Ultimate Car Play Thread
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 304
From: Providence Forge, VA
There is an updated post that I made in a different thread. I have once again went through the painstaking process of mapping this out and here are the instructions. Many have confirmed that these work... Until Harley figures out a way to intentionally disable this work around or 'hack'.
I have done some additional, extensive testing and found answers to the very questions you are asking. The short answer is there is a specific process you must follow. Before beginning this process, certain settings and pairings have to first be in place.
The last preparation step is making sure that the Audio Routing options - for music, coms, and prompts are all set to headset and not the bike's speakers.
So at this point...
You MUST CONNECT & POWER ON DEVICES IN THIS ORDER.
I also want to add that all incoming and outgoing phone calls work perfectly and audio routing goes to the PackTalk speakers 100% of the time for both.
The only caveat to this setup, and I have not given up yet, is that if you say "Hey Siri, play Crazy B*tch by Buckcherry", it will play through your PackTalk speakers. I will only say, and I am sure you will not believe me and test for your self, there is no easy way without screwing up other functionality to get the audio to your bike's speakers. I digress. More to come on this topic in a future post.
Lastly, the only thing that remains to be tested, and I have every intention of doing so, is DMC communication mode with my buddies who also have PackTalk devices. I had odd an odd issue last summer, but I had not figured all of this out yet, wherein, I could not communicate with them in DMC mode unless I disabled the Rider Headset on the GTS. I am hoping since the above configuration already involves disabling the headset, I should be good to go.
I have done some additional, extensive testing and found answers to the very questions you are asking. The short answer is there is a specific process you must follow. Before beginning this process, certain settings and pairings have to first be in place.
- Make sure your PackTalk is paired via Bluetooth to your iPhone. Do this without the bike being powered on or without the phone being plugged into the bike.
- power on the PackTalk,
- go the the Bluetooth settings of the iPhone
- press and hold the bottom button the PackTalk for 5 seconds until in begins flashing rapidly (I forget the color combination)
- look for the PackTalk bold on your iPhone and select it to pair it.
- confirm pairing is successful
- turn off your PackTalk
- power on your bike
- go to 'wireless headset setup'
- make sure rider headset is set to disabled
The last preparation step is making sure that the Audio Routing options - for music, coms, and prompts are all set to headset and not the bike's speakers.
So at this point...
- Your PackTalk has been paired to your phone but your PackTalk is powered off
- There are absolutely no pairings between your phone and your bike or your PackTalk and your bike (if there were, they should have been deleted or 'forgotten' by now)
- Your bike is powered off and your phone is not plugged into the USB port of your bike
- All 'Audio Routing' for music, coms, and prompts are set to the headset and not the bike's speakers
You MUST CONNECT & POWER ON DEVICES IN THIS ORDER.
- Make sure you have no audio of any sort playing on the iPhone. In fact to be safe, close the Music app on the iPhone altogether.
- Plug the iPhone into the USB port of the bike.
- Power on the bike and wait a few seconds for the CarPlay icon to appear or until the GTS goes to the CarPlay Screen.
- If music starts playing, sometimes the bike remembers the status of CarPlay when it was last connected, pause it immediately, either on the CarPlay screen of the bike or the phone itself, unplug the phone from the USB port on the bike, shutdown the bike, and start from step 1 of this section again.
- Power on the PackTalk.
- Listen to the PackTalk speakers to hear the welcome message and the message that says your iPhone is connected.
- Wait about 10 seconds, at the most, for all of the connections to establish and settle down.
I also want to add that all incoming and outgoing phone calls work perfectly and audio routing goes to the PackTalk speakers 100% of the time for both.
The only caveat to this setup, and I have not given up yet, is that if you say "Hey Siri, play Crazy B*tch by Buckcherry", it will play through your PackTalk speakers. I will only say, and I am sure you will not believe me and test for your self, there is no easy way without screwing up other functionality to get the audio to your bike's speakers. I digress. More to come on this topic in a future post.
Lastly, the only thing that remains to be tested, and I have every intention of doing so, is DMC communication mode with my buddies who also have PackTalk devices. I had odd an odd issue last summer, but I had not figured all of this out yet, wherein, I could not communicate with them in DMC mode unless I disabled the Rider Headset on the GTS. I am hoping since the above configuration already involves disabling the headset, I should be good to go.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 209
Likes: 34
From: Dallas, Texas
"
N O T E : This only works if you have had your dealer disable the Apple CarPlay microphone option. This is something that has to be done by the dealer by connecting your bike to Digital Assistant. Some of you have said that your dealer can no longer do this because of a recent update to Digital Tech. This is total BS! If your dealer says that they cannot do it, take it to another dealership. Also, do not believe them if they tell you they can do it but the setting will revert if you update your Boombox software in the future. This is yet another lie! Hop on your bike and do a burn out while you peel out to another dealership."
