Adding technology and kit to my Autocom setup?

[gileshudson]

Can I please ask for the POBC on adding technology and kit to my existing Autocom setup?

 

Situation:

On a forthcoming Caterham continental trip with a group, I want to be able to run my satnav on phone, ipod on phone, my car-to-car comms via 2-way radio and also my phone (no gloves, so no 'unlocking to take call' issue).

 

Current Kit:

I have the following setup for my Caterham car and would like your advice please

 

- Autocom Pro7 Sport (currently PP3 9v battery-powered).

 

- MicroTalk Cobra MT600 2-way PMR radio (with 2.5mm mic/phones socket)

 

- Apple iPhone 3GS.

 

- TomTom for iPhone satnav (application on the phone).

 

- TomTom for iPhone carkit (a 3.5mm aux out for music/sat nav directions and a 3.5mm 4-pole headphone/mic socket for phone calls)

 

Thoughts & Questions:

The music and satnav will I believe be handled perfectly by my existing Autocom stereo music lead (3.5mm to 3.5mm 3-pole). The iPhone's technology will lower the music when the sat nav app issues verbal directions.

 

To get the phone to work, I need a two-way (4-pole) phone lead from iPhone output to Autocom phone input.

 

To get the car-to-car comms, I believe I need a cable from Autocom to the 2-way PMR radio (MicroTalk Cobra MT600) with a PTT switch in-line (or parallel) if possible.

 

Finally, if I wanted to change my Autocom to car-powered not battery powered, would I need anything other than the hard wiring kit . . . bearing in mind I'll be then running the Autocom, phone and 2-way radio off the battery. I'm thinking interference issues, etc?

 

Any thoughts, advice or pointers at kit and/or solutions would be much appreciated.

 

Richard at Autocom of old would have sorted it in a millisecond, but in passing to Tecstar who now run them I got a reply a day after I sent it, saying: "I think that you're asking a lot of that old system. You really need to upgrade to an SP-A with its 5 inputs, and start from there" And that was it, other than a suggestion that I call them to discuss it.

 

If I've sussed what I need above, I quickly costed it as £41 (35 & 6) . . . not a whole new kit?!

 

Giles

-----Beryl the Peril (HPC)

 

Edited by - gileshudson on 1 Apr 2010 14:32:16

[Ian B]

Sorry bit short of time ATM so quick initial response:

 

What you're proposing sounds OK.

 

There is an Autocom Bluetooth adaptor that can be added to a Pro7 - connects to phone and auto-answers whenever you are in/near the car with Autocom on and bluetooth on your phone turned on. Easier to leave phone in jacket pocket as no need to plug in cable - less chance of damage to phone/connector as well.

 

If you buy the car(bike)-power lead from Autocom you can modify it to wire in your own PTT switch for the 2-way radio.

 

You may get ground loop interference if you power more than one audio device connected together fromt he car battery. Depends on the devices, where they conect to each other and the car power etc - easiest way is to wire it up and see.

 

If you get the specific PMR radio lead from Autocom they have ones that will also power the radio from the Pro7, so that means no interference, and you don't need to worry about turning off Pro-7 and PMR batteries when leaving the car (and back on when you return!).

 

HTH

 

---

Ian - Slightly Vider SVelte SuperVeloce model 😬 - Joint AR for North Kent - Area details and calendar here

[Rattie]

In the CR-V we use an iPhone in the tomtom cradle, with the music and instructions going via an AUX line into the headunit, but the call audio going via bluetooth to the Parrot.

 

Now I would plan to do something similar in your setup. So use the bluetooth adapter for the call audio, but the hardwire for the music/directions. I assume Ian missed your tomtom and music requirements.

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR waiting for V5}}

[gileshudson]

Cheers Ian,

Cheers Martyn,

 

I thought about the Bluetooth module, but the normal Bluetooth bonus of not having to even get your phone out of your pocket doesn't apply here as I'll want to put the iPhone in the cradle each time and turn it to landscape so that it can be a sat nav or safety camera advisor, plus auto answer isn't always desirable.

