12
With some music playing through the speakers try to focus on one speaker at a time and move the
helmet up, down, back and forwards and also side to side to listen for improvements or loss of sound
level and quality.
If moving the helmet forwards improves the sound level or quality for that speaker it means your
speaker is set too far back, so readjust it forwards.
If moving the helmet up improves sound level or quality it means the speaker is set to low, so adjust
each speaker upwards accordingly until you are happy that you have the best possible speaker
positioning.
If you push the side of the helmet towards your head and notice improved sound it means you need to
pack the speakers out on some foam so that they are nearer and covering your ear hole.
Ensure the sound is equally balanced to both ears, if it is slightly louder or has more bass in one ear it
means the other speaker is out of alignment or needs more packing out until the sound from both
speakers is equal.
It may take a little extra time now to get each speaker correctly positioned but it will pay huge dividends
in sound quality and high speed performance, especially if you intend using high attenuation earplugs.
Note you may need to readjust your speakers for more comfort during your first ride out and until they
have settled in, or if they should move over time.
TESTING THE INSTALLATION AND FINE TUNING
Start with the VOX control set to the centre position per the illustration and go for a ride to see if the
helmet noise (at speed) false triggers the VOX.
Top Tips (8)
Remember to use the microphone loud spot. It is a good idea to set the VOX about 20mph (32kmh)
faster than you would normally travel so that head winds do not cause it to false trigger. If your
helmet has chin bar vents that allow air to blow straight through onto or near the back of the
microphone area then this should be blocked off from the inside of the chin bar such that (1) you
do not get direct wind blast to the back of the microphone/s and (2) because in most cases this also
helps to get more air up into the visor area, which can often help with de-misting problems. A
wind/draft excluder is sometimes fitted under the chin bar of some helmets and this can help reduce
excessive wind noise at higher speeds thus allowing for a lower VOX setting.
After checking the above if the VOX is still false activating slightly turn the VOX control knob clockwise,
say about
1
⁄
8
of a turn at a time, and try it again, and keep doing this until you have set the VOX such
that helmet noise does not accidentally turn it on at the typical speeds you ride.
Incorrect VOX setting will cause the music to keep muting and/or bike-to-bike transceiver to keep
transmitting when not speaking and this would prevent you from being able to receive and this is why
a correctly set VOX is very important and why you must find and use the microphone LOUD SPOT rather
than reduce the VOX level to compensate.
You may notice that the passenger needs a slightly higher VOX setting than the rider. This is normal
because the passenger is more helmet noise, plus gets turbulence off the riders shoulders and so
required a slightly higher VOX setting.
SETTING THE VOX CONTROL
Although it is usually straightforward to connect up and start using bike-to-bike radios via our VOX
systems,
we strongly recommend that your first test and get used to using both radios (hand held) per
their own instructions (ensuring that the radios are not in VOX mode) and become familiar with them.
This is important because most typical radios used are half duplex and so you have to get used to taking
it in turns speaking to each other, plus allow for any short delays that the radios may have between
when you first transmit and start speaking, to when the other radio receives and accepts the
transmission, and then allows your transmitted speech to be amplified to the speaker after first
accepting the anti-interference tone code.
Using radio discipline (as you would hear professionals use
them) greatly improves both the reliability and ease of use.
This test is also important to prove the radios are set up and able to communicate properly to one
another which helps eliminate any frustrating problems that are sometimes caused if the radios are not
set up on the same channels or codes etc.
You should always press the press to talk (PTT) button a split second before speaking and always say
“OVER” before releasing the PTT button at the end of your communications to let the other person know
when you have finished speaking, so that they know they can then speak back. Before the other person
speaks back they should always allow a second or so after you have said OVER before pressing their
PTT button, and wait a split second before speaking, etc.
When you are practiced and comfortable using the two hand-held radios with some radio discipline, you
are then ready to connect one of the radios to the system (using the appropriate interface lead to suit)
keeping the other radio as a hand-held for now, while you become practiced in using our VOX in place
of the radios PTT.
Please do not try to connect both radios to the systems until you have practiced with
one connected and the other as a hand held first.
USING BIKE-TO-BIKE TRANSCEIVERS
Kit LIW Instructions.qxd 5/6/09 2:03 pm Page 12