Without taking the bike to the dealership and spending $75.00, how can I ell if the microphone option is on or off? I already paid to have the WHIM programmed in. I don't know what the tech did when he did that.
I've read the instructions over and over and over. And maybe I just realized something.
You're connecting your Packtalk to the phone (in the usual manner), and the phone is wired in to the Boombox via the lightning cable. So the phone is actually the go-between. The PackTalk is connected to the BoomBox via the phone's wired connection to the BoomBox.
HMMMMM! In all of my reading of the instructions before now, I never caught onto that.
THUS: The PackTalk connection to the iPhone must be the last connection any time the motorcycle is turned off and back ON.
Am I getting it?
N O T E : This only works if you have had your dealer disable the Apple CarPlay microphone option. This is something that has to be done by the dealer by connecting your bike to Digital Assistant. Some of you have said that your dealer can no longer do this because of a recent update to Digital Tech. This is total BS! If your dealer says that they cannot do it, take it to another dealership. Also, do not believe them if they tell you they can do it but the setting will revert if you update your Boombox software in the future. This is yet another lie! Hop on your bike and do a burn out while you peel out to another dealership."
Without taking the bike to the dealership and spending $75.00, how can I ell if the microphone option is on or off? I already paid to have the WHIM programmed in. I don't know what the tech did when he did that.
I've read the instructions over and over and over. And maybe I just realized something.
You're connecting your Packtalk to the phone (in the usual manner), and the phone is wired in to the Boombox via the lightning cable. So the phone is actually the go-between. The PackTalk is connected to the BoomBox via the phone's wired connection to the BoomBox.
HMMMMM! In all of my reading of the instructions before now, I never caught onto that.
THUS: The PackTalk connection to the iPhone must be the last connection any time the motorcycle is turned off and back ON.
Am I getting it?
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 304
From: Providence Forge, VA
Typically when the Service Department installs the WHIM, they do not disable the microphone option. You have to ask them to do this. This literally takes less than 5 minutes and they should not charge you anything, let alone $75. You will know whether or not this is done if the CarPlay options appears on your BoomBox. If you follow my instructions, which clearly tells you not to pair your PackTalk to your BoomBox, you are completely bypassing the WHIM. If you then simply plug your iPhone in the USB port using the lightning cable, the CarPlay option should appear. If it does not appear, this means that the microphone option has not been disabled and you need to take it to the dealership to do this. If it does appear as soon as you plug in your iPhone, then the microphone option has already been disabled.
This is correct. Your PackTalk is being connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth and the phone is connected to the Boombox via the lightning cable.
I can understand how you may think this is the case but it is actually not true. If you follow my instructions you will end up in a situation where the PackTalk is actually never connected to the Boombox. It doesn't need to, so why should it be? Your iPhone is connected to the BoomBox via the lightning cable period. Your PackTalk is connected to your iPhone via a BlueTooth connection period. The phone is not the go between because you are not controlling your BoomBox with the PackTalk and you are not controlling the PackTalk with the BoomBox. Now that I have said this, I guess you could say there is some interactivity between the PackTalk and the BoomBox because if I say, 'Hey Siri, Call DWKen', my iPhone makes the phone call and that call is displayed on the screen of the BoomBox. Basically you are using 'Hey Siri' to control the phone which in turn shows the result of the command on the screen of the BoomBox.
I hope that makes sense.
This is absolutely correct and it will only work if the the PackTalk is the last device to connect to the iPhone. If you turn on your PackTalk first and then turn on your bike, your bike will be the last device to connect to the phone and none of this will work. So always, always, follow the proper connectivity order.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 304
From: Providence Forge, VA
By the way, all of this information should be in the other thread I started, The one where you originally posted your previous question(s). It is the newer thread and think it is the thread being more closely followed. I am going to attempt to copy and paste all of this in that thread.
Please continue this conversation there. For your reference, here is a link to that thread.
CarPlay & PackTalk Bold
Please continue this conversation there. For your reference, here is a link to that thread.
CarPlay & PackTalk Bold
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 209
Likes: 34
From: Dallas, Texas
I guess I'm in luck. I plugged the iPHone into the BoomBox cable and in about 30 to 45 seconds, I had CarPlay.
