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Autocom Vox & Wind

109398

New member
I've searched and can't find a similar post- but I'm sure this is a common issue and I'm hoping someone has found a solution. I just installed an autocom and I thought it worked great until I took my first ride with a passenger. Unfortunately my passenger needs/likes to ride with her visor open much of the time. With her visor open the vox constantly gets set off, muting the music and putting amplified wind noise through the ear speakers. I have an R12RT w/an Aeroflow w/s so I'm pretty sure I've created the best case scenario for wind management. Even with vox set at least sensitive setting the issue occurs. She's wearing an Arai full-faced helmet and I've checked to make sure the microphone is adjusted appropriately with the tan side towards her mouth. If it's not possible to make this work with her face shield open I'm wondering if it's possible to rig her microphone so that it's push-to-talk instead of vox...that way she can blast her face with as much wind as she wants and I won't have to hear it! Any ideas/suggestions?
 
I've searched and can't find a similar post- but I'm sure this is a common issue and I'm hoping someone has found a solution. I just installed an autocom and I thought it worked great until I took my first ride with a passenger. Unfortunately my passenger needs/likes to ride with her visor open much of the time. With her visor open the vox constantly gets set off, muting the music and putting amplified wind noise through the ear speakers. I have an R12RT w/an Aeroflow w/s so I'm pretty sure I've created the best case scenario for wind management. Even with vox set at least sensitive setting the issue occurs. She's wearing an Arai full-faced helmet and I've checked to make sure the microphone is adjusted appropriately with the tan side towards her mouth. If it's not possible to make this work with her face shield open I'm wondering if it's possible to rig her microphone so that it's push-to-talk instead of vox...that way she can blast her face with as much wind as she wants and I won't have to hear it! Any ideas/suggestions?

Jay,

I have an Autocom with a full face HJC and ride with the visor up allot of the time. The mic needs to be mounted as low as possible and near as possible to the center of the lips. I have my mic tilted slightly downward. This seems to help somewhat, but if she's getting the buffeted wind off the windscreen it's going to set the VOX off. I have my VOX setting about half way and it works perfect with the shield closed and cuts out at times with it open at speeds up to 70mph after that I need to have the visor closed. Extra mic foam ( Radio Shack)on the mic will help attentuate the sound the mic hears, this should help.
 
Have you installed the foam windsock over the microphone?

Mine didn't come with an additional windsock- it's covered in an oval-shaped foam that's black on one side and tan on the other. The manual says tan side toward mouth, black toward the helmet chinbar. I'm going to head to radio shack per jcridge and see if I can purchase some additional foam and reposition her mic in the hopes that it will cut down on false triggers.
 
Have you installed the foam windsock over the microphone?

Called Autocom- they have a kit like you described and I was reassured that it would fix the issue as it is, apparently, a common complaint they get when customers install the system. I'll install when it arrives and update here. Thanks again for the suggestion.
 
Have you installed the foam windsock over the microphone?


+1 on that question

I had to add them. A bit pricey for what you get. Should come included with the kit. Mine wore out pretty quickly so I went to the Dollar Store and fitted a $1 headphone foam to it (you even get an extra!)
 
It's very important on the Autocom system that the mike is kept up against the lips. Not an eighth or quarter inch away, but against the lips. So much so, that sometimes the mike needs to be pushed into the open mouth to put tention the boom to keep it firm against the lips.

It's designed this way with a sharp fall off to avoid wind noise. There's nothing unusual about riding with the visor of a full face helmet cracked or wide open. If the mike is away from the lips, it will pick up wind noise. The voice is gone after a quarter of an inch.

Their foam wind sock might help, but it is intended for flip up helmets or 3/4 helmets.

Depending on which Autocom you got, they make a second discrete mike which points out the back of the helmet to sense wind noise and adjust volume levels.

The push to talk button is only going to help on bike to bike communication when you want to keep your on bike conversations private.
 
AutoComm Problems

My wife and I just flew to Orange California to purchase an RT (my third). We found this one at Irv Seavers BMW. Fantastic people. I highly recommend doing business with them. We flew in from Seattle and rode back home with our new prize. We purchased an AutoComm system so we could communicate on the week-long trip back home. It was the biggest source of frustration on the entire trip. We had problems with the system from the get-go. First dialing in the VOX was a pain. Then the system would shut off/stop working. First time it was after about three hours of use, then it was after about an hour. At first I thought I got a bad 9 volt battery so we replaced it and it seemed to work fine- for about an hour. When we got home I started calling to get support and found the US Distributor (Topgear) the biggest bunch of buttheads. First phone call went to an answering machine. They never retuned my call so after 6 hours I called back and must have disturbed the technitians afternoon nap because he was rude to the point of comedy. I asked for management and this guy spoke softer was no help either. Their only solution was to "send it in we'll look at it and let you know what's wrong with it. Then we'll either fix it or replace it." I spent $300 for a system that was bad out of the box and now they want me to do without, pay for postage and accept a "repaired unit" for new. I told him I was going to return the unit and dispute the charge with Visa. The manager said that was my choice but was between me and the dealer that sold the unit. I called back to Irv Seaver to tell them of my problems and the parts manager said "how about if I send you a new one? I'll include a return shipping label and when you receive it just put the bad one in the envelope and send it back. " As I said earlier "great bunch of people and I highly recommend doing business with the folks at IRV SEAVERS BMW. The AutoComm system and their support network are not!
 
Mine didn't come with an additional windsock- it's covered in an oval-shaped foam that's black on one side and tan on the other. The manual says tan side toward mouth, black toward the helmet chinbar. I'm going to head to radio shack per jcridge and see if I can purchase some additional foam and reposition her mic in the hopes that it will cut down on false triggers.
Same problem here. Go to the dollar store and buy a stereo headset and use the foam pieces from that. 50 cents apiece!
 
Stupid question

OK, maybe a stupid question but here goes.

I wear earplugs because of the wind/helmet noise. So how do you hear a communication system when you're wearing earplugs?:dunno
 
OK, maybe a stupid question but here goes.

I wear earplugs because of the wind/helmet noise. So how do you hear a communication system when you're wearing earplugs?:dunno

Here's how many do it including myself.

Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones

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Autocom In-Ear Speaker Headset Extension Lead: Coiled
1188-square-z0-w400-h400.jpg
 
OK, maybe a stupid question but here goes.

I wear earplugs because of the wind/helmet noise. So how do you hear a communication system when you're wearing earplugs?:dunno

My Autocom system has plenty of volume to overcome road noise and ear plugs for BTB, MP3 and cell phone. The MP3 and cell would sound much better with earphones but for the most part the system works great with foam ear plugs at 70MPH. If you set up the Autocom for use with earplugs, you will never again forget to put your ear plugs in....it's loud.
 
OK, maybe a stupid question but here goes.

I wear earplugs because of the wind/helmet noise. So how do you hear a communication system when you're wearing earplugs?:dunno

The Autocom system has two base volume settings: "with earplugs" and "without earplugs." I wear earplugs when I ride... Dog forbid I should forget to put the earplugs in, and hook up the Autocom... even an indrawn breath of surprise can be painfully loud.

That is the only "problem" I've had with my Autocom system.

P
 
OK, maybe a stupid question but here goes.

I wear earplugs because of the wind/helmet noise. So how do you hear a communication system when you're wearing earplugs?:dunno

Believe it or not, you actually hear communication and music better with ear plugs than without. Earplugs cut down on the wind noise so the voice or music comes through pretty clear.

said:
The Autocom system has two base volume settings: "with earplugs" and "without earplugs."

The older systems were set up that way, but their new systems have independent volume control for both rider and passenger.
 
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