Need help with set up of Garmin XT2 to wired headsets

[DD 214]

Hello, fellow riders! I am brand new to this site. Glad I found it. There is a plethora of (mostly) useful information here
I have a 2002 1800 which I just got back from the shop after getting broadsided in May. We were not hurt, but the bike sure needed work. My old GPS was a Garmin Zumo 665. It served its purpose very well. And NOW..... I found out that the XT2 doesn't have Sirius XM capability built in, as did the 665.
I definitely AM NOT electronically knowledgeable. I found the thread which was primarily between Auburn, Shawn K, and Eric V from April 2012. It seems to have the answers I need, but I understand none of it. Here's what I want:
I DO NOT want to switch to Bluetooth. I want all my audio to go through the stock, wired Goldwing setup. I am using one older JMC headset (with the 90-degree plug-in cord next to the helmet) and a new JMC Elite 801 on the other. I do not need to communicate with other riders. I don't ever want to make/receive phone calls while riding. I don't have/want radar. I don't need/want voice activated commands for GPS/phone, etc. All I want is 1) to be able to talk with my passenger 2) both of us listen to Sirius XM through the headsets...or some other subscription that is essentially the same - I am familiar with Sirius, so it would be easiest, I think 3) receive my audio instructions from the GPS through the headset That's it. Basic, through-the-headset radio, comm, GPS.
When they were doing the repairs after the accident, I had them install an auxiliary power supply, AKA "cigarette lighter" into the left dashboard pocket. I have a small plug-in adapter which converts that to a USB charging port. So I can keep my phone right there, in the pocket, plugged in whenever the bike is running, within "communicating distance" from the GPS, and I don't have to worry about batteries going dead. It is set up for ignition only power; I won't ever need to use it when the engine is turned off.
I am in Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. I will be riding the "middle" route (I-70) to the west coast in late September. I have enough time to dial this all in before the ride. But I need someone locally who can A) decipher all the electronic jargon that I'm sure I'll be getting in response, and B) someone who can install it! First things first; your input is greatly appreciated. ALSO......
When the new pocket was installed on the left side of the dash, it didn't come with the cover/door. And I can't find one. There are several dealers around who SAID they have them in stock. They were ordered and shipped. But, they were the wrong door. Apparently - and Honda has been made aware of this - the part number on the packaging matches the door that I need, but the door that is INSIDE the package is incorrect. So, I need that door. It is flat on top & bottom, and it has two slots that the hinges (which are installed on the pocket itself) click into. Honda part #64425-MCA-000. Fitment is 2001 - 2005. I'm hoping someone in the IBA can help me out.
I look forward to being a part of this organization. Thanks!

 

[EricV]

Garmin seems to imply that you can pair the GPS to the phone to control your music on the phone from the GPS. But not to send turn by turn through the phone.

What you appear to need is a bluetooth receiver dongle that plugs into the GL1800's system and pairs with the Garmin XT2 GPS. LINK You need to figure out where to plug it into the bike's system, then pair the XT2 with the dongle, NOT with the phone.

 

[Auburn]

Garmin seems to imply that you can pair the GPS to the phone to control your music on the phone from the GPS. But not to send turn by turn through the phone.

What you appear to need is a bluetooth receiver dongle that plugs into the GL1800's system and pairs with the Garmin XT2 GPS. LINK You need to figure out where to plug it into the bike's system, then pair the XT2 with the dongle, NOT with the phone.

It will need to go into the Aux input (3.5 mm input jack -optional cable for goldwing that goes under the left pocket)

 

[DD 214]

But from what you're saying, it still won't accomplish my three goals. I don't need voice access to phone/music/GPS...anything. I just need music, comm, and GPS audio through my headsets. I will never EVER want to make or answer calls while I am riding.
There is a thread from April 2021 where Eric and Auburn and one other guy I can't remember - has a goofy duck as his photo - pretty much answered this question, but I did not understand all the electronic jargon.
As it stands, I now have the USB outlet - for charging - in my new left pocket. This way, I don't ever have to worry about batteries going dead, because the GPS is on ONLY when the bike is running (ignition dependent, or whatever it's called). The phone will be in the new left pocket, plugged in to the USB port (which is also hot ONLY when the bike is running), so I don't have to worry about depleting the phone battery. My feeling is (in my ignorance) that there MUST BE a simple way to create music, comm, and GPS instructions coming through the headsets....really. I believe.

