Can I wire both the Valentine and iPod into the headset at once?

[double_entendre]

I'm getting ready for a bit of a road trip and was wondering what the best way is to wire both my Valentine and the iPod into the Autocom so that I can listen to music and let the Valentine kick in when it needs to wake me up.

Any suggestions on the modern solution?

Thanks!

Rancho

 

[MCML]

I am working on a similar problem with my Starcom/GPS/Passport/IPod. Several possible solutions are on the table. I will let you know what works and what doesn't as the situation evolves.

 

[double_entendre]

I am working on a similar problem with my Starcom/GPS/Passport/IPod. Several possible solutions are on the table. I will let you know what works and what doesn't as the situation evolves.

Great!

I leave Wednesday, so if you could pick up the pace I'd appreciate it. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Rancho

 

[Badcat]

Working in the audio field for many years I do not recommend tying the outputs of two active devices together with out some kind of isolation such as a resistive network or transformer. The output of the two devices are small amplifiers and tying the two output of amps together is rarely a good idea. Radar detector outputs are mono. iPods and other music sources are usually stereo. The inputs to autocom and starcom are usually stereo. One solution is to use one channel of the autocom/starcom for the radar detector and the other for music, gps, etc. This will put music in one ear and radar detector signal in the other. An isolation transformer will be needed on both as the grounds are common on the inputs. Another method would be a portable mixer whose output feeds the input of the autocom/starcom.

If you do somehow make both signals go thru the autocom/starcom on the same input and you have a buzz on the output there is a good chance you could do damage to the equipment.

 

[7xray]

I used this stereo isolation transformer from radio scrap. I cut off the rca plugs and put a mono 3.5 mm plug on one input (for the radar detector (passport 8500) and a stereo plug on the other to plug into a mp3 player or the gps. On the output side squeeze the two conductors into a stereo in-line jack with one channel on the ring and the other on the tip connector. There seems to be a bit of loss in the isolator so I had to jack up a mono small audio amplifier which mixed the two stereo inputs to feed both speakers in my helmet. I would think with a stereo amp like the autocom or starcom you would get ipod in one ear and radar warnings in the other.

Cheers,

7X

 

[MCML]

Unfortunately, on the Starcom Dgital, there are only two inputs (Aux and Music 1) for the three devcies (GPS, IPod, Radar Detector). The Starcom owners manual, poorly written, seems to imply that the Radar and GPS should both be sent to the Aux input. My GPS is already on a isolator cable (mono 2.5mm plug at the device end, stereo 3.5mm plug at the Starcom end!) and I am hoping to piggy back the Radar signal on that same cable because even if I send the Radar signal down a separate cable it is going to be combined to go into the same input with the GPS. As the Ipod is not powered by the FJR and, as both the GPS and Radar Detector are, the arrangement seems to make sense to me. The GPS and radar detector should both have priority over the music (though who knows what happens if Gretta Garmin and the dectector both want to talk at the same time). At least one person here on the Forum suggests keeping the radar signal separate and combining the Ipod and GPS signals but, again, the manual suggests otherwise and I also have the power/isolator issue to deal with.

 

[edjo69]

Unfortunately, on the Starcom Dgital, there are only two inputs (Aux and Music 1) for the three devcies (GPS, IPod, Radar Detector). The Starcom owners manual, poorly written, seems to imply that the Radar and GPS should both be sent to the Aux input. My GPS is already on a isolator cable (mono 2.5mm plug at the device end, stereo 2.5mm plug at the Starcom end!) and I am hoping to piggy back the Radar signal on that same cable because even if I send the Radar signal down a separate cable it is going to be combined to go into the same input with the GPS. As the Ipod is not powered by the FJR and, as both the GPS and Radar Detector are, the arrangement seems to make sense to me. The GPS and radar detector should both have priority over the music (though who knows what happens if Gretta Garmin and the dectector both want to talk at the same time). At least one person here on the Forum suggests keeping the radar signal separate and combining the Ipod and GPS signals but, again, the manual suggests otherwise and I also have the power/isolator issue to deal with.

Aerostich offer two options to do this in the electronics section of their catalog.

 

[MCML]

I assume that you are referring to the Mixit 2 and the other multiplex unit. Interesting approach but not sure how they would interact with the Starcom Digital.

I tested my assembled Y this evening and did not like the results. Possbily due to the nunmber of adapators stacked together to end up with a 3.5 mm male/2.5 mm male/3.5 mm female Y when no such thing exisits pre-made. I am leaning toward adding a Starcom 36 A cable and being "done" with it.

Done, yeah right!

 

[double_entendre]

Aerostich offer two options to do this in the electronics section of their catalog.

They do----for $180ish. Ouch.

I thought only their riding gear was expensive.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. *scratch scratch scratch*

Rancho

 

[Geezer]

AmpliRider is a mixer that will accept up to three inputs. It comes with a remote volume knob and sells for $65. I have one and use it from my Garmin 2730 and Escort X50.

 

[MCML]

FWIW, I ended up running two separate isolator cables from the radar detector and GPS to a "Y" (mono plugs at devices, stereo at the other end) and plugging them both into a single input on the Starcom. Aside from some volume balancing issues (details available if anyone's interested) the set-up works just fine.

 

[Bounce]

MixIt2

Works for years and thousands of miles and does exactly what you want wrt mixing inputs into a set of earbuds, a headset, or an audio systems aux input.