Got My Starcom1 Advance Today!

[Finewest]

Got it! Looks slick! Now the long long journey of setting it up. Got the open face helmet boom microphone kit. I have a flip-front modular helmet. Weird looking boom mic. Gotta figure out how to install it? I also purchased with the unit a cellphone cable, 2-way radio cable, PTT, and a Powerlet power connector cord. Oh boy! I'll be hooking up my Sirius InV Sat-Radio, a cellphone, a GPS, a Motorola T7400 GRMS/FRS radio to it. All to fit inside a Cortech mini-bag tankbag.

This is gonna be fun! Will keep ya posted on progress.

 

[Finewest]

OK, hook it up in the garage and did a few tests.

Tested the cellphone. UNBELIEVABLE!!! Clear as a bell on Sunday! Only one problem: the Starcom cellphone cable will not stay connected to the phone. I believe it is my phone's fault. Maybe the spring(?) inside the connector is not holding onto the cord's plug. But again the cord's plug is a right-angle and I remember when I had the Chatterbox for awhile and that unit's supplied cord was a straight-in plug it held pretty good. So I'll be searching for a different cord for the cellphone.

Tested the Motorola 2-way radio: Pretty good! I used the VOX and had to play with it's sensitivity level and IMHO VOX kinda sucks. Luckily I had the fore-thought to purchase the Starcom's PTT and that should work better. One surprise is the "CLACK!" sound at end of transmission! OOOWWW!!! Right in my ears! Is there a way to eliminate that? I bet no.

Tested a music source: I used my MP3 player since I am in the garage and not able to receive sat-radio. It was great! The Starcom has a built-in amp and it was much louder than my simple plug straight to the helmet earhole speakers. ROCKING!

So far I am very pleased with it. But the wire mess in my tankbag is, well, messy! LOL.

 

[wjbertrand]

Congrats Fred. I've been using the Advance for a year or so now and am well satisfied. One feature I like is the automatic volume compensation for ambient noise. You set the volume at a comfortable level in the garage and it works fine on the road too. Still, I recommend the remote volume control farkle. Starcom makes a blue tooth adapter if your phone is BT capable. That way you can just leave the phone in your pocket and it'll connect to the Starcom as soon as you are close enough and there is power to the BT module. No need to fiddle with cables. For me the phone is the one thing I don't leave on the bike when it's parked.

Don't know about the "clack" you describe. I'm not getting that with the Kenwood FRS radio I'm using.

 

[Louie Louie]

Congrats and hope you enyoy the wondeful world of enjoying great music and talking to other bikers!

 

[RTETR]

I've been using the Advance for a year or so now and am well satisfied. One feature I like is the automatic volume compensation for ambient noise. You set the volume at a comfortable level in the garage and it works fine on the road too. Still, I recommend the remote volume control farkle. Starcom makes a blue tooth adapter if your phone is BT capable. That way you can just leave the phone in your pocket and it'll connect to the Starcom as soon as you are close enough and there is power to the BT module.

Don't know about the "clack" you describe. I'm not getting that with the Kenwood FRS radio I'm using.

I also have the Advanced with the added volume control and Bluetooth. I had the Starcom1 (now on my wife's bike) and both units work very well with my Ipod, cell, bike2bike, GPS... and with some set up all works very, very well in a small magnetice tank bag. Easy on easy off.

 

[dmulk]

Just ordered my kit from Kim @ CST. He was able to answer all my questions and I should have my kit in a couple days.

Price was great too.

I also have 4 Kenwood TK-3101 radios on the way (got a bulk deal). I'll probably be unloading the spares at some time in the future....

Can't wait to get this wired up. Was really impressed with the Starcom 1 after I did the research.

Cheers!

<D>

 

[dmulk]

PS: went with the isolated cables for the zumo and will just BT connect my Razor through my zumo. Should work well.

Kim was great.


Anyway, gonna hardwire everything up under the seat of the bike / in the tail.

Now... about avoiding those ground loops.....


<D>

 

[Finewest]

You guys may want compare our prices when shopping for a Starcom. Please remember that I offer a 10% discount on all purchases over $50.00 to forum members here. Check the vendor area for details.

Hi Jeff. I know! I am sorry I didn't know this first! I certainly would of (I know; would of, should of...) bought from you! I highly recommend anyone comteplating purchasing bike comm stuff to check with Bike Effects first. He's a forum member and offers forum members a discount! It's a no-brainer! I will in the future Jeff. I might need another headset for passenger. Thanks for reminding us!

 

[Finewest]

OK, after a few days of riding and testing this setup here are some preliminary impressions and issues...

Cellphone. I'm having a real hassle with my cellphone. It's a Verizon Pantech 210. Has auto-answer and voice-dialing. I can't get it to voice-dial when plugged into the Starcom. Auto-answer is good. Voice quality on my end is outstanding! But! When I talk (I'm using my wife at home for testing, and the bike's shield all the way up and going around 65-70mph) my wife says it sounds garbled and often can't understand what I am saying. I need to note here that I am using the boom microphone in my modular helmet. So I turned up the mic's sensitivity and it got a bit better, but still sounds garble sometimes to my wife. Then I pushed the mic with my finger going under my chin-guard so the mic is pressed against the inside of my chin-guard away from mouth and my wife said it sounded much better. So I guess I am going to have to get the full helmet headset.

