Interstate radio question

[TwoDogs]

Howdy, folks. I'm Gary from Waco, Tx - a tickled pink new Valkyrie owner as of last Tuesday.
It's a 1999 Interstate, color black. I'm upgrading from a 2005 Suzuki C50 that I've had for
almost a year.

I have a couple questions about the audio system, mainly regarding the headphones. Is it
possible to get radio/CB on the headphones or are they for intercom only ? Can you really
hear your speakers at highway speed between the helmet muffling and wind noise ?

[3fan4life]

Yes if you are plugged in with the OEM heaphones and MIC you can hear the CB and radio.

I can hear my radio just fine at highway speeds without the headphones.

It is harder with a full face helmet than with a half helmet.

I rarely use the headphones/ intercom system.  I had a disturbing incident while using them once.

I was pulling away from a redlight at a busy intersection when a loud siren began.

It was so loud that it activated either mine my passengers microphone.

The result was the sound of the siren echoing in both ears leaving me unable to determine where the siren was comming from.

When I finally saw the police car we were both in the middle of the intersection.

 

[TwoDogs]

So what's the trick to get the radio on the headphones ? I can't seem to figure it out
from the manual.   You spoke of "microphone activation"  - it seems to me that the
mic is always active - which is a pain with enough volume on that we can hear each
other - it's amplifying all the wind and engine noise.

[3fan4life]

I haven't used mine enough to remember exactly how it works.

I know that the MIC should work as a VOX device which means that it shouldn't be open all the time.

The foam covering does have to be present for this to work properly and it does affect it if it isn't in good shape.

Also make sure that the microphone is facing the mouth of the person using it. I have had problems with the MIC being turned into the wind.

I'll drag my headsets out later and fool with them a little too seee if I can refresh my memory on how to make them work.

I'm thinking that if you press the audio button until the display reads VOX that you will be able to hear the radio through the headphones. 

[Cliff]

On my 2000 IS the intercom and radio have separate volume controls accessed from the control buttons on left handlebar while looking at the LCD display.   If the Mic volume is turned all the way down you will hear music but not the intercom.

[Scott in Ok]

There is a button, just for switching between the headset and speakers.  You push it up to turn radio on in the headset and push it down to turn the CB into the headset.  The button is labeled....bottom, right I think.

You also have to adjust the CB and Intercom volume separate from the FM Radio volume.  I can't remember the buttons without looking at the bike... V-Mode selects which volume you are going to adjust, I think.

-Scott

[Stitch_in_La]

Microphone for intercom is always on, CB is push to talk.  Intercom is not VOX you just have to get loud enough to be heard over radio volume.  You may have to play with the volume controls, turn radio all the way down flip the switch to make radio in the headphones, talk into the mike listen for yourself use the vmode to get to the other volumes.  The problem we had on ride is the the helmet speakers that came with it sounded like crap, listened to the radio over the external speakers, loud enough for the mic to pick up and rebroadcast through the headsets.  Would have to turn radio down or to aux to be able to talk.

Chuck

[Big Rig]

I have not had these issues with mine, I do know that you need to have the mik by your mouth, the closer the better, I do agree that the earphones sound tinny (SP), I preffered to have the external speakers on and talk with the lovely Mrs. with the intercom. Also, make sure you have the AVC (Automatic Volume Control) on H (High) when you are riding, makes a big diff and does not activate until 2500 and then increases again at 3000rpm....very nice feature....I use my radio daily....the scan leaves some thing to be desired...but preset work well...

Best of luck and enjoy that new bike of yours...