 

[DD 214]

And, by the way...."dongle"? Really? Who dreams up this stuff? It's like I'm adding some kind of pornographic device to my motorcycle!!

 

[Auburn]

But from what you're saying, it still won't accomplish my three goals. I don't need voice access to phone/music/GPS...anything. I just need music, comm, and GPS audio through my headsets. I will never EVER want to make or answer calls while I am riding.
There is a thread from April 2021 where Eric and Auburn and one other guy I can't remember - has a goofy duck as his photo - pretty much answered this question, but I did not understand all the electronic jargon.
As it stands, I now have the USB outlet - for charging - in my new left pocket. This way, I don't ever have to worry about batteries going dead, because the GPS is on ONLY when the bike is running (ignition dependent, or whatever it's called). The phone will be in the new left pocket, plugged in to the USB port (which is also hot ONLY when the bike is running), so I don't have to worry about depleting the phone battery. My feeling is (in my ignorance) that there MUST BE a simple way to create music, comm, and GPS instructions coming through the headsets....really. I believe.

The problem is the XT2 doesn't have a 3.5mm output jack. Anything you do is a work around for the XT2 (or XT) to get sound to the bike. I don't know if the XT2 has a built-in speaker like the XT does. I modified my XT when I had one it add a 3.5mm female jack that was connected to the speaker wires on the XT. then I plugged the XT into my Kennedy Electronics harness which put the sound into the bikes intercom system. The is the best way I know of to be able to do what you want. Nothing will be easy as the switch to wireless continues by the electronics industry.

 

[EricV]

@DD 214 - Forget about the phone. We don't care, you don't care. Plug it in so it will stay charged, if that's what you want to do with the USB port.

There is a simple way, and I just told you what it was. The BT receiving dongle does one thing, brings your GPS to the bike. The GPS doesn't have an audio out socket. The only way you will get the GPS to the bike is via bluetooth. Since your headsets are wired to the bike, you need to transmit the GPS stuff to the Bike. That's what the dongle does, acts as a go-between the GPS and the bike.

It sounds like you want to charge the GPS with the USB in the pocket. You are far better off hardwiring the GPS to a switched circuit on the bike, (or a powered mount if they offer one), even that same power port in the glove box, but not using the plug.

You shouldn't need to plug your phone in unless it's low on charge. Most phones easily last over a day unless you're using them a lot, streaming music, watching videos, I.E. things you don't do.

This BT receiver plugs into the USB port for it's power, (otherwise you would need a power source for the dongle or to charge it when needed), and the 3.5mm jack plugs into the Wing's Aux input jack. That's about as seamless and compact as you will get.

 

[DD 214]

"You shouldn't need to plug your phone in unless it's low on charge. Most phones easily last over a day unless you're using them a lot, streaming music, watching videos, I.E. things you don't do."
When I purchased the GPS, the salesman In Arizona told me that he has the same unit on his bike. And in order to get music via the GPS, I have to get some kind of app on the PHONE, and then pair the phone to the GPS - wireless - and I can then operate whatever music I want - such as Sirius XM or some other service - through the GPS. So, yes, I WILL be using the phone all day long to stream music to the GPS, if this is indeed how it has to be done. That is why I had the USB port installed in the pocket. It is close enough to the GPS - what, 10" maybe? - so there won't be any connectivity issues between the phone and the GPS. And yes, the GPS is already hardwired to the bike's electrical system with one of those ball mounts attached to the left handlebar. I don't need the USB for the GPS. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
So, if I get the dongle, it has to be plugged into the Aux input jack, which is something additional I need to buy? There isn't an Aux 3.5mm jack already there? Auburn, you said it is an OPTIONAL cable that goes under the left pocket. Do you mean inside the pocket, or UNDER the pocket? Because if it's under, won't that mean it's inaccessible? If it needs to be charged (it is battery operated, right?) how is that accomplished? I bought one of those adapters that plugs into the "cigarette lighter" power plug which was installed in the new pocket. That adapter has two USB ports. So I could keep the phone and the dongle plugged into that adapter while driving, eliminating the need to recharge batteries on either unit. But then, how do I plug the dongle into the Aux jack, if its plugged into the USB port?
And yes, the XT2 does have external speaker(s), but obviously I can't hear anything because I have my helmet on.
Is there an issue with having the phone and the dongle right next to each other? My old Zumo (the 665) had to have one of those hockey puck looking antennas for the built-in Sirius XM, but it had to be mounted on the RIGHT handlebar so that it wouldn't be too close to the GPS unit.

