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[erniezap]

Anyone out there using the "hawg-wired" amp with the SEEG radio?  I'd like to hear some feedback before spending $500-600

[Twolanerider]

Anyone out there using the "hawg-wired" amp with the SEEG radio?  I'd like to hear some feedback before spending $500-600

Ernie, I've been looking at it for the last couple of days.  Because of the price was just wanting to do all the homework though.  Unless you've noticed something I have not it seems like a perfect, albeit expensive, solution to the audio deficiency problem.

The 06 radio is 40 watt RMS internal (20 per side).  The 04 and 05 radio is 60 watt.  The Hawg Wired unit is 75 watts per side and it's a class T full digital unit.  So there is no heat issue.

The outboard amp of course means it's not a cumulative total.  Your only amplification is the external amp because we're no longer loading the internal amp.  But still, 150 watts total should just about knock my wide butt off the saddle.  The 75 watt per side spec is for 4 ohm speakers.  If you were using 2 ohm it'd be up somewhere north of 125.  But there'll be a problem there.  According to their spec's the amp is only stable to about 70-75 watts.  In that range distortion is .005%.  And that is, effectively, no distortion.  But above 110 watts or so it jumps to 10% or higher; and that means your previously clear water is suddenly all milky.

Given those specs and the effect that even 75 watts per side will do I'd just stay with the HogTunes standard 4 ohm speakers and not even worry about the new 2 ohm when they come out if I were an 06 rider.  For anyone else you'd just want the good set of 4 ohm speakers you likely have already upgraded to (since our stock speakers were such total crap).  

The installation looks straighforward too.  Everything lives inside the fairing except for one heavier gauge power feed to the amp's power unit.  That feed comes straight from the battery (it takes a second switched power feed from the cig ligher source to actually turn the unit on and off).  Since it's a digital unit the total draw from the battery is very light too.  No worry about overloading the charging the system like we might with a "normal" car audio amp.

I'm actually going to order their setup on Monday.  Have been swapping emails nailing down spec's with someone there for a couple of days and it seems an ideal solution that is actually specifically designed for our bikes and well designed to boot.  The proof of the pudding will of course always be in the eating.  But they have designed harnesses made for our applications.  They've got bracketry that is actually designed to mount the bits inside our fairings.  And they've got an amp system that (if it meets its specs) should give us sound we can't generate road noise to get past.

On top of all that the main parts are red.  The perfect color for an SE Electra Glide.

[h2oski]

Twolanerider,
I have been looking for an amp for my bike for a few months now and hadn't come across anything in my internet searching.  This amp setup is exactly what I have been looking for.  I am running JL Audio VR525 CXI speakers in my bike now and they are crystal clear to full volume, but they are still a little hard to hear when I am blasting down the interstate.  If I could boost the power up from the stock radio I think they would be perfect.  

Did you order the amp from Hawg Wired?  I spent a couple of days looking through the website and am seriously considering getting it.  I will probably be waiting till spring to do it.  Let us know what you think once you get it installed.

Later

h2oski

[Twolanerider]

Twolanerider,
I have been looking for an amp for my bike for a few months now and hadn't come across anything in my internet searching.  This amp setup is exactly what I have been looking for.  I am running JL Audio VR525 CXI speakers in my bike now and they are crystal clear to full volume, but they are still a little hard to hear when I am blasting down the interstate.  If I could boost the power up from the stock radio I think they would be perfect.  

Did you order the amp from Hawg Wired?  I spent a couple of days looking through the website and am seriously considering getting it.  I will probably be waiting till spring to do it.  Let us know what you think once you get it installed.

Later

h2oski

Water,
I did order the amp.  Swapped a bunch of emails with a very helpful rep there named Paul.  Even when I was choosing to be purposefully dumb (as opposed to normally dumb) to make sure I was getting answers out of the company they were just very helpful.  The spec's on the unit seem great for our applications.  That it's actually engineered to mount in our applications is what makes it ideal.

Ernie on the site here is also interested.  I broached the topic of a group purchase for some discount with the supplier but haven't gotten an answer back yet.  Was hoping my order would sort of lead the pack on a prospective group.  In any case I guess I can be the guinea pig for installation.

Should have the parts in hand here tomorrow or Friday.  Plan on installing Saturday.  Will let you know how it goes and if ti works as well as anticipated.  Will also post here any response for interested parties that they give on a group purchase discount.

[Scooterman]

I did remember it was there (when I saw it on the new radio).  And had even fiddled with it once when I found it by accident.  When you do this one of the things you'll like is that a lot of system control is now much more easily and logically found.  It's a pretty cool radio actually.

Tom at Roeder's called me (unsolicited) yesterday to say that he had photocopied all the Advanced Audio section from an 06 bike's owner's manual and was mailing it to me.  Am wondering what's in there that I just haven't found yet.

Is there any way that you could scan those pages and email them to me so I can create a .pdf file.  I wonder if there would be a problem with me making this .pdf available to everyone on the forum.
My Email Address:
np77445-scooterman@yahoo.com

[Twolanerider]

SM, sorry; but no scanner right now.  It died.

