OK, the problem isn't volume, it's too much volume actually.
I have a couple problems actually that I'm having trouble tuning out or getting to work right.
Problem 1: I will get Push-To-Talk, but I can't get that right away so I need to deal with VOX.
Damn, you can't sing when you have VOX, that blows, it turns the music off.
OK, I have played with and tweaked both the Mic sensitivity and the Vox sensitivity and can't find a happy medium between No Vox and Vox that cuts the music out with wind noise. Maybe my X11 is louder than I thought.
Music is loud enough for me though so no issues there.
Also my mic picks up wind noise which the pillion hears. Maybe I'm just not tuning it right? But I've tried, oh how I've tried.
Rider Pillion.
Damn... I have the balance set to 95% my way towards the rider, and I'm still almost blowing my wife's ears out. Can't find a happy medium there either. I think I'm going to have to shove ear plugs in her ears which she hates.
Music that is constantly fading out is worse to me than no music. Grrrrr...
We're really struggling to find a happy medium...
It's awesome solo, but so far we're not having much success with music and vox intercom.
-MD
I've been using the Autocom for over a year. It's taken me almost that long to get it dialed in. There are 2 issues with probably all systems using VOX and helmet speakers.
1. Vox adjustment and wind noise.
2. Good sound with proper speaker placement.
The VOX adjustment on the Autocom is a PITA if it is mounted under the rear seat as mine is cuz ya hafta pull the seat every time you need to adjust it for different speeds. The less sensitive the setting (for higher speeds), the louder you have to yell to get it to activate. Too sensitive and wind noise sets it off. I recalled how well the stock intercom worked on my old Venture Royale with OPEN FACE helmets. The solution was, as S76 suggests, wind socks.
It is most important to have the mic right at the lips. I took a piece of foam AC insulation made by FROST KING and carved out a windsock that butts up against the inside of the helmet chinpiece and projects out just enough to almost touch the lips. The Frost king brand is quite soft and not very abrasive to the lips compared to some other brands.The weatherstrip has an end view of approx 2" x 2" and may be 6 or 8 ft long. Just cut out a slice of it. Good scissors are helpful.You can actually work it on a bench grinder to shape it to fit. Slide it in place with helmet on and cut it to proper thickness. With an Exacto knife or similar sharp knife, cut a slit in the foam and insert mic. The boom on my mic is supported securely behind the helmet side pad and stays put without adhesive. It can be easily adjusted. The foam is open cell and allows voice to easily get to the mic but it filters out wind noise. I now keep the VOX to a very low setting so we can speak normally but the wind stays out even at interstate speeds. OK, legal speeds, anyway.
Note: I'm trying to come up with an idea for a remote extension (like a speedometer cable and rotating knob) that I can attach to the VOX adj stem and run to the outside surface of the bike.
Speaker placement. This can be a tough one. If they are only 1/4 of an inch off from the ear canal, the sound will seriously deteriorate. Bass will become nonexistant and it will sound so tinny as to drive you nuts. The volume also goes away very quickly. Might be a reason why pillion's are so loud compared to yours. (hers are positioned close to optimum, yours are not.) Then you have to crank it up to hear it.
You may need to modify the padded side pieces in your helmet to install the speakers or you might need to remove them and make your own out of soft foam. Try to slide the speakers around with the helmet on. You will HEAR the difference when the placement is right. Try to hold them in place as you remove the helmet and mark the location with a marker of some sort. They not only have to be in front of the ear canal, they must also be up against the ear, but not too tight or they will bug you after a short while. I've seen many speakers velcro'd to the shell of the helmet because its easy, but the volume and sound quality really suffered. As I said, its a real PITA, but well worth the effort to have great sound and communication.
Most helmet speakers are quite small and are a "hard target". Someone on this forum posted about getting some real stereo headphones and soldering the drivers in as replacements for the originals. Since they are much larger, it is much easier to find the "sweet spot". He commented that now he has a concert hall in his helmet.
I will probably try that this winter. WallyWorld has a nice set of Sonys with extended base response for about $20. The ones I may spring for are Grado SR60's. They are considered to be almost "reference" quality by Stereophile magazine and used to sell new for $69.
Hope this helps.
Charlie