 

[EricV]

Ok, let's back up a bit here.

You can already talk to your passenger with what you currently have, correct?

You want to listen to music and hear the GPS turn by turn audio prompts.

You no longer have a SiriusXM receiver on the bike. So you will need to download the Siriusxm, (SXM), app to your phone in order to listen to Siriusxm or purchase a new Siriusxm receiver of some kind. I have no knowledge of their subscriptions and if your current subscription allows that or if you would need to upgrade to their Platinum. They do offer a free trial - LINK I suspect a call to the Siriusxm customer service would be helpful.

Now keep in mind that the dongle receiver I linked to will pair with multiple devices. It may allow you to pair with the GPS and the phone. Some receivers will support two simultaneous connections from Bluetooth devices, one for a cellphone profile (HFP) and one for media streaming profile (A2DP). The GPS is typically connected with the A2DP profile.

Ok, so you want the phone powered via the USB adapter. Great that you don't need to power the GPS via the USB in the pocket. That leaves the other USB port open for the receiver dongle, (which gives it power), and you just need to plug the dongle's 3.5mm male plug into a female jack connected to the Wing's existing audio aux line.

You could use an inexpensive cable like THIS that is intended to plug into a phone's headphone jack and a female to female adapter to turn that into a female port for the dongle.

It's been far too long since I played with a GL1800. The wife had two, an '02 and an '06. IIRC, she had the Kennedy harness that Auburn mentions, (which is an aftermarket part, from a company that I don't think sells them any more). Regardless, you need to figure out if your bike has an Aux input jack. It should be a female 3.5mm jack. If it doesn't have that, then it still should have the three prong plastic connector to mate with the one shown in the cable link above. (the white connector in the pic shown below should plug into a mating one on the bike's original harness)

Then you can just add the stereo female/female adapter to allow the BT receiver dongle to plug in.

Now, you have your phone powered by the bike at the USB socket in the pocket. You're getting music from Siriusxm on the phone app, but it's audio is not going to the bike's comm system yet.

You've got the GPS in it's mount, powered by the bike, but you're not getting it's audio is not going to the bike's comm system yet.

This is where the BT receiver dongle comes in. Plugging it into the second USB port in the pocket, AND plugging it's 3.5mm male plug into the new aux audio plug with the female/female adapter, THEN pairing both the phone and GPS to the dongle, finishes the connections to the bike's comm system and allows both music from the phone and audio instructions from the GPS to connect to the bike's comm system.

In theory, the GPS will override the music when you get a GPS command. In practice, I simply don't know what will happen. These are not OEM Honda systems.

This might help and be an easier method. It shows a BT dongle that plugs directly into the '01-'17 GL1800's three pin connector that is located under the left pocket, and the video walks you through the entire thing. I don't know how you would then connect the GPS audio. Perhaps by pairing the GPS to the phone?

 

[DD 214]

Okay! That definitely gives me something to work with. I'll call my guy on Monday and see if he can do it. Thanks for your help!

 

[Gatey]

Its pretty good to have access to this level of knowledge and generosity.

 

[Sportsterpaul]

Much of the talent on this site is priceless!

