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+--- Forum: RADIO, CB, SOUND SYSTEM (http://www.gl1200goldwings.com/gl1200/forumdisplay.php?fid=19)
+--- Thread: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... (/showthread.php?tid=3763)
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - SIR tricky - 12-03-2008
There is a phone number on their website
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 12-03-2008
When I was having problems with mine, it turned out to be a short in the CB. I bypassed it and the problem with the radio went away. Might not help you but it solved my problem which means the prob was never in the radio but that's where it showed up. :roll:
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - B.Bolding - 12-03-2008
There is a filler for when the radio is removed, maybe for security reasons or whatever. It came with the bike when it was new.
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 12-05-2008
USAF85aspencade Wrote:Sierra still has not given me a call or an email back yet... I dont think they like me very much.
Sir tricky, I gave them a call... I was told that they would "get back to me" about my "issue" lol
I am annoying with my emails too, and all i got was a "thanks" for contacting
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 01-15-2009
Well you are not alone............My Radio (RM-1200) started doing the exact same thing. Plays for a while then goes instantly quiet. I can just barely hear it through the speaker as long as the volume is WAY up and the bike isn't running. Way quieter than the mute button will make it. I looked at other posts for suggestions and tried the contact cleaner trick. I opened the radio up and hosed eveything down very well, cycled all the switches, cleaned and spread all the contacts on the back of the radio and mount. I even pollished out the cloudy lens over the frequency display with aluminum polish (which worked awsome by the way). Put it all back together and WALAH........ same problem. Radio plays for a bit then goes quiet. Cycle the AM/FM switch and it plays again. Sometimes for 1-2 seconds, sometimes all day and everything in between. I am at a loss. I really try to fix everything myself, but I guess I will swallow my pride and give Sierra a try.
I will post when I have a resolution.
Bob
85 LTD
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 01-28-2009
Sierra called today and said they had been playing the radio for 2 days and it was working fine (figures). They will go ahead and fix the cassette player and send it back to me. If the radio still does the same thing, then the problem must be in the power amplifier. The tech from Sierra said that they service the amps as well, so if the radio still acts up after I get it back, I will send them the amp.
The fee for the repair that they did do was $100.00 including shipping. Not a bad deal and cheaper than buying another radio just to find out that the problem was in the amp. I needed to get the cassette fixed anyway.
Bob
85 LTD
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Ed Z - 01-29-2009
I wonder if they would be willing to hang onto the radio until you send them the amp... That way they could possibly put the two of them together and try them... Did you ask if they had some sort of vibration test for the radio.??
I had a problem with my system when I first got the bike... Through testing I was able to find the problem to be in the head set plug (drivers)... The ground wire had frayed and was intermittently touching other terminals within the plug... The plug can be disassembled and checked rather easily... The hard part was getting the rubber boot to slide off... A bit of heat shrink on the ground (shield wire) cured the problem... Been just fine ever since...
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 01-30-2009
Don't think vibration is the issue since it acts up when I am not even riding the bike. I listen to the radio on the bike from time to time while I am working on other projects in my shop and it acts up without being running.
Didn't think to ask if they would hold on to the radio while I sent them the amp. In hind sight that would have been the smart thing to do, but the radio is already on the way back. I will try it and if it still acts up, I will just send them the amp. Couldn't hurt to have them check it out anyway.
Good idea on the headset wire. Certainly worth looking at. I still think it is likely something in the radio or amp since I can tempoarily correct the problem by cycling the power switch or the AM/FM switch.
Bob
85 LTD
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 01-31-2009
well for lack of a better wording... thats great that you have the same problem. That just means I am not insane...
I had a feeling it was the amp, BUT what i really needed was for someone to lend me their radio to make sure of that conclusion. It still does it, sometimes when it gets really humid outside it works for almost 20 mins. ** I get excited about it cant you tell**
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 02-07-2009
Got the radio back from Sierra and so far it has not acted up. It has been warm enough in the last couple of days that I have been able to get a couple of hours riding in and so far it is working fine. Maybe there was something with the cassette deck problem that was causing the radio to screw up. Or maybe they accidently fixed whatever was wrong with the radio while repairing the cassette deck. Who knows...........
I am still reserving judgment unil I get some more playing time, but so far, so good.
By the way, while the radio was out, I performed a speakeroptamy on my J&M headset helmet speakers. I have always been disappointed with the sound quality of the helmet speakers when playing music. Always sounded like I was listening to an old transistor radio with an earpeice. Anyhow, I went to Radio Shack and bought a set of Koss headphones for $29.95, disassembled them and replaced the J&M speakers with the Koss. WOW!!!!! What a difference. Best $30 I ever spent. If you try it, make sure you solder the headset wires directly to the Koss speakers. The wires are much to small and fragile to try and splice.
Bob
85 LTD
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 02-07-2009
Lemonator Wrote:tried the contact cleaner trick. I opened the radio up and hosed eveything down very well, cycled all the switches, cleaned and spread all the contacts on the back of the radio and mount. Cycle the AM/FM switch and it plays again. Sometimes for 1-2 seconds, sometimes all day and everything in between. Bob 85 LTDSounds like you probably fixed it before you sent it out, if they did no repair to the radio. Cycling the switch would indicate an internal problem with the switch contacts.......that you cleaned. Ya gotta love/hate electrical problems. They're satisfying when you find the problem and fix it, they're frustrating when you can't find the problem, and very mysterious when they fix themselves. You never know when they're going to "unfix". Keeping my fingers crossed.
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Ed Z - 02-08-2009
Glad to hear the problem is fixed... One thought I had was that I belive they spray contact cleaner on all the potentiometers... Could it be possible that all the problem was just a dirty volume control switch.???
If it ever comes back you might consider a test that I find to work (sometimes anyways)... It's called the wiggle test, where you grab onto and wiggle wires, switches, conectors, etc until you can cause the probelm to happen... Might try pushing the volume switch in and out several times as well (or just tapping on it)... Just a thought...
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 02-09-2009
Ed Z Wrote:One thought I had was that I believe they spray contact cleaner on all the potentiometers... Could it be possible that all the problem was just a dirty volume control switch.???
If it ever comes back you might consider a test that I find to work (sometimes anyways)... It's called the wiggle test, where you grab onto and wiggle wires, switches, connectors, etc until you can cause the problem to happen... Might try pushing the volume switch in and out several times as well (or just tapping on it)... Just a thought...
I have done all of the above, wiggles, taps, and bangs (yes bangs, I got mad okay!) Anyway... No result. No replication.
Its not the vibration at all... for sure... It does it sitting on the center stand in the garage. I took it apart and cleaned and greased all the contacts in the wiring. NOTHING IS FRUSTRATING ME MORE!!! not even my 82 Yamaha vision project could frustrate me more!!!
Someone close to me please send me their radio for a day, so I can check this bad boy out!
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - SIR tricky - 02-09-2009
Maybe you should bite the bullet and send your radio to Sierra.
If there is anything wrong with it they will find it and fix it.
If not, then a good clean wont do it any harm.
At least then you can go look elswhere for the problem.
Re: Radio audio problem... normal then insanely quiet... - Guest - 02-10-2009
USAF85aspencade, give me a shout sometime. I live in Seguin. You are more than welcome to try mine out. Not sure what model ypu have, but mine is an RM1200 and should work well enough to test the amp out.
Bob
85 LTD
830-305-0056