So what have I been up to lately?

Hello all!

I'm still here. Lurking more than posting. Work and life have been taking more and more time. Finally the good weather seems to be coming. Had the bike out once this March for a 20 mile run... it was ~30 F so I didn't bother going anywhere too exciting.

At the moment I'm farkling my bike. When I started touring I had an old gym bag that I'd wrap in clear garbage bags and bungee to the seat. I had printed maps and directions in a ziplock bag - that I'd dangle infront of the head light to read at night, and stuff "securely" between the seat and tank until the next major turn. That worked well and I enjoyed touring.

Then I brought bags and said - well - aren't these dandy. I can pack all of my stuff quickly and easily... lots of nice pockets. $200 well spent. That was Canadian dollars back when they were 3/4 the US.

Then I decided I didn't like to not be able to hear my passenger... and I started looking up com devices. I happened across a fellow admin in one thread who was considering selling his AutoCom unit. Done and done.

It arrived a few weeks ago. Since I still have snow on the ground here, I have plenty of time to tinker on the work bench.

So I've wired up my new helmet and my pillion helmet. They both have stereo headsets and a boom mic. According to web reviews and the website they work up to ~180mph. We should be fine!

Then I made up a new pigtail to connect the unit to my bikes battery. Apparently it can run off a 9v battery for 3 day's use... or you can wire it to the bike for an indefinite period of use.

So that leaves me at today. I'm shopping for two things. A set of FRS radios and a GPS unit. Gone are the days of zip lock bags!

With the autocom I can make a cable to directly connect the FRS radio in. That means I will have a nice PTT button. Incoming talking will mute my radio, and play on my speakers. To talk to another bike, I press the PTT, and talk. Simple as that. I've also learned that the midland radios are easy to modify to directly wire the bike.

The GPS unit I'm still looking for. Apparently the Garmin 2610 discontinued model is a good match... I'm looking for something cheap, expandable, usb connectable, and most importantly headphone out! I want to wire this in as my 3rd sound source. This way I won't have to look at the GPS unit while navigating strange cities. It'll just guide me as I need it. Again - I'll power it straight from the bike.

So that bring's the next question. Power. I plan on adding a second fuse block that is directly connected to the battery. I'll put a relay on the power source - tapped to the daytime running rear tail light. The fuse block will then power on with the ignition.

I'll then fuse 3 pigtails with SAE 2 pin power plugs, and fuse 2 more switched SAE 2 pin powerplugs.

This way I can power the FRS radio, AutoCom, and GPS right from the bike. It leaves 2 aux plugs for my heated vest.

The next farkle is a voltometer. I found the datel unit for ~$50 pricey but seemingly the best out there... I'll try my local electronics shop before ordering. As I'd now have an easy switched powersource I'll tap my front fairing and install this below my clutch hand.

Then I'll have the most goldwinged track bike CBR east of the Mississippi

I'll try to keep notes and pictures... but that is what I'm up to. If anyone has GPS advice or wiring advice/comments please please chime in!

Woot.

 

A GPS was one of the best investments I've made this past year. Simple to just swap it out between car and bike with the supplied windshield/flat surface mount.. The lower end Garmin Nuvi 200 or 200 wide screen are both well under $200 and do most anything you need them to. Plus they are slim bodied units that you can pop into a pocket if you decide to walk away from your bike for a short spell. They use a built in rechargeable battery, so no additional wiring is needed. When needed I recharge the unit in the car with the supplied car charger.
I also use a Garmin Legend CX unit which is just bigger than a pack of smokes, and mounts on the handlebars. But the cost of the turn-by-turn directions software for it was almost as much as the Nuvi! So it's been relegated to boat duty, or for general direction, speed etc on the bike.

 

I saw the nuvi - and to get the headphone jack I *think* you need to go the 350 model. I might do that - but right now I'm still looking for that steal of a deal. Maybe an Iron Butter getting the new street pilot selling off their old 2610/2650 model. Fingers crossed!

 

I like the newer Garmin's (especially the Nuvi's) because of the vastly improved antenna & satellite reception. Under $300 and you can get a really good unit. Put it in a RAM Aquabox for waterproofing, and you're set to go.

