Autocom pro-7 odd behaviour after running for a few hours.

[chrisz]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for some input to an issue I'm having with my Autocom pro-7 unit. While the unit works fine for the first couple of hours, but then its quality of sound starts to deteriorate to a point to where the speech is very garbled and the music has static. It’s powered by the bike auxiliary power outlet, but I don't think that should be an issue. Any recommendations on what I can try to remedy this loss of quality? The garbled speech is evident to both passenger and driver.

[Albert]

Are there any peripherals (e.g. gps, radio, etc.) connected to the unit that are also powered from the bike? Autocom recommends isolation connections. I recently switched my Autocom from battery to bike powered and noticed my bike powered gps started generating "odd" noises after a while. I suspect I was overloading the amplifier section in the Autocom. I also realized I had left the isolation connector at home so I disconnected the audio for the remainder of the trip.

[bobbybob]

Are there any peripherals (e.g. gps, radio, etc.) connected to the unit that are also powered from the bike? Autocom recommends isolation connections. I recently switched my Autocom from battery to bike powered and noticed my bike powered gps started generating "odd" noises after a while. I suspect I was overloading the amplifier section in the Autocom. I also realized I had left the isolation connector at home so I disconnected the audio for the remainder of the trip.

 

++--Next time this happens, start unplugging anything else you may have. If no help, move the power leads from the acces. wiring directly to the battery to see if that helps. Motor running or off--garbled still there?

[chrisz]

Hmm, didn't try it without the engine running. Its just that eveything works good (GPS, Ipod, driver/passenger talking) for 1st couple of hours, then starts to downgrade to where the speach sounds scratchy as if you have a hoarse voice and need to clear your throat. It then progressively gets worse. Now I remember that the GPS voice was always clear, but driver/passenger and music was garbled. The GPS is plugged into the battery (somewhat, acutaly using un-used power leads under the fairing), the Ipod is on own battery.

[John Bentall]

Check the positive connection is sound and preferably soldered. Check that the negative lead is connected directly to the battery negative terminal.

Check corrosion on all terminals.

 

Hope this helps,

 

John

[chrisz]

John, the Autocom is connected through the auxiliary power outlet, and the connection is solid.

[Tom B]

Are you using our standard helmet speakers supplied with the kit?

 

Are you using monitor type, in-ear-speaker plugs, and if so how are they connected?

 

Do you have anything plugged into the grey 5 pin din Aux socket?

 

 

If one of your audio devices audio starts deteriorating after a while, but not the others or your speech, then I suspect that audio device is having a problem, perhaps because you don’t have the correct isolation interface lead and its output amp is shutting down, or perhaps poor power to it.

 

If your speech audio quality starts deteriorating after a while, and also all your other Aux audio device/s audio quality, then it sounds like either the Autocom amplifier is overheating and thermally shutting down (hence why I asked if you have in-ear-speakers) or maybe the Autocom power regulator is over heating and shutting down, (hence why I ask if you have anything in the grey 5 pin Aux which has 9 volts power output on it)

 

Other than that, check the Autocom is Ok by unplugging ALL Aux leads (from the Autocom, not just from the audio device) and just try it for a while without anything but the headset plugged in and see if it is OK.

 

If one of your headsets, or headset leads has a short on the speaker wires it can cause the Autocom amplifiers to overheat, and sound quality deteriorate as its starts to shut down

 

If our power regulator is overloaded it will overheat and sound quality will deteriorate as is shuts down.

 

The strange thing is that you said; the GPS was always clear, but the speech and music was garbled? If everything was garbled I would suspect the Autocom power amplifier, or power regulator, but it cannot be that if the GPS audio was still clear. If you had said just the music was garbled but the speech and GPS was clear I would suspect the music device or lead, but for the speech and music to be garbled but not the GPS audio, something isn’t adding up at the moment.

 

Autocom UK Tom

 

[chrisz]

Tom, I agree that something is not adding up. I'm going to have to try to determine (confirm) what works or what doesn't again to be sure. I do use earplugs so I have the Autocom shorted with a 1/8" shorted lead as indicated in the manual. The ear speakers are what came with the system (not in-ear) and for the first few hours works fine. Curious, how to determine if a headset wires or cables are shorted. Again, will have to spend more time with the system. Ambient temps have been cooler then normal, but the unit is located in the tail section of the bike, but unlikely that the ambient temps are affecting it.

 

Thanks,

 

[lawnchairboy]

I have found the same to be true, exactly, with my Pro-7 unit, always after hours of good performance, always in hot weather. I run my unit powered from a switched fuseblock, with bike powered Kenwood B2B, XMMYfi, V1 +/- a phone, usually. I just give it a rest for a while and turn everything back on and it works just fine. I keep all of it in the tank bag, which gets hotter than you know where in summer riding. I have the components separated on individual shelves with airspace but it's gotta be well over 100 in there most days of the summer. In cold temps, it always is flawless. I bought all but the V1 and phone used.

[Tom B]

I can understand that; the Kenwood radio will pushing the Pro-7 to about its normal limits and causing it to run hot, and in a tank bag (even with gaps between the components) its not going to vent well and on hot days it could overheat and shut down to protect itself. I do not think it would be a problem if you were not powering the Kenwood via the Pro-7, or if the Pro-7 was venting better under the bikes seat. So I do not believe this is the same problem as above.

 

This would not happen with the new 2009 Super Pro Automatic or Logic systems because they have different power management, and now have 12 volts coming out of the bike to bike Aux socket with a separate power supply for the transceiver built into the back of the radio. So if you are having over heating problems it may be time to upgrade to the latest systems that can cope better with what you are doing.

 

Autocom UK Tom