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Any Ideas on how to get dual input via a 3.5 cable?

djh3

Member
I have a Sirius XM Onyx mounted and running thru the radio via a 3.5 cable. Works fine. I also have a mount for and older 765 Garmin. I bought a Y cable thinking that plugging them both in and the GPS would just "announce" when direction changes came up. But they don't seem to work that way. I have a plug in for ear monitors from my SENA on the helmet. If I take the Y plug and put one of the male ends in the helmet and the GPS cable on the other, then the headset into remaining female plug with the XM plugged into the bike radio it works. But the Y adapter is way too heavy to have hanging off side of helmet.

The Y plug has 1 male 2 female. Do I need to look for a different kind of plug? It requires this set up to connect the 2 units input to the bike. Is there a different type as far as what the plugs will allow/pick up.
 
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Quick thoughts: It may be simpler to pipe one into the 3.5 & the other to a Bluetooth transmitter :dontknow: Either device might have internal capability already; if so: pair >music - gps; then gps - headset; & it “should” work. :popcorn:
 
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Well, I have the BRP app on phone. So far, I have not investigated operating it to see if it works. I have my SENA SMH 10 able to pick up bike, but I had to turn off BT on phone to SENA in order to get it to work, otherwise it would not pair. The XM unit is "hard wired" as it has no external speaker or BT output. The GPS will transmit over certain FM stations as will the XM unit, but I couldn't get that to work. That may be just a station too close to the freq required for unit. I may try to see if my SENA SMH10 will pair to the GPS, and I can still use music from bike. I'll have to figure something out toot sweet, as we are leaving on a trip in the am.
 
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I tried to BT it no go. I also on my Victory had it operate thru the FM on a preselect station. No go other spyder for some reason. So a plug was only solution I came up with.
 
I have a 2022 RTL and added a Garmin. On Amazon I purchased the "ST-18 Computer Speakers, Basics Mini Speakers for Desktop/Laptop,USB-Powered 3.5mm Aux Computer Soundbar with Volume Control,Plug-N-Play" ($15) and a USB splitter (USB 2.0 A Male to 2 Dual USB Female Jack Y Splitter Hub Power Cord Extension Adapter Cable) for $6. I used velcro to attach the speaker (it's one unit) to my dash and plug its 3.5 mm into the audio in cable of the GPS cradle. I plug its power into the USB splitter, which is plugged into the USB that came with the GPS cradle. I use the other USB for my dash cam. I'm recovering from surgery so no pics. Last weekend I rode in the rain for 10 hours with no issues.
I experimented with several mini-speakers, but the volume was too low. With the radio on, playing through the Spyders speakers, I can hear the GPS announcements 95% of the time or better. Highway riding noise makes it a bit harder but I always hear the sound and look at the GPS for direction in those instances.
 
What I have not seen anyone say yet is that the Y-cable (or splitter) is meant to divide one output into two. The cable itself - if it is stereo - has three wires: one left positive, one right positive, and one common ground; there are three contacts on the male plug, one for each wire. The tip is always ground.

Trying to use this in bi-directional made, i.e. as both output and input, will depend on whether the jacks in both the source and receiver allow such an arrangement. Since the designed intent of the output jack is to deliver power from source to receiver, any other use is going to be hit or miss at best. It isn't meant to be a two-way street in normal use.

The analogy in a stereo is that the amplifier outputs are not meant to operate as inputs. The amplifier sends power to the speaker, which in turn uses that power to produce motion and heat in the speaker drivers. Talking into the speaker does not create a useful input signal to the amp.

Hope that makes sense,
Bob
 
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Yes! Exactly in explanation of what I was thinking more or less. The Y cable acts as though it is "one way" or has a diode in it and only allows transmission of signal one direction sort of. But my confusion on the thing is both units are plugged into what would be say the input side. So, the XM is on one female plug and the GPS on the other. Then the male plug goes into the bike. I even swapped the plugs over between the two and same results.

After reading so many not-so-great posts on the BRP APP, I haven't even gone down that route yet. Perhaps I'll get bored here in upcoming weeks and experiment. Maybe the output volume of the 2 devices (XM and GPS) is different and it can't get enough gain out of one to match the volumes up?
 
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