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New to Us - 2011 RT - GARMIN GPS Question

Blue_VGR

New member
Greetings and Hello (and Happy Easter).

The wife has just acquired a 2011 Red Spyder RT - which had a bunch of options added to it over it's :spyder2: lifetime.

The question I have is this - Does the Garmin play through the Spyder audio system? I'm thinking MP3's.

I have a Garmin 665 on a Kawasaki Voyager which on the Garmin cradle cable - has the Audio out hooked to the Voyager radio through the AUX in. Allowing you to adjust volume through the handlebar controls.

I know there is an IPOD port in the trunk - (I'm not an Ipod user). I thought I saw a 3.5mm dongle (that's one accessory that didn't come with the bike) that would hook to the connector in the trunk - If I want to connect that to the to the Garmin wiring - can you get from the trunk to the side the Garmin cabling is at (Dealer said it was under right side panel.

Note - I have yet to take anything apart on this thing to see what is under all that plastic - but my history says that someday my wife will come home and it will be apart for me to just check to see how it's put together.

Thanks in advance.
Mike -
 
Greetings and Hello (and Happy Easter).

The wife has just acquired a 2011 Red Spyder RT - which had a bunch of options added to it over it's :spyder2: lifetime.

The question I have is this - Does the Garmin play through the Spyder audio system? I'm thinking MP3's.

I have a Garmin 665 on a Kawasaki Voyager which on the Garmin cradle cable - has the Audio out hooked to the Voyager radio through the AUX in. Allowing you to adjust volume through the handlebar controls.

I know there is an IPOD port in the trunk - (I'm not an Ipod user). I thought I saw a 3.5mm dongle (that's one accessory that didn't come with the bike) that would hook to the connector in the trunk - If I want to connect that to the to the Garmin wiring - can you get from the trunk to the side the Garmin cabling is at (Dealer said it was under right side panel.

Note - I have yet to take anything apart on this thing to see what is under all that plastic - but my history says that someday my wife will come home and it will be apart for me to just check to see how it's put together.

Thanks in advance.
Mike -


Mike,

Welcome to Spyderlovers, yes the Garmin will play through the auto system if it is hooked up with the BRP gps kit. You can buy the 3.5 cable and hook an MP3 player up in the trunk, the system will mute the player when the gps is giving instructions.

hoping you and the wife have many safe miles on your :spyder2:

Bob
 
Has stated above, if the Zumo is wired with the BRP cable it will play mp3 files through the bikes audio system.

However with one annoying caveat, the GPS is designed to interrupt the other item playing for voice directions, be it radio, iPod or the aux.

This interruption is an audio signal, so let's say the radio is playing, the GPS starts it announcement, the sounds system detects the "noise" from the GPS, mutes the radio, you hear the direction, sounds stops, radio comes back on.

You can not choose the GPS like you can the radio or iPod, so it plays on top of the radio.

While listening to mp3 on the Zumo, if you get a quite part of the track or in between tracks the radio bursts on and ruins the moment.

You can pick up a cheap MP3 player and plug it in the aux socket, if you have an iPod you can control that from the Handel bars.

harry
 
Has stated above, if the Zumo is wired with the BRP cable it will play mp3 files through the bikes audio system.

However with one annoying caveat, the GPS is designed to interrupt the other item playing for voice directions, be it radio, iPod or the aux.

This interruption is an audio signal, so let's say the radio is playing, the GPS starts it announcement, the sounds system detects the "noise" from the GPS, mutes the radio, you hear the direction, sounds stops, radio comes back on.

You can not choose the GPS like you can the radio or iPod, so it plays on top of the radio.

While listening to mp3 on the Zumo, if you get a quite part of the track or in between tracks the radio bursts on and ruins the moment.

You can pick up a cheap MP3 player and plug it in the aux socket, if you have an iPod you can control that from the Handel bars.

harry
:agree:

It will play music from the Garmin through the radio but it won't be very handy. I am NOT an iPod user either but the way it's integrated into this system is too convenient to pass on. I bought an iPod on ebay for $60 and plan to use that for music. I haven't used it yet but others on this forum describe it to be the best possible way to get your own music pumped into the system.