Music. I'm using my new Sirius sat-radio and the sound is loud and FM clear. I do hear some light whirring noise from the engine I believe, but it is not horrible. I understand a loop filter(?) will help this?

I haven't had a chance to use the GRMS/FRS radio yet, so I'll have to wait till I have a buddy with one to try it out.

So far I am happy with it. I wish I can get the cellphone to operate better. I do suspect it's the cheap quality of the cellphone, but I don't want to have to buy another. I'll keep working on that issue.

 

[AzDesertRider]

Fred,

I tried a couple different (nextel - verizon - motorola - LG) phones & services & never could get them to work when hardwired to the Starcom. Experienced the exact same problems you have described. I went to the Starcom Bluetooth adaptor & had no more problems.

 

[Finewest]

Fred,

I tried a couple different (nextel - verizon - motorola - LG) phones & services & never could get them to work when hardwired to the Starcom. Experienced the exact same problems you have described. I went to the Starcom Bluetooth adaptor & had no more problems.

I hear ya. Expensive alternative, and I don't have a bluetooth phone, but might have to do it. Thanks!

Also have you noticed that a cellphone won't ring in the helmet's speakers when connected to the Starcom? WTH? Does Bluetooth allow the phone to ring in the headset so you know you are receiving a call and not some phantom voice scaring the hell out of ya on the road!? DAMHIKT!

 

[dmulk]

I am hardwiring my ZUMO to the starcom and then using it's bluetooth to connect to my razor....might want to apply the cost of the bt adaptor to a zumo....

ill let you all know how it goes over the next month.

<D>

 

[AzDesertRider]

I am hardwiring my ZUMO to the starcom and then using it's bluetooth to connect to my razor....might want to apply the cost of the bt adaptor to a zumo....

ill let you all know how it goes over the next month.

<D>

For my first bluetooth set up I used the Starcom Bluethooth adapter to access the phone. It worked great but I had to use "auto answer" or have the phone accessible to answer calls. Making calls was cumbersome, because I had to manually dial the phone. My current setup has, Zumo bluetooth paired to the phone & then simultaneously paired to the Starcom as a headset. Now I have caller ID and can answer or call right from the Zumo screen. Best set up yet!..... Another bonus, when you find places or businesses with the Zumo search function. just punch the "dial" button & Zumo already as the phone #s loaded & will make the call for you...

 

[Finewest]

I solved the calling out function of my cellphone with the Starcom. I re-recorded the voice-dial words using my headset's microphone. It does sound a bit garbled, but the cellphone accepted the new recording and now I can speak the trained word into the mic and the phone makes the call. Kewl!

 

[AzDesertRider]

Good "call" Fred.

Very Kewl!

 

[AzDesertRider]

Are you using the Starcom Bluetooth adapter as well as the zumo? I have the same functionality as you, but I have removed my Starcom Bluetooth adapter. What am I missing here?

Yup, use them both. The Zumo will pair up to both devices at the same time. It pairs to the phone as a phone & it pairs to the Starcom adapter as the headset. I have the Zumo set to use bluetooth for phone only. The music, GPS voice & phone voice are fed to the Starcom with just one wire, the Stereo plug. The Zumo sets the audio priority & cuts the music when you make or receive a call. I still have my Garmin 2610 wired to the Starcom GPS input & am able to run both GPS units when needed for rallies & such.

How did you achieve the same functionality?

 

[wjbertrand]

Yup, use them both. The Zumo will pair up to both devices at the same time. It pairs to the phone as a phone & it pairs to the Starcom adapter as the headset. I have the Zumo set to use bluetooth for phone only. The music, GPS voice & phone voice are fed to the Starcom with just one wire, the Stereo plug. The Zumo sets the audio priority & cuts the music when you make or receive a call. I still have my Garmin 2610 wired to the Starcom GPS input & am able to run both GPS units when needed for rallies & such.

How did you achieve the same functionality?

Seems like the Starcom would be receiving duplicate signals from the Zumo via the wire as well as through the BT adapter? What happens if you unplug either the Zumo stereo wire or the StarCom BT adapter?

The plan I have, I think, is to hardwire the Zumo to the StarCom using the designated cable, thus getting music (XM & MP3) in full stereo and then using the BT capability of the Zumo to link only to the phone. I should also be able to talk on the phone with this set up, or so I'm thinking. Sure hate to have to buy the BT adapter too in order to do this.

 

[AzDesertRider]

I'm not sure about some of your terminology but I have an MUS-04 cable and a MIC-01 cable from the zumo to the Starcom. The Starcom Bluetooth adapter has been disconnected.

I'm glad this works for you but I see using the Starcom
Bluetooth adapter as being unecessary in this case.

I guess I have an unorthodox wire configuration, but the system works flawless. Let me explain how I ended up with current set up. My original set up had a Garmin 2610 connected to the GPS input of the Starcom along with an XM Roady connected to the Stereo input of the Starcom. I also had my phone paired to the Starcom with the BT-01 adaptor. When I got the Zumo I simply removed the XM Roady & used the existing stereo plug for the Zumo. Sound & GPS voice worked great. Later I found that I could program the Zumo to use Bluetooth for phone only & then paired my phone to the Zumo as a ?Phone? & paired my Starcom BT-01 adaptor to the Zumo as a ?Headset? When I turn the Zumo on it links to the phone & headset & system works perfect? If I was buying a new system, like you, I would set it up with the MUS-04 cable and a MIC-01 cable & not need the Starcom Bluetooth adaptor.