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Cell Phone receiving, not sending

kitkat61

New member
Hi all, hoping someone on the boards knows a bit about the cell phone interface for the RT-S. I picked up my 2015 RT-S just a couple weeks ago. I had the CB, entertainment harness and cell phone interface pre-installed by dealer (because I group ride, hubby wanted a way to reach me when we weren't riding together, and Bluetooth hates the tone of my voice).

It took a bit to get the J&M cord that would connect my current HJC helmet's J&M (Goldwing) setup to the spyder, but once it arrived I thought I would be good to go. Well, the CB works just fine, sending, receiving, no issues at all. But big problem with the cell phone. Phone connected to the GPS just as it should. And when hubby calls it pops up on the GPS that I have a call, I touch the answer button, I can hear the other person talking though not as clear as the CB, however, they can't hear me at all.

I saw an image of the cellphone interface and it almost looks like there a small wire to hook into the GPS? Looks like the type of wire for headphones? But where do I find this wire to plug it in? The dealer gave me no instructions, they're not overly helpful over the phone, and they are almost 3 hours away so I'm really hoping this is something I can diagnose and fix myself to avoid riding in the cold wet weather that's coming just to take care of a 5 minute fix.

Open to suggestions for tracing the problem. I can't even find the installation instructions online to see if the dealer left something unplugged/not connected properly, so if someone knows where I could find that??
Any and all help is greatly appreciated, loving my new Spyder!
Itsy Bitsy
 
I don't have the phone interface but looking at it & other info about it the wire you mention has to plug into the mic input of the GPS. The wire should be accessible in plain sight. If not you'll have to go back to dealer.
 
I think the wires are inside

Went out to look at the GPS and cradle ... there is no headphone jack on the Zumo, which is probably why I can't find a wire to plug into it. But I did find this image of the power cable for the GPS that shows that somewhere inside all the wires behind the steering column cover is a place where it's supposed to hook in.
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It looks like there are two places the dealer could have plugged it in, hoping they just picked the wrong one. I'll take the cover off when I get home and let you all know what I find as that's how we all learn, right?
 

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The cell phone interface must be connected to the microphone connection of the GPS harness. If you purchased this set up from your dealer, they should be responsible for making it work.
 
Went out to look at the GPS and cradle ... there is no headphone jack on the Zumo, which is probably why I can't find a wire to plug into it. But I did find this image of the power cable for the GPS that shows that somewhere inside all the wires behind the steering column cover is a place where it's supposed to hook in.
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It looks like there are two places the dealer could have plugged it in, hoping they just picked the wrong one. I'll take the cover off when I get home and let you all know what I find as that's how we all learn, right?
Is that a Garmin cradle and cable? If so a diagram I found on the Garmin site shows the small jack, the top one of the three below the power leads in your picture, is the microphone input. That is where the mic cable from the cell phone interface needs to be plugged into.
 
Going back to dealer

Can't figure out where the correct wires are, so hoping the weather holds enough for me to get to the dealer this weekend for them to figure it out. They installed it, they can fix it. I thought I might get lucky and the wiring I needed was behind the cover for the handlebars, but it seems to be deeper inside the machine than I'm comfortable digging into. For now at least. I imagine in a year or two I'll have it in pieces as I install all the aftermarket lights I want, but for the time being I figure I paid them to do it right, so they can make whatever changes are necessary. Would be a bit easier if the dealer was closer, but I guess a 5-hour ride will be a good test for me.:doorag:
 
Went out to look at the GPS and cradle ... there is no headphone jack on the Zumo, which is probably why I can't find a wire to plug into it. But I did find this image of the power cable for the GPS that shows that somewhere inside all the wires behind the steering column cover is a place where it's supposed to hook in.
attachment.php


It looks like there are two places the dealer could have plugged it in, hoping they just picked the wrong one. I'll take the cover off when I get home and let you all know what I find as that's how we all learn, right?