It is odd that when I plug a cable-headset into the console, it works as well. So I guess I don't understand Mic-turned-on and Mic-turned-off.
I have no problem controlling my BoomBox with the motorcycle controls (and not via voice commands).
And I've used the PackTalk Siri to initiate phone calls many times when out on the open road.
Friends in my motorcycle camping group have been using BlueTooth transmitters to be able to hear the BoomBox. It will be nice to just have it all work.
A friend of mine is having to swap his Scala and Harley cordless (Sena) back and forth depending on who he is with. When he rides in his HOG group, they use CB via the Harley cordless Sena. When he's traveling with us, he takes his Harley Sena out and puts his PackTalk in. This seems ridiculous, considering its the year 2020 and the technology is there for all to work seamlessly.
I'll let you know how it goes. But have confidence that if I follow your instructions, it will work exactly as you meticulously described. Thank you so much.
It is odd that when I plug a cable-headset into the console, it works as well. So I guess I don't understand Mic-turned-on and Mic-turned-off.
I have no problem controlling my BoomBox with the motorcycle controls (and not via voice commands).
And I've used the PackTalk Siri to initiate phone calls many times when out on the open road.
Friends in my motorcycle camping group have been using BlueTooth transmitters to be able to hear the BoomBox. It will be nice to just have it all work.
A friend of mine is having to swap his Scala and Harley cordless (Sena) back and forth depending on who he is with. When he rides in his HOG group, they use CB via the Harley cordless Sena. When he's traveling with us, he takes his Harley Sena out and puts his PackTalk in. This seems ridiculous, considering its the year 2020 and the technology is there for all to work seamlessly.
I'll let you know how it goes. But have confidence that if I follow your instructions, it will work exactly as you meticulously described. Thank you so much.
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 304
From: Providence Forge, VA
I guess I'm in luck. I plugged the iPHone into the BoomBox cable and in about 30 to 45 seconds, I had CarPlay.
It is odd that when I plug a cable-headset into the console, it works as well. So I guess I don't understand Mic-turned-on and Mic-turned-off.
I have no problem controlling my BoomBox with the motorcycle controls (and not via voice commands).
And I've used the PackTalk Siri to initiate phone calls many times when out on the open road.
Friends in my motorcycle camping group have been using BlueTooth transmitters to be able to hear the BoomBox. It will be nice to just have it all work.
It is odd that when I plug a cable-headset into the console, it works as well. So I guess I don't understand Mic-turned-on and Mic-turned-off.
I have no problem controlling my BoomBox with the motorcycle controls (and not via voice commands).
And I've used the PackTalk Siri to initiate phone calls many times when out on the open road.
Friends in my motorcycle camping group have been using BlueTooth transmitters to be able to hear the BoomBox. It will be nice to just have it all work.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 209
Likes: 34
From: Dallas, Texas
If you are plugging in a corded headset, the guidelines I have suggested do not apply. These instructions are specifically for wireless headsets such as the Cardo PackTalk line of headsets, and possibly other non HD branded headsets, including non HD branded Sena devices. I say 'possibly' because, although I am fairly certain these guidelines will work for brands of headsets other than Cardo, I have not specifically tested them.
And not that it has anything to do with your instructions: Does Mic on/off have anything to do with being able to plug a wired mic into the console and use it to communicate? My wired mic works; but CarPlay also comes up when I plug in my iPhone.
Ken
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 209
Likes: 34
From: Dallas, Texas
No. Phone has highest priority and turns all other functions off (intercom, music, etc.).
Stage II
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Nottingham UK
Completely lost
I finally got it all figured out. After months of reading, watching videos, and a lot of trial and error, I finally figured out the secret to getting CarPlay and Mesh communication to work with a non Sena wireless headset. It is late but I will try my best to post as much detail as possible. Let's first start with a little background.
I have a 2019 CVO Street Glide with CarPlay and a Cardo Pack Talk Bold Bluetooth headset. My bike also came with a Harley Davidson branded Sena 20s; which is for sale by the way. My goal was to not use the Sena 20s for several reasons.
*
I first paired my phone to the bike since I wanted to be able to listen to my music through the bike's kick*ss speaker system. I then paired my Cardo Pack Talk Bold to the WHIM and also paired it to my iPhone (this is how I did worked on my previous 6.5 GT Street Glide). Music played perfectly through the speakers. I was able to make and receive phone calls using the voice button on the bike or using the voice control of the Cardo Pack Talk Bold by saying 'Hey Siri'. The issue came when I tried communicating with my buddies while in mesh mode. Just a quick side note for those of you who do not know, mesh mode is a cutting edge communication mode used that is far superior to Bluetooth. I could go on and on about this but I will save this for a later discussion. As soon as I disabled the rider headset on the settings in the GTS radio, I could instantly communicate with my buddies but then I lost CarPlay functionality due to the fact that I no longer had a wireless microphone connected. Let the sweat and tears begin.
