Area Representative paul richards Posted January 18, 2004 Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Just received my Autocom (another 2 weeks and I could have benefitted from bulk buy!!!! ☹️ Doh!!) My question is:- Where is the best place to position it and what is the best method of fixing. I've considered under the driver seat and under the dash, but space is limited (especially when you have as many wires coming from it as I have). Favourite is looking like boot, as it is as far from engine and hence less likelihood of interfrence and seems easiest to run shorter master headset cable to driver. Hoping that all cable will go down transmission tunnel with headphone sockets popping out near gearlever. Any recommendations before I start ripping out the interior? Paul Richards Joint AO - L.A.D.S. (Lancashire and District Sevens) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_E Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 I have mine in one of those map pockets (James Whiting, about a £10) on the transmission tunnel on the passenger’s side. The cables I then run just under the tunnel cover. The cables come out just behind the seats and loop back (can be hidden behind the seats when not in use). This allows me to remove it quite quickly if I need to, also allows me to adjust the vox control or let my passenger handle it. On mine the longer cable that is the master cable, anyway just a thought on how I've set mine up. C7 MLE The Furry Fast Car Currently wondering what colour fur for 2004? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted January 18, 2004 Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Paul, I see that you have finally parted with the readies! 😳 😬 I have got my unit in the boot. I have drilled a couple of holes through the rear bulkhead and carpet and pushed the fly leads through to rest behind the seats. The holes are protected by grommets to stop chafing. The leads are then brought up and rest alongside yours and your passenger left shoulders and means the headset cables are kept neatly to one side when in use. Nothing can be seen in the car when it is unattended and the tonneau is off, and with such a light unit in the boot, pushing the cables through the bulkhead holds it suitably in place without any other fixings. I think that if you mounted the main box under the dash, not only can it be seen but the leads would always be in the way (even when not in use) and you need to find a way to hold it in place (velcro sticky pad, perhaps?) Anyway, with the Autocom system, its a case of setting it up initially to get the VOX setting right (the level at which the sound dampening occurs when you speak) and then leaving it alone. You don't need to fiddle with any controls whilst on the move. I don't think you will get any interference at wherever you site it. I had mine resting on the passenger seat and it had no problems at all. Thinking about it, a lot of bikers carry them in their pockets and obviously they are sitting far closer to the engine than we are in the car and they have no problems. I believe the leads are "handed". Can't remember which is which but I think the longer one is the driver's one only as it switches the unit on when connected. I don't think the shorter one activates the system by itself. Just my tuppence worth Cheers Nick PS Why are you back at Novice status? Yellow HPC - A 2.0 VX - 😬 Edited by - Nick Chan on 18 Jan 2004 11:42:33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 I mounted mine under the drivers tillet seat using 3M DualLock. I had to buy an extender lead for my headset - it runs under the seat and then up and over the shoulder-strap. The reasons for placing it there were: i) vaguely shielded from direct rain ii) That was as far away as I could manage with the standard hard-wire power lead (OK, it would have been easy to extend this...) iii) It allows reasonably easy access to allow the VOX level to be changed iv) It is in a good position for both the phone lead (my phone DualLocks onto the RH shoulder-panel just below the light-switches) and for the Road Angel (IMPORTANT NOTE - A SPECIAL INTERFACE LEAD IS NEEDED FOR A RA - DON'T PLUG IT STRAIGHT IN - I DAMAGED MY HEARING FIRST TIME I USED IT !!!!!) v) Erm, that's it? Downside has been that despite careful location (and securing) of the various leads, I still occassionally manage to partially unplug one or other of them. I guess that if you are battery powering the unit, and if you've got fewer auxilliary things to plug into it, you could find somewhere more central and convenient - but do be careful about water ingress... Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Oh, Nick - You are right about only one of the leads activating the unit -but this is true only if you are battery powering it. If you use the hardwire kit, the unit is permanently on. Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted January 18, 2004 Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Thanks Myles. That makes sense. I have never got round to hard wiring mine is as the battery lasts so long. The rechargeable one in the mini-disc runs out far quicker at 50 hrs 😬 Nick Yellow HPC - A 2.0 VX - 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 I've got mine velcroed to the back panel between the seats, this way it's easy to pull out when I don't need it in the car Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Thought about that route, Rob - but the downside as far as I could see it was that a) It is highly visible and would therefore add to the considerable amount of kit I need to carry around with me (RA, steering wheel, bike computer, helmet, FIA key...) and b) It wouldn't really get any protection from the rain (bearing in mind that I'm an all-weather aeroscreen merchant and therefore, YMMV) I did ask them about how protected the unit was from water and they did say that if you mounted it so that all the sockets were pointing downwards, and silicone-sealed the joins in the box, it *might* be OK but it'd be better off protected... Which reminds me - I asked the Road Angel crowd at the autosport show why there wasn't a waterproof cover and what they suggested instead... ...sandwich bags and twist-ties was there suggestion.... Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Hmm interesting, I'm an aeroscreen person as well and mine survived a trip to Ireland earlier in the year with torrential downpours pretty much all the time!!! I got the impression it was a pretty tough unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Could be, could be... I've been suitably paranoid since my RA got drowned twice this year (OK, it's not supposed to be water resistant, and it has dried out and come back to life both times - but I'm worried this is just luck...) My RA sits on the scuttle BTW - so it's ars* with all the connectors and holes is facing into the deluge.... Keep BC free and open for ALL. Membership No. 43xx Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative paul richards Posted January 18, 2004 Author Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Guys Thanks for your replies. I'm going to hard wire the unit in and it's interesting to note that I may be able to use the longer lead for driver in this case. I'm fitting so many bits that I want to leave it all (unit and wiring) permanently in the car. I am assuming that 3M DualLock is velcro with a sticky back. It seems like a good idea. Now where to get some? Incidentally, I'm assuming that it should be hard wired through ignition (I will be using an in line fuse), but is there any benefit to having a separate switch in the circuit to switch off when on a short journey and not in use? Paul Richards Joint AO - L.A.D.S. (Lancashire and District Sevens) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Yes!! definetly put an off switch in there somewhere, I have mine wired to the heater/fan switch (I don't have a fan/heater!) and it's nice to be able to turn it of at "higher speeds" with an aeroscreen 😬 Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted January 18, 2004 Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Paul / Rob, Why do you want to switch it off? If the driver's lead isn't connected the unit isn't live/switched on anyway. Also Rob, why do you want to switch it off at higher speeds? Is it because of some wind noise? Nick Yellow HPC - A 2.0 VX - 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative paul richards Posted January 18, 2004 Author Area Representative Share Posted January 18, 2004 Nick Why include switch? Good question. I was mainly thinking about wiring outside of the ignition so that I could listen to music, use phone without ignition on and I'm thinking that there are times when I might then leave headsets connected (when its parked within a secure area). On the other hand I guess there must be an 'auxilliary position on ignition I could use. Paul Richards Joint AO - L.A.D.S. (Lancashire and District Sevens) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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