One nice thing I discovered is that I can bluetooth my phone to the garmin and it then interfaces with the radio so if my phone rings it will display on the garmin whos calling and the ringing will go through the radio systerm. I could then pull over and answer the phone call with the microphone on the garmin and the sound on loudspeaker over the radio system.
 
Not stereo

The normal GPS connection to the radio is mono only. It takes only one channel and outputs it to both left and right speakers.
 
So there are many options to use a GPS.

Check out my video here in which I made my own GPS to radio connector. Might give you some ideas.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...IY-GPS-mount-and-hookup-with-12V-outlet-video

Now I am using a Garmin 775T. It has FM radio broadcast capability. I do not know if your 665 does but if it does, this is the easiest way to use a GPS. You tune your spyder radio to a dead FM channel and then in the GPS tell it to broadcast on that channel.
The neat part about this is the GPS wont interrupt your radio. If you want to hear the GPS then set a preset on your radio to the FM channel the garmin is on. On long rides I do not want to hear my GPS all the time. Only when I am getting close to a junction or the destination and then I just press the channel change button on the handle bar and bingo, I hear only the GPS.

The next route is to with buy the BRP GPS cable or make one yourself. Its super easy! See my video above.
Wiring a GPS to the radio will cause the GPS to interrupt anything coming out of the radio. This means you will hear the GPS on your spyders speakers. However the GPS input to the radio is mono! So forget playing MP3's from your GPS. Even if it was stereo the GPS Mp3 capability is not great and audio sucks. It was not really made to be a good music player.

The third route is to use Bluetooth. If you ever plan on getting a Bluetooth helmet comm system, then this is another way.
Now not all Garmin GPS support binding to a BT headset! Here is a list of Garmin GPS' that do:
https://support.garmin.com/support/...caseId={04794b50-0c83-11dd-dc9c-000000000000}
Your Zumo 665 is listed!
So this means no cables needed at all! Just bind the GPS to your helmet BT comm system. If you have a Sena BT helmet comm system then GPS takes priority over music and will interrupt it. However, with this setup you will not hear the GPS over your spyders radio and speakers only your BT helmet.

Now the easy wireless setup in my opinion is this:
- BT helmet comm system
- Sena SM10 music streamer that hooks to the radio (I have info on making your own cable vs buying the BRP one which is expensive and doesn't work well). Now you can hear anything coming out of your spyder radio in your helmet (or helmets if passenger helmet has BT).
- GPS with BT and you bind the GPS to your helmet.
- Phone and bind the phone with your GPS and helmet for hands free phone calling.

The super ultimate way I did it :) is ALL three ways!
- I have BT helmets
- Sena SM10 so I can hear the radio's music over BT in my helmets AND the GPS if the cable is hooked to the radio (optional).
- GPS cable to radio which I "optionally use". If I don't want to use my BT helmet system I can hear the GPS over my speakers. So it's an option.
- GPS BT to helmet BT system. In this case I don't hook up the cable to the GPS and I only hear the GPS in my helmet.
- GPS broadcasts on FM radio station. In this case I hear the GPS over speakers AND BT helmets and I can selectively decide if I want to here the GPS and have it interrupt my music.

So again... many options to do this!

Bob
 
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FYI, I just read your 665 manual. It does not have FM broadcast capability. At least the manual doesn't state it does.
So that option is out.

Bob
 
Thanks for the Information

Hey Guys - Thanks for the input - I know have figured out that my Garmin is not hooked to the radio.

Now I must figure out what I want to do for Bike to Bike communications. - I have 2 of the Starcom1 intercom systems that I used on other bikes (it uses the FRS walkie-Talkies). While the Spyder has the CB radio - I'm not sure I want to invest in the helmet mic's and also for a CB interconnection on my Voyager - Oh the decisions one has in life.

Red Spyder 1.jpg
 
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