Electrical or comm. issue

[Houdini]

The scenario, I'm riding home from work last week.  Within approximately five miles of home the sky turns dark, the wind begins to howl and the clouds open up with rains of biblical proportions.  I can hardly see to ride it is coming down so hard.  I start to make a right turn headin' for home and my comm. system begins to feedback; squealing so loud I had to yank the cord out because it was hurting my head.

Ever since the drenching my front headset (I think it is only the front but I mostly ride alone) is intermittently failing.  I can hear music, CB, and the rear passenger but I cannot hear myself thru the speakers and my passenger cannot hear me.  Twisting the connector around seems to help a little, but not much.  I have tried squirting contact cleaner in and drying it with compressed air and rinsing with WD40 and drying with no improvement.  I tried a new DIN cord also with no improvement.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[Rocketman]

You didn't say what headset you have, but here goes anyway, speaking from my own experience with EdSets:
EdSets are modular.  Each part has a quick connect.  I once had a wire connection at the microphone quick-connect go bad on me.  When the mic is giving intermittent or no contact, and the intercom volume is turned up above a particular threshold (it was 17 on mine, but I would be it's different for every bike), that squealing is heard.  Quite ear piercing.  It will also cause the lack of comm that you're describing.  You're hearing everything fine, but your mic isn't able to send its signal to the bike's system.
If it has a quick connect between the mic and the large connector, check that.  If not, check the wire connections at the mic.

[Wanderer]

If it is EdSets, I have spare parts to try the ole switcherrhoo, if you like, Chuck? ~Jeff

[Houdini]

They're J&M, but they are modular.  I'll check the rest of the connections when I get home tonight; maybe the rain and mic issue is a coincidence.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Joe Hummer]

This sounds like the same problem I am having with my headset.  If I wiggle the connector, I can regain the mic but it may bump back off without warning.  The last ride I took with the wife, I had to leave the intercom on all the time to make sure I was transmitting to her (she rides her own).

I have a new cord from the fairing to the headset (the Honda cord) ordered.  I hope this fixes my problem. 

Joe

[Houdini]

Joe, I replaced that cord and it didn't help me; I hope you have better luck.

[Wanderer]

Lets try somebody else's helmet and 5 pin cord next chance. ~Jeff

[Disco]

We have J&M on the Ultra-Valk and can do the swip-swap at Thursday's meeting or Saturday's ride.

[Joe Hummer]

Joe, I replaced that cord and it didn't help me; I hope you have better luck.

DAMMIT!!!  I hope so too.    

I have tried other helmets and they have a similar problem.  I have also tried my helmet in the passenger plug and it worked dandy.  Hope this is my problem and good luck with yours.  

If it wasn't for the whole "what to do with the cord" thing when I am not wearing my helmet (like when I wash the bike or moving it around the garage), I would hard wire the damn thing to the bike and be done with it.  I have already hardwired the connection at the helmet.

Joe

[Houdini]

It appears that the components inside my helmet are failing.  I played around with all of the wiring in my helmet last night and the problem appeared to be better.  On the way to work this morning I couldn't hear my angelic singing thru my headset again.  I switched to the passenger plug and took a short spin and I can still hear the radio but not my voice.  So......

The J&M's lasted about 19 months and I was never very happy with the sound quality; especially for the high price.  What headsets do ya'll use and why do you like/dislike it?

[Rocketman]

Do you use a flip-face helmet?

[Houdini]

Yes!

[Rocketman]

If your mic is hardmounted to the chinbar, that's your problem.  The wires keep getting torqued on as you lift the chinbar, and eventually breaks a connection.  I tried to make that work for a while, and that's why I know about failed mic wires.  I eventually bought a boom mic and just made it fit under my chinbar.  Haven't had a problem since.
The rain leaking in there just killed an already weak connection.

[Houdini]

Problem found!  Bob Landry at Maxim Honda found the issue with my headset today; the upper cord was breaking in the rubber reinforced section, where it attaches to the helmet.  $35 later it is good as new.

[Wanderer]

Way to go, Bob! What a guy!