My adventures in F6B Audio Upgrade

[Jimmytee]

Ok and thanks, looks like you cut out a bigger hole the left (on picture) - but right side box as reference to the bike. Is that needed for wires to come out? Or was that a matter of preference?. Won't have 8bb till tomorrow

Yes the hole on the right is just a round one as it was and not big enough to fit the connectors through. I just used a dremmel wit a cutting wheel and squared out the hole. Easy Peasy.

[Jimmytee]

Yes the hole on the right is just a round one as it was and not big enough to fit the connectors through. I just used a dremmel wit a cutting wheel and squared out the hole. Easy Peasy.

Correction, the hole on the left as you stated.

[Papa Tater]

It's pretty simple. Just four wires tapped just before one of the plugs that used to plug into the "Audio Unit" Those four wires get wired in a circuit with some resistors and paralleled down to 2 wires that connect to the PAC adapter. Just some really simple soldering and heat shrink tubing. When you get the unit 8BB, I can walk you though it. I can post a schematic of the resistor circuit. Essentially the PAC is looking for a voltage drop (created by the resistors) for each button operation. I am only looking at 4 functions. So when the volume up button is pushed, one resistance/voltage drop and so on.

I did get the PMX 8BB , looks like I'm going to do the same and put it in the stock box where the stock audio unit was. Haven't got the PAC yet, but will be adding it soon. I would definately need the know what 4 wires to tap into. I'm running a few days behind here with other household projects, and hope to jump back on this - this week. Thanks Again for your help.

[Jimmytee]

I did get the PMX 8BB , looks like I'm going to do the same and put it in the stock box where the stock audio unit was. Haven't got the PAC yet, but will be adding it soon. I would definately need the know what 4 wires to tap into. I'm running a few days behind here with other household projects, and hope to jump back on this - this week. Thanks Again for your help.

No problem. will have to upload pictures to photobucket to put them on here though. Just let me know when you get to that point.

[Papa Tater]

Got the dremmel out tonight and sat the 8BB inside the stock audio housing box. Wishing the unit did not have all those extra zone out connections LOL, little on the bulky side. I know you mentioned tucking all the unused connectors back into the box, did you put the lid back on? or did you leave it off?. You also had put the PAC inside the box? I did a temporary hook up to test things out and liking so far.

[Jimmytee]

Got the dremmel out tonight and sat the 8BB inside the stock audio housing box. Wishing the unit did not have all those extra zone out connections LOL, little on the bulky side. I know you mentioned tucking all the unused connectors back into the box, did you put the lid back on? or did you leave it off?. You also had put the PAC inside the box? I did a temporary hook up to test things out and liking so far.

I'm using three of the 4 zone outputs. Zone 1 for the front, zone2 for the rear speakers I have, and the sub pre outs from zone1 . I have zone 3 feeding a jack up in my left fairing pocket to feed a Sens Bluetooth transmitter if I just want to hear music in my helmet. I am not using zone 4 or the two auxilary inputs. or the white USB charging jack
I have the Sirius XM plugged up to my SiriusXM tuner.
I have the PAC unit plugged into the Steering WHeel input jack
I have my powered antenna plugged into the antenna.
I have the cable that connects to a USB jack in my left fairing pocket plugged up to the USB input.

The PAC unit, Zone 4 pre out, the white USB charging jack and the two aux inputs are in the box and I have the cover back on the box. There really is plenty of room.

[Papa Tater]

Got a chance to get back to working on it, did a rough hook up to test things out. I'm so glad I went with the 8BB, and so glad that I could not the PMX2 to fit. Big differnces with how the bluetooth works with my iPhone, it shows album art with everything I throw at it, internal I phone music, google play, pandora - etc, where the PMX2 did not unless it was hooked up via USB. Also Bluetooth connects quickly, works better than my truck with a Pioneer head unit.
Very Pleased so far and getting great sound from that unit, still at flat setting and amp set to full range. I don't have my sub yet and haven't played with any settings yet.

[Jimmytee]

Got a chance to get back to working on it, did a rough hook up to test things out. I'm so glad I went with the 8BB, and so glad that I could not the PMX2 to fit. Big differnces with how the bluetooth works with my iPhone, it shows album art with everything I throw at it, internal I phone music, google play, pandora - etc, where the PMX2 did not unless it was hooked up via USB. Also Bluetooth connects quickly, works better than my truck with a Pioneer head unit.
Very Pleased so far and getting great sound from that unit, still at flat setting and amp set to full range. I don't have my sub yet and haven't played with any settings yet.

I didn't have the PMX-2 for a comparison, but I am pretty pleased with the 8BB.

[Papa Tater]

No problem. will have to upload pictures to photobucket to put them on here though. Just let me know when you get to that point.

When you get a chance , can I get what 4 wires I need to tap into for the PAC, and did you also hook up the mute function? Wanted to at least get that sorted out before taping- securing that bulky wiring harness. I don't have a workshop manual, awhile back dealer did not have and said would take awhile to get one- I haven't tryed lately. Thanks again.

I just might actually get this thing done soon, funny how work and family functions get in the way getting her done LOL.

[Jimmytee]

When you get a chance , can I get what 4 wires I need to tap into for the PAC, and did you also hook up the mute function? Wanted to at least get that sorted out before taping- securing that bulky wiring harness. I don't have a workshop manual, awhile back dealer did not have and said would take awhile to get one- I haven't tryed lately. Thanks again.

I just might actually get this thing done soon, funny how work and family functions get in the way getting her done LOL.

There are 2) 24 pin gray plugs that plug into the "Audio Unit " . The main box that sits inside the black box under the seat.
We're only dealing with one of those plugs.


One of the plugs has a white latch ,that one is not our concern.
You're looking for 4 wires on that plug. I cut them a couple inches back from the plug. If,for whatever reason, you wanted to reconnect them, a simple splice would repair it.


Basically a yellow, white,black and brown wires
I don't know how well this picture will come out ,but this is a pic of the schematic /wiring diagram.





I wired /soldered a resistor to each wire. I then paired the other side of those resistors down to 2 wires.

I used an online resistance calculator for the values. It's on this site. http://pac-audio.com/support.aspx







Basically the yellow and white wires each have a resistor soldered to them , then the other side of those resistors are put together to be soldered to the white wire of the PAC unit. The black and brown wires are the same, but they go to the black wire of the PAC unit which is actually ground or negative. The PAC has a black wire that comes out and has two black wires attached to it, One of those goes to negative or ground and the other you'll use to attach to the brown and black wired resistors. The white wire from the PAC unit actually has three white wires. I used the one with no stripe, The others are fine, they just add resistors.
It might sound more complicated than it is, but it really is pretty simple. I had to identify which wires were what using a multi-meter and the wiring diagram,

I found out that to get the Rockford unit working, I had to set the PAC unit for "Clarion" Had to call tech support for that.