3.5 mono vs. 3.5 stereo plug for radar detector

[dirttracker30]

A riding buddy just bought a escort 8500 and a set of IASUS Xsound2 helmet speakers. The "engineer" at escort told him he needs a 3.5mono plug,and they aren't to be found at radio shack(just a 2 ringed stereo plug). He is worried about messing something up in the radar detector. I told him I have the same setup,and have a 90 degree stereo jack plugged into the radar detector and a stereo audio cable (that came with the speakers) run to my helmet,which I have been using for three years. I told him not to worry about it,but he is in kind of a small panic mode. I told him I would ask the resident electronic gurus just what the diff between each are, and why the "engineer" told him to use a mono plug. So I,m asking. I realise that the radar det. is a mono speaker,and a single ear plug would take a mono,but I think the radar det. will just beep mono through the helmet speakers because the isn't any channels to seperate. Am I close? Thanks PS heading to Yellow Stone and Glacier from IA for a Quick ride through and then home just to get a ride in. CAN"T WAIT!!!

 

[Geezer]

A stereo plug will not fit properly into the Escort, he needs a 1/8" Stereo Jack to 1/8" Mono Plug Adapter. Radio Shack lists it in their online catalog but it is out of stock. It should be available elsewhere.

 

[dirttracker30]

A stereo plug will not fit properly into the Escort, he needs a 1/8" Stereo Jack to 1/8" Mono Plug Adapter. Radio Shack lists in in the online catalog but it is out of stock. It should be available elsewhere.

How's come it( Stereo plug) works in my Escort 8500?

 

[HaulinAshe]

Radio Shack does carry a 3.5mm or 1/8" mono plug. It's Part#: 274-286.

In a pinch you should be able to use a stereo plug. Connect the tip to one speaker lead and the center conductor of the plug to the other speaker lead. That should work, but it definitely depends on the specifics of the female socket in use.

 

[dirttracker30]

Radio Shack does carry a 3.5mm or 1/8" mono plug. It's Part#: 274-286.
In a pinch you should be able to use a stereo plug. Connect the tip to one speaker lead and the center conductor of the plug to the other speaker lead. That should work, but it definitely depends on the specifics of the female socket in use.

I have the 90 degree 1/8" stereo jack plugged directly into the radar detector ,and then my stereo lead that runs up to my helmet plugged right into the 90,and I have yet to have it not work. So now ,am I getting paranoid about this???

 

[HaulinAshe]

I have the 90 degree 1/8" stereo jack plugged directly into the radar detector ,and then my stereo lead that runs up to my helmet plugged right into the 90,and I have yet to have it not work. So now ,am I getting paranoid about this???

I cannot determine your wiring from the written description above. There's nothing "electrically different" about a stereo plug versus a mono plug. The longer/barrel connection of the mono plug is split into two separate connections on the stereo version.

As long as you are making connection properly in the female jack, and subsequently wiring that "loop" through ONLY one 30-ohm speaker, everything will work fine. If you are using some type of stereo/2-speaker setup in the helmet and wind up making them electrically parallel to the mono output of the Escort, then you may fry the Escort audio. It will not tolerate two 30-ohm speakers in parallel, or a 15-ohm impedance load for very long.

Probably what Escort is worried about most, and they should be!, is someone tying the Escort mono output to the stereo inputs of a downstream amplifier. The Escort audio driver is very sensitive to ground loops and electrical feedback of any type. Driving a single speaker is very basic and easy in comparison.

I fried more than my share of Escort 8500 RDs before I learned to NEVER connect an Escort audio output to any type of downstream amp or comm system, without using an isolation cable.

One speaker=okay

Anything else=isolated audio cable

 

[dirttracker30]

I have the 90 degree 1/8" stereo jack plugged directly into the radar detector ,and then my stereo lead that runs up to my helmet plugged right into the 90,and I have yet to have it not work. So now ,am I getting paranoid about this???

I cannot determine your wiring from the written description above. There's nothing "electrically different" about a stereo plug versus a mono plug. The longer/barrel connection of the mono plug is split into two separate connections on the stereo version.

As long as you are making connection properly in the female jack, and subsequently wiring that "loop" through ONLY one 30-ohm speaker, everything will work fine. If you are using some type of stereo/2-speaker setup in the helmet and wind up making them electrically parallel to the mono output of the Escort, then you may fry the Escort audio. It will not tolerate two 30-ohm speakers in parallel, or a 15-ohm impedance load for very long.

Probably what Escort is worried about most, and they should be!, is someone tying the Escort mono output to the stereo inputs of a downstream amplifier. The Escort audio driver is very sensitive to ground loops and electrical feedback of any type. Driving a single speaker is very basic and easy in comparison.

I fried more than my share of Escort 8500 RDs before I learned to NEVER connect an Escort audio output to any type of downstream amp or comm system, without using an isolation cable.

One speaker=okay

Anything else=isolated audio cable

thanks H A. I have mine plugged into a amp under the seat that my Zumo also runs through. NOW I AM PARANOID. It's been hooked up like that for 2 years or better

 

[old Pilot]

Gary at https://www.electric-avenues.com/amplirider.html sold me a special cable to connect my Escort to the Amplirider.

A mono plug connects to the Escort, downline is a magic box (an isolator?) and then a stereo plug that connects to the Amplirider. This provides radar audio output to both ears.

Gary is a good guy to do business with and I highly recommend him for any audio questions or solutions.

 

[ian]

I used the mono plug from the ear piece that came with the 8500, cut the wires and soldered it into my system. A stereo plug into the RD was iffy for me. Ian, Iowa

 

[Geezer]

A stereo plug will not fit properly into the Escort, he needs a 1/8" Stereo Jack to 1/8" Mono Plug Adapter. Radio Shack lists in in the online catalog but it is out of stock. It should be available elsewhere.

How's come it( Stereo plug) works in my Escort 8500?

I used it that way for a little while when I first got my Escort . Mine is an 8500 X50. The stereo plug did not detent properly and gave me mixed results with the sound, and the vibration from the bike caused wear at the jack.

 

[dirttracker30]

A stereo plug will not fit properly into the Escort, he needs a 1/8" Stereo Jack to 1/8" Mono Plug Adapter. Radio Shack lists in in the online catalog but it is out of stock. It should be available elsewhere.

How's come it( Stereo plug) works in my Escort 8500?

I used it that way for a little while when I first got my Escort . Mine is an 8500 X50. The stereo plug did not detent properly and gave me mixed results with the sound, and the vibration from the bike caused wear at the jack.

I found a mono plug to stereo jack adapter at Radio Shack this morning,and have contacted Gary at Electric Ave. Hoping he can do a cord up for me with a 90 degree mono plug as it would take some stress of the detector internals caused by vibration.The adapter that I bought is straight so it sticks out a ways from the detector body. Any how ,it's going west Sat Afternoon just the way it is now. Thanks all

 

[dirttracker30]

I just talked to Gary @ www.Electric-Avenues.com and he still had all my info from 2 years ago. He told me that I already have the isolation cord ,and the stereo plug will work just fine on mine without damage,even plugged into the Amplirider,because there is some magic in the thing . He said some 8500s(early model?) were suceptable to damage though. Now I must wait on a answer to see if my buddy's will be OK with just a mono to stereo adapter at the detector and a stereo cord from there to the helmet speakers. Stay Tuned