Autocom Super Pro Automatic Question

[jfheilman]

I have an Autocom SPA installed on my Goldwing. I have an older version on my ST.

The device is interfaced to the wing's audio system, my GPS, and my radar detector. All works well. But...... I would like to make some adjustments and need some thoughts on what and how I should proceed.

You have to remove the seat to get to the unit so, unlike my ST where is a simple process, you have to remove four bolts and the rear seat back to get to the unit.

Because of the way the wing is built, there is more noise for the passenger than the rider at their helmets. So, I have wired the passenger to the riders cable on the unit. Therefore, the noise sensor in the passenger's helmet is the active noise sensor.

We have made lots of ajustments over the past five years trying to get the audio right. Minimize the wind noise while still being able to communicate. We also use earphones instead of in the helmet speakers.

Right now it is working about as good as one would expect, with one exception.

You almost have to shout to break the squelch on the mics to communicate while riding at speed.. And, the resulting audio is loud in your earphones. I would like to make a change to reduce the volume (sound level) required to break the system's squelch.

Since its been some time since I made any adjustments on the device, I wanted to get a "second opinion" on what I intended to do.

The two controls that appear to be appropriate for making the desired changes are the Passenger VOX Pre-set Sensitivity Control and the Rider VOX Pre-set Sensitivity Control. From the instruction manual, it appears that if you rotate the control clockwise (looking at the front of the unit), it will reduce the sound level needed to break the squelch on the mics.

I know it appears to be cut and dried but...

 

[jfheath]

I have the Super Pro Avi - similar, but not identical. I have only one squelch - labelled VOX. There are separate volumes for rider and passenger, and there is a fader to direct input from phones, music, satnav etc. to rider, passenger or both.

To be effective, I find that the noise sensor needs to be able to pick up the noise - mine is most effective in the airflow - I ride with my visor up much of the time - so on my setup, it doesn't work if the pillion is wearing it - or indeed if it is sheltered from the wind. I ride with my visor up most of the time, so it sits in the join between the cheek padding and the head padding. But in my case it is less effective if I close my visor. That is probably due to me adjusting other volumes to suit how I have the visor and windscreen. The documentation says in that position the visor needs to be closed - so I guess I have compensated with other volumes.

The position of the earphones is crucial - the centre of the earphone over the lower part of the ear. If you position the oval earphone over the shape of the entire ear, the speaker is too high. The precise position can be found by playing music and trying different locations.

Have the rider and pillion volumes up full and the fader in the middle position - its easier to turn them down later. Make sure the noise sensor is working by talking and scratching the sensor with your finger to check that it increases the volume.

Then get the vox level right. The microphones have a correct way round - one side has a beige cover, one side is black. You speak into the beige side. The mics need to be very close to your lips.

Turn the VOX /squelch down and gradually turn it up until you hear your own voice in the earphones as soon as you start to speak.

Then the fun starts. Wind noise catching the microphone will active the VOX - particularly annoying in a cross wind. There are only two ways you can deal with this - turn the VOX down - but then you have to shout an introductory word to activate the mic, or but a wind sock onto the microphone. These do have a positive effect. I have disc shaped ones on mine, there are some larger varieties for open face helmets. Different type are available from Autocom.

 

[jfheilman]

jfheath,

Thanks for the information and yes, the process you described is what I intend to do (actually what I did when I installed it). Just wanted to makes sure I was turning the right knobs.

We are using in the ear speakers (AKA Earphones from EAR Inc.). My wife's microphone has the shield/cover that reduces noise and mine does not. Her mic is the one that is usually triggered by cross winds.

The other way around the issue is to have her lower the Shark Evoline's chin guard and close the face shield essential isolating her mic from outside noise but.......

 

[jfheilman]

Ok.... yesterday and today I went back through the setup for my Autocom. I changed the inputs so the GPS goes to Aux 2 and the Wing's audio goes to Aux 4. My Radar detector goes to Aux 3.

I then went back and re-adjusted all the volume controls and VOX sensitivities. Lowering them all. I have logged where they were and where the are now for future reference.

Took the wife for a ride this afternoon and it was a marked improvement. Intercom communication was much softer an it was easier to break the squelch. Volume control is not auto on both the GPS and the bike's audio. Only issue is the GPS audio out is almost maxed out.

