Monday, November 20, 2006
Amplirider problems
One of my long-standing things to do with the FJR was testing the Amplirider with the new Powerlet power connection to the tank bag. I finally got around to it last night, and the news is not good. When connected to bike power, the sound coming from the Amplirider is filled with engine noise.
I ran some tests of the setup while I was at it, and the inescapable conclusion is that the V-1 is the culprit. When the XM is connected through the Amplirider by itself, the sound is good, if not great. When you power up the V-1, the sound goes to heck.
For now, I reconnected the 9v battery to the tank bag power strip, which has always worked well. This connection uses a switch on the outside of the tank bag to turn off the battery, but even if I forget to use it a battery will last for a long, long time.
Long term, I have some choices. I can invest in more goodies to try to clean-up the V-1's audio. I can set up a battery charger system in the tank bag and switch to rechargeable 9v batteries. Or, I can just continue to use normal alkaline 9v batteries. Since I only use the V-1 on longer rides, and the batteries last a long, long time, and 9v batteries are always available on the road, I'll probably stick with my current setup for a while.
Posted by bnc at November 20, 2006 3:25 PM