2.) Will XM satellite receivers work with the Mix-It?

Yes! This is a very popular use for the Mix-It. Due to design limitations of satellite radio receivers, the output from these devices is not great enough to hear on a motorcycle. Indeed, people using them at home find they have to turn up the volume on their stereos much higher than they normally have to for other components such as CD players, tape decks, VCR's, etc. Also, satellite radio receivers typically do not have volume controls built in! They do offer a few settings for output level via a menu, but even the maximum output level is not sufficient for bike use. Even though the satellite radio receivers are line-output devices, they work great with the Mix-It.
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3.) What devices work with the Mix-It?

The Mix-It has been used with numerous devices, really too many to list. The most popular items, and those I have used personally include: Apple iPod, Lyra MP3 player, Personal Music Jukebox, iRiver CD player, Sony cassette walkman, Sangean AM/FM radio, Valentine 1 radar detector, Escort Passport radar detector, Garmin StreetPilot III, Garmin 2610 GPS, etc.
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4.) What devices will work NOT with the Mix-It?

To date, the only devices that will not plug directly into the Mix-It and work are the Escort Passport 8500 and X50 radar detectors, and any talking Garmin GPS. Special cables are available so these devices can work properly with the Mix-It. Garmin GPS's require the PC-GPS isolation cable, Escort detectors require the PC-ISO cable. Refer to FAQ #10 for information on Passport detectors.
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5.) How is the Mix-It powered?

The Mix-It operates of a standard 9 volt battery, providing over 40 hours of use, or can be plugged into bike power using the included auto-adapter. When using the auto-adapter, you will likely need to install a noise filter to eliminate ignition noise coming from the bike's electrical system. The 12v jack in the Mix-It can accept a voltage input of 5v to 18v without the need for a voltage converter! To hard wire the Mix-It into your bike, cut the cigarette lighter plug off, wire the black wire with white trace to positive voltage, the solid black wire to ground, and you're done!
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6.) Why does the Mix-It require a noise filter when running off bike power?

Automobiles and motorcycles in general have very noisy power systems. Alternator whine, the firing of ignition coils, spark plug noise, etc all contribute to this noise. The Mix-It is a sensitive device and picks up, then amplifies this noise which results in a terrible sound in your headset. An ignition noise filter eliminates this noise and is easily installed by connecting three wires: one to the battery positive terminal, another to the bike ground, and the third to the positive power connector to your device. Several devices can be operated off a single noise filter as long as the total current draw does not exceed the rating of the noise filter (check filter ratings to determine their load). The Mix-It was not built with this noise reduction built into it because every music device I have pesonally tested
exhibits the same problem, and therefore also requires a noise filter if you plan to power it off the bike. It is redundant to install a noise filter to power music sources and the Mix-It, AND have a noise filter built into the Mix-It.
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7.) Why do Escort detectors require a different cable than the Valentine One?

The Valentine One audio break-out box has a headphone jack that is a stereo output and uses a 3.5mm stereo jack. Escort detectors (all models) are monaural output and thus require a mono to stereo adapter cable.
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8.) Why do the Garmin GPS units require a special cable?

Garmin GPS units use a bridged amplifier output. Most devices use singled ended amplifiers, which means one conductor is ground, the other(s) provide the actual signal. In a bridged amplifier, there is no ground reference, both pins provide signal. Should a bridged amp be connected to a singled ended input, one pin will be grounded and will prevent the amplifier from working properly. The special cable (PC-GPS) isolates the grounds between the GPS and the Mix-It but allows the AC signal to pass through to the Mix-It's circuits, allowing you to hear the GPS normally.
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9.) What kinds of earphones or speakers do you recommend?

I have tried numerous types of helmet speakers and earbuds and have found three that are worth considering: "The Plug" by Koss, Etymotic ER-6's and custom made earphones.

The Plug is a nice, inexpensive earphone with excellent sound a decent isolation from environmental noise. Some riders complain about it's bulk, however, and that their helmet cushions push against it's body and into their ears causing pain after some time. I've modified a set of Koss Plugs by removing the back housing and gluing the cable to the exposed speaker and found it quite comfortable.

The ER-6's are more expensive, have excellent frequency response, and superior comfort. They are THE tops in earphones providing excellent music reproduction in addition to excellent noise isolation better than most earplugs. They are definitely worth the expense. The newer ER6i earphones offer the same features as the ER6, with a few additions: the new three flange tip offers greater (28dB) noise reduction over the ER6, they were designed to have greater bass reponse (though in my trials the sound overall just seems a little louder) and the tip is a little more firm than the ER6, which may cause some discomfort in sensitive ears.