I think there is an internal control what would allow me to increase the audio in, but can't find documentation on which "pot" is the one to turn.

 

[jfheath]

This might help

https://autocom.co.uk/pdfdocs/spa%20manual.pdf

 

[jfheilman]

Thanks jfheath, I have that manual. Somewhere, if I rembemr correctly, there was information on here about the other Autocom system (the Super Pro AVI) and it had a picture of the various internal controls that allow you to adjust the audio on Aux 2 and Aux 4. (see attached on Page 11). I could not find that information on the SPA.

 

[jfheath]

Hmmm. I am grasping at straws then. I suppose the first thing to check is whether the Wings audio is actually putting out what you think it is. Is there something else you can plug the jack plug into?

I dont have the super pro auto, so I cannot attempt to reproduce the problem.

I was wondering if the other inputs were switching the input from your music on Aux 4. Page 16 gives info on the switches. But a simple test would be to unplug everything except your Aux 4 music input to see if the volume is still an issue.


Does the music work better in a different socket

Is your music fader set to the middle position ?

Does the volume increase when you scratch the auto volume control that is now on the pillion headset ?

Have you remembered that when adjusting the controls, your pillion is using the rider lead ? May sound like a stupid question, but it has caught me out before after forgetting I was testing the pillion lead !

Note that when talking, the music level is cut. If you increase the sensitivity of the vox too much, then it will pick up wind noise more easily. This keeps the mics turned on and the sound from the music turned down. Setting the vox is a balance between it turning on when you speak, and not turning on to wind noise. Check the music volume when the mics are not turned on (decrease the vox sensitivity) just to check whether that is happening.

I have a superproavi that I use for off bike testing, I can open it up and take a better photo to show the labels on the circuit board if you think it will help. There's no guarantee that the auto is labelled in the same way, but it may be.

John

 

[jfheilman]

I think I have the devices now connected correctly. (GPS goes to Aux 2 and the Wing's audio goes to Aux 4. My Radar detector goes to Aux 3.)

During the recent test ride, both GPS and Bike audio responded to changes in speed (supporting the correct operation of the noise sensor). In addition, my wife's speech was not as loud as before (It was almost unbearably loud) and mine, echoed though my earphones, was very low and where I think it should be.

I have not tested the mike interface to the WIng's audio via the CB Radio. It is not used very often. But I will test that next.

The only thing, concern I have, is the level of audio out of the GPS. To make it to a level that I would like (just a little louder) would mean that everything on the GPS audio is maxed out at 100%. While this should not be an issue, I have never liked running audio wide open (number of reaosns but.....).

I sent a message (email) to Autocom UK but never heard back. Will try again Monday. I feel confident that since the Pots were labeled on the sheet on the previous device, they probably serve the same purpose on the new device. I only have to remove the cover and see that they are labeled.

Will do that today or tomorrow, just to document what I find here.. One never knows...

Then, if the numbers are the same, I might well just tweak one and see what happens.

 

[jfheath]

Sounds like a plan.
I had noticed that your connection now matched the recommendations. I was just wondering whether the output for Aux 4 was being reduced by a spurious input from Aux 2 or Aux 3.

Switch 5 #2 and Switch 5 #5 control the affect that those other inputs have on Aux 4.

 

[jfheilman]

I will have to go and check. When I was setting it up, I was just using my earphones (special adapter so I don't have to use the helmet) and I thought I checked the audio with music on both Aux 2 and Aux 4 and they were the same level. Neither overrode the other. But that is based on memory. I will go out tomorrow and do another check to verify.

To my knowledge I have not messed with Switch #5. I may have messed with Switch #1 since I was using it before for audio and there was no difference in audio levels between passenger and rider before I made the swap (I did a test as it was so I would know where it went).

My wife's hearing is not as good as mine (mine is ok, just not great) and I have her audio set a tad higher than mine.

And, since I did lower the overall audio output levels (input to earphones) as I said, even if the wind breaks the squelch at her mike, the noise is tolerable.

The tests we did on the interstate yesterday were at speed and I did try and find a tractor trailer to follow for testing turbulence.

Now if I can just fix the noise from my helmet.