 

Comparing '£90-ish for bluetooth module (with undesirable auto answer)' versus '£6 cable (giving manual answer and having to plug it in)' seems to favour saving the £84.

 

£ 35 - Handlebar remote control with grey 5 pin DIN (Part No: 2388 or Old Part No: 1457)

£ 6 - iPhone/Blackberry stereo phone lead (Part No: 2194)

£ ?? - Interface for MicroTalk Cobra MT600 2-way PMR radio (Maybe Part No: 2348 if same as single-pin Motorola at £14.)

 

Aside from these three items though, is there anything else I've missed to at least make it work via the Autocom's internal PP3 battery?

 

I'm quite happy to run with the internal battery at the moment as it's been like that to date and been fine, albeit just acting as an in-car intercom and nothing more.

If someone does know how to optimally solve the 'mains'-power aspect though for the Autocom, the 2-way radio and the iPhone, then I'd be grateful.

 

Giles

-----Beryl the Peril (HPC)

[Trotsky]

On a Euro tour a couple of years ago I found that when using the system for more than just intercom it was going thru batteries at an alarming rate, ie 2 to 3 hours. I had phone , Sat nav with music player built in ( garmin nuvi 760) and 2x peltor headsets for being told to slow down 😬 In Italy i purchased a cheap 12v plug in fan device, chopped off the useless fan and grafted the plug in bit to my hard wire kit for the autocom unit, the 12v socket is under passenger side of dash, unit is behind passenger seat, wires run under tunnel top cover. I get No interferance at all. well until i put my foot down and SWMBO pipes up 😬

 

Trotsky N7 HPC Clams and Brooklands

[tbird]

Also beware using speed camera database on Iphone abroad, the BiB may just confiscate if they notice it

[raw]

Forget the technology Giles, have you got your head sorted yet (car that is!) or are you waiting for Guy, Rick and myself to descend and assist?

 

Cheers

Andrew

[gileshudson]

I don't want to forget the technology though Andrew, as I'd have liked it running for the Wight Blat to trial for the Europe trip.

Beryl ran absolutely beautifully on first 2010 blat two weeks ago despite still running on old head.

But . . . I am hoping to have a Coscast, Bacon sarnies, Beer and Coffee weekend afterwards though and may well be inviting one of more of those you listed along! 😬

 

Anyway, back to my Autocom problems 😬 . . .

 

Giles

---

Beryl the Peril (HPC)

[Bricol]

Assuming the Autocom is powered from the car, and all devices plugged into it are powered via their own internal batteriess, then I would guess, like me, you would get no interference.

 

As soon as you connect any of the other devices to the car battery, I get interference - a mild hum in the background. Autocom used to sell an isolated power supply to avoid the problem, but it never annoyed me enough to be buy one. I just charge the phone and MP3 player when they aren't connected to the autocom.

 

Bri

[gileshudson]

Bri - with the notorious battery life in the iPhone (even the 3GS), if I ran the satnav unpowered I reckon it would be completely flat in under an hour... so that'll be powered from car too...

 

Giles

-----Beryl the Peril (HPC)

[Mavic82]

To avoid earth loops (that's what causes the problems) connect all devices to the same point on the car, preferably directly to the battery.

 

You may still pick up noise from the alternator though.

[jradley]

If all the devices were powered off the autocom then in theory they would all have the same power point, but sadly that doesn't mean it is guranteed to be interference free.

 

The problem with ground loops is that audio devices can have 2 grounds - there is the power supply ground and the audio ground. Some devices will tie the audio ground to power ground, others will have the audio floating. Those with floating audio ground may or may not tolerate the audio being tied to any other ground. When you plug all the audio devices in together you are tying the grounds together, and that is why you can get interference on some devices.

 

A common fix is to use an opto-isolator or transformer in the audio path to isolate the audio from any power grounds. Ready made devices should be cheap, since the components are very cheap. The cheapest I could find was this which you would have to change the connectors on but would probably do the trick.

 

John