Starcom advance vs. Autocom Active Plus

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FredW - Don't think that setup will work for him if he's using RD. He'll need the AUX port for RD audio and the Zumo will have to feed AUDIO port.

 
Need to pick one of these for the latest farkle. :yahoo: I have searched, read and have spoken to distributors . What I am looking for is owner comments. How happy are you as far as works as advertised. Are you happy with overall performance and construction? If you have owned one of each brand, even better. Thanks for any comments. I am trying to not make a 400-500 mistake. Thanks-Tate
I've had the StarCom1 for several years now with XM hookup. Has worked great for passenger intercom and music. Have since installed the Zumo with integrated XM and that also works fine. Recently bought StarCom's special cable for bluetooth hookup. Now have cell phone interface via the Zumo bluetooth. Making a phone call while riding is way too cool!

 
FredW - Don't think that setup will work for him if he's using RD. He'll need the AUX port for RD audio and the Zumo will have to feed AUDIO port.

Ah!! Good catch, Jeff.

What he could do is to use a "Y" cable to patch the GPS audio for (GPS prompting and BT Phone) and the RD Beeping audio together into the "Aux" port. Then use a seperate MP3 or music audio source into audio.

Otherwise, just give up on the idea of using VOX.

 
FredW - Don't think that setup will work for him if he's using RD. He'll need the AUX port for RD audio and the Zumo will have to feed AUDIO port.

Ah!! Good catch, Jeff.

What he could do is to use a "Y" cable to patch the GPS audio for (GPS prompting and BT Phone) and the RD Beeping audio together into the "Aux" port. Then use a seperate MP3 or music audio source into audio.

Otherwise, just give up on the idea of using VOX.
I really like having VOX. I actually participate in conference calls on my bike, and its great to have VOX so that there is no transmission from me unless I am speaking. More advice for the original poster... I started with the Active Plus, but have upgraded to the Pro. The Pro has a separate ambient noise sensor which has two advantages I thought were well worth the price. The first issue was that to hear at speed I had to turn up the volume to where it was too loud at a stop, the second was that when I would turn my head to change lanes at freeway speed the wind across the mike would trip the VOX. with the second sensor mike on the Pro, it automatically adjusts volume to accommodate for speed/wind noise and it doesn't trip when turning my head at speed anymore. In fact it works pretty much flawlessly.

I have a Zumo hardwired to the Autocomm. The Zumo is paired with my phone over bluetooth, and I have an iPod on a separate input. Listening to music and taking phone calls, etc. works great.

And +1 on the recommendation for the vendor mentioned earlier, Keith has been great to work with as I tried the Active Plus (which was his recommendation) and then upgraded to get the automatic volume adjustment.

Hope this helps.

 
I like my Autocom for the fact that the leads plug into leads from the control unit, rather than sockets in the control unit.
Aaah, same as Starcom. :rolleyes:
I'm not seeing any leads coming out of the unit pictured below to plug into, perhaps another camera angle is in order?

Starcom%20Advanced.jpg


 
Toe,

Let's say that view is of the "top". There are two pigtails that come out of the bottom end (away from the camera) with DIN type connectors, that hook up to the curly extension cables that then go to the helmet headsets. So the connections that you make and break all the time are on pigtails. The silk screen arrows 1 and 2 are roughly where they exit.

The connections into the box that you can see in that picture are all standard 3.5mm TRS type connectors. Not likely to have any problems with them. There are 2 DIN type connectors in the bottom that are where the PTT and two-way radio cables hook up. But once you install your rig and connect those you probably won't be making and breaking them a lot.

One positive that I have noticed about the Starcom1's DIN connectors is the male pins are quite a bit thicker than the ones I've seen in most S-video cables and on my Motocom intercom units. It would appear that they would be pretty hard to mangle them up through normal use, unlike the prior cables just mentioned.

 
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I like my Autocom for the fact that the leads plug into leads from the control unit, rather than sockets in the control unit.
Aaah, same as Starcom. :rolleyes:
I'm not seeing any leads coming out of the unit pictured below to plug into, perhaps another camera angle is in order?

Starcom%20Advanced.jpg
The picture has been cropped. Take a look at any Starcom Advance or Digital and you will see the leads.
Yes, they exist...

StarCom1Pigtails.gif


(note to admins, please allow us to link to .png's...)

There are two pigtails or leads that the headsets plug into... Believe it playa! :)

 
When I was debating Autocomm/Starcom, I could not find anyone that had owned both. Probably aren't many even today.
I asked Keith about that. He said Starcom wasn't around yet when he decided to become an Autocom dealer, so he has never owned one either, just most of the others....

I might have owned a Starcom, and stuck with it, but I was fortunate enough to find Keith after a very disappointing experience with a $600.00 SoftLine. Luckily, the very nice guy who sold it to me gave me a full refund.

There are two pigtails or leads that the headsets plug into... Believe it playa!
Well then, they've obviously changed and improved that part of the product. I remember Andrew telling about how he had to slipknot rubber bands around the leads to keep them from pulling out of the control unit.

Does Starcom also now offer a money-back satisfaction guarantee?

What's the warranty period?

 
When using a Autocom Active Plus or Super Pro AVI with a zumo 550 and using all of the features of the zumo i.e.

mp3, turn by turn instructions, blue tooth connection of cell phone the autocom must be modified by the dealer to allow this function to work properly, but it can be made to perform properly. The Zumo 550 doe have some issures in the output volume levels of the mp3 player. In order to get mine to work properly I had to amplify the input signal to hear the music clearly while riding a very noisy bike with -25db ear plugs. Kieth in Tulsa :huh:

 
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