Autocom

[Lonewolf]

I have decided that the way forward is to get an Autocom. I went out on the bike yesterday and had the bluetooth helmet rigged up for music, it was ok, but not great and not as good as I remembered it. (I haven't used it in ages).

I rang these folk, http://www.chainspeed.co.uk/categories/Audio-%26-Communication/AUTOCOM/?gclid=CIalmYzFyqQCFVhc4woduBdbVQ very helpful but a fair distance to travel. NB, do you know any local and ideally very knowledgeable suppliers, i.e. someone who will sell me what I actually want as opposed to what they want to sell me, if that makes sense. Also someone who carries it all in stock would be helpful, I hate waiting for things.

Alternatively I may have to go to the above company but they are in South Wales. Still any excuse to go out on the bike.  ;D

I want a rider only system, something that will connect to my Zumo, provide music and I want voice activated comms so that I can record commentary. I dont want much do I?

[Kwikasfuki]

Have a look at the Sena SMH10. There's an excellent review at webbikeworld.com

For what its worth, I have it and its brilliant. Not sure about voice activated recording.

Less hassle to install as well. It lives on your helmet.

[Kwikasfuki]

I meant to do a review on the Sena SMH10 as it works really well for me. It is deafening loud even at speed, bluetooth just works and easy is to use. I've decided to get some custom molded ear plugs (Biopact) which cut out just the wind noise so I'm hoping the Sena will be loud enough to filer through.

[Lonewolf]

I've never heard of Biopact but I have just Googled it. Looks the business, big investment but with a life of approximately 5 years they are obviously the business.

[da_boom]

+1 on the Sena. Pretty much does everything Autocom does with less hassle.

[Lonewolf]

I've just bought an Autocom system today. A Super Pro Automatic. Fits like a glove in the tool tray under the seat, almost made to measure.

Looking forward to getting it connected up. Its an early Xmas pressie from the wife but she says I cant have it till after Christmas, bloody cheek :(

[Lonewolf]

I meant to say, we have two local dealers near where I live, one at Keighley about 12 miles away, Colin Appleyards and one in Bradford just a few miles away, Allan Jeffries BMW dealership. Jeffries had the largest range of stock so I went there and spoke to one of their trained 'sales executives'  ::). In fairness he was very helpful and knew the systems inside out.

However the following day when I went back to buy the unit the first chap had gone home, I spoke to another member of staff who gave me the impression because it was nearly time to shut the shop he wasn't that interested in selling anything else. He just oozed, (is that a real word  :-\) negativity.

It didnt help matters I dont think when I mentioned something about me fitting the Autocom system to a more sophisticated bike than a BMW, the Kawasaki GTR 1400. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife, absolutely no sense of humour at all.  ;D ;D

[Lonewolf]

I got the Autocom (at last) and spent some time yesterday connecting it. Its not finished yet, because I hit a few snags which I thought I'd share with you all in case you ever want to do something similiar.



Firstly I'd already discovered that it would fit quite snugly in the plastic tool tray under the seat. I'll just put the tools in one of the pannier bags. I knew I would have to butcher the plastic tray a little bit to allow the the thick cables for the intercom and the main power lead to be fed out. Initially I chopped a little bit out of the tool tray whilst it was still in position, but then I discovered I would have to take the tray out completely to get to the accessory connectors by the tail light.



Once I had chopped out for the cables I just checked that that the lid would fit comfortably, which it did. I'm just going to slot in a block of foam or something similiar to stop any sideways movement in the Autocom.



Removing the tool tray was a pig of a job. The four fixing bolts are anti theft screws/bolts which cannot be turned easily anti-clockwise. Thankfully with patience and perseverance I did manage to get them out. Why a £10 plastic tray needs to be protected to such a degree I do not know. I'll be replacing them with stainless steel bolts which I will get from Bradford Nut & Bolt when they re-open after the Christmas holiday.





Once you have the tool tray out you can remove everything between it and the rear tail light allowing you to get to the plastic boot which houses the required two connector blocks.




Finally, I used a male & female bullet connector and pushed the connections together nice and firmly. There is lots of spare cable from the Autocom so I didnt need to leave the connectors exposed. I tucked everything back into the rubber boot and then tucked the boot back into the tail light section of the bike. Then I replaced the gubbins I had lifted out between the rubber boot and the tool tray. One thing worth mentioning here is that there is no need to disconnect anything which you remove, there is plenty of freedom to just move the bits to one side to get to the connectors in the rear of the bike.

Then I just dropped the tool tray back in place, with the Autocom inside. I had a play around with the placing of the intercom cables. They are not in their definate final place yet, I will see which routing option works best, but simply the shortest cable, (the riders) I have coming out on the near side of the bike from under the seat. I need to fix the mounting plate onto the side of the bike, it just glues on with industrial strength self adhesive 3M pads which are supplied.

When it is finally agreed where it will all go it will look something like this....



