Communications Systems

[Auburn]

I have had the MIT-200 and early versions of the Chatterbox FRS digital. Jeff is right, you get what you pay for. I have a starcom1 now because it works as advertised. You do have to pay attention to set up, but once done it works great.

 

[Midnight Sun Rider]

Well I really did look at what everyone else "said" was the best, but I can tell you for the money the blue-ant bluetooth system works great! If you have a mp3 player phone (iphone, or equal to) you can "pair" it w/ the system, and w/ anyother blue-ant biker/passenger. The rang is a little short for bike to bike, but I have never needed to talk to someone I was riding w/ say 1 mile away. If that happens you can just answer the call on the intercom. Just my .02 Good luck w/ what ever you get. Oh and it is inexpencive if you buy new on ebay

 

[Bogey907]

Pardon the thread hijack, but has anyone using an AutoCom system solved the problem of matching the speaker-level outputs from a radar detector to the line-level inputs on the AutoCom? I'm dissecting the isolator module to change the resistor values, but not sure what values will be needed.

 

[DaJuice]

I have the J&M CB-2003. I installed that this spring. I held off on getting the CFRG cable to do all the integrations with the Zumo as the guys at Cyclegadgets said there was a new version of it coming out this year the CFRG-D. It came out in April and does everthing the old CFRG did but can also accept a Motorola T-series FRS/GMRS radio. I've been too busy to rip the bike back apart to put the new wires in so right now I can only hear my cell phone. Once I get this CFRG-D installed I'll be able to talk on the cell phone, CB and FRS/GMRS (when I buy a motorola radio). It is quite expensive though. I have well over a grand in between the CB unit, the wires and the headsets.

Has anyone else installed the CFRG-D with a FRS. I'm wondering if when they say it is for a T-series, do they mean the Talkabout series, or the model # has to start with T. I tried calling J&M and they couldn't answer that... they suggested I email their president. Which I guess I'll be doing now. The talkabout with a model # that start with T are only capable of being charged from the big cradle. I'm looking to power it direct from the bike, which the ones with E as the first letter of the model are capable of.

 

[exskibum]

Starcom Systems at Bike Effects
Note the link below about FJR Forum discounts.

YEP!! Jeff is the guy who has got what you asked for, and who has that whole set up on his bike. Hell, he's got caller-ID on the Zumo even. Starcom set up, with Jeff's invaluable assistance and personal talk-you-through-it help is the way to go.

But like Haulin'Ashe said above, you are talking about real money to go this route and have it right.

I bought most of my stuff from Jeff (BikeEffects) a couple years ago, and just now got it all installed (too much shit perpetually on my plate and big procrastinator). But I've got the works, except for the phone hook-up.

 

[Fred W]

I have the J&M CB-2003. I installed that this spring. I held off on getting the CFRG cable to do all the integrations with the Zumo as the guys at Cyclegadgets said there was a new version of it coming out this year the CFRG-D. It came out in April and does everthing the old CFRG did but can also accept a Motorola T-series FRS/GMRS radio. I've been too busy to rip the bike back apart to put the new wires in so right now I can only hear my cell phone. Once I get this CFRG-D installed I'll be able to talk on the cell phone, CB and FRS/GMRS (when I buy a motorola radio). It is quite expensive though. I have well over a grand in between the CB unit, the wires and the headsets.
Has anyone else installed the CFRG-D with a FRS. I'm wondering if when they say it is for a T-series, do they mean the Talkabout series, or the model # has to start with T. I tried calling J&M and they couldn't answer that... they suggested I email their president. Which I guess I'll be doing now. The talkabout with a model # that start with T are only capable of being charged from the big cradle. I'm looking to power it direct from the bike, which the ones with E as the first letter of the model are capable of.

Looking at the Motorola web site, it shows the same headset model (earbud w/ PTT) works with the EM1000 (which has a USB recharge port) and the T8500R, which does not (drop in charger only).

I use the T5720's, which you also have to use the drop-in charger with, but I bought some higher maH rated, NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries to replace the original NiCads, and that made all the difference. They easily run more than 2 days on a single charge now. The charger cradle is not overly big or heavy to pack along and recharge the units at night in the motel room.

One concern about recharging the B2B radio on the fly is that the audio cords for that purpose generally do not have isolators built into them, like the cords used for the GPS and Radar detector do. Without that you may get some AC hum in your ears. Haven't tried it on the B2B, but I did try it on the Gramin 2820 GPS and Passport RD, and the isolator was a necessity. B2B may be different since the charger will be just charging the battery and not directly powering the unit.