Hacking a Quest speaker/mount about...thoughts?

[Fanum]

Mr Pissed off from Dartford here......

Guess who didn't read the specs properly, and who is now the proud owner of a (admittedly very very sexy) quest unit that doesn't have a poxy speaker output socket to plug his Autocom or ultimate ears into??

But all might not be lost......

Seems pretty simple to me, but I thought I'd run it past those better versed in these things than I...

All I need is a 3.5 mil socket mounted in the line so I can plug an output lead into it.....the most obvious (and neatest) way of doing it is simply to open up the speaker section and wire in a 99p mono socket, soldering onto the speaker wires before the volume pot so I can still turn the speaker volume right down for riding in town without having a speaking bike make me look like more of a twat than usual.....

The speaker unit (combined with the cigarette socket plug) is a pretty sturdy and well made piece, so I reckon I can drill a nice neat hole in the side directly opposite the volume dial and put the socket in there.

Can anyone see any problems before I go ahead?

 

[hops]

try looking

here for a few tips.

 

[MiGSel]

I think there are a few issues:
* the cigar lighter adapter is not waterproof
* it is pretty bulky and you need a bigger size socket or an adapter cable to plug it in
* or if you remove the plug bit and wire it directly to power, you lose your car cable

I see Garmin is offering a bike cable with power & audio wires now, so why not get that? Seems like the painless solution to me...

Cheers,
Michel

 

[Cooky]

Fanum,

I spoke to Ultimate Ears at the Ally Pally show this weekend and I think that while they were giving me the hard sell about Quest they said they had developed ear pieces for it. I'd have a word with them. I may be wrong as there were moments when I glazed over during his sales pitch.

Andrew

 

[ianf]

Fanum, I'd try an alternative route.

I'm still waiting on a TT Quest cable (12->5v in , audio out). The garmin m/c kit will be similar I guess. Version 2.9 on of the Quest firmware has the volume control in software so you don't need the one on the speaker for m/c use.

You will need the car kit one day, mines come in handy already for sending the missus on a mission to somewhere in the car.

Ian