Starcom Tuning Question

[mdisher]

OK, the problem isn't volume, it's too much volume actually.

I have a couple problems actually that I'm having trouble tuning out or getting to work right.

Problem 1: I will get Push-To-Talk, but I can't get that right away so I need to deal with VOX.

Damn, you can't sing when you have VOX, that blows, it turns the music off.

OK, I have played with and tweaked both the Mic sensitivity and the Vox sensitivity and can't find a happy medium between No Vox and Vox that cuts the music out with wind noise. Maybe my X11 is louder than I thought.

Music is loud enough for me though so no issues there.

Also my mic picks up wind noise which the pillion hears. Maybe I'm just not tuning it right? But I've tried, oh how I've tried.

Rider Pillion.

Damn... I have the balance set to 95% my way towards the rider, and I'm still almost blowing my wife's ears out. Can't find a happy medium there either. I think I'm going to have to shove ear plugs in her ears which she hates.

Music that is constantly fading out is worse to me than no music. Grrrrr...

We're really struggling to find a happy medium...

It's awesome solo, but so far we're not having much success with music and vox intercom.

-MD

 

[Badcat]

(Starcom1 Advance) The first thing I tried was turning off the sidetone for rider and passenger. This will help knock down the wind noise. It also makes it so you can't hear what you are saying as you say it in your speakers.

You'll want to set your volumes-test them at speed and re-adjust. I found the best results when I had to raise my voice some to make the vox turn on. Make sure the mic is positioned excatly as shown in the manual. It was much easier to set up with the PTT switch then try the vox, but it can be done without.

It has taken me many tries to get it dialed in, once you do it works very well.

 

[bramfrank]

I never realised that Starcom didn't have a 'music mode' like Autocom, where when you speak (sing?) the music volume goes down to about half - it DOES cut off with phone or 2-way or GPS audio.

 

[mdisher]

I never realised that Starcom didn't have a 'music mode' like Autocom, where when you speak (sing?) the music volume goes down to about half - it DOES cut off with phone or 2-way or GPS audio.

It does, you can turn VOX off and get the same effect... Figured that out today When Two-Up, you'd have to talk over the music.

Or when One-Up, like I am 99% of the time, I can sing along with it :yahoo:

But holy shiznit... I dicked with that thing all day.

Lessons I learned: All helmets are NOT created equal. My Shoei X11 is NOT as quite as I one thought, my RF900 is quieter which is what my wife was wearing today.

We both spent most of the day listening to way too much wind noise.

a) when it's cold as hell (like 37 when we started) I need a bigger screen to create a bigger bubble.

This was our first real long day together on the bike, and she get's the shit buffeted out of her with the stock screen up, so bad, I could hear her getting slapped around in the Intercomm. No good. Well good if she deserves it, but unfortunately today she didn't.

Finally on with only 10 or so miles from home we switched helmets. She spoke and blood just about came pouring out of my right ear. Holy crap. I only had the volume up around oh, 1 3/rd the way. So we backed it off repositioned the speakers and pretty much started over.

I must say, it works damn well under 50mph, but I'm not convinced yet at anything above that.

If we can't tune out the wind noise then it's not good.

Funny thing was after a while when we both couldn't stand to have amplified wind noise and I'd have her unplug, all would be good. I think the Pillion turbulence on the 06 must suck that bad behind the stock screen.

Of course she all so said she never had a moment of slicence w/o hearing my wind noise too.

We had that though on the way home.

It's like the volume also up's the mic sensitivity, but it shouldn't.

More testing is needed, but we're both worn out. It was still an awesome day today.

:yahoo:

 

[nitelife]

Renegade,

I sent mine back for the very same reason. I talked to others at EOM that had the same problem. To me the Starcom unit is not as advertised. Nice below 55 mph. Over 55 way too much wind noise. Those damn mics are just way too sensitive. I wish you luck my friend...

 

[mdisher]

Renegade,I sent mine back for the very same reason. I talked to others at EOM that had the same problem. To me the Starcom unit is not as advertised. Nice below 55 mph. Over 55 way too much wind noise. Those damn mics are just way too sensitive. I wish you luck my friend...

I'm not giving up just yet...

It's wonderful in single user mode, so it's just a matter of getting it right Two-Up... I've talked to too many that use it successfully.

That doesn't mean the mic's aren't too sensitive though, or that some modifications don't need to be made... But I'm working on that.

Yeahaw!

