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Need some advice on the WHIM/boombox/20s evo wireless headset...

Started by jeffjo, May 09, 2018, 02:00:40 AM

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jeffjo

Had the WHIM fitted by the dealer,I also bought the HD  20s evo headset thinking it is plug n play,so it should be ok.. I'm having problems with the setup..,I can put my helmet on switch on the headset and then with the IGN switch set to either IGN or ACC and playing music...every thing is good,loud and clear,I need to cut the volume back as it is too loud,but once I start the bike the volume is reduced drastically and I can hear a lot of interference...The dealer cannot work out how to fix the problem,the only training they have had was when they opened the boxes to fit the WHIM to my bike and followed the instruction sheets....The first headset had to be replaced as it slowly died and would not do any thing other than to pair to the bike..
I have updated software for the boom box,wireless headset and so far there has been one update for the WHIM

When you say the boom box then has to be flashed by the dealer after the WHIM is fitted,what is meant by flashed?..Is it just a software update to the boom box or does the Dealer have software that needs to be installed so the whole system works as normal
Any help will be appreciated as both the Dealer and myself are ripping our hair out trying to solve the problem
Cheerz

FurryOne

Quote from: jeffjo on May 09, 2018, 02:00:40 AM
Had the WHIM fitted by the dealer,I also bought the HD  20s evo headset thinking it is plug n play,so it should be ok.. I'm having problems with the setup..,I can put my helmet on switch on the headset and then with the IGN switch set to either IGN or ACC and playing music...every thing is good,loud and clear,I need to cut the volume back as it is too loud,but once I start the bike the volume is reduced drastically and I can hear a lot of interference...The dealer cannot work out how to fix the problem,the only training they have had was when they opened the boxes to fit the WHIM to my bike and followed the instruction sheets....The first headset had to be replaced as it slowly died and would not do any thing other than to pair to the bike..
I have updated software for the boom box,wireless headset and so far there has been one update for the WHIM

When you say the boom box then has to be flashed by the dealer after the WHIM is fitted,what is meant by flashed?..Is it just a software update to the boom box or does the Dealer have software that needs to be installed so the whole system works as normal
Any help will be appreciated as both the Dealer and myself are ripping our hair out trying to solve the problem

When the WHPIM is installed, the Dealer uses the Digital Tech. software to tell the Boom! to turn on the Wireless Interface & Intercom.  Since your Dealer installed the WHIM - he already did it or your wireless wouldn't do anything.

If you've updated the Boom!, WHIM, & 20S via the software on the Harley site, there's no more software needed.  Check the Boom! setup under volume control.  I'm not sure about the 20S speakers, but I've got the 30K, and the speakers they include SUCK big time - On my 1/2 helmet I went to earbuds, and on my 3/4 helmet I went to UCLEAR Digital Pulse speakers.  Both give me much better sound w/o overdriving the bat-crap out of everything at speed.

If you have an old set of earbuds around just plug them into the base of the 20S just below the boom and try them as a test to see if they improve your situation.  If they do you an unscrew the factory speakers and just run with the earbuds or get a set of better speakers.

jeffjo

Thank you Furryone...I'm off to try it out right now.../
Cheerz

jeffjo

Furryone......mate,you are a champion,I tried the ear buds and there was a huge difference....
Your advice worked,next thing to do is get rid of the helmet speakers....
I cannot get over it,I paid nearly $1,000 (Australian) for the whim and wireless headset just to be let down by helmet speakers that are a POS!!
Thank you for taking the time to answer and thank you...if it wasn't for you I would still be standing there having a nut scratch wondering  WTF was going on..
Cheerz mate
Jeff

FurryOne

Quote from: jeffjo on May 11, 2018, 11:41:56 PM
Furryone......mate,you are a champion,I tried the ear buds and there was a huge difference....
Your advice worked,next thing to do is get rid of the helmet speakers....
I cannot get over it,I paid nearly $1,000 (Australian) for the whim and wireless headset just to be let down by helmet speakers that are a POS!!

I added a lot of good information on this subject and my experiences on our local HOG website:

http://www.    ->Tech Stuff section 

jeffjo

OK,some time down the track since I first post...furryone's advice was good,I did however keep going with the problem with the dealer...after testing a lot of different bits and peices I now find out the radio isn't up to scratch...so I am now waiting on a warranty replacement radio

FurryOne

(sigh) Since my last post I've been fooling around with the Sena 30K's and Mesh mode - or rather NOT mesh mode!  It seems that if you have a WHiM, the 30K disables mesh.  So far I can't get a straight answer from Sena why this is so, since the connection to the WHiM is bluetooth, and mesh is WiFi.  The last "support" call I was told it was because I had a CB module installed.  Yes, you read that right.  What's even worse is that often the only way to start mesh mode is with the phone app. (Arrrgghhh!) which only will address the 30K when directly paired, not when the phone is paired to the bike/WHiM, which is paired to the 30K.

I should be receiving a Freewire to try instead of the WHiM, and I'll see if the 30K is able to go into mesh mode when connected through that.

