Garmin 26xx/27xx audio problem

[bmwhd]

I just received my 2720 last week and along with it came the bike power cord from Garmin. It includes a 2.5 mm audio jack that I hoped to use with the headset I use for my Sirius radio. I got a simple mixer with one stereo 3.5mm and one mono 3.5mm input and a single stero 3.5mm output. I hooked the sirius through this and it works fine. I got a mono patch cord and a 3.5 to 2.5mm adapter and hooked the GPS audio to the mono input on the mixer. I can't hear anything but a hum from the GPS.

I next tried hooking the headset directly to the Garmin cable without the mixer. Same deal - no audio from the GPS. It does work fine with the Garmin 12v car/speaker so I know the audio is working from the GPS.

I searched for hours on the old sight and found lots of info about ground loops but those seemed specific to one or another intercom system. I just want direct audio out of the Garmin into my headset.

Thanks,

Todd

[hammick]

I just received my 2720 last week and along with it came the bike power cord from Garmin. It includes a 2.5 mm audio jack that I hoped to use with the headset I use for my Sirius radio. I got a simple mixer with one stereo 3.5mm and one mono 3.5mm input and a single stero 3.5mm output. I hooked the sirius through this and it works fine. I got a mono patch cord and a 3.5 to 2.5mm adapter and hooked the GPS audio to the mono input on the mixer. I can't hear anything but a hum from the GPS.

I next tried hooking the headset directly to the Garmin cable without the mixer. Same deal - no audio from the GPS. It does work fine with the Garmin 12v car/speaker so I know the audio is working from the GPS.

I searched for hours on the old sight and found lots of info about ground loops but those seemed specific to one or another intercom system. I just want direct audio out of the Garmin into my headset.

Thanks,

Todd
My Garmin quest caused a hum into my Starcom1 intercom when it was hardwired to the bike. When it was running on battery there was no hum.

I resolved this by wiring in a ground loop isolator from Rat Shack. It went between the audio cable from the Garmin to the intercom.

If you Garmin has battery power try powering by battery and if you have no hum then you know you have a ground loop.

[messenger13]

Todd,

I'll play with my 2610's audio cables tomorrow (Sunday) evening, and get back to you. I hope I can figure this out for you.

[varoom]

Todd, good to hear from you!!

Hope things are well. Sorry, I can't help on the GPS but I got curious as to what a DRZ400S looks like. Holy smokes - nice looking bike and only 291 lbs. But the tank? 2.64 gallons? How do you stand it? BTW: No Waltz this year but there is a Texas-Two-Step - you gonna try and ride that on the Triumph? Maybe we can meet up for lunch or something Sunday. I'm only doing the 12 hour version (but! got the wife to join me this year :))

[eljeffe]

Todd,

George at BMW of North Dallas ran into the same problem. A quick call to Randy got him the following instructions:

What I have done previously with the 2610 should work with the 2720.



Disassemble the Garmin speaker assembly for the automobile adaptor. Identify the colors of the wires used for the speaker as well as the wires connecting to the cigarette lighter plug for power supply. Cut off the end of the Garmin auto adaptor and break out the wiring. Connect the power supply wiring to a suitable 1+12V supply and ground on the motorcycle.



Since Garmin has used a floating ground on its audio output in the past, go to Radio Shack and buy an audio isolation transformer (part no. 273-1374). Connect the audio output from the Garmin auto adaptor to one pair of the transformers leads. The ComSystem has a three pin connector for audio input from a GPS. My recollection of the colors is: Black for ground, red for +12V and white for audio input. Connect the remaining pair of leads from the isolation transformer to the ground and audio input on the connector from the ComSystem The ground and +12V can be a suitable source to power the GPS.

[bmwhd]

Todd, good to hear from you!!

Hope things are well. Sorry, I can't help on the GPS but I got curious as to what a DRZ400S looks like. Holy smokes - nice looking bike and only 291 lbs. But the tank? 2.64 gallons? How do you stand it? BTW: No Waltz this year but there is a Texas-Two-Step - you gonna try and ride that on the Triumph? Maybe we can meet up for lunch or something Sunday. I'm only doing the 12 hour version (but! got the wife to join me this year :))

I recently sold my KLR650 precisely because it was too easy to set up as an LD bike thus making it less dirt worthy. The DRZ, while very streetable, will not tempt me so. I specifically want a bike that is OK for 1 hour on the highway but no more (that's the distance from my house to 3 great off road parks near Dallas.

As for the two step, I was registered but time constraints have forced me to withdraw. I'll be back next time.

[bmwhd]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm specifically looking for a solution that will allow me to use the 2.5mm audio out jack on the Garmin power cable for the 2610. I want the quick disconnect feature since I move my tank bag (and GPS) between bikes. I don't want to hardwire the audio into an intercom, I just want to have it work with headsets as advertised.

[bmwhd]

Hmm. It seems maybe I damaged the unit trying to connect it this way. Now I get no sound out of the supplied car speaker either. Bummer.

[messenger13]

Hmm. It seems maybe I damaged the unit trying to connect it this way. Now I get no sound out of the supplied car speaker either. Bummer.
Dag! Are you sure? You checked the volume setting? I find it hard to believe that you would ruin the output of the unit, just by crossing a couple of line-level signal wires.

[bmwhd]

Yep. It's busted. Tried it in the car for like half an hour. Tried every volume setting I could find. No joy.

I've heard there can be issues with floating ground audio when connected to a mixer with other audio sources. Perhaps having it plugged into the mixer at the same time the Sirius was plugged in was a problem since their both bike powered? Oh well, I'll call Garmin in the morning.

[bmwhd]

BTW, this guy (http://www.accessoryworkshop.com/products/isolator_cables.htm) sells the cable I need with the isolating transformer built in. Wish I'd had this before I blew up the GPS.

[messenger13]

So does John Cason at Cycle-Stuff.com (http://www.cycle-stuff.com/acc.php) (where I bought my Intaride RP1). It's more expensive, but I know it works like a charm on my 2610 and RP1, and sometimes that's worth a little more.

[bmwhd]

I received a replacement 2720 from Garmin today (one week turn around). They attempted to repair (re-flow) the audio circuit in my original unit but "Audio failure could not be reliable repaired" so they exchanged the unit. Even reloaded my waypoints for me!

I'll post a final note after my new audio cable from Sean arrives with the floating ground adapter built in to see if that solves the problem.

[bmwhd]

Got the cable. All is well!

[usa-medic]

Seans cables work great. The man is a king when it comes to mobile electronics, and he and his wife Shelly are great people

[rdtebeau]

BTW, this guy (http://www.accessoryworkshop.com/products/isolator_cables.htm) sells the cable I need with the isolating transformer built in. Wish I'd had this before I blew up the GPS.


I am wanting to hook up my 2610 audio to my KLT CommSystem. I am trying to find a cable for this to plug and play if I can. Found this thread, but couldn't get this site address to pull up any cable info. Was hoping someone could point me to Sean's cables that is mentioned here. Or, other suggestions on how to accomplish hooking up the audio.

Thanks,