Sena SMH10 Assitance

[AVGeek]

Skooty, when you get back to town, drop on by, and I can get you all set up as well. I am running the SH10 (first gen), and the battery life was fantastic on my SS1000 (it lasted 12 hours straight run time before I got the low battery tones), and I was able to power it from the bike after that. I haven't yet expanded my system, but I have the plans to do so here on paper, so I have an idea of what you need. Since you're also running an Android phone, your BT pairing will be a bit easier than my iPhone in order to get what you want.

 

[hppants]

This thread has been very helpful to me.

I'm interested in the Ampli-rider, but I have a few questions for those of you that have it:

1. Since it is an "out-in-out" device, I am assuming that the distortion from my smart phone will also be amplified? I don't need "crystal clear" sound in my helmet (I use the Etymotic MC5 Buds), but I'm wondering about this. I'm interpreting this setup to be what we used to call a "booster" in my old car radio days (now maybe I'm showing my age). Unlike todays car amplifiers, whereby the in-dash amp is disabled and simply delivers a signal to the seperate amp, the Ampli-rider will amplify whatever power is being delivered from the output jack on my phone? I hope I'm asking these questions correctly.

2. I like the idea of mounting the volume control through a drilled hole in my plastic (prolly panel D) for a more professional look. In the product pictures, I don't see a rubber grommet, o-ring, or washer that might protect the exposed electronics from rain and water. What do you suggest?

3. What size fuse will I need for this? I have a Centech fuse block for my motorcycle accessories. Should I plan on a dedicated circuit for the ampli-rider or can it share with other devices without me worrying about noise and interference? Current accessories on my fuse block are:

- 12V socket adapter (phone charger) shared with my mini-usb 12V source for my Tom Tom 55LM GPS

- power source for my heated jacket liner

- LED auxillary driving lights

4. If you have this device with a radar detector and your music (seperate inputs), when you are listening to music and the radar detector goes off, do you hear both sources at the same time? Not that I'm blasting music so loudly that I can't hear anything else, but this intrigues me.

5. My gps doesn't have blue tooth (tom tom 55TM). Is there anyway for me to run it through the ampli-rider so that I can hear the turn by turn directions in my ear buds? I really don't get the blue tooth thing.

6. How much does the ampli-rider cost? Who sells a product on the internet without the pricing? Can I order it on Amazon or E-bay, and if not, can I trust this guy with my credit card?

 

[LAF]

I use the Mix It with a Boostaroo, and a Bluetooth dongle off the mixit. I get my GPS loud enough to hear thanks to the Boostaroo. I have my I-Pod the MixIt, the Boostaroo, the Bluetooth dongle all charging in my Twisted Throttle Electrified tank bag, GPS is wired into the fuze block.

It all works and is loud enough to make your ears bleed if that is what you want to do.

I just pull the release and it all comes off in the bag and nothing to connect or disconnect.

The MixIt I have had for 5 years now and it is a very nice product. The Boostaroo is also nice and gives me GPS so I can hear it now.

Love the setup.

 

[LAF]

Spastic double post deleted.

 

[AVGeek]

This thread has been very helpful to me.

I'm interested in the Ampli-rider, but I have a few questions for those of you that have it:

This should probably be its own thread, but I'll answer as best I can from my memory

1. Since it is an "out-in-out" device, I am assuming that the distortion from my smart phone will also be amplified? I don't need "crystal clear" sound in my helmet (I use the Etymotic MC5 Buds), but I'm wondering about this. I'm interpreting this setup to be what we used to call a "booster" in my old car radio days (now maybe I'm showing my age). Unlike todays car amplifiers, whereby the in-dash amp is disabled and simply delivers a signal to the seperate amp, the Ampli-rider will amplify whatever power is being delivered from the output jack on my phone? I hope I'm asking these questions correctly.

Distortion? That usually means you have the volume set too loud on your phone's output and you're overdriving your earbuds. The Ampli-rider isn't like current car audio amplifiers, as it is a variable amp, almost like a pre-amp stage. You will still be able to adjust the output volume from your phone in most cases. When I had mine, I had a cable plugged into the dock connector on my iPhone that had both USB (for power) and a mini plug for audio, so I was bypassing the internal headphone amp on the phone, and the Ampli-rider controlled the volume (more on this later).

2. I like the idea of mounting the volume control through a drilled hole in my plastic (prolly panel D) for a more professional look. In the product pictures, I don't see a rubber grommet, o-ring, or washer that might protect the exposed electronics from rain and water. What do you suggest?

Mine is an early version, and I used the volume knob in the box provided. I didn't have any issues with water incursion. The actual amplification electronics are in the remote box, the volume knob is just a pot to control the op-amps.