I'll tuck as much of the red power cable as I can away out of sight. The spare (passengers) intercom lead is just coiled up and I see no reason why that cannot stay where it is, although I may as well finish that off properly I suppose and have that coming out of the off side of the seat and secured as the riders lead will be on the near side of the machine.


I'll update this thread as I go along. I need to connect a lead from the Autocom to the Zumo and I also need to connect up the camera system to the Autocom.

[Martin#30]

Can I ask the Autocom users what they actually use them for?

Stupid question perhaps, but I use an iPod and custom moulded speaker earphones. I would love to have some way of leaving the iPod permanently connected under the seat, with it charging when the ignition is on, and to somehow control it remotely. When I explained this to the Autocom guy at the NEC, he looked at me like I was barmy  :D

So really just wondering what devices like Autocom are used for?

Thanks, and hope everyone had a great Xmas.

Martin.

[Lonewolf]

Martin, I intend to use the Autocom for communicating with my Zumo 550 sat nav, a mobile phone, MP3 player and also the camera system I am installing. I will be able to do commentary through the voice activated mic which will record onto a hard drive along with the video footage the camera is recording. Additionally I will be able to speak to a pillion passenger through the intercom system in stereo and if I fit a two way radio I can talk bike to bike.

[Kwikasfuki]

Stupid question perhaps, but I use an iPod and custom moulded speaker earphones. I would love to have some way of leaving the iPod permanently connected under the seat, with it charging when the ignition is on, and to somehow control it remotely. When I explained this to the Autocom guy at the NEC, he looked at me like I was barmy  :D

Why not get one of these two way remote control with pass through? That way you can have the remote on the bars and butcher the USB cable to connect it to the accessory lead under the seat at the rear? You'd have to switch from 12v to 5v but shouldn't be too hard?

I may opt for the same solution. I currently have an iPod video mounted to the stem via a Techmount. The problem with the video is that it has a hard drive that can skip at times. I may just buy another mp3 player with a remote and wire that up.

Of course, I may get my custom onboard computer working so all the above would be redundant  ;D

EDIT: There's this one as well: http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/324/productID/1821

[Lonewolf]

I did a bit more work on the bike this morning. I managed to get the tank lifted so that I could feed three sets of cables under it. Sat nav, camera and a remote lead for recording onto the camera. Cable tied them all together to make them tidy and then just placed them down the left side of the tank.

I have the monitor which houses the memory card under the seat strapped to something, I just need to now place the intercom leads in their holders on the side of the bike. I'll put some pictures on tomorrow when I have some more time.

But, so far so good!

[Lonewolf]

The installation which Autocom state in their hand book should typically take anything between 20 minutes and 3 hours is now into its third day, dont laugh.....I'm doing the best I can!! Why do companies have to close at Christmas, how the hell am I supposed to be able to get in touch with them when I encounter a problem???

As is usual with anything I put my hands on we get a problem...... ;D

I have the Autocom unit in my now empty tool box under the seat. The power supply is drawn from the rear accessory connectors. The Zumo 550 satnav is plugged into Aux 2 and works fine, spoken directions, music etc. All come through crystal clear with priority given to vocal instructions from the sat nav while the music fades out and then back again when the spoken directions end. Sucess!

The problem I appear to be having is with the camera set up. I have it connected via a cable designed for the Autocom rather than the Starcom, although it came with both. Starcom & Autocom now one and the same so no compatability issues. The cable is like a three way cable, it plugs into Aux 3 which is where Autocom told me to plug it, one of the other ends goes into AV in, on the display/recording unit and the third end connects upto the jack plug connector coming from the camera itself.

I can see and record video footage through the camera onto a memory card, and it will record audio onto the same memory card as part and parcel of the video footage. The problem I am experiencing is the playback volume level is extremely low, even with the volume turned up fully on the computer when I am reviewing the footage it is far too low. I am using the correct microphone on the unit, the camera microphone rather than the main unit which uses the internal DVR mic, so I do not know where I am going wrong.

The VOX system works just fine and I can hear my voice very clearly. I have adjusted the Rider Master Volume Control so my voice is at a comfortable level in my earphones.

Is there something I am doing wrong that anyone can think of?

I am basically stumped  ::)

[Kwikasfuki]

I am using the correct microphone on the unit, the camera microphone rather than the main unit which uses the internal DVR mic, so I do not know where I am going wrong.

A bit confused - you say you're using the camera microphone. Is that not incorrect as I imagine that will be too far away to pick up your voice?

[Lonewolf]

I am using the correct microphone on the unit, the camera microphone rather than the main unit which uses the internal DVR mic, so I do not know where I am going wrong.

'

A bit confused - you say you're using the camera microphone. Is that not incorrect as I imagine that will be too far away to pick up your voice?

NB, yeah, I have to agree with you it does sound wrong but the handbook clarifies it by saying;

Main Unit = sound from internal DVR MIC. (bearing in mind this is tucked away under the seat.

Camera = sound from Starcom 1 intercom, (but in my case Autocom). 



I'll give Autocom a ring later this morning.