Custom earphones are THE Rolls Royce of earphones for riders. They require an impression be made of your ear by a hearing professsional which is then sent in to be made into custom earphones. They are the most expensive solution, running typically $160, but are certain to be THE solution for comfort, sound quality, and durability. For those with sensitive ear canals, or oddly shaped ear canals, this may be the ONLY solution.

Helmet speakers: I've tried two kinds of helmet speakers and was extremely disappointed with the sound quality from either. I do not recommend them. I know riders who swear by them, but if you want the highest quality audio from your music sources, like I do, then earphones are the only option to consider. Even good helmet speakers will require the use of earplugs, which diminishes the frequency response of the audio. In addition, using earplugs will require additional amplification to the speakers, which typically results in distortion.
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10.) What are the issues using a Passport 8500 and X50 with the Mix-It?

The Passport 8500 and X50 use a bridged amp design, similar though not exactly like the Garmin SPIII. Customer response to the original Mix-It revealed that some Passport 8500's work fine with the Mix-It using just the mono to stereo cable supplied with the Mix-It Escort package (M1E) but others did not. Contact with Escort has revealed that they have a special Ground Loop Interrupt (GLI) cord available which allows the 8500 to work properly with ANY device. Escort has no idea why some of their detectors require this cable, and others do not. I believe there has been a design change, but they will neither confirm nor deny this. The Mix-It2 was designed to eliminate this issue altogether by building an isolation transformer into two monaural input jacks. All that is required to use an Escort with the Mix-It2 is a straight mono-mono 3.5mm patch cord. NO special cords are needed, which cannot be said of the competition!
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11.) Can I use my Garmin 276C with the Mix-It?

Yes! Garmin now makes a motorcycle kit for the 276C which provides power and a 2.5mm female headphone jack. The PC-GPS2 cable is all that is needed to use it with the Mix-It2, and a PC-GPS cable to use it with the original Mix-It. The cable that comes with the Garmin 276C can also be used by connecting the Audio + wire to the tip and ring connection of a standard 3.5mm stereo plug, available from Radio Shack. To the Audio - wire, connect a non-polarized .1uF capacitor (a tantalum capacitor works great) and then solder the other lead of the capacitor to the shield of the 3.5mm plug. That's it!
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12.) How do the ER-6i earphones compare to the ER-6 earphones?

I have not personally used the ER-6i earphones on a motorcycle ride yet, only working around in the yard mowing grass, so I cannot give a full report on them yet. Technically, they are noticeably louder than the ER-6 earphones, due to the enhanced frequency response curve, resulting in a bass boost. The three flange tip is a different material than the ER-6's use, and subsequently feel a little more firm. This may be an issue on longer trips, but I am not yet certain. They are a little more difficult to insert in the ear canal, but once inserted are noticeably more quiet than the ER-6 earphones. Comfort will be the deciding factor.

Since the summer of 2004, I have ridden several thousand miles now with the ER6i's and find them to be fairly comfortable. At times, such as allergy season when my ear canals are swollen, they are a little uncomfortable or will not seat correctly in my ears. In that case, I switch back to the ER6's which work great ALL the time. I will have a demo pair available for trial at rallies for anyone interested in trying them out.
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13.) What is a priority override?

A priority override is a special circuit associated with one of the inputs of a mixer which, when a signal on that input is present, mutes the other inputs giving this signal "priority". In some systems, the other signals are completely muted, some simply reduce the volume making the priority signal more prominent. Here is how it works: let's say you have a MP3 player, talking GPS and radar detector plugged into a priority mixer. The radar detector is plugged into the prioritized input. Normally, you would be listening to music, your GPS might announce directions once in a while, but when the detector produces an alert signal, the music and GPS are muted so you only hear the radar signal. When the radar signal stops, the music and GPS function again. It sounds very useful, doesn't it? I think so - in some instances. In the case of communications - either talking bike to bike, rider to passenger, or on a cell phone I think it's a terrific addition to have in a device because speech can so easily be drowned out by music or other audio sources. I felt this circuit was unnecessary in the original Mix-It, but so many customers requested the feature, it was added to the Mix-It2. By simply adjusting the audio levels of your GPS and radar detector to be a little louder than your music, it is very easy to discern the various audio devices without the need for additional and unnecessary circuitry that a) adds cost to the unit, and b) adds complexity to the operation.
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14.) What is a noise gate and why doesn't the Mix-It have one?

