Help - Zumo sound level

[Mike Gough]

OK need some serious help please.

Bought Zumo 550 and Autocom Rider 2 system. Local BMW dealer fitted the system (Southport Superbikes).

Everything works great except , yes you guessed the volume from the spoken instructions.

The sound level is so low, at say 10mph that I can't even tell its a voice - above that speed I can't hear anything at all.

System is:
Headset hard wired to the Autocom via a 1299 cable using the Aux 2 socket.
Volume turned to full on Autocom, Zumo - through Menu and also using external buttons. MP3 player very loud, so I've set it at a reasonable level of 50%.
Voice is English/British.
Car kit works fine Audio plenty loud enough.
I'm assuming speakers in helmet are suitably positioned as the MP3 sound is more than loud enough.
Emailed Garmin; their reply was "That's as good as your'e going to get". That was all they wrote nothing else, no explanation why the MP3 sound worked really well but the spoken instructions didn't. Wrote another email asking for fuller explanation, to which I have never received a reply.

Has anyone had a similar problem, and/or can anyone help please.

 

[Red Rock]

I think you have got something wrong there. I'm not sure of the autocom p/n, but basically your set-up sounds the same as mine, which still works "ok" at motorway speed even with custom moulded earplus in (no filter).

Have you got the autocom background noise sensor fitted to your headset? This will increase the headset volume as wind/engine noise increases.

Have you good connection into the autocom unit?

 

[wayne]

The problem I have is very low phone volume to the point I have to stop the bike to hear the other person, but MP3 and GPS and pillion volume ok can anyone help

 

[gingercoastie]

I suppose that the speech volume is turned up on the Zumo

 

[trebor]

OK need some serious help please.

Bought Zumo 550 and Autocom Rider 2 system. Local BMW dealer fitted the system (Southport Superbikes).

Everything works great except , yes you guessed the volume from the spoken instructions.

The sound level is so low, at say 10mph that I can't even tell its a voice - above that speed I can't hear anything at all.

System is:
Headset hard wired to the Autocom via a 1299 cable using the Aux 2 socket.
Volume turned to full on Autocom, Zumo - through Menu and also using external buttons. MP3 player very loud, so I've set it at a reasonable level of 50%.
Voice is English/British.
Car kit works fine Audio plenty loud enough.
I'm assuming speakers in helmet are suitably positioned as the MP3 sound is more than loud enough.
Emailed Garmin; their reply was "That's as good as your'e going to get". That was all they wrote nothing else, no explanation why the MP3 sound worked really well but the spoken instructions didn't. Wrote another email asking for fuller explanation, to which I have never received a reply.

Has anyone had a similar problem, and/or can anyone help please.

I'm not sure which system you have, I think it may be the Kit 200 Active Rider. From your description it also sounds like you are using a seperate MP3 Player, not playing music from the Zumo

Also, are you using your mobile bluetoothed to the Zumo? I assume you are hence you would not need the 1299 cable.

The first thing to check is whether the volume for the GPS instructions is turned up on the Zumo, because it works OK in the car I suspect it is. There are three volume controls on the Zumo, the main/master one accessible from the buttons on the side of it, and two accessible from the set-up menu, one for MP3 the other for GPS.

Double check where you headset is connected, ensure it is plugged into the riders lead and not the passengers, then make sure the riders volume control is turned up.

Next check if the VOX is being permanently activated. When activated this will cut any sound on Aux 2 to 50%. If you are not already doing so I would suggest playing music on the Zumo, blow into the mic and see if it reduces the volume.

Also there are some issues with using cable 1299, certainly with the Kit 300 but I think it also applies to kit 200 as well. I can't remember what they all are but the main one is when using a mobile phone. Again, I can't remember the full details but I think it is to do with when speaking into the Mic it will reduce the volume on anything coming into Aux2 by 50%, this includes speech from the mobile. There is then a short delay before the volume comes back up resulting in you missing the first word or two that the other party says, the work around is to advise the other party to wait a second before replying.

A much better way is just to use a music lead between the Zumo and Autocom (plugged into Aux 2) and, for mobile phone use, use a bluetooth dongle plugged into Aux 1 and paired with the Zumo.

I have the Kit 300 and finally got it all installed and running yesterday, now this is more sophisticated than Kit 200, it also has a Background Noise Sensor that increases the volume to the speakers with increased speed (and decreases the sensitivity of the Vox). I tested it yesterday, using the supplied in helmet speakers (not earbuds) and I can say all sound was perfect (music, GPS and mobile phone) at all speeds one could be expected to ride at

If you can't resolve the problem I don't mind having a look at it for you to see if there's anything you've missed, I don't think I'm too far away. I'm by no means an Autocom expert but I am a Telecoms Engineer

This post on the Zumo forums also has some good info, you may have to register on the forum first to be able to read it.

Bob

 

[Mike Gough]

Zumo sound

Hi Bob,
I may very well take you up on your offer to have a look at what's going on with my set up.

I am using the Kit 200 Rider.

What is confusing me is that I am using the Zumo mp3 player (purely for test purposes) and can't understand why the voice is so low when the mp3 sound is more than loud enough. I have set the voice at 100% both on the menu and the external controls of the Zumo and the Autocom.

 

[trebor]

What is confusing me is that I am using the Zumo mp3 player (purely for test purposes) and can't understand why the voice is so low when the mp3 sound is more than loud enough. I have set the voice at 100% both on the menu and the external controls of the Zumo and the Autocom.

In that case it should be fine, in fact if you are playing MP3s on the Zumo when the GPS instructions kick in the it should reduce the volume of the music and you should hear the voice over the top of it.

Bob