Is there a Rocket Scientist in the house?  :potstir:

FurryOne

Well, I uninstalled the WHiM and installed a Freewire on my '17 SGS yesterday.  Here's what I found:

1.  The Freewire gives you full control of Boom! functions, including CB (if you have one installed).

2.  With the Freeware installed, the Sena 30K will go right into Mesh Mode easily, but not as the manual says. (The Manual says to hold the Mesh button down for 5 seconds to enable/disable Mesh - in practice, a simple click enables/disables it.)

3.  The Freewire transmits full stereo sound through the 30K's, which uncovers the poor stereo separation of the Boom! radio.  Stereo sounds great if you feed the Boom! system via USB stick full of MP3s. (Using the WHiM/30K gives you monaural audio sound!)

4.  For some reason when the 30K connects to the Freewire the default audio level is lowered and you have to dial it back up.  The overall audio level of the Freewire is lower than the WHiM.

5.  Overall audio quality of the Freewire/30K is MUCH better than the WHiM/30K, most likely because somebody at H-D decided to degrade the quality when non-H-D branded headsets are used.  I say this because I've seen the specs for the aptX codec that H-D uses, and they state that if the connection doesn't find an aptX codec at both ends, it will gracefully fall back to an SBC codec connection, which still should give you good stereo sound, not the crap the WHiM pushes out when it sees non-H-D equipment attached.

6.  While the Freewire has a rechargeable battery, it comes with an adapter for a lighter.  When you use that adapter you can leave the Freewire turned off - and when you enable ACC or Ignition on the bike, it will power-up the Freewire with it. (A nice feature)

7.  You DO need the 7-pin wired headset adapter to connect the Freewire to.  I just coiled it up inside my fairing and ran the Freewire's harness to it.  Also, I tapped into the 12v (ACC on, IGN on) wire harness in the right side of the fairing and added an inline lighter socket for the Freewire's lighter adapter and hid that harness inside the fairing too to keep my dash cleaner.

Addendum: I reconnected the WHiM to check to see if the tap-on/tap-off method would work to turn the 30K's Mesh on/off, and it wouldn't, so if you want to do Mesh networking, stay away from H-D's WHiM - it's a real piece of H-D proprietary garbage!

FurryOne

 :emoGroan: I just got off the phone with Sena's "tech support" again trying to find out why their 30K headset won't go into mesh mode when connected to a WHiM.  It seems that even if you have a "ticket" for a problem, they don't ever get back to you via phone or email, so you have to keep calling them.  Of course, you get the same "phone-reps" that only know what they have in the answer books they're given.  This time I was told the 30K can only talk to the WHiM (bluetooth) or Mesh (WiFi), but not both at the same time.  When i pointed out that their Freewire was the same thing as the WHiM they stated that the same was true for the Freewire, which I know from experience is not true.  When I pressed to talk to someone higher up they said that their Supervisor said the same thing.  I requested a higher level tech support person, and while they took my phone number, I'm not holding my breath.

I've been following a thread on the Cardo Packtalk, and it seems that Cardo's supports much more responsive to questions, but while someone demonstrated a Packtalk pairing to a WHiM on YouTube,  nobody has mentioned if their Mesh worked while connected, or whether the Packtalk will pair with a Freewire.   :doh: 

FurryOne

Someone has answered a question on Amazon's Q&A section stating that The Cardo Pactalk will not pair with the Sena Freewire.

Prostar

Quote from: FurryOne on July 25, 2018, 08:52:39 AM
:emoGroan: I just got off the phone with Sena's "tech support" again trying to find out why their 30K headset won't go into mesh mode when connected to a WHiM.  It seems that even if you have a "ticket" for a problem, they don't ever get back to you via phone or email, so you have to keep calling them.  Of course, you get the same "phone-reps" that only know what they have in the answer books they're given.  This time I was told the 30K can only talk to the WHiM (bluetooth) or Mesh (WiFi), but not both at the same time.  When i pointed out that their Freewire was the same thing as the WHiM they stated that the same was true for the Freewire, which I know from experience is not true.  When I pressed to talk to someone higher up they said that their Supervisor said the same thing.  I requested a higher level tech support person, and while they took my phone number, I'm not holding my breath.

I've been following a thread on the Cardo Packtalk, and it seems that Cardo's supports much more responsive to questions, but while someone demonstrated a Packtalk pairing to a WHiM on YouTube,  nobody has mentioned if their Mesh worked while connected, or whether the Packtalk will pair with a Freewire.   :doh:

Guess what the 20S eco won't pair to whim and pair a second rider on a bike. the whim is crap

kd

If you do a google search WHIM Boombox you will find all sorts of "don't buy that proprietary system" comments. No Other manufacturer's systems properly pair to the WHIM. Seems pretty straight forward.  I was looking for a Bluetooth option and I know which one it won't be.  I can't stand companies that prevent you from making your own chaises and trap you into their's by not being open and forthright.
KD