3. What size fuse will I need for this? I have a Centech fuse block for my motorcycle accessories. Should I plan on a dedicated circuit for the ampli-rider or can it share with other devices without me worrying about noise and interference? Current accessories on my fuse block are:

- 12V socket adapter (phone charger) shared with my mini-usb 12V source for my Tom Tom 55LM GPS

- power source for my heated jacket liner

- LED auxillary driving lights

1amp should be plenty. Mine was installed with an Autocomm system, and they were both on the same circuit

4. If you have this device with a radar detector and your music (seperate inputs), when you are listening to music and the radar detector goes off, do you hear both sources at the same time? Not that I'm blasting music so loudly that I can't hear anything else, but this intrigues me.

The Ampli-rider doesn't have variable inputs. The only way to balance the audio from different sources is to use the devices volume control. What you could do is set your phone for a comfortable volume, then have your radar detector just slightly louder to "override" the music. The music volume will not change.

5. My gps doesn't have blue tooth (tom tom 55TM). Is there anyway for me to run it through the ampli-rider so that I can hear the turn by turn directions in my ear buds? I really don't get the blue tooth thing.

Does your GPS have an audio (may be labeled headphone) jack? If not, then there is no way to interface to the Ampli-Rider. Bluetooth is simply a wireless radio protocol; the nice thing about it is the lack of wires to your helmet. Bluetooth systems can be tricky to set-up, but most work very well once everything is paired. The Ampli-Rider itself has no Bluetooth capability.

6. How much does the ampli-rider cost? Who sells a product on the internet without the pricing? Can I order it on Amazon or E-bay, and if not, can I trust this guy with my credit card?

I don't remember what I paid for mine, but for my system at the time, it really was about the only option. Gary was a professional to deal with, and I had no issues with my order. As I recall, the product was well-wrapped in bubble wrap and showed up in perfect condition.

 

[hppants]

AVGeek - thanks for your reply and before the following comment is mis-understood, by the intelligence of your reply and your username, I'll yield to your expertise.

My "distortion" question was my way of establishing exactly how the ampli-rider works. I don't view it as a pre-amp, at least from my car radio recollection (which granted have been distorted in their own way, but that's another story). I believe the ampli-rider just takes the output from my phone's amplifier (including any distortion at any given volume level), and amplifies that sound (car booster), adding its own distortion (at its given volume level) to the eventual sound that I hear. By keeping the phone's volume down to a minimum, I'm sure that I can minimize this effect (my guess is the ampli-riders amp is cleaner than my phone's).

My son's Bazooka amplified sub-woofer has what I used to know as a "pre-amp". the sub-woofer output on the in dash radio simply brings the music signal to the speaker (no power from the in dash amp). The amp within the speaker enclosure actually drives the speaker. I'm gathering that the ampli-rider does not work this way.

Have I got this right?

Thanks again.

 

[AVGeek]

AVGeek - thanks for your reply and before the following comment is mis-understood, by the intelligence of your reply and your username, I'll yield to your expertise.
My "distortion" question was my way of establishing exactly how the ampli-rider works. I don't view it as a pre-amp, at least from my car radio recollection (which granted have been distorted in their own way, but that's another story). I believe the ampli-rider just takes the output from my phone's amplifier (including any distortion at any given volume level), and amplifies that sound (car booster), adding its own distortion (at its given volume level) to the eventual sound that I hear. By keeping the phone's volume down to a minimum, I'm sure that I can minimize this effect (my guess is the ampli-riders amp is cleaner than my phone's).

My son's Bazooka amplified sub-woofer has what I used to know as a "pre-amp". the sub-woofer output on the in dash radio simply brings the music signal to the speaker (no power from the in dash amp). The amp within the speaker enclosure actually drives the speaker. I'm gathering that the ampli-rider does not work this way.

Have I got this right?

Thanks again.

You're on the right track. You might be over thinking it a tad (not necessarily a bad thing), but in my experience modern headphone amps in both phones and the Ampli-rider are pretty clean. I like to keep the volume settings near the middle for best results.
And yes, the Ampli-rider doesn't work like your son's subwoofer setup. The remote volume knob is just that, a remote control. The actual amplification takes place in the main box (where all of your audio and power connections are made).

 

[LAF]

I set my volume on the MixIt and then use the Sena Jog dial to increase or decrease volume. The MixIt will out run the Sena's Speakers pretty quickly.

 

[hppants]

(Skooter - if I'm jacking your thread, kick me out - no offense taken)

AVGeek/Laf - thanks for the help.

I got a reply to my questions from the Ampli-rider dude:

"The AmpliRider is able to output 0.2 watts (200 mW) of RMS power into a pair of 8-ohm speakers or headphones.

You are right, any distortion added to the audio before the amp will be sent through and come out louder. Using the amp can take some strain off the music player so if the noises were due to the player straining then the amp could help to make things sound better. The amp will simply amplify whatever power is being delivered from the output jack on your phone.