(Starcom1 Advance) The first thing I tried was turning off the sidetone for rider and passenger. This will help knock down the wind noise. It also makes it so you can't hear what you are saying as you say it in your speakers.
It has taken me many tries to get it dialed in, once you do it works very well.

I'm going to double check the side tone settings but with the latest version that is supposed to be disabled (turned off) by default. But maybe it isn't...

I don't hear myself when I speak (through the speakers)...

What was wierd though was that accelleration sounds were being picked up and triggering the VOX at different times.

Really bad when behind QuickSilver with his exhaust.

 

[shokdimn]

Renegade,

You wrote:

and she get's the shit buffeted out of her with the stock screen up, No good.
I think the Pillion turbulence on the 06 must suck that bad behind the stock screen.

:yahoo:

I’ll second that for myself, and my wife. Saying, the stock-screen :thumbsdownsmiley: “just wasn’t getting the job done” is a major understatement IMO. How many miles have you been riding with the stocker?

By the way, yesterday, in Crossville, TN, I crossed paths :bike: with another guy from Cincinnati. He was riding an 05. Didn’t have an opportunity to ask if he was a board member.

shokdimn

 

[brazos parker]

I've been reading abt Starcom vs. Autocom on this forum, trying to decide which one to get. I think this thread has made up my mind...too many good things said abt Autocom in other threads and personal conversations to even consider Starcom now. Autocom for me.

Thanx for everyone's input...in multiple threads.

 

[mdisher]

Renegade,
You wrote:

and she get's the shit buffeted out of her with the stock screen up, No good.

I think the Pillion turbulence on the 06 must suck that bad behind the stock screen.

:yahoo:

I’ll second that for myself, and my wife. Saying, the stock-screen :thumbsdownsmiley: “just wasn’t getting the job done” is a major understatement IMO. How many miles have you been riding with the stocker?

shokdimn

Flipped 7k miles yesterday since mid June. The only reason I haven't replaced it is that it _is_ mostly OK for me 1-up.

I'm really looking forward to screwing around with a second hand pre-06 screen before I spend any dough.

I came from mostly a no screen bike, and ride with it down 95% of the time. But even in that position, the buffeting back there is not good for the pillion. Much worse than my prior ride. In fact I almost wish it was lower in the down position. But when up, of course I'd like it to be bigger and wider.

I'm looking at the Vario from MRA but don't know yet...

 

[huron52]

I got a Autcom under the advice of people on here at the time. I had/have a chatter box and while it was good on my old bike there was just too much windy noise to work. I used the autocom on a trip with the misses and me and I liked it to a point. I couldn't find a good spot to set the VOX. I put up in the tank bag and had the flap open so I could play with the settings. I got to a point of having two settings. One for in town and another for highway speed. As I say I only played with it for a few days on a trip. Still haven't gotten around to hooking up music , cell phone or a radio for bike to bike.

I was looking for a link that I had saved for setting up the VOX but couldn't find it so I went looking... the world wide web

Found this ... https://www.nightrider.com/biketech/autocom...ive7_tested.htm

 

[mdisher]

I've been reading abt Starcom vs. Autocom on this forum, trying to decide which one to get. I think this thread has made up my mind...too many good things said abt Autocom in other threads and personal conversations to even consider Starcom now. Autocom for me.
Thanx for everyone's input...in multiple threads.

I would like to hear from someone that trashed a Starcom, jumped to a Behr or Autocom and found instant success. I don't think there is that much a difference between the (3) units to be honest.

They are all decent Quality.

If I had unlimited funds I probably would have gone J&M. They have hands down one of the nicest head sets but also have the nicest prices too ($250 each) so you're looking at $500 bucks in headsets alone.

I wouldn't have done the portable J&M, since there isn't a bike powered option for that it makes no sense to me, I would have gone with and used the CB Radio version, and the $300 upgrade cord that let's you do everything a Starcom/Autocom does but then I didn't have $1500 to drop on an intercom.

There are just so many variables from helmets to windshields, to hearing preferences as well as the stuff you're plugging into it to say any of these is junk.

By far the biggest deal with Starcom is getting the speakers centered over your ears. Move them off center and the sound decreases significantly. Perhaps bigger, broader speakers would be better. I don't know.

That however isn't what I'm struggling with.

It's fine tuning the VOX and mic sensitivity at the moment which I'll work out eventually.