I tried a myriad of options including taking my bike to the dealer and having them hook it up to Digital Tech and disabling the requirement for an Apple CarPlay microphone. This allowed me to have CarPlay show up immediately after plugging in my iPhone to the bike's USB port without having a wired or wireless microphone connected. However, the problem is that most of the CarPlay functionality is limited because as soon as you naviaged to a CarPlay function that requires a microphone, and most do, the Siri activation icon appears but there is no way to communicate since there is no microphone. I went back to the dealer and they enabled the option that requires a microphone. Luckily my dealer is pretty cool and they did not charge me either time for doing this.
After much aggravation, I figured out the magic combination of events and settings to get all of this to work. First, the it is very important to make sure you update the WHIM firmware to the latest version. This can be downloaded by visiting HD's site here. As of now, the current WHIM version is 1.1.4. Oddly enough, my brand new bike was two software versions behind.
WHIM Firmware Update Website
You will have to download all necessary software and connect your laptop to the WHIM's data port. This update CANNOT BE COMPLETED USING THE BIKE'S USB port. You will have to figure out where the WHIM data port is. If it is installed from the factory, it is most likely under the seat. If it installed by the dealer, it is typically located under the right side panel.
Once this is done, please update your GTS radio the latest version of the system software by visiting the link below. As of now, the current system software version is MY19.19.03.00.
GTS System Software Update Website
Last but not least, please visit the website of your headset manufacturer to download and install the latest firmware version for your headset.
All of these steps are extremely important and skip any of them may lead to a lot of drinking, cursing, and tool throwing.
Now for the connectivity part. It is EXTREMELY important to delete all of the Bluetooth pairings involving your Bluetooth headset from your phone and the WHIM. You should then delete all Bluetooth pairings of your phone from the bike. This step is an absolute must in getting all of this to work. To be certain that Bluetooth is completely removed from the equation, just go ahead and temporarily turn off Bluetooth functionality from your phone.
Now, pair your Bluetooth Headset to the WHIM but pair it as a GPS device. Ok, you are probably thinking, "What the hell is he talking about?" Most Bluetooth headsets can be pair as a typical Bluetooth device using the normal pairing method, or they be paired in a secondary paring mode as a GPS device. Every headset is different and the process for placing your headset in 'GPS pairing mode' will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Here are the steps for the Cardo Pack Talk Bold.
Now all that is left to do is plug in your iPhone to the bike and CarPlay will pop right up. You will also now be able to use the voice button on the bike to activate Siri. When you navigate to the 'Messages' app and the voice activation automatically starts, you will now be able to instantly speak into the microphone on your wireless headset and you will be heard loud and clear; well at least as clearly as Siri ever recognizes your voice.
You will also notice that you can now communicate with your friends in mesh mode! For me this was incredibly important since mesh mode is much clearer and provides a much greater communication distance over Bluetooth mode.
Once the headset is paired to the WHIM, there is no need to do this again because as soon as your turn your headset on and fire up the bike, it will automatically connect in GPS mode. The only way you will have to do pair it again is if you reset the headset to factory defaults or delete the pairing from the WHIM.
It is late and I am sure I am forgetting to mention something. If you have any questions or need clarification, please post your questions and I will get to them promptly. I hope this helps others avoid a lot of wasted time and frustration and instead focus on riding and having fun.
I have a 2019 CVO Street Glide with CarPlay and a Cardo Pack Talk Bold Bluetooth headset. My bike also came with a Harley Davidson branded Sena 20s; which is for sale by the way. My goal was to not use the Sena 20s for several reasons.
- my buddies and I already invested in the Cardo Pack Talk Bold
- The Cardo Pack Talk Bold supports mesh communication mode and the Sena 20s does not
- The Cardo Pack Talk Bold is a much more feature enriched device than the Sena 20sf
*
I first paired my phone to the bike since I wanted to be able to listen to my music through the bike's kick*ss speaker system. I then paired my Cardo Pack Talk Bold to the WHIM and also paired it to my iPhone (this is how I did worked on my previous 6.5 GT Street Glide). Music played perfectly through the speakers. I was able to make and receive phone calls using the voice button on the bike or using the voice control of the Cardo Pack Talk Bold by saying 'Hey Siri'. The issue came when I tried communicating with my buddies while in mesh mode. Just a quick side note for those of you who do not know, mesh mode is a cutting edge communication mode used that is far superior to Bluetooth. I could go on and on about this but I will save this for a later discussion. As soon as I disabled the rider headset on the settings in the GTS radio, I could instantly communicate with my buddies but then I lost CarPlay functionality due to the fact that I no longer had a wireless microphone connected. Let the sweat and tears begin.
