Starcomm blues

[Richouse]

Is there anyone out there that is using the Starcomm1 Advance and a cb radio (specifically this one) for bike to bike communication? If so Please respond, I have this setup and it's not working right. When transmitting the person on the other bike can just barley hear what is being said that is if they can hear it at all and vice versa. Everything else (mp3 player, pillion, gps) is good and loud like it should be. I know this is as clear as mud but any help would be appreciated. And i'm wondering if anyone else has run into this and what you did to fix it???

Thanks,

Richard

 

[DailyCommuter]

Are you using the VOX on the starcom? I know that created problems for me with the zumo,MP3,and bluetooth phone set up. I gave up on the vox and just don't use it, it that's not it then can you take a picture of the wiring, plug locations... Its likely a cable issue if it isn't the vox. What cables are you using? Are they starcom cables or did they come with the cb? Need more info to help

 

[Richouse]

using the push to talk button. All are starcomm cables. as for cable routing... Its hooked straight to the battery (both pos and neg) and ran under the tank along with the ptt switch cable to the starcomm unit which is velcroed to the tray that is under the rider's seat. rest of the wires come out of the unit and live under the pillion seat until i need to take one out to use it, ie cb cable, or headset cable...

 

[Texan]

I hope you solve this. I am getting ready to purchase the same setup. Are you using the Kenwood radios?

BTW, your avatar is seriously disturbing.

 

[MartyA]

Having a similar problem with my Starcom1 Advance and Midland GXT900 GMRS radio. Start out in the morning with everything working fine, using a PTT for the 2-way radio. Later in the day hit the PTT and the radio sends out a carrier but the voice is muted. I get "Marty is that you? I can hear the signal but your voice is real low." By late day I can key the mic with the PTT, I can hear the carrier but no voice goes out, and the radio does not stop transmitting. I have to manually turn off the radio then turn it back on again. All the time I could receive just fine.

Then I learned that my PTT had failed, gotten some water in it based on what the stain inside looked like. I went on another group ride, this time I positioned the radio so that I could key it directly in my tank bag and unplugged the PTT. Same thing, over the course of the day the transmission part of the radio slowly faded from perfect in the morning to low voice in the late afternoon to locking open in the evening. All the time the MP3 and intercom worked fine. Sally could hear me and I could hear her and we both could hear the radio chatter from the other folks and the MP3 worked fine.

I had some Cobra radios in 07 and part of 08 and they worked fine for a month or so, I was very happy. Then they started doing the same thing, but due to some other issues with long and short interface cable ends I had to retire them. That is why I switched to the Midlands. I had my Starcom1 wired to the tail lights as a keyed power source. Jeff at bikeeffects said to wire directly to the battery. I just did that but have not tried it yet. Frankly I am wondering if the Starcom has the horsepower to run these newer 2 way radios. And I don't know what kind of drain this will have on the battery when parked for a week at a time.

 

[DailyCommuter]

the starcom shuts itself off whether it is wired to the battery or not, when you unplug the headsets from the unit the little red led goes out. I wish I could be help with the radio thing, but I have not used any radio with mine at all.

 

[Richouse]

I am working with Jeff @ bikeeffects to resolve this problem. He is being very helpful and I am sure we will figure it out. I will post what we figure out.

 

[twistedcricket]

I am working with Jeff @ bikeeffects to resolve this problem. He is being very helpful and I am sure we will figure it out. I will post what we figure out.

That would have been my suggestion. Jeff knows this stuff very well. What he can't answer he does find out.

 

[MCML]

Jeff is a great resource! I have more than a bit of experience trouble shooting both the Starcom One and the Advance. I have used both Cobra and Motorola units with the Starcom Advance and have had my share of issues to figure out - ask me about magnetic tankbags and/or blinking LCD indicators sometime.

Unfortunately, the symptoms that you are experiencing are new to me. Given that the problem is a function of elapsed time (and transmissions?) could the problem be linked to the charge status of the radios' batteries or is the radio hardwired for power?

 

[MartyA]

I am working with Jeff @ bikeeffects to resolve this problem. He is being very helpful and I am sure we will figure it out. I will post what we figure out.

That would have been my suggestion. Jeff knows this stuff very well. What he can't answer he does find out.

Actually I was waiting for Jeff to call me back last week but you must have got him first. You are correct he knows his stuff, and is very customer oriented. I'm ordering a new PTT and then I'll call him.

Went through some other issues last year, Jeff Ashe was a great help also. He got the Cobra LI7200 to work and I still can't use them......

...charge status of the radios' batteries...

I don't know about Richard's CB but my GMRS radio batteries were never lower than 50% at the end of the day.

 

[fsubetcha]

Ok- I'll bite.

...with the Starcom Advance and have had my share of issues to figure out - ask me about magnetic tankbags...

 

[jekirby]

I think that Starcom's nemesis is the cb radio. They have tried to satisfy the cb user, without actually using cb's over there. Even they have no explaination for why two users with exactly the same setup can have completly different experiences. I did have an issue with a bad intercom that fixed most of my problems, but my weak volume was in every mode, cb, phone, etc. CB was always weak as you described, but that is not how it is for all folks.....go figgar. Jeff did his level best to help me and the fine folks at Starcom were helpful, dispite one guy going on vacation during troubleshooting. I liked the modular nature of the starcom as well as the size. I had my system in a bags connection electrified tank bag......a great set up, but sadly could never get the cd to work as I needed it. Sound quality and features were great, but it never filled my purpose. I will be posting my system for sale in about a week. I still need to inventory parts and settle on a price. Stay tuned. Once again, the product, manufacturer and retailer (Jeff @ Bike Effects) were top notch, it just did not fill my needs.

