AUTOCOM PURCHASING GUIDE Purchasing a wired audio system can be a bit confusing and frustrating. Trying to figure out which unit to purchase, the Logic or Super Pro Automatic (SPA) and then trying to determine which cables and other accessories you need for the equipment you plan on using. Hopefully this guide will help you make a wiser choice and make the decision a bit easier. Of course we at Premier Cycle Accessories are only a phone call away to answer your questions. Choosing The Correct System You first must choose which of the two Autocom systems is best for your situation, both now and down the road. You should not only consider what your needs are today but what they may be down the road as your Autocom system will remain with you for many years in the future. Things to consider when choosing a system are: 1. Unit Size - Size restrictions is a major consideration based on your bike. Since the Autocom units are not totally waterproof you must keep the unit out of the rain which means putting it under the seat, in a tank bag or in your pocket with the Logic unit. Under the seat is by far the more popular choice when installing the SPA unit. The Logic's dimensions are 2-3/4" x 4-1/4'' x 1-1/6'' and SPA's dimensions are 2-3/4'' x 6'' x 1''. You will need some additional space in front of the unit for input cords to plug in. 2. Permanently Mounted or Moveable - If you want to use your Autocom on more than one bike then the battery powered Logic maybe your best choice. This is a great unit for riders who own more than one bike or frequently rent motorcycles while on vacation. 3. Input Devices - Both units will handle the same type of audio inputs. All the following items can be used with both Autocom units. The Super Pro Automatic has two more inputs, one of which can be used for the passenger to have his/her own independent music source. a. Music Input - If your music device has a 3.5mm or 2.5mm output jack on it then it can be intergraded into both Autocom units. 1
b. GPS & Radar - Both Autocom units will accept the audio input from these devices that have either a 2.5mm (1/16'') or 3.5mm (1/8'') audio out jack. c. Two-Way - Both units will handle incoming and out going messages from these devices. Autocom has cords to fit most modern two-way radios. d. CB Radios - Autocom does not have Cables to connect CB radios. Autocom does not recommend CB radios, but when using a 2363/2364 they will actually work however one must experiment with various ferrite chokes in order to make it noise free. e. Cell Phone - Both units will handle calls and music from your Smart phone, both Android and I-Phones. This is where another difference between the two units lie. The Logic unit is only capable of handling one cell phone input for phone calls. While the SPA unit can handle two separate cell phones allowing for the Rider and Passenger to accept and make separate phone calls and listen to different music. The phone calls would also be private and would not be heard by the other party on the bike. 4. Music Sound Quality - The Logic unit can be powered by 3 double ''A'' batteries or by the bike's electrical system. To improve battery life, the Logic unit uses 8 ohm headset speakers while the SPA unit uses 32 ohm speakers. The 8 ohm speakers produce a very good stereo sound but the 32 ohm speakers do have a better sound quality. So if you re particular about the quality of your music this is a consideration. 5. Automatic Features - The Super Pro Automatic earns the Automatic in its name by automating certain features that the Logic unit does not. The SPA comes with a noise senor that will automatically adjust the volume of the intercom and all audio inputs based on the noise level of your surroundings. So if you re moving through town the volume will be lower than if your traveling at highway speeds. The same senor also adjusts the VOX settings to allow the microphone to activate at a normal voice at both slow speeds and highway speeds. These automated features are not available on the Logic unit. The Best - If you re the type of person that just wants the best equipment on their bike with the most features and the best sound quality then you'll want the Super Pro Automatic. Price - While price is always a consideration in any purchase this is one purchase that you may want to base your decision more on the best unit for your needs considering the factors above. As the old saying goes, the memory of paying a higher price only stay with you for a short period of time, the memory of purchasing an inferior product stays with you forever. Not that the Logic unit is inferior in quality it might be inferior to your particular needs. 2
