HaulinAshe
Well-known member
PROBLEM - Gen-II ABS bikes with PC-III, air pump and 12v accessory block under the seats have very little room left under the seat. All but one of the connections to the Starcom terminates in front of the rider. Passenger headset is the only one that is behind the rider. How to mount the Starcom somewhere up front with Gen-II limited space.
SOLUTION - Buy cheap plastic electronics box from Radio Shack. Cut lots of openings in it, drill lots of holes, open up the ends and mount that sucker directly behind the plate that supports the GPS.
(YET) UNSOLVED PROBLEM - All Starcom cables are miles long. No shorter ones available. Must take the time to split the isolation coils open in the middle of each cable and shorten them to a reasonable length for up-front installation.
(YET) UNSOLVED PROBLEM - Starcom PTT-03 functionality rocks! It also sucks in the physical dimensions dept. PTT-03 uses an S-video cable that's cut off and wired to their special little box. Two pins wired to the N.O. switch, two pins wired to a 2.6k ohm resistor. Must buy a 4-pin MiniDIN replacement connector, install a resistor across the appropriate pins and wire up to something reasonable like the Chatterbox PTT switch. Life will be good then!
Internal support ridges at blue arrows must be removed to clear unit sides.
Bottom half of screw posts must be removed to make clearance for connectors plugged into the ends.
Picture-1 Radio Shack box
It just fits.
Picture-2 RS box and Starcomm sizing.
Remove the GPS mounting plate and cut a funky pattern to allow the plate to sit centered against the SIDE of the box.
Picture-3 Cutout for stem mount bracket.
Line it up and drill these four holes like you mean it.
Picture-4 Drilling holes for GPS mounting plate.
Take your time and you too can get a close fit. It will not be watertight, but a little black silicone improves things.
Picture-5 How things fit together.
Assembled with GPS mounting plate and GPS mounting base.
Picture-6 How it looks assembled.
Automotive weatherstripping makes excellent cushion bumpers.
Picture-7 Cushioning the inside.
A little snug, but the weatherstripping eventually settles in.
Picture-8 With Starcomm inside.
Installed look, before adding the radio belt clip.
Picture-9 Installed without B2B radio.
Starcomm PTT-03 has fat, long cable. Yuck!
Picture-10 Thick and chewy cable mess.
Yes, it's a big hole on the left side. But there are seven(7) cables that come out.
Picture-11 View from above and left.
Attached Motorola belt clip is almost invisible from the rider perspective.
Picture-12 Rider's view with belt clip mounted.
Radio sits nicely, can be rotated 90 degrees, and is easily removed when not needed.
Dog circled in red did not PhotoShop so well. Sorry Judy!
Picture-13 Rider's view with Motorola radio mounted.
* Zumo 550 plays MP3.
* Zumo audio out and microphone in, both connect to Starcom.
* Zumo 550 interfaces via Bluetooth to my Motorola-Q cell phone. Displays phone book etc. Very nice! When somebody calls, press the answer button on Zumo and simply speak. Music is automatically muted by the Zumo and the Starcomm eliminates ALL the ambient wind and engine noise. Rider mic works extremely well. Passenger mic is greatly diminished but works somewhat.
* Escort 8500 RD connects to Starcom. RD always gets heard! Yeah Baby!!! Even when transmitting via PTT, even when receiving a cell call, even when you aren't paying attention and should be, the RD gets heard.
* Motorola 700 FRS radio also serves as scanning weather radio. Nice!
* Motorola radio connects to Starcom.
* Motorola radios were cheap on Ebay. $35 delivered to my door. Who cares if I drop it.
* PTT-03 is the secret to it all. It disables VOX completely. Microphones on both helmets stay live all the time. You never hear anything from the other person's mike unless they actually speak. No wind noise, no motor noise, nada. PTT is only depressed to transmit via the Motorola radio.
SOLUTION - Buy cheap plastic electronics box from Radio Shack. Cut lots of openings in it, drill lots of holes, open up the ends and mount that sucker directly behind the plate that supports the GPS.
(YET) UNSOLVED PROBLEM - All Starcom cables are miles long. No shorter ones available. Must take the time to split the isolation coils open in the middle of each cable and shorten them to a reasonable length for up-front installation.
(YET) UNSOLVED PROBLEM - Starcom PTT-03 functionality rocks! It also sucks in the physical dimensions dept. PTT-03 uses an S-video cable that's cut off and wired to their special little box. Two pins wired to the N.O. switch, two pins wired to a 2.6k ohm resistor. Must buy a 4-pin MiniDIN replacement connector, install a resistor across the appropriate pins and wire up to something reasonable like the Chatterbox PTT switch. Life will be good then!
Internal support ridges at blue arrows must be removed to clear unit sides.
Bottom half of screw posts must be removed to make clearance for connectors plugged into the ends.
Picture-1 Radio Shack box
It just fits.
Picture-2 RS box and Starcomm sizing.
Remove the GPS mounting plate and cut a funky pattern to allow the plate to sit centered against the SIDE of the box.
Picture-3 Cutout for stem mount bracket.
Line it up and drill these four holes like you mean it.
Picture-4 Drilling holes for GPS mounting plate.
Take your time and you too can get a close fit. It will not be watertight, but a little black silicone improves things.
Picture-5 How things fit together.
Assembled with GPS mounting plate and GPS mounting base.
Picture-6 How it looks assembled.
Automotive weatherstripping makes excellent cushion bumpers.
Picture-7 Cushioning the inside.
A little snug, but the weatherstripping eventually settles in.
Picture-8 With Starcomm inside.
Installed look, before adding the radio belt clip.
Picture-9 Installed without B2B radio.
Starcomm PTT-03 has fat, long cable. Yuck!
Picture-10 Thick and chewy cable mess.
Yes, it's a big hole on the left side. But there are seven(7) cables that come out.
Picture-11 View from above and left.
Attached Motorola belt clip is almost invisible from the rider perspective.
Picture-12 Rider's view with belt clip mounted.
Radio sits nicely, can be rotated 90 degrees, and is easily removed when not needed.
Dog circled in red did not PhotoShop so well. Sorry Judy!
Picture-13 Rider's view with Motorola radio mounted.
* Zumo 550 plays MP3.
* Zumo audio out and microphone in, both connect to Starcom.
* Zumo 550 interfaces via Bluetooth to my Motorola-Q cell phone. Displays phone book etc. Very nice! When somebody calls, press the answer button on Zumo and simply speak. Music is automatically muted by the Zumo and the Starcomm eliminates ALL the ambient wind and engine noise. Rider mic works extremely well. Passenger mic is greatly diminished but works somewhat.
* Escort 8500 RD connects to Starcom. RD always gets heard! Yeah Baby!!! Even when transmitting via PTT, even when receiving a cell call, even when you aren't paying attention and should be, the RD gets heard.
* Motorola 700 FRS radio also serves as scanning weather radio. Nice!
* Motorola radio connects to Starcom.
* Motorola radios were cheap on Ebay. $35 delivered to my door. Who cares if I drop it.
* PTT-03 is the secret to it all. It disables VOX completely. Microphones on both helmets stay live all the time. You never hear anything from the other person's mike unless they actually speak. No wind noise, no motor noise, nada. PTT is only depressed to transmit via the Motorola radio.
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