This is the same cable BRP uses (they use the stock Garmin cable rebranded).
However it has changed over the years. This is a newer one.
It has:
1) Audio in 3.5mm jack (MIC)
2) Audio out 3.5mm jack
3) Micro USB plug for charging a phone, etc (only 1 amp output though so wont do a iPhone 6+).
4) Power wires.

On the spyder all of these should be on the right side next to the gas tank about mid way. Yes the harness picture shows a shorter harness but in fact it is longer and again those will be at your gas tank.

Now again, this harness has changed over the years. Earlier models did not have the USB and may not have had the input MIC jack. 2015 RT's and the latest BRP (or Garmin) will have this new harness.

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Bob
 

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When they install the kit, there two plugs that are interchangeable at the cb unit and the instructions are wrong. If they are plugged in the wrong way you can hear but the caller cannot hear you. Don't ask how I know this, lol.
 
When the harness is installed correctly, the wired helmet mic works. When the harness is installed backwards, the GPS device mic on the right side front is connected and works. Therefore, the caller just hears wind noise. There are many threads about this on SL site. One way to check it is to make a call while parked and talk. Then during the conversation cover the device mic with you thumb or some thick tape and see if the person can still hear you. If they can't hear you with the mic covered, then it's installed backwards. To quote, "don't ask how I know this"
 
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When the harness is installed correctly, the wired helmet mic works. When the harness is installed backwards, the GPS device mic on the right side front is connected and works. Therefore, the caller just hears wind noise. There are many threads about this on SL site. One way to check it is to make a call while parked and talk. Then during the conversation cover the device mic with you thumb or some thick tape and see if the person can still hear you. If they can't hear you with the mic covered, then it's installed backwards. To quote, "don't ask how I know this"

STILL ???
You'd think they would get the instructions right after 3 years.
I fought blue tooth for years because I didn't want to charge up MORE devices while on a trip, but frankly, after having switched to blue tooth headsets, it makes all of these connectivity issues go away. I bought a 5 port charger, and that solves the charging while travelling problem.
I have my GPS and spyder radio paired to my blue tooth headset by way of the BRP dongle.
I have my phone paired directly to my headset.
I have my girlfriends headset paired to mine and all is good.

If it's at all feasible, switch to the blue tooth set up.

As always, my free advice comes with a double your money back guarantee.
 
STILL ???
You'd think they would get the instructions right after 3 years.
I fought blue tooth for years because I didn't want to charge up MORE devices while on a trip, but frankly, after having switched to blue tooth headsets, it makes all of these connectivity issues go away. I bought a 5 port charger, and that solves the charging while travelling problem.
I have my GPS and spyder radio paired to my blue tooth headset by way of the BRP dongle.
I have my phone paired directly to my headset.
I have my girlfriends headset paired to mine and all is good.

If it's at all feasible, switch to the blue tooth set up.

As always, my free advice comes with a double your money back guarantee.

+100..... If you don't want or need CB then my opinion go Bluetooth! (Even then there is a fairly simple and better solution to having CB).

It all works for me and all works well... OH! an I have more than one option on how to do things :)

BRP has had FAR too many issue with their ENT harness and CB. Not even worth dealing with in my opinion.

Most people I ride with now are all BT not CB. Going with the wired helmet setup on your Spyder even if you don't use CB is a waste of money and full of too many problems!

My opinion.... or .000002 cents ;)

Bob
 
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Just a followup

In case someone finds this and wonders what happened, I bit the bullet and took her to a different dealer. Where they found that the CB, GPS, Cellphone cables were all wired wrong, with cables run through pinch spots. And that the glovebox cable had never been connected (I wondered why it wouldn't lock), the trunk/seat locks were backwards (and that made it so much easier to turn the key to open too!), and a couple other things.

Long story short, they took it all apart, put it back together PROPERLY, and now everything works. So there's no telling what the exact issue with the cell phone was, but they think it was the GPS itself as one of the cables off it was bent in two and probably broken.
 
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