 

[DD 214]

Follow-up on the install of the XT2 and associated electronics:
I finally got it all figured out. Even the tech guy at the motorcycle shop(s) couldn't figure out how to make this work. But you guys did it!!
I ended up getting the Firefly dongle - as suggested - which supports multiple devices, BUT NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY. It remembers up to 8 devices, but will work with only one at a time. I found the audio input cable online from a place in China for only $6....I had to wait about two weeks to receive it, but ordering one from a US source would have cost about $35 (definitely worth the wait!) Then I purchased a female-to-female adapter, but instead of the one pictured in the post from Eric V, I got one that is a cable with the adapters at either end. It is short (only about 18") but that gave me a little "wiggle room" to lay out the cables in the left pocket because I needed room for my phone.
The audio input was located in the electric loom under the left pocket. I had to pull back the protective rubber housing to get to it, but after I located it, the rest was straightforward. The pocket has a hole pre-drilled specifically to allow the addition of cables through to the interior of the pocket.
So, the hard part was this: as it turns out, you do NOT want the phone and the GPS both paired with the dongle. The dongle will not operate both at the same time. More importantly, however, is that the GPS MUST BE PAIRED WITH THE DONGLE FIRST. I found this out by a LOT of trial and error. Keep the phone AWAY from the bike while doing this. In fact, I turned the phone OFF so that the GPS and dongle wouldn't try to pair with it. Another discovery is that the GPS will NOT read the Firefly as an "accessory". It reads the dongle as a HEADSET. And it does not show up on the GPS screen as a Tunai firefly. When I first - mistakenly - paired the phone with the dongle, the phone read it as a Tunai device. But the GPS, since you are pairing it as a "headset" read the dongle as "Aj99d44DL22" or some such random alpha numeric ID. But it worked.
THEN I paired the phone to the GPS, while I had the GPS off its mount, inside the house, using battery mode so that the GPS was disconnected from the dongle. Whew!
I ended up getting a Pandora subscription, which is free for 60 days and added that app to the phone. Now, I just pick the station/genre I want to listen to, make it "GO" on the phone, and the GPS successfully sends it through to my wired headsets. I also receive all my turn-by-turn instructions from the GPS over the headset, and the sound is delicious!
The only negative is that I cannot control changing stations from the GPS. I have to do that on the phone, which obviously means that I am limited to doing that only while I am stopped, since the phone is in the pocket. I don't know why, and at this point it really doesn't matter. I may play with it more while on the trip, or just wait 'til I get home. But that is a small price to pay. I am VERY happy with the way it turned out.
Thank you all for your help. It is truly a valuable resource, and I am now enjoying my X-country ride with music and GPS just the way I wanted!!

 

[EricV]

Glad to hear you got it sorted for your trip. Have a great ride!

 

[Pappy35]

<snip> dongle <snip>

Heh...heh...heh...you said "dongle."

 

[DD 214]

Heh...heh...heh...you said "dongle."

Yes...and I'm still blushing.

 

[rneal55555]

I use my phone for audio (Sirius/XM and Iheart) and also run Google maps on it. I have it mounted on my left handle bar with a wireless charger.

 

[DD 214]

Since my setup is wired, NOT wireless, I set it up this way specifically so that I could use the wired headsets.
I have a GPS, and I specifically did not want to use my phone as GPS.
I just left the Grand Canyon where I spent 4 days with no electricity, no WiFi, no cell service. I didn't want to use a charger which needs to be charged itself (or batteries changed), nor did I want to convert to wireless. So, with help from these guys (above) I figured it out (Hooray!!).
I'm glad that your system works for you. Perhaps others with the same - or similar - make/model will find that information helpful.

 

[Stephen!]

Heh...heh...heh...you said "dongle."

The ongle of the dongle is inversely...

Nahh. Just does not work as well as the original...

 

[rneal55555]

Since my setup is wired, NOT wireless, I set it up this way specifically so that I could use the wired headsets.
I have a GPS, and I specifically did not want to use my phone as GPS.
I just left the Grand Canyon where I spent 4 days with no electricity, no WiFi, no cell service. I didn't want to use a charger which needs to be charged itself (or batteries changed), nor did I want to convert to wireless. So, with help from these guys (above) I figured it out (Hooray!!).
I'm glad that your system works for you. Perhaps others with the same - or similar - make/model will find that information helpful.

What I meant to point out is if the phone was in a mount not the pocket you could easily change the audio to a something different on the fly.