Engine noise on Autocom - Can I effectively shield wires?

[Armando]

As I am getting ready to take my kids on their first ride, one of the last items I have to complete is installing a headset on their new helmet. However, this has brought to light the fact that I have been ignoring the engine noise I hear through my own headset. Rather than rewiring everything, I am wondering if--> THIS would effectively shield the cables and therefore, eliminate the noise I hear.

 

Thoughts?

[Boffin]

The noise is as likely to be coming from ground loops as from EMC. Avoid usingf the fram as ground, route grounds direct to the battery. Use isolating cables for all bike-powered aux imputs. Sheilding may work or may well do nothing. If it is RFI, then that braid will be suitable for the frequencies involved.

 

Andy

[cali_beemer]

Run the ground to the battery as boffin recomended. Use some shielded housing and ferrite beads. There will be some more expensive recomendations but some cheap ferrite beads at radio shack is all that needed. Normally, commercial devices for home use like your computer cord already have this. Its the big hump in the cord near the connector. You run one on each end of the wire.

[Todd_Z1]

I think you are going to need the autocom isolation lead. Either part 2254 or part 2255.

 

Todd

[Sidmariner]

I cured my interference problems with Ground Loop Isolation Filters I bought on eBay.

 

See my post: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=29569&Number=320940#Post320940

[jakfrost]

I think you are going to need the autocom isolation lead. Either part 2254 or part 2255.

 

Todd

 

That is the route I finally ended up going...worked like a charm! When I get into any form of congestion on the road, I turn the volume to nil and the only thing I hear is my heartbeat, ha,ha.

 

Jim

[Todd_Z1]

Autocom makes good equipment. I just wish they could solve the wireless problem. I know they advertise having a wireless solution but it is not really wireless. Having to use cables to connect the headset is a real pain in the rump. The isolation leads work really well.

 

Todd

[Armando]

Thanks all.

 

Cali_beemer - I assume the beads go at each end of the audio cables, not the power/ground?

 

I do have a ground isolator already. what I hear is a ticking noise that increases in tempo as I rev the engine. When I wear earplugs I can't hear it. My ride to work is short so I have been living with it.

 

My setup is a fuse box that is split into 2 banks, 1 switched and one hot. I ran a wire harness from the fuse box to the front left of the bike to power a Sirius radio, Autocom, Bluetooth dongle, Zumo, Radar, an amplirider, and a socket to charge my phone or run the tire pump.

 

Thanks again for input. I will check the autocom leads as well.

[Survived-til-now]

Thanks all.

 

Cali_beemer - I assume the beads go at each end of the audio cables, not the power/ground?

 

I do have a ground isolator already. what I hear is a ticking noise that increases in tempo as I rev the engine. When I wear earplugs I can't hear it. My ride to work is short so I have been living with it.

 

My setup is a fuse box that is split into 2 banks, 1 switched and one hot. I ran a wire harness from the fuse box to the front left of the bike to power a Sirius radio, Autocom, Bluetooth dongle, Zumo, Radar, an amplirider, and a socket to charge my phone or run the tire pump.

 

Thanks again for input. I will check the autocom leads as well.

 

From time to time I get engine noise on my Autocom and I solve it by changing the lead and cleaning the plug/sockets connection by plugging and unplugging several times. Boffin may very well be right about the ground but do not overlook a poor connection if your system is getting on in years.

 

Andy

[RocketMoto]

Armondo:

 

It's not clear if your Sirius, Zumo and radar are all bike powered and if you are running thru proper isolation adapters to eliminate ground loops. If all that is good then...

 

What you really want to do, to isolate the which device(s) or leads are picking up, what sounds like ignition noise is this...

 

Disconnect each lead from the connected device at the Autocom and determine if the noise is still present. If it is, the noise is getting into the Autocom hub and moving it, away from the high tension spark plug leads or coils, or moving the routing of the Autocom power lead may resolve the issue. The Autocom must be grounded *directly* to the negative battery terminal in any event. If that doesn't resolve the noise, then shielding the power lead with a proper braid and grounding the braid at both ends is the next step. If the noise is getting into the Autocom hub itself, then moving it away from the noise source is the only practical remedy.

 

If the noise is no longer present after disconnecting the accessories, plug in one device at a time into the Autocom and check for noise. When the noise returns, disconnect the lead at the device end, so that just the lead is plugged in to the Autocom. If the noise is present, see if moving the lead solves the issue. If not, then split ferrite beads from Palomar Engineers or Amidon may help. (Different ferrite bead compositions are better at choking out various types of interference - they're not all the same, and what you get at Radio Shack may or may not do the trick. These ferrites would go on both ends of the audio lead. The noise could be picked up by the device, or by the lead between the device and the Autocom - or both.

 

There's no real science, here. It's trial and error - mostly the latter. If you can't get it sorted, we're not all that far from you - a nice 1.5 hour ride. Glad to help over the phone, too.

 

Let us know how it goes.