to laser don't the detectors pretty much just provide "pending ticket notification"?

 

Yes, if you're speeding while riding all alone in the open. With other cars around, you may get some reflected radar providing and early alert... if the cop is measuring the speed of someone besides you.

 

At least, that's how I thought it works.

[Angel]

FYI: As I experienced it, down and dirty installation is not as easy as it sounds.

 

if you are running sound through the autocom you will need a specific cable... with a ground loop isolator, otherwise you will not be able to hear anything.

 

 

 

[Bob_Minor]

Why is it any different than hooking up an MP3 palyer? It's all 3.5 to 3.5 cable connections. Music goes into Aux2 and radar into Aux3 per Autocom instructions. What does the ground loop isolator do?

[Whip]

Velcro it to the top of the front brake reservoir.

 

I've done it on many bikes.

[flars]

"...Why is it any different than hooking up an MP3 palyer..."

If the Escort is battery powered any old cable will work if it is plugged into the correct point on the Autocom. If powered by the bike, G/L isolation may be needed.

G/L isolation prevents current from taking some short path to ground rather than flowing like it should - which would cause hissing/popping/foul language. On the other hand, if you use G/L isolation on a circuit that does not need it, the volume will be decreased.

[SageRider]

Why is it any different than hooking up an MP3 palyer? It's all 3.5 to 3.5 cable connections. Music goes into Aux2 and radar into Aux3 per Autocom instructions. What does the ground loop isolator do?

If you have no more than one bike powered device (Autocom, MP3 player, Radar detector) then no isolation is needed.

If you have 2 or more bike powered devices, then there are separate ground paths (ground loops) which will cause noise in the audio.

An isolation adapter (typically a transformer at minimum) is necessary on the audio lines to "break" these ground loops.

 

[Bob_Minor]

Easy solution then, for this trip I'll just run the Autocom from a 9v battery and all should be good. Thanks for the info, you guys are great.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Easy solution then, for this trip I'll just run the Autocom from a 9v battery and all should be good. Thanks for the info, you guys are great.

 

*dirty*

[progress49]

Why is it any different than hooking up an MP3 palyer? It's all 3.5 to 3.5 cable connections. Music goes into Aux2 and radar into Aux3 per Autocom instructions. What does the ground loop isolator do?

 

On a similar note, I have a Garmin 2720 that I run through a pair of helmet speakers, I just got an Escort X50, can I just get a splitter from Radio Shack and run them both to the speakers?

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[SageRider]

Why is it any different than hooking up an MP3 palyer? It's all 3.5 to 3.5 cable connections. Music goes into Aux2 and radar into Aux3 per Autocom instructions. What does the ground loop isolator do?

 

On a similar note, I have a Garmin 2720 that I run through a pair of helmet speakers, I just got an Escort X50, can I just get a splitter from Radio Shack and run them both to the speakers?

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

If you run one signal to the left speaker and the other signal to the right speaker, you would be OK, although there may be ground loop issues.

If you wish to combine the signals, then either a passive or active "mixer" will be needed.

[Tom B]

 

One of the most important reasons why you need ISOLATION leads is to protect your audio device, which does not like having its audio output connected to its own negative/ground/earth.

 

As ALL Autocom audio inputs have common ground (earth) in relation to its power supply (our black power wire that goes to your bike battery) this is important to help reduce undesirable noise pick up from audio leads used on a bike.

 

If your Autocom device is bike powered (also to the bikes negative terminal) then if you use a standard wired audio lead between your Audio device audio output and your Autocom audio input, you are basically connecting your audio devices audio output to its own power supplies negative, which can and in most cases will blow your audio devices output amplifier. Usually before you burn your audio amplifier up, it will moan and grown and often squeal and complain which is what is often heard and reported.

 

So in order to protect from this you use an ISOLATING audio transformer built into your audio lead so that it allows AC signals to pass but not DC power.

 

Not all audio devices have independent earths for their audio outputs but those that do MUST be used with isolated leads if BOTH the Autocom and audio device are bike powered.

 

If either the Autocom or audio device is used on its own batteries then that device has its own independent and so isolated power supply and so standard leads can be used.

 

Hope that helps explain what its all about!

 

Autocom UK Tom