A noise gate is another special circuit that really acts as a filter. When an audio input contains a constant low level noise like a buzz, hum, or whatever, it can grow irritating to listen to. A noise gate mutes a noisy input at a preset threshhold level - just above the normal noise. When the incoming signal exceeds the threshhold, the gate opens and allows the signal AND noise to pass through. As an example, lets say you were playing a cassette tape and didn't like the background hiss. With a noise gate, during quiet passages or blank spots between songs, the noise gate would be "closed" and not allow sound to pass to your earphones. When a new song begins, the gate "opens" and allows the music and noise through. It's a cheap way of curing a noise problem without having to tackle why there is a noise problem! The Mix-It does not use noise gates simply because it does NOT have noise problems with the inputs! The amplifier itself produces some white noise, but that is the nature of amplifcation and cannot be eliminated without a more expensive amp design and added bulk.
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15.) Is the belt clip removeable?

The beltclip is a separate piece ultrasonically welded to the main body of the Mix-It. As such, it is not removeable. Should the beltclip interfere with installing the Mix-It in your particular setup, it can be permanently removed fairly easily. First, lift up on the end of the clip and break it off. The main body of the clip will remain intact. With a pair of needlenose pliers, grip either end of the clip and lift up and towards the center to break it off. Usually the whole body will come off. If not, repeat the process on the other side of the clip. If both sides are now broken off but the main portion remains, use the needlenose to grip it and give it a twist. This should break it free. When the clip is removed, there will be slight marks left on the case where the two parts were welded together, but they are minimal.
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16.) How do I use a Garmin Zumo with the Mix-It?

The Garmin Zumo and the 28xx series GPS units finally use standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jacks and have a standard line-out signal level which can be used with earphones, or to connect the Garmin unit to another device, such as the Mix-It. These Garmin units will prioritize the GPS prompts over the music when you are using the GPS for music playback (either the built-in XM radio, or MP3 feature). This means that when the GPS prompts you with voice guideance, it will mute the music so you only hear the voice prompt. So how do you use them with the Mix-It? There are basically two scenarios:

Scenario 1: You want to use the GPS and have the voice prompts override any other Mix-It input. In this setup, you will want to plug the GPS into the Mix-It2 (M2) priority input. The M2's priority input is mono, which means it is NOT conducive for music. If you wish to listen to music, you should have another device plugged into a stereo input on the M2 for that purpose. Your GPS plugs into the M2 priority input using a stereo cable. The voice prompt is a mono signal even though the GPS jack is stereo. You will hear the prompt in both ears.

Scenario 2: You want to use the GPS with or without music, but want another device to override it (a radar detector for example). In this case, you can use the GPS for music and voice guideance. Simply use a stereo patch cord to connect your GPS to a M2 stereo input, then plug in the device you wish to have priority into the M2 priority input.
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17.) Will Bluetooth(tm) be an added feature to the Mix-It?

Bluetooth is a wireless standard for connecting devices wirelessly. Bluetooth v1.x is widely used in cell phones, and now, some GPS devices. The most current standard is Bluetooth v2.0 and is the only version that supports stereo audio over Bluetooth. BT v2.0 is not widely used, and is very slowly being introduced into the market. No major manufacturer incorporates it into their MP3 players. The sole exception is the Apple iPhone, which preliminary specifications say will incorporate the BT 2.0 spec. Perhaps this is the shove needed to finally move this technology into the mainstream market. I have been keeping an eye of BT v2.0 for close to 2 years now, since the latest version was ratified. In that time, I have experimented with a few BT stereo headsets. They work nice, but are not a solution for use in helmets. I have explored buying BT chips to integrate it into the Mix-It. So far, I am not able to do so. I will keep monitoring BT development, though there are no plans to incorporate BT into the Mix-It in the near future.

Don't expect Bluetooth to be the 'revolution' you expect. Bluetooth receivers, in your helmet, will require batteries, and thus, require recharging. The more time you want the BT to be active, the larger, and heavier the battery pack will have to be. No matter how long the battery life is designed to be, 8 hours, 10 hours, 20 hours... someone will not be happy with it. Sure, a system can be designed to allow swapping battery packs, allowing "limitless" use. There will still be the need to stop, change cells, charge the dead sell, resync devices (you lost power, BT requires you to resync), etc. It will introduce new hassles.