[Twolanerider]

A couple of guys earlier in this thread and a couple more in PM had expressed interest in the Hawg Wired amplifier kit.  Kit and its installation are here:

http://flhrsei.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1131935924/0

[w4ptt]

After reading this post from last year of several guys installing the HK radio in there CVOs with success I decided to buy an HK radio and put it in my 2005 EGlide. It plugged in fine, plays FM/CD and the hand controls work but every few seconds it beeps several times. I took it to the dealer and they could not see a radio hooked up with the digital technician. I spoke with Tom at Roeders and he said they quit doing the mods because of screens going out. I later found out this was an issue for everyone including the new bikes that a software upgrade later fixed. I assume I will need a doner bike of an 06/07 ECM and then stick it back in my bike. Does anyone know a solution? I dont care about any of the other features, just want the beeping to go away.

[Twolanerider]

After reading this post from last year of several guys installing the HK radio in there CVOs with success I decided to buy an HK radio and put it in my 2005 EGlide. It plugged in fine, plays FM/CD and the hand controls work but every few seconds it beeps several times. I took it to the dealer and they could not see a radio hooked up with the digital technician. I spoke with Tom at Roeders and he said they quit doing the mods because of screens going out. I later found out this was an issue for everyone including the new bikes that a software upgrade later fixed. I assume I will need a doner bike of an 06/07 ECM and then stick it back in my bike. Does anyone know a solution? I dont care about any of the other features, just want the beeping to go away.

The screens weren't really the issue.  Or at least not the most difficult to manage part of it.  

As you've already seen the Harmon Kardon radios will bolt right in to our bikes.  Harnesses connect.  Sounds plays (assuming you swap to the correct speaker plugs in the stock harness).  All is good with the world.

Except for the noise.

That's actually a software issue in the radio's base firmware.  Not the section of the radio updated by the regular firmware updates available from the Advanced Audio website. But another firmware code in the radio.  That's the software that makes the radios ostensibly incompatible with the earlier model bikes.  

[pj57]

Don - since my install of the HK system, I have not had any problems.  I think I've done one software upgrade, but left it alone after that since the radio worked just fine.  This is the first I've heard of others doing the retrofit experiencing "beeping."  I installed the CB (minor wiring + dash speaker switch) and GPS (plug-in) modules and they work just fine.  I just bought a blue tooth off of Ebay really cheap, so I suppose that will be my winter project.  I know I'm going to be screwed if the radio ever goes belly-up since Roeders isn't downloading whatever base operating software they used to make HK compatible with old wiring...yikes - PJ

[hogasm]

pj57

Did you take any pisc of installing the CB [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

My winter project is this install with a few others [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif]

[pj57]

Hogasm - sorry I didnt take any pics.  Here's what you'll need to complete the install: 77173-06 Switch Kit which will include the replacement switches for the handlebar controls (PTT, etc) and the dash mounted speaker switch (which will require some minor solder connections); 77136-03 Console Pod Assembly (primarily for the cable that links the plug in CB mike to the HK central wiring harness under the fairing and a CB antenna.  Since the SEEG's Tour Pak is only drilled for one antenna (for the radio) you'll have to either a) drill a hole for the CB antenna on the other side of the tour pak or b) use a hidden radio antenna of some sort (inexpensive Tune Trapper has worked well for me and others) and use the exisiting hole in the tour pak for the CB antenna (it's an exact fit for the CB antenna swap by the way).  I'll copy the necessary pages out of the Touring Model Service manual for the speaker wiring connections as it is universal for all models.  The install was tedious, but not rediculous.  Rewiring the handlebars is never fun.  Also I fabricated my existing chrome tank console to accept the micorphone plug (drilled hole on the left side of the console).  My bike is in the shop right now otherwise I'd go out and shoot some pics.  PM me if you have any questions as you're moving forward with the project.  Regards, PJ

[Twolanerider]

Don - since my install of the HK system, I have not had any problems.  I think I've done one software upgrade, but left it alone after that since the radio worked just fine.  This is the first I've heard of others doing the retrofit experiencing "beeping."  I installed the CB (minor wiring + dash speaker switch) and GPS (plug-in) modules and they work just fine.  I just bought a blue tooth off of Ebay really cheap, so I suppose that will be my winter project.  I know I'm going to be screwed if the radio ever goes belly-up since Roeders isn't downloading whatever base operating software they used to make HK compatible with old wiring...yikes - PJ

PJ, the beeping (or however you describe it) is the sound you would have had to begin with if you'd plugged in the stock speaker wires instead of the wires from the amplified harness.  But when you're radio went to Roeder's that software load fixed all our problems.

You went ahead and then did a lot more with your system than I ever chose to do.  So if a radio goes down you're in even deeper than I am.  If that ever happens though give me a shout.  Our first option is simply getting our radio repaired.  So long as that base firmware module (or more accurately the board it's on) doesn't have to be replaced we're still good to go.

If we lose that, however, I've got a duplicate of that original program that would work with our original revision.  So if we got an original OE replacement we could still make it work (ours are the same vintage).  Worst case is hacking one from scratch.  Having see how Roeder's did I did it one time later.  Took me a LONG time.  Would not look forward to doing it again.  And on a new upgrade would look at the Sony swap instead.  But it's the last ditch option should we ever need to.

[Twolanerider]

pj57

Did you take any pisc of installing the CB [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

My winter project is this install with a few others [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif]

Brian, don't start buying a bunch of parts for this until you are sure you can get a radio that has been revised to work with the older bikes.

[crshnbrn]

w4ptt,

Have you gotten your beeping issue resolved?