Many owners have mounted the remote controller module under a panel. Since water can get in under the gap between the knob, some people have pulled off the knob, put a rubber washer under it, then put the knob back on. The washer provides a bit more of a seal. I think a #10 O-ring works actually. Here is a link:

https://www.homedepot.com/buy/danco-10-o-rings-10-pack--96727.html#.UR0VaZa1Z_A

The AmpliRider draws about 250 milliamps (0.25 amps) at maximum. You could put a 1/4 or 1/3 amp fuse inline with the power cord to be safe. Because the amp doesn't drain much current, it could be shared on the same power line as other devices. You should not have any issues with noise and interference

The AmpliRider is being offered directly for the price of U.S. $80. This includes a 6ft audio connection cord and the cost to deliver the amp to your address by fully insured, Airmail shipping.

If you would like to order an amplifier there is a page on the website that enables the use of Paypal or a credit card:

https://electric-avenues.com/audio/order/

Other methods include sending a check, a money order, or a bank transfer but if you have a form of payment that works best for you, I will be happy to hear."

(Back to Pants)

Wish he sold it on Amazon, but I guess if I use Paypal, my purchase is protected?

It's kind of pricey, but I like it. I'm gonna check out the Boostaroo, but failing a revelation, I think I'm gonna pull the Ampli-Rider trigger.

Cheers.

 

[Reble9mm]

For anyone looking at running the earbud option on the SMH10... There are a couple helmet clamp sets you can get!

The SMH-A0303 and SMH-A0304...

0303 has attached boom mike... good but if you want a little more options on mounting then...

0304 has plug in mike and gives you cord to play with to mount the mike where you get better reach to get mike around to directly in front of your mouth.

I have Nolan helmet and have to place the SMH10 unit a little further back on the side of the helmet so the attached boom mike did some around far enough.

I also have a mixer that RD and MP3 player plug into and then output for earbuds but I then plug in Bluetooth transmitter. This setup works well for me!!!!

 

[someguy]

wow.

so much to learn here...

 

[ElectricFJR]

I just set up my '13 with a Garmin 665LM and I have a Motorola S705 SoundPilot bluetooth receiver that I plug my Big Ear earspeakers into and drop into my inside jacket pocket and pair with the Garmin to get GPS prompts and stereo music (MP3 or satellite radio). I don't care about phone, although it would also work with the Garmin, but then I would need a microphone. My problem is getting radar alerts with this system. On my prior Concours 14 I wired everything (old Garmin SteetPilot, XM radio, and radar detector) through a MixIt 2 that I mounted in the glove box and plugged in a bluetooth dongle that I would pair with my Motorola unit and it worked great. Since the 665LM can stream both GPS prompts and music I decided to just pair with it and tried to find a different bluetooth receiver that works with earspeakers that I could also put in my pocket that would accept 2 bluetooth signals simultaneously so I could also pair with the radar detector dongle, but so far I cannot find one. So I ended up getting a H.A.R.D. system for radar detector alerts but I really liked the audible alerts I used to get with the MixIt 2 vs. the visual alerts in my helmet from the H.A.R.D. system.

Does anyone know of a small bluetooth receiver that will pair with 2 devices and receive 2 bluetooth signals simultaneously and accept earspeakers?

 

[bramfrank]

Hi Electric;

You might want to consider looking at the problem the other way around.

If you get a mixer of any sort and plug that into a Bluetooth transmitter, you can wire the Zumo and your radar to the mixer and send that combination of audio signals though the transmitter. I know that the Zumo already has a BT transmitter, but it does not have an auxiliary audio input so you're somewhat stuck - I'd commented on the lack of a separate audio input on the Zumo when it was introduced. It would have been nice to have.

I have a Sena SMH10 setup with the SM10 and SR10. The pairing is a bit convoluted and I lose out on earpiece controlled fast-forwarding (which is better, because the passenger can't flick around between songs and drive me crazy).

I wrote a review on the product and it's up on epinions: https://www.epinions.com/review/Sena_SMH10B_Bluetooth_Headset_epi/content_618407759492

Not sure if it means anything to you, but the solution may well be in the accessories.

My phones are paired with my Zumo, which in turn is paired with my SR10 - and I have a GMRS radio plugged into the SR10 as well. The SR10 is paired with MY BT module and the SM10 is paired with both mine and my passenger's modules so we both hear music and I get access to the radio and my cell - her phone is paired with her helmet - we can participate in each others' phone calls using intercom - it's all very neat. I haven't tried connecting the phones together that way, but it might actually work.

The physical stereo output from the Zumo is plugged into the SM10 to distribute my music and navigation to me and the passenger - But the SM10 has a secondary monaural input for a separate nav or radar alert. It could well be a candidate for your application.

 

[ElectricFJR]

That's pretty much what I had on the Connie with the MixIt 2 set up. I just wanted to keep it simple on the FJR since I got the 665LM, but the radar was a problem. Not unhappy with the H.A.R.D. system, just trying to get used to it.

Yes, an auxilliary input jack on the 665LM would have been the solution--too bad they chose not to do this.