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Tunes for the scoot ?

jcbappliance

New member
Really enjoy music while I'm riding but my portable XM reciever (Inno) only lasts 3-4 hours on a charge. I've started taking a spare charged battery pack so I can listen 6-8 hours. That was fine when I was riding the RS but RT I just got is so much more comfortable I'm thinking I need a different set-up or some way to charge the spare battery while I'm rolling. Any ideas?
 
I'm not at all familiar with that radio and whether it will accept external power. If it will, what voltage?

But I assume you mean an Oilhead RS or RT, so you have plenty of alternator power to charge a battery. You either need a charger that will run off of 12v nominal, or need to rig a 12v to 120v inverter to plug in your 120v wall type charger.

I have a cigarette lighter style 12v outlet inside my top box and a small inverter I use to charge my laptop, camera batteries, etc. They also make slightly larger inverters with a cigarette lighter style plug on the end which could be snipped off - then you can hard wire the inverter directly through a switch to the bike's electrical system.

There are lots of choices - you need to decide what your power need is and which is the simple/best way to get it out of the bike's system.
 
I'm running XM and iPhone through my Zumo 550 GPS into an Autocom system in my helmet and don't think I could be happier. With proper placement the Autocom speakers sound pretty darn good; at least as good as a stock iPhone earbuds.

I'm not sure if this is what you were getting at regarding reworking / rethinking your audio system but that is what I have on my 2010 GSA.

RobStar
 
I'm running XM and iPhone through my Zumo 550 GPS into an Autocom system in my helmet and don't think I could be happier. With proper placement the Autocom speakers sound pretty darn good; at least as good as a stock iPhone earbuds.

I'm not sure if this is what you were getting at regarding reworking / rethinking your audio system but that is what I have on my 2010 GSA.

RobStar

Purely out of curiosity what is the combined cost for XM, iPhone, Zumo, and Autocom on a bike nowadays? One-time, installation, and monthly?
 
Thanks Paul and Rob, I think I would like to have a charging station for the spare battery in one of the bags so I don't have a tether to disconnect when I get off the bike. Battery is #990216 and Inno is made by Pioneer. I carry the radio in a coat pocket with earbuds tucked into the helmet and I know I'd forget to unplug before I walked away if I had a power cord going to the bike.
 
Purely out of curiosity what is the combined cost for XM, iPhone, Zumo, and Autocom on a bike nowadays? One-time, installation, and monthly?

iPhone either $99 or $199 depending on the choice
XM radio for the zumo $199
Zumo now about 4 versions but $650 get you what you need.
Autocom $500 for their better set up plus some connections +$200 ??

I'd say plan on around $1,200 to $1,400, but this stuff works great. You're listening to music, the phone rings and it mutes the music. Same when talking to your passenger or getting a radar hit. ( Oops, we didn't add the radar detector)

It's pretty darn sweet on long rides and adding a two way radio makes riding with a friend so much better. Ours allows us to talk even when about 2 miles apart.
 
iPhone either $99 or $199 depending on the choice
XM radio for the zumo $199
Zumo now about 4 versions but $650 get you what you need.
Autocom $500 for their better set up plus some connections +$200 ??

I'd say plan on around $1,200 to $1,400, but this stuff works great. You're listening to music, the phone rings and it mutes the music. Same when talking to your passenger or getting a radar hit. ( Oops, we didn't add the radar detector)

It's pretty darn sweet on long rides and adding a two way radio makes riding with a friend so much better. Ours allows us to talk even when about 2 miles apart.

RTRandy ... I'm just about there with the same setup ... Zumo 550 , XM, Iphone, Radar ... Considering Autocom as first option for connecting all my aural stimulation ... What two radio system did you go with? ... Most of my friends (Goldwing Riders) are using CB so I'm leaning that direction ... Thanks, KajunFlyer53 :bikes
 
RTRandy ... I'm just about there with the same setup ... Zumo 550 , XM, Iphone, Radar ... Considering Autocom as first option for connecting all my aural stimulation ... What two radio system did you go with? ... Most of my friends (Goldwing Riders) are using CB so I'm leaning that direction ... Thanks, KajunFlyer53 :bikes

I'm pretty sure you can use any type of two way radio. One local club member has all three types including Ham radio. If you only ride with friends using CB then that might be the way to go.

I got mine from Autocom when they were based in NY under "Topgear Accessories".
The deal is they make what is essentially the back cover of a Kenwood radio which is normally a rechargeable battery/cover. The battery cover and battery get removed and by using this cover you can not only connect it to the Autocom, but it stays charged from the bike. Mine is buried in the tail and always has power.

The other deal is the Autocom allows your voice to activate transmission or you can add a push to talk button. If you ride with a passenger, you either have to turn the sensitivity down or use push to talk, otherwise your conversations will open the mike.
If you ride solo than it's not a big deal.

Notice the double pins below. One is larger than the other which is what Kenwood uses. The pins go into the side of the Kenwood and that round 5 pin male couple plugs into the Autocom which has that connector for two way radio. Highly recommend Kenwood if you go the "FreeTalk" GMRS route.

Not sure if the newer system supports the same set up, however they usually replace things with something far better.
 

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Simplicity :)

I bought a 4' cord at the RA Rally (CycleGadgets also sells it) with a BMW plug on one end and a standard cigarette light socket on the other. It looks like this but with a longer cord:

PL-PAC-012.jpg


I plugged the BMW end into the side socket and put the socket end in my tankbag. I have only used it once but it worked fine to charge my Blackberry and iPod after I added a double USB charger plug like this:

dlo_autopair_dual_usb_car_charger.gif


I did check it occasionally to make sure it wasn't heating up - it didn't and it worked fine.

Looks like there is also a hard-wired kit available:

 
I have a Sirius Stilletto hand held portable receiver. I program it to record an hour's worth of show from ten different stations each night and to keep the last ten recordings of each station. Thus I accumulate 100 hours of music in its private library.

Playing back prerecorded programs is more more efficient on the battery than playing back live satellite programs. On a single charge I can get about 8 hours of playback of the prerecorded programs.

The nice thing about this set up is that I don't have to have the receiver mounted on the bike with an antenna. I just slip it into my shirt pocket and play it back through custom molded earphones (http://www.earfuze.com/). :groovy

These have worked moderately well under a modular helmet. The earphones block enough wind and background noise so that while riding I can listen to music at a medium high volume setting. For high speed highway riding with 18 wheelers around me I would want regular earplugs on the slab and forgo the music.
 
Really enjoy music while I'm riding but my portable XM reciever (Inno) only lasts 3-4 hours on a charge.

If you bought your Inno new, it came with a cigarette adapter. I use an Inno and I have a cigarette lighter socket on the bike. I usually swap batteries with the other riders that aren't hard-wired when their batteries die. If the travel adapter wasn't in the kit, you will need this part http://www.myradiostore.com/parts-accessories/power-accessories/inno-helix-power/inno-travel-adapter-cable-gex-inno1.html to connect to the cigarette adapter.
 
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