Connect Starcom to Speakers.

[Paul In Australia]

Hi Guys

Setting up a Starcom Digital on a 2008 R1200RTSE. No problems until I go to connect to speakers in the dash. Starcom has supplied a splice in cable that splices into the speakers and then just plugs in to the unit. Easy EXCEPT . I have virtually had the entire tupperware and dash off the bike and I still cant see the speaker wires to connect to. I must be missing something because the dealer told me just to remove windscreen and the side wing ( small) and you can connect from there. Not on mine. Cant even see the back of the speakers.

 

Anyone done this and let me know the tricks or does anyone have the pictorials. I presume I will have to pull it apart all again wht a Pain in the a...

 

Search in history but couldn't find anything on this one.

Would appreciate the help.

best regards

 

Paul

[RussInParis]

Hey Paul,

 

Sorry no answer here; I'm actually looking at installing the same intercom on the same bike (except it's a not an SE), so I just wanted to say be sure to share any solutions you find as well as any tips or tricks on the install. Pics would be very cool.

 

Hope you find a solution!

 

Cheers,

Russ

 

[johnlt]

Paul, I think you have to remove the actual speaker and splice into the solder tabs on the back of each speaker. Are you trying to drive the speakers from the Starcom? If so, check with Starcom to see if it has sufficient amp to drive the speakers. I taped into mine as a source as "INPUT" to my Autocom so I could hear my radio in my helmet. The Autocom doesn't have near enough power to drive those speakers loud enough to be usefull.

[essman]

The speakers come out easily with three or four screws and there is a plug on the right side speaker, none on the left--unless they changed it since '06

[RodB]

I'm not sure what you're attempting. Do you want to be able to only hear the bike's radio through the intercom? Or do you want to choose to hear either through the intercom or the speakers?

To have the choice, you will need to splice into the speaker wires and install a toggle switch that will toggle between the intercom & the speakers.

[perfectswitch]

Agreed..... don't think Starcom can drive those speakers.

[John Bentall]

If you follow this link http://www.autocom.co.uk/Support/Downloads/ you will get to the Autocom fitting instructions for the R1200RT. The principle for fitting the Starcom unit should be identical.

The Autocom unit used an attenuator in a black box to convert the power output used for the speakers down to a level suitable for the Autocom input. Presumably Starcom have to do something similar.

 

Hope this helps.

[Paul In Australia]

Has been installed for about six months now. Works perfectly. Just spliced into the speaker wires after removing speakers from the dash and reinstalling. Starcom has no problem powering the speakers to the helmet.

regards

Paul

[Pletch]

 

I installed the SC digital on my 06 RT and I have had no problems, in fact it was pretty easy. I did something a bit different, I bought 4 of the cable ends and created speaker wires for the phantom rear speaker out puts on the OEM radio, and ran the starcom from that. Now I use the fade function to drive the power and signal to the starcom for the music, and I can mix the amount between the front and rear speakers, or just use front, and so on. I think you get the idea. All in all, that entire process took 15 minutes once the plastic was off.

 

Here is a link to the thread I used to help me out. Trust me, use the rear speaker connection, it opens a lot of options and doesn’t compromise the OEM wiring. http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=54864&Number=607876#Post607876

Good luck.

Dan

 

[RussInParis]

Hi Dan,

 

Just ordered a StarCom digital system for our '08 R1200RT with factory radio. Also have a Zumo 660 and Kenwood 3201 to interface so ordered all the little cable bits to try and make this happen.

 

Connecting to the rear speakers seems like a great idea. Hopefully I can figure it out from this thread. Any chance you took any pics of your install? Where did you get the cable ends? Is this a common item?

 

Also, there's an AUX input wire that the previous user had installed for connecting an ipod. I'm wondering if there's someway of using this with the Zumo+Starcom, but so far I can't figure out how to do this and I haven't been able to find any example installs on the web anywhere.

 

Russ

 

[Pletch]

Russ, no challenges, I didn't take pics because the ones in the thread were almost identical.

 

I got the connectors at a German car radio installer, cost me all of $2 for 10. And attacheing them was to easy; I cut a 18 inch lead wire, (just to have some play) and soldered them to the connectors and used shrink tubing over the connection Then with a pair of needle nose pliers and they popped right in. It took maybe 10 minutes to do all 4. Then I soldiered the leads from the starcom, pluged it into the unit and boom, there was sound. It was amazingly easy (especially seeing as its a BMW), I didn't even get to a second beer and I was putting the plastic back on. I would recommend using solder and shrink tubbing on the connection, just makes for a solid connection you wont have to worry about.

 

[Tapatio]

Rear speaker leads would be the best solution since it allows you to fade from speaker to Starcom. No sense in blasting music through your speakers and helmet at the same time.

 

[Pletch]

Tapatio, thanks, that is exactly the diagram I used and is was spot on.

 

Break break

 

Russ, using this, you are 90% finished, the rest is pretty much attaching, (for me it was soldering) the cables to your starcom leads and cleaning up the appearance. I really like the ability to fad the music, makes for nice changes from time to time.

[RussInParis]

Thanks for the help and diagram. Haven't started yet since the Starcom kit hasn't arrived yet.

 

Any ideas re:the AUX input on the factory radio? Did you just ignore this?

 

I thot it might be cool to play Zumo mp3s over the bike speakers with this, or even send the intercom to the speakers (better than yelling when asking for directions), but so far I don't see how I can connect it with the Starcom in a useful way.

 

Russ

 

[Pletch]

The AUX port on the entertainment ins't amplified, so anything you run through there must have an amplifier attached or used. I recommend using a boostaroo (google it) if you want to run an MP3 or ipod to listen through the speakers. I do it this way, but when using an MP3, I fad the settings all the way to the rear setting and listen through the helmet.

 

Your other idea about running hte intercom through the speakers, very cool, but you might want to be careful, could get you in trouble passing a beach on a hot summer day, LOL!

[Tapatio]

His bike might have an "AUX" volume control, I remember reading that later models have this feature. If it does he might not need an inline amplifier.

 

Here's a thread on this issue:

Tapatio has opened the radio/aux can of worms again. Could someone with a 2007 R12RT manufactured after 12/2006 with the factory radio check their radio's details to see if theirs is different from the details in the radio of my 2006 R12RT (manufactured 1/2006).

You find the radio's details by holding down the MAN button for about 10 seconds. Initially you will see the SVOL and a number (speed adjusted volume) displayed but if you continue to hold the MAN button down, the radio serial number ?? will be displayed. Then you can use the tuning button, not volume (on the handlebar) to scoll through the details. Mine shows the follwing:

 

serial number ??

SV 13.70 I suspect is the radio software version number

F11 Q11 I have no idea

TP-V +8 the volume got louder when adjusted up

Tout On Bass on?

AREA USA can be changed for use in different parts of world

 

Turning the radio off will return it out of details mode. I have also noted that there is a TON LIN (tone line in?) setting under the SPEAKER ON on the TON button but have not been able to change it.

 

I would bet that the later radios have a different software version which has the AUX gain input set higher so the AUX adaptor can be used without an inline amplifier as we have had to install with the earlier radios. The BMW 3 series car radio (basis of the R12RT's radio) have an adjustment for the AUX input gain but the motorcycle radios don't have the same button (with musically note emblem on it).

Just would like to confirm that there is a difference between early and later radios.

Thanks Buckster

 

Here's that thread