Autocom help

[Dennis the Menace]

I have a lead from my GPS System to Autocom Unit. I think its called a loop/ feed back earth. Phoned Autocom up this morning as I no longer have voice information. I asked technical what would be the most likely cause as I had already checked continuity with multimeter. The Tech said a broke wire. Cut the wire 6inches above circuit board. Tested wire to plug no broken wire. I then peeled off rubber/plastic cover off circuit board. Using multimeter there is continuity from each end of circuit board to plugs, so no broken wires anywhere. There is a chip ETAL CR/608755 P3189 SA241C1. There is no continuity through this chip. Is it testable by myself who has very limited electricery experience. A new lead is £38.00 my old street pilot 3 is not worth much more. I dont want to buy a new lead and then another new lead in a couple of months when I buy a Zumo.

The GPS has voice prompts when used in the car so its the Autocom bits that dont work.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[John Armstrong]

Can you not just use some mp3 / walkman etc ear pieces that plug into the back of the SP3 as your temporary cheap voice prompts device. Unless of course you carry a pillion and they want to hear the promts as well

 

[GSrich]

Dennis our Zumo leads retail for £38 but to get you a new lead for your StreetPilot III you are looking £29.

Rich

 

[Dennis the Menace]

Thanks for your post Rich

The part i need is an Etal P3189 and cost's 64p but i have to buy 500, as this is the third Autocom i have bought, if i can't get the part i need at a reasonable price, i think i will pass on a new lead

Regards

 

[beemerboy9]

Can I ask how long outside the 1-year warranty period these parts are failing?

 

[GSrich]

John, from how the part has been described to us it will around 3 or more years old. The part was made before we ran all of our isolation blocks into plastic tip boxes so the parts were covered in a large piece of heat shrink

 

[Dennis the Menace]

Autocom sell a product which I have bought, probably like all electrical systems it will eventually fail. I have had units fail inside and outside of warranty. In warranty units have been repaired or parts sent and have replaced the parts myself. Outside warranty it is a cost option repair or buy new.

I work in Pnuematics if one of our customers rings in with a fault I will try and ask as many questions as possible to see if they can do their own fault finding and to see if it could be electrical or mechanical. This is where I find Autocom are lacking. When I asked for "Technical" I was passed to someone who could answer questions on fitting units to bikes and helmets or the woman who said "we dont sell spare parts to repair units".

I get the feeling that Autocom have a small R and D department and units are made by a third party.

To get back to original "failed lead" . First Autocom said "it would be a broken wire in the lead" as the unit in the lead never fails. It wasn't a broken wire in the lead. So I then asked could it be? What I have now found out to be the amplifing transformer in the lead or could it be the autocom unit itself. I was told it would be the amp/transformer as the autocom unit never fails.

I have been buying Autocoms longer than some of the people have been working there. There are more and more companies making and selling intercoms, so when I update I will be trying as many systems as possible and ask what technical backup they are willing to supply and who knows I may find i buy Autocom again.

Thanks again Rich, you are trying to be helpful

 

[Jacal]

We'll at least you seem to be getting more help than me!

 

[GSrich]

I have given you information on how we can help you or solve your problem so I think that post was not called for!

 

[Dennis the Menace]

I have a lead from my GPS System to Autocom Unit. I think its called a loop/ feed back earth. Phoned Autocom up this morning as I no longer have voice information.

After reading a post by Wiz. The post pointed me in a direction where I was able to adapt and have a working ground loop connection to my Autocom.

Cheers Wiz