Ham Radio on a 06' ST1300A using Sena SR10 two way radio adapter

ColinW1981

ColinW1981

Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
286
Age
59
Location
Fall City, Washington
Bike
'06 ST1300A
STOC #
8995
So you're a Ham who get's queasy at the thought of hard wiring a ham radio into your ST? Well, if you are already using Sena as your goto bluetooth com system, just add the Sena SR10 two way radio adapter, a Yaesu FT60 HT and you're in business! Note: Sena sells other radio cord adapters but they don't correspond to amateur radios. Items needed are Sena's SR10 unit, Sena's Yeasu single pin cord part number SC-A0114, and Sena's wired PTT button for SR10 part number SR10-A0202. If you are really handy with a soldering iron, you can make your own cord for your radio using Sena's 2-way radio cable with an open end. Part number SC-A0116. As a bonus, if your FT60 is Mars/Cap'd and you use Comet's CA-2X4SRB mobile antenna, you can talk to your MURS, GRMS, and FRS equipped buddies. Sorry, no CB'ers invited...

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Cheers, Colin
KF7NLV
'06 ST1300A
'17 CRF250L
'74 CT90 Trail
 
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Who ever heard of a Ham who was afraid to do a little wiring? Do they exist?
 
SMSW,
At some point, after you've destroyed countless pieces of kit with my lack of soldering skills, you stop trying and just buy it...
ColinW1981
 
AV8R,
I use Motorola for my 'commercial' radio's so I did think of getting a Mototrbo set up for the bike but decided against it. Cost and the lack of a FPP option on the Mototrbo mobiles kept me from going Motorola. Ultimately the ease of just using Sena's interface with a ham radio (Yaesu FT-60) HT was the final driving reasons I didn't go commercial. For the non-radio speak audience, commercial radio's are mandated by the FCC to be incapable of been programmed by the user, ie, it has to be programmed using Customer Programming Software via special cables and a laptop. Ham radio's on the other hand can be programmed by the ham in the field without a laptop and CPS. The downside of ham radio's is they are not bullet proof like the commercial radio's. On the other hand, commercial radio's are very expensive compared to a ham radio. Example, my Yaesu FT-60 retails for $130 while my Motorola XTS 5000 starts at $1500 and goes up based on the feature set.
 
So i like this thread and setup...

What im doing is slightly different:
- Kenwood TK-8180-K 40w 2-way radio base (in rear hood) with KRK-10 remote display kit (mounted on RAM ball off bars riser base) and mic mounted on handlebar
- Pryme BT M31 Kenwood db25 aux port to wireless adapter (similar to Sena SR-10, but with dedicated 8180 cable and connector), and remote wired PTT jack.
- Pryme BT PTT2 push to talk remote button
- Kenwood wired PTT button with cable and jack.
- Sena 20s BT wireless helmet mounted comms system
- Kenwood TK-3180-K3 5w 2-way radio portable (belt clip) with KMC-41 noise canceling mic mounted on shirt lapel (note that mic has earphone jack which can go to the helmet)
- Honda ST1300-PA with PTT on left handlebar grip switch base, but not wired up currently

The TK-8180 to Pryme-M31 to Sena20s works fine once the pairing dance is setup, and 8180 aux interface programming. The wireless PRYME PTT2 works with the M31 too; but for some reason affects the mic quality. I think its pairing wrongly. Thus ultimately ill run this radio with a wired PTT. The wireless PTT2 might be something I wear in case I need to key this radio when off the bike directing traffic.

Typically, I use the TK-3180 portable when off the bike and when reaching the mic is safe. Doing this while riding is dangerous and the wind noise overwhelms the voice input past 30mph even with a noise canceling mic.

Moving the 8180 to BT and a PTT run Sena20s boom mic and helmet speakers will eliminate the hand mic and the display head's speaker which is virtually un usable past 30 mph, regardless of the fairings and windscreen.

You might be wondering why two radios, one is good really only for line of sight and is portable; while the other is not portable (but is mobile) and can reach trunks and repeaters to the comm center much further away. LA highways and city buildings environments are tough on reception, especially for mobile and noisy applications such as on a open cockpit motorcycle with limited ground planes (RF stuff). What would help is digital UHF radios, but the switch would be painful and expensive not being taxpayer funded.

I still wonder if the SR-10 would interface with the 8180 or 3180.

Update:
This suggests it is not compatible with either Kenwood i use:
https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/209751126/SR10_2-Way_Radio_List.pdf
but that one could make their own cable to make it work knowing the pinout:
https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/209751106/SR10_Cable_Pinouts.pdf
 
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@Colin,

one of the reasons we are still on analog (commercial) radios is affordability. Used but in good shape, either an 8180 or 3180 can be had for under $200 each. And yes, both needed me figuring out how to program them off my PC. Theyre not too bad compared to the Moto cps programming tool, which is much more Ham like in that you really have to understand the details apart from just channels and zones. Figured this Moto stuff out for a buddy who has an analog XTS3000, which is compatible with the Kenwood KT radios. They go for under $100, just be careful to get the model for the frequencies used.
 
Apparently Sena now sells an open interface cable: SC-A0116

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Then the cable would have to be mated to a db25 male connector with the proper pinout
 
So, it is on my list of things to do, install my IC-706mk2g or ts-140 in the top box and run 40m ssb mobile. A long time ago I use to do that when I went 4x4 out in the desert or up in the mountains. The nice thing about 40m was the ground wave would go over the mountains like they were not there. I got the Sena 20s just need to get the SR10 and wire it up.....
 