I tried a myriad of options including taking my bike to the dealer and having them hook it up to Digital Tech and disabling the requirement for an Apple CarPlay microphone. This allowed me to have CarPlay show up immediately after plugging in my iPhone to the bike's USB port without having a wired or wireless microphone connected. However, the problem is that most of the CarPlay functionality is limited because as soon as you naviaged to a CarPlay function that requires a microphone, and most do, the Siri activation icon appears but there is no way to communicate since there is no microphone. I went back to the dealer and they enabled the option that requires a microphone. Luckily my dealer is pretty cool and they did not charge me either time for doing this.
After much aggravation, I figured out the magic combination of events and settings to get all of this to work. First, the it is very important to make sure you update the WHIM firmware to the latest version. This can be downloaded by visiting HD's site here. As of now, the current WHIM version is 1.1.4. Oddly enough, my brand new bike was two software versions behind.
WHIM Firmware Update Website
You will have to download all necessary software and connect your laptop to the WHIM's data port. This update CANNOT BE COMPLETED USING THE BIKE'S USB port. You will have to figure out where the WHIM data port is. If it is installed from the factory, it is most likely under the seat. If it installed by the dealer, it is typically located under the right side panel.
Once this is done, please update your GTS radio the latest version of the system software by visiting the link below. As of now, the current system software version is MY19.19.03.00.
GTS System Software Update Website
Last but not least, please visit the website of your headset manufacturer to download and install the latest firmware version for your headset.
All of these steps are extremely important and skip any of them may lead to a lot of drinking, cursing, and tool throwing.
Now for the connectivity part. It is EXTREMELY important to delete all of the Bluetooth pairings involving your Bluetooth headset from your phone and the WHIM. You should then delete all Bluetooth pairings of your phone from the bike. This step is an absolute must in getting all of this to work. To be certain that Bluetooth is completely removed from the equation, just go ahead and temporarily turn off Bluetooth functionality from your phone.
Now, pair your Bluetooth Headset to the WHIM but pair it as a GPS device. Ok, you are probably thinking, "What the hell is he talking about?" Most Bluetooth headsets can be pair as a typical Bluetooth device using the normal pairing method, or they be paired in a secondary paring mode as a GPS device. Every headset is different and the process for placing your headset in 'GPS pairing mode' will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Here are the steps for the Cardo Pack Talk Bold.
- Press and hold the 'Phone button' for 5 seconds until the light starts to flash rapidly in succession and relate the button
- Press the 'Phone' button twice in rapid succession
- Roll the jog dial forward (towards the front of the headset)
- Congratulations! You are now in GPS pairing mode
Now all that is left to do is plug in your iPhone to the bike and CarPlay will pop right up. You will also now be able to use the voice button on the bike to activate Siri. When you navigate to the 'Messages' app and the voice activation automatically starts, you will now be able to instantly speak into the microphone on your wireless headset and you will be heard loud and clear; well at least as clearly as Siri ever recognizes your voice.
You will also notice that you can now communicate with your friends in mesh mode! For me this was incredibly important since mesh mode is much clearer and provides a much greater communication distance over Bluetooth mode.
Once the headset is paired to the WHIM, there is no need to do this again because as soon as your turn your headset on and fire up the bike, it will automatically connect in GPS mode. The only way you will have to do pair it again is if you reset the headset to factory defaults or delete the pairing from the WHIM.
It is late and I am sure I am forgetting to mention something. If you have any questions or need clarification, please post your questions and I will get to them promptly. I hope this helps others avoid a lot of wasted time and frustration and instead focus on riding and having fun.
I have a 2020 Harley Street Glide special on order in the UK, hopefully get it in the last week of May.
I want to use all the functions on my gts including talking to my passenger and playing stereo music, preferably via a packtalk bold that I’ve not yet purchased.
what do I need to do, and do I need to get a whim which I’ll install myself if I need one.
just asking as I’m completely lost with everything I’ve read up to now. Some one says you can and someone else says you can’t.. oh and I’ve got an iPhone 11 !!
please can you help me ? 😬
you sound like you know what you’re talking about .
Thanks in advance
deanbean17