Now that you made your decision on which unit is best for you it is time to select the right accessories. The units come complete with everything you need to get started but they don't supply cables or other accessories that you will need for your particular setup. We will breakdown the cables and accessories that are required for the most popular devices. However before we begin it is important to discuss a requirement for any motorcycle wired audio system including the Autocom units. That is the use of a Ground Loop Isolators on all incoming, bike powered audio signals into the Autocom unit. When both the audio source (MP3, Satellite Radio, cell phone) and the Autocom hub are bike powdered and grounded to the bike via different paths it creates a ground loop and this allows electrical current to flow through the wiring. This current can be dangerous to your equipment and the electrical current carries noise from the bike's alternator which you will here in your speakers. To stop this from happening each audio input source (mono and stereo) must have a Ground Loop Isolator attached in between the source and the Autocom unit. You can use one of Autocom's audio cords with a built in isolator. These items are listed below with the part number in red. Isolated Cables Item 4004 - Stereo Isolation Cable with 3.5mm jacks on both ends of the cable. This cable incorporates an inline isolator and is 79" long. Not for use in pre-2009 Autocom systems. Item 4036 - Mono Isolation Cable with 3.5mm jacks on both ends of the cable. This cable incorporates an inline isolator and is 79" long. This can be used with radar and GPS units that only have navigation commands. Not for use in pre-2009 Autocom systems. If your device has a 2.55mm output jack you can purchase a converter such as pictured below. Music Devices - All Autocom units come with one, 3.5mm stereo audio cord that is 79" long (Item 2245) This cord can be used by any music device that has a 3.5mm audio output jack. However, this cord does not have an isolator built into it and therefore cannot be used by a bike powered audio device. It can only be used on audio devices that are powered by there own batteries. You may need additional non-isolated stereo and mono audio cables beyond the one supplied. Autocom offers a wide selection of these cables and a list of these can be found at the bottom of this guide. 3
If your music device is Bluetooth capable you can connect to the Autocom unit wirelessly via Autocom's Bluetooth Modules. Use Item BTM-02A with the SPA unit and BTM-02L for the Logic unit. Both Bluetooth units pair with one Bluetooth input device. GPS Devices - If you are using a bike powered GPS with navigation voice instructions then you need Item 4036 Mono Isolation Cable that has the ground loop isolator. If you are using one of the popular Garmin Zumo units you will want to purchase Item 4066, Garmin Isolated Interface cable. This cable handles all the functions of the Zumo GPS unit, phone calls, stereo music and navigation commands. You can connect your Zumo via Bluetooth to the Autocom unit by using Item BTM-02A with the SPA unit and Item BTM-02L for the Logic unit. However, except for the BMW K1600, we feel a wired connection to the Autocom unit is the best choice as the music sound quality is always better with a wired connection than a Bluetooth connection. Also the Garmin cable is cheaper than purchasing the Bluetooth module. Radar Detectors As the audio from radar detectors is mono you will need Item 4036 Mono Isolation Cable Two-Way Radios (GMRS) - Autocom has cables that allow most two-way radios to connect to both Autocom units. Since the Autocom units do not come with an input lead for two-way radios you will need Item 2356, Transceiver Interface Cable. One end of this cable has an internal connector and the other end has a 5-pin female receiver plug. You simply open the unit up and plug in the internal connector and you're ready to accept twoway radio communications. You'll also need to choose the proper cable for the two-way radio you are using. Depending on the length of the cable chosen and the location of your radio to the Autocom unit you may need an extension cable to reach your Autocom unit. The extension cable is Item 2409, Transceiver Interface Extension Lead. Below is the list of Two-Way Radio Interface Cables and there Item Numbers in Red 2364 - Cable for Icom / Cobra, Twin pin connection to radio, 39" lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2363 - Cable for Icom / Cobra, Twin pin connection to radio, 6" lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2369 - Cable for Kenwood, Twin pin connection to radio, 39" straight lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2368 - Cable for Kenwood, Twin pin connection to radio, 6" lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2370 - Cable for Kenwood, Twin pin connection to radio, Coiled lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2374 - Cable for Midland G7, Twin pin connection to radio, 39" lead to Grey 5 pin plug 2348 - Cable for Motorola Single pin, 2.5mm plug to radio, coiled lead to Grey 5 pin plug Cell Phones - You will be able to connect any brand of Bluetooth capable cell phones with the use of Autocom's Bluetooth Modules, Item BTM-02A with the SPA unit and BTM-02L for the Logic unit. For those riders with Garmin Zumo GPS units you would link your cell phones to your GPS for cell phone use. CB Radios - Autocom does not have Cables to connect CB radios. Headsets - Both units come complete with either a single or dual headset and extension cable(s) depending on the unit your order. If however you'd like to use your Ear buds (Ear Phones) then you want to alter your order. We will swap out the standard headset 4