Antenna mounting was my challenge on the ST. I stole MCL's idea of under the rear shelf, but with a twist. It works well for a dual band 38" Larsen on a NMO mount. I purchased a NMO lowband antenna that covers the CB band but either the bike isn't providing enough of a counterpoise to make a 1/4 antenna resonate or I'm not doing something right. I use the Sena SR10 along with a Sena SMH10r on my helmet. The rig is a $29 UV5R mounted on a Ram universal cradle. After fighting with the BCL setting, all is good now. Th BCL (busy channel lockout) will drive you nuts when trying to access a repeater that has yet to "drop"! The install is here: https://qsl.net/k2mpw/honda/st1300/2wayradio.htm
 
We've come a long way since I installed an old Hallicrafters on a Cub 50. :eek::D
 
following , i just got 2 wee boefeng look very similar, and would be interested in mounting and connecting for next spring. currently just being used between garage and home for dinner bell calls.
 
I use four 2-way radios now with my bike:

- Kenwood TK-8180k Mobile 30W which sits under the back radio hood, and has the KRK-5 remote head mounted between the handlebars. Programming runs on Win7/8/10 and is relatively intuitive to use. Same software for the portable and the mobile base radios, difference eing the latter uses more of the auxiliary and advanced features.

This has a wired mic clipped to the left handlebar and is using the AUX port to interface with a BT wireless adapter which pairs with the helmet mounted Sena 20S headset.

I have an UHF +5dB matched/tuned 1/4 wave ~30” whip antenna NMO mounted on a small metal angle bracket which is screwed into the bikes rear police metal light bar base. No large ground plane to handle ground reflections. I was told by the antenna designer and supplier that it would work fine in the suburban and freeway environment, and it does. Oddly, those new fangled shark finned 3” stubby UHF antennas are working just about as good in range, and a little better in tall building environments like in the city. Again, no large ground plane required. Seems to go against my old RF antenna transmission theory teachings, but alot has happened in RF over the last 30 years.

- Kenwood TK-3180K3 UHF portable 5W with mic that hangs on my belt. The mic has a 2.5mm jack port which patches into the Sena 20s as a secondary audio source. Thus, i can use the helmet speakers when on or off the bike. On the bike i key a PTT button to use the helmet boom mic. Off the bike i use the portable radio’s PTT and mic, clipped to my lapel.

- Motorola XTS-3000ii UHF portable 5W with mic. While more klunky and bulky and older looking, it’s actually a better portable radio than the Kenwood 3180. The programming is much more in-depth and harder to use, which also needed an old WinXP to run it. But its also more flexible and full featured than the Kenwood programming software. I use this as my backup and share radio.

- Beofeng UV5-R mini 3W radio. This little radio is also hard to program because its software is minimalist and required a custom usb programming cable i had to buy from the UK. It works fine, but isnt robust or professional grade. Purely a pocket radio good for line of sight use. It was my first UHF “modern” 2-way radio. I keep it in the bike tool bag for emergencies.

- WW2 BC-611 Motorola “handie talkie” AM 2-way radios
I have a small working collection of these heavy radios, hardly applicable for today apart from re-enactment, radio club or WW2 buffs like me
 
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295810.jpg


When you got one of these babies on your rig— now you're talkin'.

I don't remember what freqs my dad worked (WA6...) but he had this on a '56 Country Squire. He didn't like me using it as a nerf basketball hoop.
 
ST Gui said:
295810.jpg


When you got one of these babies on your rig— now you're talkin'.

I don't remember what freqs my dad worked (WA6...) but he had this on a '56 Country Squire. He didn't like me using it as a nerf basketball hoop.
Click to expand...

Hmm... I'm guessing 6 meter AM?

Motorola's that I run are XTS 5000 in VHF and UHF, XPR 6550 DMR in VHF and UHF, XPR 5550e DMR mobile, and some old MAXTRAC's in VHF and UHF in FRS and GRMS freq's. I have some HT 1000's but my ancient CPS crapped out on me so they're bricks now.
 
Yes i wonder if that roof loop antenna was for my Moto BC-611 or the civilian equivalent SCR-536 (AM 3.88mhz or 80m). The telescoping antenna was about 3 feet. They used these up to the early 1960s by LE and Civil Service.
 
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Update:

My rig using the Sena20s helmet BT comms rig connects the iPhone (phone, gps, music) and Kenwood 8180 (2-way radio) via BT adaptor using Pryme BT31 works great one device at a time, but not both. They both pair concurrently fine, but the radio mutes the iPhone. Not good. Want to be able to use my radio and pick up calls or gps or music too.

The right tool may in fact be the Sena SR10 BT adapter, but it does not have a cable from it to the db25 DIN connector used on the 8180. Guess I may have to use their open ended cable (aforementioned SC-A0116) and attach the db25 DIN connector myself, after properly wiring it up.
 
ColinW1981 said:
SMSW,
At some point, after you've destroyed countless pieces of kit with my lack of soldering skills, you stop trying and just buy it...
ColinW1981
Click to expand...
Sorry, I somehow missed your reply. There is no doubt that this is a learned skill, but were you to take some scrap wire, and heat up your soldering gun, and practice with it for an hour, you would get to be pretty good. I'm a lousy welder, but I keep plugging away and I have to do a lot of grinding to make my welds presentable. However, I am improving with each welding project, and someday I expect I will be able to lay down a presentable bead. I could get better more quickly by simply taking a few pieces of steel and practicing the various welds
 
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