Issue: I have a Garmin Nuvi GPS the 4.3 inch (1495 I think) and I got it for the car way before I got the bike. I figured out how to attach it to the handlebars with a Kuriakin Cell phone holder bracket. But With the new pipes I can't hear the darn thing, and I can't see it very well in the full daylight, and the volume is about as high as it will go. Soooo, it takes me a while to get where I'm going, even with the GPS. I need some earphones and the GPS with headphone jacks cost a bit more than I want to spend.

My To-Do List has been checked as I resolved the issue.

I opened the front of my Garmin, (tricky little thing.) and found the speaker. Read up on the internet about adding a earphone jack to an existing amplifier and having to deal with resistors and calculations etc. Took it to the cell phone repair shop to see if they would do it, they said, "hmmm, Naaaaaaaaaaaah."

So I went to radio shack, got a 1/8 3.5 headset jack, (smallest they had and of the closed type. This is the one that turns off the speaker when the headset is plugged in. ) and some wire and an extension with a volume control to fill in for that pesky resistor. Took it home soldered it all together (sounds simple, but don't be fooled, I am not an electronic genius, just a patient one. So I had to do it about ten times. So many times I had to go get a second jack because I melted the darn thing.) Did it till I finally got it all to work. Volume control made it so I could adjust the volume without distortion (less or more power, ie like a resistor.) and so I wouldn't have to go into the GPS to adjust the volume while driving.

The Headset. Looked on the internet for a suitable "not in the ear" head phones, for the helmet. All more expensive than my allowance would allow. I went to the kids room, and found an old pair of "not in the ear" headphones that go over the head type. "Quietly" broke the plastic and metal strap off of them and was left with a right and left speaker, about an inch and a half in diameter. I sewed a small leather pouch for each with holes in it so the sound would come out, attached some Velcro to the back so they could stick to the fuzzy inside of the helmet strap. AND "Voila", I had a pair of helmet attachable speakers that worked with my new GPS with my new headset jack. They work great!

About half way up on the volume I can still hear the voice of my "LOLA" My Lonely Orientation Leading Advisor, from Australia. Yes, she has an Australian accent.

I can hear Lola over the new loud pipes. And I am still legal, since my helmet speakers do not go into my ears and do not block the traffic sounds from getting to my "OEM Auditory Orifices" (earsholes). So now I get where I need to go without having to go around the block 8 times, or having to make the U-turn because I went Northbound ramp on the highway instead of the South one.

Now, I can wait until the GPS with a headphone jack comes down in price. (or not.)

Ohhh, and yes, I can make my GPS waterproof too, I just put it in a sandwich bag! My Momma told me to always be prepared! She said that's why she had me tested. She wasn't sure I would be.

GPS with headphone capabilities... Check!

 

The exact same problems I have with my gps. Sounds like you found a good Mod to fix it

 

I have the UClear comm system in my helmets, my GPS pairs to that via Bluetooth. It's also boomless so you don't even know it's in the helmet. I can hear everything over my Samson pipes...phone, GPS and music.

 

A condom works better than a sandwich bag for keeping it dry. Ask me how I know

 

This is great, any pictures?