Autocomm Help

[casticus]

ALrighty having a pretty annoying problem with the autocomm on my 04 RT and I am wondering if the collective wisdom can help. I had it set up with the standard speakers and microphone working just fine a couple of years ago. Last year swithced to Arizona Al earplugs on my bike and on the SO's bike (has autocomm also). We are using kenwood freetalk XL radios.

 

Now there is significant "interference" when I transmit to her. I can hear it in my speakers when I transmit bike to bike. When I talk to myself (I don't answer though so I am not crazy) with the VOX off for bike to bike I am clear in my speakers.

 

I literally haven't touched the setup since it was working well 2 years ago. Only difference is the change to in the ear speaker/earplugs.

 

Getting pretty frustrated and I am not sure where to start. The unit is bike powered right off the battery which I am told is the correct place to draw power to minimize interference.

 

The autocomm unit and the Kenwood radio is mounted in the tail of each bike (F650 and RT).

 

Can anyone offer any advice?

 

Thanks,

[KDeline]

If it is the same problem I have, you simply had it all along, you just hear it more clear in the speaker earplugs. It is the Kenwood doing it. I just ignore it, or try to.

[casticus]

I wish it was that simple. I do hear the "pulse" and I can live with that. But when I transmit at any speed other than a walk there is enough static or interference that I am almost impossible to understand.

[EffBee]

Several things to consider. Let's start with the major problems and go down to the minor ones.

 

1. Garbled transmission. It is possible that somewhere along the line you have activated your Kenwood's "privacy" mode. This is basically a scrambler. Go through your menu options and make sure it is turned off.

 

Another thing to look at is the plug into the Kenwood. The surface of the female plugs each has a tiny ring around it, supposedly to help keep moisture out. Sometimes, if the radio has been dropped, the PC board inside the radio will have shifted (barely, but enough) so that your male plugs don't penetrate suffiently to make full contact. Try transmitting while pressing the plug hard into the Kenwood. If this clears your problem, shave those small rings on the female plugs to allow deeper penetration and more complete internal contact on the male plug's pins.

 

2. Al's Earplugs. These are quality items, but that's not to say that they can't be faulty. First, try them in a Walkman or iPod to make sure they work properly and don't have an internal short. If they're bad, contact Al. If they do work, but don't work when plugged into the Autocom's Part #27 (earplug adapter), then perhaps Part 27 needs repair or replacing.

 

3. You say you can still hear the "pulse." I take it you are talking about some sort of ignition inductance. This can be eliminated by careful placement of the wires, such that the frame rails shield them from the engine management computer and from the high-tension (ignition) coils. It takes a bit of trial and error, but it can easily be done.

 

Check these things and get back to us. Let's see if we can figure out what has really changed here.

[Pat_Da_Geeeze_Donahue]

Here's an odd thought. With the in-ears you had to lower the volume right? I had to when I added them on my Goldwing and it screwed up my connection to my cell phone. I realized that I was sending a weak signal to the phone which was trying to amplify from nearly nothing.

 

I bought a volume reducer from Aerostich but alas never tried the phone since getting it.

 

Pat

[casticus]

We be on the road in Asheville and I cleared up the antennae position on the RT and that really cleared it up. So far so good. Thanks for the advice.