 

[shokdimn]

Flipped 7k miles yesterday since mid June. The only reason I haven't replaced it is that it _is_ mostly OK for me 1-up.
I'm really looking forward to screwing around with a second hand pre-06 screen before I spend any dough.

I came from mostly a no screen bike, and ride with it down 95% of the time. But even in that position, the buffeting back there is not good for the pillion. Much worse than my prior ride. In fact I almost wish it was lower in the down position. But when up, of course I'd like it to be bigger and wider.

I'm looking at the Vario from MRA but don't know yet...

Copy last. Hope one of those options work for ya.

 

[quicksilver]

One thing about volume differences.

Have you considered mic placement instead of speaker placement.

I mounted my mic so it is normally positioned between my lips and chin.

If it was placed directly in front of my lips, it would be louder.

Probably won't solve your issue, but it may help significantly.

Also, it seems like mine has a circuit board pot adjustment to balance volumes.

I don't know it the "Advanced" has that. You might make a phone call.

 

[mdisher]

One thing about volume differences.
Have you considered mic placement instead of speaker placement.

I mounted my mic so it is normally positioned between my lips and chin.

If it was placed directly in front of my lips, it would be louder.

Yes.

Of course the instructions tell you to put it right there dead smack center for best results but I think we're going to deviate from that since they are so dang sensitive

What I need to do though more it seems is shield them a bit from the wind.

Also, it seems like mine has a circuit board pot adjustment to balance volumes.I don't know it the "Advanced" has that. You might make a phone call.

The Advance basically (as far as I can tell) exposes those settings that you have externally. I have both Balance and Mic sensitivity that I can get to externally. We fiddled with the Balance (supposed to be for when the rider uses earplugs and the Pillion choses not too, in our case it was the reverse.

What we initially thought was that maybe my hearing wasn't as good as hers anymore. Not so, the speakers just weren't as centered. Yowsa when I moved them.

Like I said, 1/4" off center can mean split your eardrum or hearing nothing at all. IMHO the speakers are too focused, it's not that they are crap as others have eluded to previously, but hard to locate 'just right'

-MD

 

[nitelife]

I would like to hear from someone that trashed a Starcom, jumped to a Behr or Autocom and found instant success. I don't think there is that much a difference between the (3) units to be honest.

I spoke with a guy at EOM that returned his Starcom for excessive wind noise and purchased an Autocom. He and his wife both said the Autocom was much better. I believe the only complaint he had was there was not quite enough volume wearing ear plugs. I can't remember his name but he is in this pic on the far left. Maybe you know him.

Clicky for pic.

 

[roadrash]

So after all is said and done is the starcom or autocom worth the money?

 

[mdisher]

So after all is said and done is the starcom or autocom worth the money?

Well, I think the answer to that is, it depends on what you want out of it.

For me so far, it's stilll a yes. I can get more out of it than I can say the MixIt, but not _that_ much more, but yeah more.

So far solo riding for me with it isn't an issue and it's working very well. It's the addition of the second mic and the intercom functionality which was one of (but not the) reasons for purchasing.

I think I'll get it worked out.

It all depends on what you want to spend, I think I already posted what the J&M equivilent was, or that it was almost 3x in price.

Autocom was more too.

So far I'm not throwing the baby out with the bathwater (yet).

 

[Just Chris]

I bought the StarCom unit last Jan from the manufacture in the UK (1st mistake)

It NEVER worked worth a damn 2-up on my K1200LT. Never could get rid of the wind noise coming from my wifes mic.

Many e-mails were sent back & forth & the only response I got was "set everything to the center postion & it will be fine"

Bull Sh*#

After 3 months of complete aggravation I talked them into my returning the unit for a refund, less the shipping.

I then bought the Baehr Verso which worked perfectly out of the box!

The cables with the Baehr unit are twice the size & far more rugged thatn the StarCom's. The Baehr speakers are all steel units & larger than any I seen yet.

JM2CW

Chris B in MD

'06 FJR with 4k since Aug.

'99 BMW K1200LT Basalt with 132k since 5-01

'03 Unigo silver (aka R2D2)

 

[S76]

Don't stop now! Keep posting.

I'm in the process of figuring out which intercom to buy and this input is greatly appreciated.

So is it "Baehr Verso"? Anyone else use that type?

As far as the VOX and wind noise, I believe the mic should be just about touching your lips. So you can set the VOX enough to kill the wind noise but your voice will still be strong enough to trigger it????

Also, have you tried a little "sock" on the mic to kill the wind noise? Just guessing.