How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

[srunderwood]

I have a BMW communication system in my helmet and always connect to the Bike's audio system to listen to the radio.  I also need my phone to be connected, and I sometimes need the BMW Navigator V connected.  The official instructions are, in this order:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to navigator
3  Connect navigator to phone


However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet.  I have proceeded as follows:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to phone
3  Connect navigator to ???


I have a feeling that the helmet can only accept 2 connections so this doesn't work and I've had "crashes" with the helmet switching itself off erratically when I try this. 


Is there a recommended way of achieving what I need so that I have the flexibility of always having radio and phone connected to the helmet but being able to hear the navigator if it is in use?


Thanks for your assistance, Richard

[Peter Baker]

For the extra effort of connecting the Navi I always ride with it in - just easier and you get speed camera warning if you have paid for these...  However I did have a period of the communicator system behaving "oddly" before and the advice I got was to run it completely flat (leaving it on until the battery is empty, takes about a day) which removes all memory of connected devices and then start again, maybe this helps, Peter

[Rambler358]

I'll second the idea of always having the Navigater in. Or don't use the GPS for phone duty, and connect your phone to the helmet. You can still keep the phone paired to the GPS for weather and traffic updates if you subscribe to those.

[guest2360]

All far too difficult and complicated.  Connect an Autocom to the audio unit and a BTMO2 dongle and you can have whatever combination of devises you want forever.

[Bkh]

I have a BMW communication system in my helmet and always connect to the Bike's audio system to listen to the radio.  I also need my phone to be connected, and I sometimes need the BMW Navigator V connected.  The official instructions are, in this order:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to navigator
3  Connect navigator to phone


However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet.  I have proceeded as follows:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to phone
3  Connect navigator to ???


I have a feeling that the helmet can only accept 2 connections so this doesn't work and I've had "crashes" with the helmet switching itself off erratically when I try this. 


Is there a recommended way of achieving what I need so that I have the flexibility of always having radio and phone connected to the helmet but being able to hear the navigator if it is in use?


Thanks for your assistance, Richard

Depending on you Bluetooth in helmet, you can add four step to official procedure.    With Bluetooth off on the bike and GPS, connect phone to helmet.  On mine, that is slightly different procedure. 

You are correct that helmet will only connect 2 devices at a time.  On my SRC you can se priority for which devices connect first, but by default it connects to phone only if it doesn't detect GPS. 

After everything setup, you have to disable Bluetooth on gps before phone would connect to helmet.    I've used this for audible books player in my phone.  While it works, it's very quirky.    Sometimes it works flawlessly and others I just can't get to connect correctly and have even lost my pairings and have to reset everything. 

Ultimately, not worth it to me.  I'd recommend just using phone thru gps or go the autocom route.  I'll be doing that myself because your scenario is just one of many limitations with the standard setup. 

[guest2360]

Yep definitely too complicated just to listen to a radio and answer your phone when you should be enjoying the RIDE.

[Rambler358]

All far too difficult and complicated.  Connect an Autocom to the audio unit and a BTMO2 dongle and you can have whatever combination of devises you want forever.

Is there anyone in the SoCal area who does Autocom installs?

[guest2360]

Is there anyone in the SoCal area who does Autocom installs?

[size=12px]support@autocom.co.uk[/size]
[size=12px]
[/size]
[size=12px]They might know [/size]

[beemerboy9]

However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet. I have proceeded as follows:
1 Connect helmet to audio system
2 Connect helmet to phone
3 Connect navigator to ???

Forget the phone for just a moment.
Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio? If this is not the case then the Navigator --> Audio system cable may be disconnected.
It won't be the first time this has happened....

[guest2360]

Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio?
Only if the BT in the Nav is switched off.

[beemerboy9]

Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio?
Only if the BT in the Nav is switched off.

Last night I switched on the BT on my Nav V, put in the cradle, and the sound came through the on-board audio.

[guest2360]

Never did on mine.  Was it switched on and connected to a headset ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[richardbd]

Last night I switched on the BT on my Nav V, put in the cradle, and the sound came through the on-board audio.

What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...

[guest2360]

What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...

I bet when you had a proper bike with an audio system the BT in the audio unit was on so you could connect to your BMW. Headset.  If that was switched off prompts comes through speakers.

[beemerboy9]

What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...

It's becoming clearer to me after some experimentation ......


If the Satnav is in the cradle and I connect the Scala Q1 BT headset to the bike audio, then the SatNav instructions are heard through the bikes audio. (If I use the Autocom - with the bike BT turned off - it comes through the speakers)


If the Satnav is in the cradle and I connect the BT headset to the Satnav, then no Satnav instructions can be heard through the speakers -they are of course heard through the Satnav.


I have not tried connecting to the bike audio and Satnav on different channels using the Q1 - I'm not even sure it is possible with this device.


John