It will never become a bike to bike communications solution, with a published 33 foot range, so don't even begin to think about that. Though it can work for passenger - rider communications, if you want to give up the link to your cell phone - because most current implementations of BT only allow one simultaneous connection (a few Garmin products allow 2 - one to your phone, the other to a BT receiver in your helmet). Any viable product will need to support two connections.

I estimate it will be the Summer of 2008 before we see viable solutions offering more than phone use in-helmet.

Update: June 29,2007 Sadly, the new iPhone from Apple, due out in only a few hours, will NOT support the A2DP bluetooth stereo protocol. This would have been a huge shot in the arm for Bluetooth and the push for stereo Bluetooth that we were hoping for.

18.) How to diagnose/troubleshoot noise issues.
Noise can arrise from a couple sources, the power connection, a ground loop, or RF induced. To begin to diagnose the source of the noise, disconnect all devices from the Mix-It2. Disconnect the bike power cord if you are using it and insert a 9V battery. With only a pair of headphones connected to the Mix-It2, turn it on and listen. Start the vehicle and listen. If you hear noise, it is RF induced because we are totally isolated from any device and power source. Often this may be caused by non-resistor spark plugs or spark plug wires, other electronics installed on the bike (including headlight modulators, any relay activated device, blinking light circuits, or even, though not common, the CANBUS system on some bikes). This is a difficult source of noise to eliminate, often requiring shielding of whatever is causing the noise, shielding the Mix-It2, or replacement of spark plugs or wires with resistor plugs and wires.

If you do not hear noise after that test the solution is often much simpler. The next step is to remove the 9V battery and plug the Mix-It2 into vehicle power. If you hear noise now, you have a particularly noisy ignition system and an additional, external ignition noise filter should cure the problem. This is not very common.

In the next test, the vehicle is running, the Mix-It2 is plugged into vehicle power and all is quiet. Now plug a device in and listen for noise. If you do not hear any, unplug it and plug another in. Continue until you hear noise, when you do this device is the culprit and likely needs either an ignition noise filter on its power supply, or an isolation cable because it is causing a ground loop (p/n PC-GPS and PC-ISO are examples of isolation cables I have available).

The final test, if all devices work fine individually is to plug them all in simultaneously to the Mix-It2. Likely, if you connect two stereo devices to the Mix-It2, that is when the noise will occur. This is due to a ground loop since the two stereo jacks share a common ground. The isolated mono inputs do not produce this problem because they are completely, electrically isolated. Plugging one of the devices into an isolated mono input should fix the problem.

If the solution does not present itself by following these steps, something else is wrong, or a step was followed incorrectly. Send me an Email and I'll help troubleshooot it with you.

19.) How to cure noise/crackling in the output jack.

I get many calls and Emails about a problem with the output jack "breaking up" "crackling" "disconnecting" being "noisy", or is "loose" etc. First, I should explain that the jacks I use are designated "rough duty" and all five are the same. As such, they have a slightly larger inner diameter which allows the plug to move about a bit. Where they differ is that instead of relying on just the spring tension of the metal contact fingers inside the jack, they add a spring to ensure a good contact with the plug and longer life. These jacks are sealed, there is nothing to gain by opening the Mix-It2 to gain access to the jacks.

Usually the thought is that the output jack is bad. Realisitically, this is often not the case. Instead, dirt is more likely the culprit and can easily be cleaned using a little ATF-4 (red automatic transmission fluid). As odd as this sounds, ATF has very good anti-corrosion additives and is terrific for cleaning electrical contacts. I use it on all the connectors on my motorcycle and it a) makes them easier to plug in and unplug and b) cleans the contacts and keeps them clean. Put a half drop or so in the jack, and work a plug in and out and around a couple times - that will clean the contacts up and usually cures the problem. This works 95% of the time. ALWAYS double check your wires and patch cords, they are the second next common fault when there are audio quality issues. As they flex and get moved/blown about, over time the fine wires inside them break and can cause crackling and choppy audio. If you wiggle a cord and it reproduces the problem you hear, its likely a bad cord or the jack it is plugged into is dirty. All the jacks, the four inputs and the output, are identical parts - there is nothing special about the output jack that it would fail any more so than an input jack. If the ATF fluid and a different patch cord do not solve your problem, please contact me and perhaps we can figure out another solution or arrange to have your Mix-It2 returned for inspection. I should note, only 1 in 20 (or so) Mix-It2's returned for a "bad output jack" actually have a bad output jack. They really do not fail often.