extension cable(s) for one(s) with a separate jack to plug your ear buds into. This is either Item 2129 (straight lead) or Item 2130 (coiled lead). This will allow you to have your standard headset speakers with the capability to use your ear buds when you want. If you just want to use ear buds only we can switch out the standard headset(s) for Item 2091 Headset for Ear Buds. Due to product price differences, pricing changes may apply. Bikes With Factory Sound Systems Touring bikes have had factory install stereo equipment on them for decades. However these systems are not upgradeable and many times don t allow today s technology to integrate into them. So if cell phone use, audio nav commands or bike to bike communications is important to you there is a solution from Autocom. By tapping into the factory speaker wire, the Autocom unit receives all the audio output of the factory system plus it easily integrates cell phones, GPS and bike to bike communications. It also makes managing all of this a much easier task. Autocom has two wiring harnesses that allow you integrate your factory system into a Autocom unit. The first one is Item 2273 and the second one is Item 2275. The difference is the 2273 allows both the bike s speakers and the headset speakers to be active at the same time. This not a real problem since the audio level on the speakers is rather low while listening to the headset speakers. Item 2275 has a built in toggle switch that allows you to shut off the bike s speakers while listening to the headset or to shut off the helmet speakers and listen to the bike s speakers. Audio Cables - Autocom units and Autocom Isolation Adapters have female input jacks that only accept 3.5mm, 4 pole male jacks. It is very important to make sure you use a 4 pole input jack to these units or your system may not function properly or at all. Number Non-Isolated Stereo and Mono Cables 2240 Stereo Cord 2.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 6" Long Lead 2241 Stereo Cord 2.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 16" Long Lead 2242 Stereo Cord 2.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 79" Long Lead 2243 Stereo Cord 3.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 6" Long Lead 2244 Stereo Cord 3.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 16" Long Lead 2245 Stereo Cord 3.5mm 3 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 79" Long Lead 2246 Mono Cord 2.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 6" Long Lead 2247 Mono Cord 2.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 16" Long Lead 2248 Mono Cord 2.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 79" Long Lead 2249 Mono Cord 3.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 6" Long Lead 2250 Mono Cord 3.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 16" Long Lead 2251 Mono Cord 3.5mm 2 Pole Output Jack To 3.5mm 4 Pole Input Jack, 79" Long Lead Isolated Stereo and Mono Cables 4004 3.5mm Stereo Music Cable with Inline Isolator, 79" Long 4036 3.5mm Mono Music Cable with Inline Isolator, 79" Long 5
Below is a product comparison guide showing the features of both the Logic and Super Pro systems! Thanks for viewing this guide and we encourage you to call if you have any other questions about an Autocom Communication System. Our Phone number is 866-841-9256 AUTOCOM SYSTEM COMPARISION Logic Logic Super Pro Super Pro Rider Rider Rider Rider FEATURES Only & Pass. Only Pass. Portable Battery Operation Yes Yes No No DC 12V Power Capability Yes Yes Yes Yes Rider Headset Yes Yes Yes Yes Passenger Headset No Yes No Yes Coiled Extension Leads No Yes (x2) Yes (x1) Yes (x2) Standard Phone Lead Yes Yes Yes Yes Standard Music Lead Yes Yes Yes Yes Suitable for use in a Pocket Yes Yes No No Manual VOX and Volume Adjustment Yes Yes No No Automatic VOX and Volume Adjustment No No Yes Yes Bike Power a 2 Way Transceiver * Yes Yes Yes Yes 2nd Phone Input for Passenger No No Yes Yes Audio Inputs ** 3 3 4 4 Side Tones Yes Yes Yes Yes Tuned Active Noise Filters Yes Yes No No Independent Tuned Active Noise Filters No No Yes Yes 12 12 12 12 Manufacturers Warranty Months Months Months Months 6