autocom problem

[PopJack]

I have an old Autocom active rider plus. It's provided years of good service. This morning (I'm on a trip) it started producing a lot of static- and only static in one ear. The other ear has static but still sends sound. It was fine last night- this started when I started the bike and has persisted.

I have tried unplugging all of the accessories one at a time and hooking the head set to the passenger connection and the static remains.

Got to be on the road tomorrow morning, but might have time to look at it over the next day or so. Anything obvious i have missed?

I used the headphone set with s-plugs so i can both hear and protect my hearing. I even bought another set of ear buds just to make sure problem wasn't there.

I'm tempted to buy SOMETHING else for the remainder of the trip, but don't know what to get or where to get it. The ear plug speakers are not optional for me and have used corded headsets so that I can go 12 or 14 hours without worrying about batteries.

 

[970mike]

You have one of your wires is going bad to the headset, I just replaced the one on the main unit and have replaced the coiled section before also.

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

I had to replace the helmet harness on my same unit twice for same reason... It seems one of the wires ( in the shrink tubing ) has been flexed/pull to much and barely make contact. ( damage was about 6-8 inches from plug end, near where shrink tubing ends )
I did slice one open and manage to resolder the wire for a fix but it took a while to find the break as the wire breaks inside the insulation.

 

[Firstpeke]

+1

I replaced my headset after doing an unsuccessful repair...... the wires were just too fine and soldering just made them brittle so repairs lasted very briefly.....

It had been used for a good few years and several helmets though....

 

[ST1100Y]

It had been used for a good few years and several helmets though....

Ditto!

The wiring material Autocom uses (high flexible strands and soft rubber insulation) provide excellent quality and longlifety, but one day also they have to surrender to the harsh usage...

The critical points are where the wire gets kinked on the helmet-rim, like when placing the lid on the shelf, seat, gas-pump, etc... or right behind the strain relief encirclement/crimp inside the connectors.

Mostly the strands of screening start to break, over being bent and kinked back and forth for a thousand of times.

On older connector style/types the fix was relatively easy, after unlocking a latch the rubber housing can be slipped back to access the soldering points inside; shorten the wire and resolder plus enforce all with some shrink tube deals with the matter.
On newer leads Autocom seem to have filled the connectors with some sealer, turning the process into a bit more "surgery"...

The cable on the helmet harness often brakes right in the middle (just where its getting kinked on the rim), requiring to shorten it significantly, maybe changing the position of the wires inside the helmet as well.

After many years the cable of the pillion-connector on my old Pro-M1 has now given in, right behind the strain relieve (might be that the pillion holds on to the cable instead the connector shell when detaching her cord there...).
No issues when she's not aboard and the socket resting motionless in its clip, but lots of static due the movement when riding with pillion.

And the piece of the spider/harness in my helmet is now starting with occasional issues; tugging a few millimetres of cable back into the helmet fixes the issue for a couple of days, but the matter will have to be dealt with...

However, running the Autocom since '99 I'm positively surprised by the rare occasions such material fatigue occurs...

 

[st11ray]

Is there anywhere to buy leads and headsets for the old Autocom's?

 

[970mike]

Is there anywhere to buy leads and headsets for the old Autocom's?

I found some on Ebay.

 

[PopJack]

Now back at home. Turns out most everyone was correct. It was the headset itself. For most of the trip I could restore function by simply wiggling the wires. This wored until the last day when it finally gave up.

I would love to be able to buy a replacement headset- there used to be a place to do so, but I have lost track of it. Sometimes over the last few weeks I'll attempt surgery and see what I find. Thanks for all the help and advice.

 

[justin_sabre]

http://autocom.co.uk/


u can order a new head set direct from them or even looking on ebay u can find them too.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/Motorcycle-Parts-/10063/i.html?_from=R40&_sac=1&_vxp=mtr&_nkw=autocom

i have been able to find the 7 pin plugs and replace them and fix most of the cables...

 

[jfheilman]

I have ordered from here about two months ago.

http://autocomdirect.com/store/headsets.html