Need help before going back to Dealership today on Bluetooth Communication System....

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Let's simplify with the Brit terms, boot and bonnet! :cheers:

 

[PatrickH]

Back trunk dongle

Hello jcthorne,
If I buy the BRP dongle and intend to install it in the rear trunk, will the wiring harness that comes with it reach the radio? Even if I power from a rear, always-on power source, won't I still have to route audio wiring to the radio? If YES, then will I have to modify (or will the dealer's tech, if I have them do it) the wiring harness for the dongle to make it work in that rear location?
Thanks, PatrickH

Installing the dongle in the front trunk makes the noise problem worse and its very inconvenient to pair headsets as it ends up behind the trunk liner. The alternative location is in the rear trunk. The supplied bracket (and cable if you have too use it) will work fine in the rear. The real problem with the BRP wiring harness is that it powers the dongle from the factory radio. Which shuts off power to the dongle when you turn off the bike. The dongle stays on, running on its internal battery until it runs down to zero in about 8 hrs. When you start up the bike again the dongle will not repower or pair. It will have to charge for about 15 to 30 minutes before it will do anything. Then it has to be turned on and repaired to the helmet. PIA. Powering from a constant 12v source uses VERY little power and the dongle / helmet pair up each time you turn on the helmet. Works perfectly. Long story short, the Sena dongle works very well, its the BRP harness that was very poorly designed.

With the dongle properly installed and Sena headsets in each helmet, there is very little advantage to a wired CB system. Once I got my dongle sorted out, I have really enjoyed my BT sets. Both for music with handlebar controls and for intercom.

 

[jcthorne]

Hello jcthorne,
If I buy the BRP dongle and intend to install it in the rear trunk, will the wiring harness that comes with it reach the radio? Even if I power from a rear, always-on power source, won't I still have to route audio wiring to the radio? If YES, then will I have to modify (or will the dealer's tech, if I have them do it) the wiring harness for the dongle to make it work in that rear location?
Thanks, PatrickH

If you mount the dongle in the rear trunk, the supplied BRP harness will have about 4 ft of excess length to coil up. The radio is under the passenger right side grip, not up front. So the radio is much closer to the rear compartment than the front one. Its actually a much easier install as far fewer body panels need to be removed to install the harness.

 

[jcthorne]

Let's simplify with the Brit terms, boot and bonnet! :cheers:

Bonnet is not only a brit term. Ford uses the term for the forward storage compartment on the Ford GT. Rear hatch is referred to as the clamshell by owners due to its shape and the way it opens. Ford calls it the engine bay cover.

There just are not many north American vehicles with storage compartments up front.

 

[PatrickH]

Rear Mounted Dongle

jcthorne,
Now the light dawns! Thanks for the clear explanation. I was picturing a trunk location that was much farther from the dash, where I assumed the radio was located!
Patrick H

If you mount the dongle in the rear trunk, the supplied BRP harness will have about 4 ft of excess length to coil up. The radio is under the passenger right side grip, not up front. So the radio is much closer to the rear compartment than the front one. Its actually a much easier install as far fewer body panels need to be removed to install the harness.

 

[PatrickH]

SM10 in lieu of BRP dongle?

Hello jcthornem

You speak of forgoing the BRP cable and purchasing SM10 dongle. Are you really talking about forgoing the BRP dongle, as well as the BRP cable? In other words, just use the Sena SM10 dongle and whatever comes with it for hookup and installation instead of using the BRP dongle and its cable? Does the SM10 do what the BRP dongle does? Or perhaps better?

Regards, Patrick H.

The compartment up front is the frunk and is where the BRP kit intends to mount the dongle. The Trunk is the compartment in the rear and is an optional location used by many.

The part you are missing is that the radio that the dongle connects to is actually under the right side passenger hand grip, not up front. The cable run from the trunk is far shorter that to the frunk and the cable has to be installed with the dongle, its not already on the bike.

Many forgo using the BRP cable altogether and purchase the generic SM10 dongle from Sena. Its the same part without the BRP specific cable.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Hello jcthornem

You speak of forgoing the BRP cable and purchasing SM10 dongle. Are you really talking about forgoing the BRP dongle, as well as the BRP cable? In other words, just use the Sena SM10 dongle and whatever comes with it for hookup and installation instead of using the BRP dongle and its cable? Does the SM10 do what the BRP dongle does? Or perhaps better?

Regards, Patrick H.

I believe finless has, or is working on, a cable that can be used in place of the BRP cable. All that is needed is a power supply to the BT dongle, which is available in the trunk, and a 2 wire connection to the radio. The complication with the audio connection is getting the right connector for the radio end, and knowing which pins to connect to. I believe the dongle end is a normal stereo mini plug.

 

[jcthorne]

Hello jcthornem

You speak of forgoing the BRP cable and purchasing SM10 dongle. Are you really talking about forgoing the BRP dongle, as well as the BRP cable? In other words, just use the Sena SM10 dongle and whatever comes with it for hookup and installation instead of using the BRP dongle and its cable? Does the SM10 do what the BRP dongle does? Or perhaps better?

Regards, Patrick H.

The dongle BRP sells IS the Sena SM10 along with a custom harness to plug it in to the factory radio. The harness provides power and sound to the dongle, no control wiring. Power is better provided by connection to the 12v outlet using the cable Sena provides with the SM10. There are several ways of getting sound to the dongle. Finless has built some copies of the BRP harness. I connected to the rear speakers next to the passenger seatback. I got so much noise from the direct radio connection that the dongle was useless. The input signal was too low and it picked up engine and fan motor noise badly. Connecting to the speakers using a passive speaker to line level adapter gave me a solid nose free sound source and works well. Thus I did not use the BRP cable at all and ended up returning it. For me, it works far better than the design BRP came up with.

 

[finless]

The dongle "cable" I have been making and documented in the DIY section shows how to make the cable that connects directly to the radio RD02 port. This is an unused port UNLESS you have the entertainment harness. If you have the entertainment harness, that harness plugs into the radios RD02 connector and the BT dongle cable plugs into the entertainment harness.

So if you DO NOT have that harness my current documented cable works perfectly. You can use power from the radio or not that is up to you.

Now if you do have an entertainment harness because you also have XM radio (you cant have CB and BT cable). I have not figured out this connector and wiring. In this case the SM10 dongle cable plugs into the entertainment harness instead of directly into the radios RD02 connector.

I should soon get that wiring figured out soon as I have a person wanting one like this as they also have the XM radio. The connector should be easy as the entertainment harness comes with a extra plug to "cap off" this connector when it's not used. All we need are the pins and wires to fill 5 connections of that extra connector.

Hope that clears it up?

Bob

 

[lyonsden]

jcthorne,
Now the light dawns! Thanks for the clear explanation. I was picturing a trunk location that was much farther from the dash, where I assumed the radio was located!
Patrick H

This might be a good read and explain a few things. Farther down in the post there are pictures of how I mounted it in the trunk. http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...dding-BRP-Bluetooth-Dongle-Questions-Answered