Nuvi 360 for $300 at TigerDirect.ca

For a Voltmeter, take a look at the Kuryakyn unit -- HAP has on on his X, and he really likes it. They're available in chrome & black - I'm planning on picking one up too - pretty nice for $40

Kuryakyn Volts Guage at JP Cycles

 

Thanks for the heads up! That is a good price on the GPS unit... might just have to get that ordered.

 

So to continue this thread.

I'm planning a spring trip. This is to relocate a friends bike from here (Halifax) to his place in Ottawa. We'll be riding together - I'll be navigating. We're going to take 3 days to go through the states, then swing north to Kingston and then up to Ottawa. That'll be averaging ~300 miles a day. On the way back I'll be going solo and do the 1000 miles in one shot... might even document it for a saddle sore 1000.

He got excited about my autocom and so I think he's grabbing one too.

 

Which unit have you got, and how have you got it setup again?

 

I've got the pro-M1 model. It is a bit older but it was top of the line once upon a time.

For setup I have the 12v adapter so I can wire it right to my bike's power.

This unit has an aux for radio/cb with vox/ptt option. It also has a music input (auto-mutes when talking to passenger or on aux radio/cb). It also has a second sound input that does not mute. That will be for the GPS unit. It will talk over the passenger/other bikes but that will be ok with me.

So - when I'm on the bike I just plug into one of the rider plugs. A second rider plug is under the seat for a passenger. With no extras plugged in - I can comm with the passenger all day long.

When I plug in another sound source GPS/MP3 player both myself and the passenger will hear it.

When I plug in a radio, both my passenger and myself can comm to another bike when the PTT is pressed (or in VOX mode we just talk and it transmits bike-to-bike).

Bike to bike is done with an FRS radio. They're cheap and have plenty of range for a group ride. Theoretically they can do 32km... in reality it's much less due to obstructions and height of transmission.

AutoCom America sells the Easi-plus model which is pretty good. It lacks some of the bike-to-bike cabling, so you may as well get the model above it for $289. It comes with a basic cell phone plug in, blue tooth, 3 aux inputs and a PTT button.

 

Just brought a Nuvi 360... have to wait and see it... "looks" like what I want.

 

Check out the RAM Aquabox for waterproofing it for use on the bike:

RAM Aquabox

That's what I'm planning on buying. You might have to do a little mod to make the unit work with the antenna down, but it's just putting a small piece of metal over the magnet on the back Do a search for "nuvi antenna mod" and you'll find it.

 

Nice tip! the final solution was a 1cm*1cm metal strip over the magnet. I will be doing that!

I will likely source an aquabox... for the first tests I'll just use my tank bag and a ziplock bag. It will be fine there.

 

Second thought on the tank bag - apparently they get hot enough to damage the plastic pouch... odd. I wouldn't have expected that.

 

I was never one for listening to music as I drove , be it in the truck or on a bike, but I guess on long trips it would work. It's that whole idea of not being able to talk and walk at the same time I guess! :lol: Bought the ideas sound great!
BTW WOOT, I just realized that you live just down the street from me. (I saw Halifax and just ASSUMED!) I'm on Chandler just off Glendale.
Mac

 

LMAO - you're not just close you're walking distance. I'm about 500' from the fire department.

 

Nice setup you got there Woot.. Let us know how it goes

 

This is my current status on my goldwing'ed cbr.

So far I have:

- setup my Autocom, speakers and microphones in both helmets
- made a custom cable to connect in my FRS radio
- brought a GPS
- brought FRS radios
- created my ignition switched aux fuse panel.
- re-did my heated vest project... total cost ~$20 or less
- have my GPS and FRS radios bike chargeable

- my old tent and sleeping bags fit the bike
- my cortech tail and saddlebags for touring

To do:
- run a power feed to the front of the bike (easy)
- install a dash switch for the aux power,
- a ignition override on the aux fuse panel (so it can run as switched, or always on for charging GPS/FRS radios when the bike is off)
- buy a ram mount for the bike... really like the aquaboxes but the're $100 for what I want
- buy a tank bag

- pack for the trip!


Electronics:
http://gallery.atpic.com/18958

Cortech bags:
http://gallery.atpic.com/13812


Woot.