Upgrade my Autocom?

[drew231506]

Okay I bought the Active-Plus duo kit from Kieth...I am having some issues with the system though. The VOX triggers when on the highway...so if I turn it up then it makes it difficult to speak because you have to scream to get the VOX to kick in espically once off of the highway again. The other unforseen annoyance is the lack of a music fader...so if i want quiet and the passenger wants music I cant do it.

In reading about the Pro AVI I see that it looks like this unit should take care of these issues. Would I have to replace the entire unit and headsets? I'll have to give Kieth a call...I dont care to much about the cost difference anymore as these issues are pretty annoying. Do you think I can trade up?

 

[bramfrank]

Of course you can trade up - the restocking charge will be close to 100%, mind you. If you decide to move upscale, you'll do best by selling the one you have for as much as you can (which isn't likely to be all that much).

Do you have the microphone touching your lips? Are you using an open face helmet without the appropriate microphone?

The new generation gear does have the automatic vox, but also has ambient noise gain adjustment, which doesn't work with my ear-canal phones.

Simplest, I suspect to just set it up and use it, assuming that it is working properly.

 

[HIGHLANDER]

I never use the Vox, don't you drive in your car and talk over the radio, why should your bike be any different ? It seems to either works well going slow or going fast but not both.

And then there's the time lag between the Vox kicking on and off, if your have a conversation on the bike.. half the songs gone by then. I find it too annoying ...so no Vox for me.

 

[Toecutter]

Drew,

Call Keith. I think it was the AV-1 he steered me away from, when I called about the same issues. Something about inherent faults with the technology, IIRC. I wish they would have put an easily reachable VOX adjustment on the new model. It took quite a bit of stopping to get it adjusted where it was working decent. You can also plug music into a different input, so it doesn't fade, then adjust the VOX way down, but then wind noise is amped into your ears.

I pretty much have accepted that M/C intercoms are a lesser-of-the-evils type of item. They all suck, in their own way. Dollar for dollar, IMO, Autocom sucks the least. I haven't tried the other $750.00+ models though.

I did upgrade my speakers though, and it's a definite improvement.

 

[drew231506]

Drew,Call Keith. I think it was the AV-1 he steered me away from, when I called about the same issues. Something about inherent faults with the technology, IIRC. I wish they would have put an easily reachable VOX adjustment on the new model. It took quite a bit of stopping to get it adjusted where it was working decent. You can also plug music into a different input, so it doesn't fade, then adjust the VOX way down, but then wind noise is amped into your ears.

I pretty much have accepted that M/C intercoms are a lesser-of-the-evils type of item. They all suck, in their own way. Dollar for dollar, IMO, Autocom sucks the least. I haven't tried the other $750.00+ models though.

I did upgrade my speakers though, and it's a definite improvement.

Toe,

I may try plugging the music into a different input...thats a good idea. I cant take it cutting in and out...on the highway...even with the VStream all the way up. So then I F* with the VOX and we get into a town and we're screaming to get the VOX to fire. This inturn raises my blood pressure and the thought crosses my mind to yank the handlebars into oncoming traffic. Drives me nuts especially after the price tag that you mentioned. Now youre going to have me cut it up!? Sheesh... upgrade the speakers huh... oh dear. Do you think the Pro AV-I would be better? Didnt Fred H from here do a good write up on those, I would think that the ambient mic and the auto adjustable VOX..that adjusts with speed would help...I wonder if it would fix it...or even if Keith would take it back. With earplugs and the windshield up I can kind of make out music up to 65mph...if the screen is down...forget it. The new speakers make a big difference though?? ...howwwww can the autocom speakers be so shitty that a $20 radioshack pair is that much better!? They need some competition... Did the new speakers help with volume too, or primarily sound quality? Ill have to find some that fit in the same hole in my helmet...

 

[Toecutter]

I cant take it cutting in and out...on the highway...even with the VStream all the way up. So then I F* with the VOX and we get into a town and we're screaming to get the VOX to fire. This inturn raises my blood pressure and the thought crosses my mind to yank the handlebars into oncoming traffic.

:lol: Reminds me of the first Softline we had. Its maiden voyage was to the Avila lunch ride. It kept cutting out mid-sentence, no matter how loud we yelled, and the music volume would go waaay up when ambient noise increased. By the time we got there, I was real tempted to throw it into the ocean.

Drives me nuts especially after the price tag that you mentioned. Now youre going to have me cut it up!? Sheesh... upgrade the speakers huh... oh dear. Do you think the Pro AV-I would be better? Didnt Fred H from here do a good write up on those, I would think that the ambient mic and the auto adjustable VOX..that adjusts with speed would help...I wonder if it would fix it...or even if Keith would take it back.

Like I said, Keith thought the technology was flawed last time I talked to him.

With earplugs and the windshield up I can kind of make out music up to 65mph...if the screen is down...forget it. The new speakers make a big difference though?? ...howwwww can the autocom speakers be so shitty that a $20 radioshack pair is that much better!? They need some competition... Did the new speakers help with volume too, or primarily sound quality?

Both. This morning, I fired off the CD player for the ride home and almost got blown out of my helmet. The sound quality was leagues better, and volume was the same. No problem, even through earplugs, at any speed, I'd guess.
Yeah, I agree it's rather disappointing that the supplied speakers are that shitty. There's definitely room for improvement in the intercom market. We run Sigtronics in the engines and they work just fine.

 

[Bearly Flying]

Sounds like it's more of a speaker/mic placement issue. The mic is especially sensitive to proper placement

Do you have a windsock on your mic.?

I have the Pro 7 system no problems getting the VOX set up, nice and clear music ,intercomm and bike to bike all the way up to GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL speeds.

 

[Fred H.]

The new Super ProAVI adds an autovolume mic to the riders headset, which drives the VOX trip point up and down based on ambient noise levels. It works real nice and makes setting the VOX circuit easier to do and makes the VOX work better at all speeds.

The Super ProAVI is a seven pin system. I don't know how many pins your current system has but if it is a seven pin, you may be able to get away with only replacing the riders headset, as the passengar headset is unchanged. You will have to change the riders headset since it now has the additional auto volume mic in it.

The Super ProAVI is a significant upgrade and gives you more flexibility and control, as well as a better unit overall. It is by far the best unit Autocom has made to date.

I have reviews of several different intercom systems (imcluding the Super ProAVI) posted here:

https://www.angelridevideos.com/reviews