 

[Richouse]

Jeff told me on Monday that Midland had changed something in their mics. Starcomm didn't figure it out till later (about a week ago) and had to modify the cable (something about the modulation changed). Apparently that info has not had time to go out to the dealers. Jeff didn't find all of this out until calling Starcomm Monday morning. They told him all I needed was this other cable and all would be good. He shipped it out Monday and I should have it tomorrow. I will post my findings when I get the new cord installed and try it out...

 

[Richouse]

Ok, here is the update.... I got the new cords in and they seem to have done the trick with the weak transmitting signal but I am starting to realize that FRS/GMRS 2 way radios are the way to go. The new cables seem to work with my frs/gmrs radios where the old ones didn't. The cb, I am wanting to use, is just weak when it comes to transmitting. If you are close or you hold up the cb high so the antenna is up high it works fine. But if its down low ie. in my cargo pocket of pants or clipped to belt it just cant seem to transmit around bike/rider if the other guy is on the opposite side of said radio. If you are close then you can hear each other but its scratchy. I guess I could install a 8' whip antenna but I really dont want that on my FJR...

I know some of you will say "so just use the 2 way radios". And thats probably what I will wind up doing but one of the guys we ride with has a GoldWing which has a built in CB, so we wanted to get something that would include him.

 

[MartyA]

... one of the guys we ride with has a GoldWing which has a built in CB, so we wanted to get something that would include him.

The GMRS/FRS radios are not that expensive, around $55-60 for a pair, and with the intercom interface you only need one at a time. On multi-day rallies I use one one day and charge it the next day while I use the 2nd one.

IIRC some later model Midlands had a problem with the volume dropping when any accessory was plugged in. I think that might be what was fixed.

 

[MCML]

Ok- I'll bite.
...with the Starcom Advance and have had my share of issues to figure out - ask me about magnetic tankbags...

The magnetic tank bag issue took a couple of weeks to figure out. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. It seems so simple in hindsight. When TWN nut and I were setting up for our trip to NAFO and Hyder last year he kept picking up noise from my radio set up as we took shakedown runs through the hills of Socal. My transmissions were sometimes okay and sometimes garbled. Richard thought is was a problem with my radio. Tim thought it was wind noise because the problem got worse with increased speed. Then we thought it might be a connector issue (lots of those to check). Then we swapped cables (radio to Starcom, PTT to Starcom, Starcom to helmet). Maybe the Starcom itself. Swap my Advance for my old Starcom 1. Then we thought it might be a power source issue (I power my Starcom from a Powerlet outlet). Then we swapped radios. First mine for my spare, then mine for his, then used one of his on both bikes. Next, swap PTT switches. Too many variables to isolate one issue at a time and every time it was ride, test, stop, talk, gear off, swap parts, gear on, ride, test, stop, talk, gear off, etc.

Finally, with both bikes sitting side by side in my driveway, and with my Starcom being powered from Tim's bike, I finally saw for the first time and started to laugh. We increased the throttle on my bike and the signal disintegrated. Not wind noise - engine speed! What is left? We've checked everything. Just then, enlightenment as I stared at the cable from my Starcom (under my seat) to the radio (on a RAM mount next to the brake reservoir). The cable was routed on top of the tank under my tank bag. My magnetic Chase Harper tank bag. Induction. Induction. Induction. Do not route your radio cable near magnets. Simple. Freakin' A.

So, now everything is basically okay although when using GMRS/FRS radios, one significant factor seems to be wind noise in the Starcom system. This results from speed, helmet/rider combination, windshield size/position, cross winds, microphone mounting variables, etc. Everyone's configuration and conditions are different and constantly changing. That said, when transmitting from my bike, I can usually be understood easily up to 50-60 mph. Above that, I find that if I tuck my head down behind the wind screen, speak slowly, enunciate clearly and, oddly, wait a full second before speaking after iniitally pressing the PTT switch that I can usually be heard, and understood.

 

[NJ609Eagle]

I have a very similar set up. StarCom1 Advance with the Midland CB. I do have a 4' antenna mounted to the tail of the bike.

Like others said CB and Starcom just are not good friends to work with together. I had to order a second cable after the first one got pinched and stretcehd when i tried teh CB mounted to the throttle side. Now I clip it to my tank bag, and if it's going to rain, inside the tank bag.

I would love to switch to FRS/GMRS but riding with a few Goldwings often they alreayd have CB.

 

[Richouse]

I have a very similar set up. StarCom1 Advance with the Midland CB. I do have a 4' antenna mounted to the tail of the bike.
Like others said CB and Starcom just are not good friends to work with together. I had to order a second cable after the first one got pinched and stretcehd when i tried teh CB mounted to the throttle side. Now I clip it to my tank bag, and if it's going to rain, inside the tank bag.

I would love to switch to FRS/GMRS but riding with a few Goldwings often they alreayd have CB.

are you using the 12v adapter that came with the CB or are you just using the AA batteries??? When I tried to use the 12v I got this LOUD HOWL when the push to talk was pushed.

I wanted to use the CB for the exact same reason as you "NJ609Eagle" but I have had so much trouble im just going to use FRS radios...

 

[NJ609Eagle]

I use the 12v adapter. I spliced a SAE plug on teh end so I can use the Battery tender on the same plug. I too had a Squeel when i pressed the PTT,. For me it was a bad CB cable, not a PTT cable, that I stretched out and got crimped under teh tank. Now I have the CAB-21 running out from under the riders seat and tuck itunder emy sheep skin when not in use.