How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Got any questions about the BMW's R1200RT/R1250RT's onboard audio, Bluetooth or the Electrical system?
srunderwood
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How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by srunderwood »

I have a BMW communication system in my helmet and always connect to the Bike's audio system to listen to the radio.  I also need my phone to be connected, and I sometimes need the BMW Navigator V connected.  The official instructions are, in this order:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to navigator
3  Connect navigator to phone


However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet.  I have proceeded as follows:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to phone
3  Connect navigator to ???


I have a feeling that the helmet can only accept 2 connections so this doesn't work and I've had "crashes" with the helmet switching itself off erratically when I try this. 


Is there a recommended way of achieving what I need so that I have the flexibility of always having radio and phone connected to the helmet but being able to hear the navigator if it is in use?


Thanks for your assistance, Richard
Peter Baker
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by Peter Baker »

For the extra effort of connecting the Navi I always ride with it in - just easier and you get speed camera warning if you have paid for these...  However I did have a period of the communicator system behaving "oddly" before and the advice I got was to run it completely flat (leaving it on until the battery is empty, takes about a day) which removes all memory of connected devices and then start again, maybe this helps, Peter
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Rambler358
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by Rambler358 »

I'll second the idea of always having the Navigater in. Or don't use the GPS for phone duty, and connect your phone to the helmet. You can still keep the phone paired to the GPS for weather and traffic updates if you subscribe to those.
guest2360

Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

All far too difficult and complicated.  Connect an Autocom to the audio unit and a BTMO2 dongle and you can have whatever combination of devises you want forever.
Bkh
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by Bkh »

srunderwood wrote: I have a BMW communication system in my helmet and always connect to the Bike's audio system to listen to the radio.  I also need my phone to be connected, and I sometimes need the BMW Navigator V connected.  The official instructions are, in this order:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to navigator
3  Connect navigator to phone


However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet.  I have proceeded as follows:
1  Connect helmet to audio system
2  Connect helmet to phone
3  Connect navigator to ???


I have a feeling that the helmet can only accept 2 connections so this doesn't work and I've had "crashes" with the helmet switching itself off erratically when I try this. 


Is there a recommended way of achieving what I need so that I have the flexibility of always having radio and phone connected to the helmet but being able to hear the navigator if it is in use?


Thanks for your assistance, Richard
Depending on you Bluetooth in helmet, you can add four step to official procedure.    With Bluetooth off on the bike and GPS, connect phone to helmet.  On mine, that is slightly different procedure. 

You are correct that helmet will only connect 2 devices at a time.  On my SRC you can se priority for which devices connect first, but by default it connects to phone only if it doesn't detect GPS. 

After everything setup, you have to disable Bluetooth on gps before phone would connect to helmet.    I've used this for audible books player in my phone.  While it works, it's very quirky.    Sometimes it works flawlessly and others I just can't get to connect correctly and have even lost my pairings and have to reset everything. 

Ultimately, not worth it to me.  I'd recommend just using phone thru gps or go the autocom route.  I'll be doing that myself because your scenario is just one of many limitations with the standard setup. 
guest2360

Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

Yep definitely too complicated just to listen to a radio and answer your phone when you should be enjoying the RIDE.
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Rambler358
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by Rambler358 »

RTman10 wrote: All far too difficult and complicated.  Connect an Autocom to the audio unit and a BTMO2 dongle and you can have whatever combination of devises you want forever.
Is there anyone in the SoCal area who does Autocom installs?
guest2360

Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

Rambler358 wrote: Is there anyone in the SoCal area who does Autocom installs?

[size=12px][email protected][/size]
[size=12px]
[/size]
[size=12px]They might know [/size]
beemerboy9
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by beemerboy9 »

srunderwood wrote: However, I don't always use the navigator but I always want the phone and audio system connected to the helmet. I have proceeded as follows:
1 Connect helmet to audio system
2 Connect helmet to phone
3 Connect navigator to ???
Forget the phone for just a moment.
Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio? If this is not the case then the Navigator --> Audio system cable may be disconnected.
It won't be the first time this has happened....
John Bentall
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio?
Only if the BT in the Nav is switched off.
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by beemerboy9 »

RTman10 wrote: Don't you find that when the Navigator is in the cradle that the route instructions are transmitted through the bike audio?
Only if the BT in the Nav is switched off.

Last night I switched on the BT on my Nav V, put in the cradle, and the sound came through the on-board audio.
John Bentall
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

Never did on mine.  Was it switched on and connected to a headset ?


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richardbd
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by richardbd »

beemerboy9 wrote:
Last night I switched on the BT on my Nav V, put in the cradle, and the sound came through the on-board audio.

What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...
guest2360

Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by guest2360 »

richardbd wrote:
What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...

I bet when you had a proper bike with an audio system the BT in the audio unit was on so you could connect to your BMW. Headset.  If that was switched off prompts comes through speakers.
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Re: How to connect helmet, phone and navigator to audio system

Post by beemerboy9 »

richardbd wrote:
What sound?  I always thought the satnav couldn't be heard through the bike's speakers...

It's becoming clearer to me after some experimentation ......


If the Satnav is in the cradle and I connect the Scala Q1 BT headset to the bike audio, then the SatNav instructions are heard through the bikes audio. (If I use the Autocom - with the bike BT turned off - it comes through the speakers)


If the Satnav is in the cradle and I connect the BT headset to the Satnav, then no Satnav instructions can be heard through the speakers -they are of course heard through the Satnav.


I have not tried connecting to the bike audio and Satnav on different channels using the Q1 - I'm not even sure it is possible with this device.


John




Last edited by beemerboy9 on Fri May 19, 2017 5:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
John Bentall
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