So my modified cable does allow the Sena to work the microphone just fine. But it does not allow the Packtalk to do the same thing. Just like you said, I can control the PHONE just fine but I cannot actually seem to talk to the Boombox at all.

Dang it, the whole reason I figured out how to make the Freewire work with CarPlay was so that I could go to a Packtalk Bold. I just happened to have a friend with a spare 30K that I could use to test with. Now it sounds like I might have to go with 30K or 50S's...

 

Well, my understanding of the cable modification must be flawed since your Sena can transmit mic audio through the Freewire and to the BoomBox but your PackTalk cannot.
I thought the modification would short mic audio (pins 1-4); making it not work with either Sena or PackTalk.

Just curious, with the pins shorted together, will a regular Harley headset mic audio get to the BoomBox

 

I wonder:
If the BoomBox is programmed to work with a Harley microphone (not a bluetooth headset), and the Freewire looks like a Harley headphone when plugged in, will CarPlay just work without a modified cable?

And if it does, will microphone audio get to the BoomBox?
It should, ya know. It's billed to work with 2-way communication to a Harley radio.

So the modified cable may not be necessary. Just the straight FreeWire cable might just work.
You could test with a Harley microphone, then with the Freewire (unmodified cable) if it works with the mic.

 

So the modification is to have the rear headset mic turned on. The jumper that someone is selling is actually jumpering pins 2 and 3. I'm actually doing that AND allowing all of the other pieces through as well as grounding what needs to be grounded and making the full rider headset work. That also includes grounding the CB module to Aux Can Low like the Boom communications cable actually does.

If you plug a rider headset into my cable it does transmit mic audio to the bike like it should. But as soon as you plug it in, it disconnects CarPlay. However, when you connect the Freewire to it, it doesn't show up as a headset and CarPlay works and the mic works.

So your experiment is a good one to try. It doesn't work for me in the long run because that means giving up CarPlay and I'm not going to do that. But I actually have both a modified and unmodified cable in the bike right now. I just have to pull the fairing to swap the plugs around. I'll do that for the sake of figuring this out, but at the end of the day, not having CarPlay means a no-go for me.

The next experiment would be to actually use the WHIM with the Cardo and see if it has access to the CB. But that is a less desirable solution because then I have to listen to the music from the phone directly to the Cardo versus having it come through the bike. When it comes through the bike and passes through the WHIM then it goes into dual monaural instead of stereo. It can work through the phone directly in stereo (and better quality stereo at that) but then you need to make sure you have things in the right order both when you set it up and when you turn it on each time. And I am one to have my music typically through my upgraded speakers and amps versus my headphones and I know that is an issue with the Cardo through the WHIM with control of the phone through voice.

Ugh...why can't these people just work together?!! Or maybe I could just be less picky...

 

The next experiment would be to actually use the WHIM with the Cardo and see if it has access to the CB. But that is a less desirable solution because then I have to listen to the music from the phone directly to the Cardo versus having it come through the bike. When it comes through the bike and passes through the WHIM then it goes into dual monaural instead of stereo. It can work through the phone directly in stereo (and better quality stereo at that) but then you need to make sure you have things in the right order both when you set it up and when you turn it on each time. And I am one to have my music typically through my upgraded speakers and amps versus my headphones and I know that is an issue with the Cardo through the WHIM with control of the phone through voice.

I hope your experience with the WHIM and Cardo is better than mine a couple of years ago. It was a no-go for me. I got low-quality mono music from the BoomBox and no microphone audio out.
And when connected, it preempted the PackTalk Bluetooth and DMC communication operation. The PackTalk thought that the phone was operating and gave it the highest priority, blanking out the comm.

CarPlay is also important to me as well. Now that I have it, I don't want to go back. I love having my iPhone plugged into the USB port in the motorcycle where it's always charging and I see what I need to see on the big BoomBox screen. When we go on long trips, my iPhone is fully charged when we arrive that evening. That's an advantage. And being able to bring up weather service and radar on the BoomBox is almost as good as the XM Radio weather app.
Ken

 

Well, I gave up on the Cardo and am back to the Sena 30K for the time being. These connected to the Freewire will get me by for a while. I'm watching to see if the MoCo will pick up the 50S in the next 2-3 months and maybe will try that since they would actually integrate best with the WHIM and maybe have a better shot at having a Mesh solution. The MoCo wants to say that Bluetooth is the way to go and CB's are out, but until they have a product that can replace the CB in a larger group, that's not going to be the case. Meanwhile, it was a fun adventure!

 

If the Cardo absolutely will not take microphone audio and send it to the BoomBox, then it's a lost cause.
The Sena Freewire is supposed to fully integrate a PackTalk to a Harley Radio . . . or maybe I'm misunderstanding their advertising.

"Sena Free Wire Bluetooth Transmitter For Harley

The Sena FreeWire is a wireless transmitter that enables your bike's infotainment system to link up with Bluetooth communicators. This opens up the world of CB radio, on-board GPS navigation and tunes to be streamed directly to your Bluetooth headset. Simply mount up the transmitter on your handlebar using the supplied kit, connect the unit to your bike, then pair with your communicator. Cut that umbilical cord!"

The other option would be to get a Sena SR-10 and connect it to a CB walkie talkie. I've done that and it worked. But I have no need for CB so I sold it. (Still have the walkie talkie).

I think you said that you have a modified plug in the rear audio jack. If that's correct, have you tested with that modified thing removed. The front and rear microphone wiring goes to the radio and are combined into one microphone out to the CB radio (per the diagram). If one or the other is shorted, it might keep any mic audio from reaching the CB.
BUT, if you've used a Harley mic plugged into the front with the adapter thing plugged into the rear, that would probably rule out my theory.

 

I tried so many different combinations, but I am not sure that I tried without the jumper in there because that would mean not having CarPlay which is a requirement for me as well. At the end of the day, having a Packtalk connected to a Freewire with the CarPlay hardware hack didn't work. But using a Sena headsets it all works fine. So that's where I'm headed.

Oh and in case it is of interest, CarPlay doesn't activate with a WHIM and a Sena headset until you turn on the headset. I was hoping the CarPlay hardware hack would fix that and I have verified that it does not. You have to turn on the headset and it then activates CarPlay. There is a technorearch hack for that, but the Digital Tech can no longer fix that. I wish we could just have everything work without all these hacks to get around it!

 

Hello fellow members,
in my personal case I ended up with SGS + freewire + packtalk bold setup. Only one issue I hope someone will help me with. Everything works good except small issue with microphone. I have to connect my cardo to the phone in a las order to make it work. In other case nobody hear me when I'm initiating call from GTS or someone calling me.
Phone is connected to cardo on channel 2 and freewire on channel 1.
Seems easy fix is just to turn on cardo after android auto is started but before starting cardo I have to turn off cardo which is a problem because I can not do that untill I walked far enough to broke connection between cardo and freewire and in other case cardo just won't turn off like when radio is playing at the moment.
The workaround that is works for me is after a short stop just disconnecting cardo bluetooth connection, start GTS, android auto and then activating cardo bluetooth connection back. I hope I'm doing something wrong and there is a way to make it easier.
BTW when I starting my cardo from the beginning it does not say Mobile phone 1 connected. Only Mobile phone 2 connected. Just seems weird. But it connects to freewire definitely. Also voice commands didn't recognized. When I press voice command button on the bike it activates but seems does not hear me. Same with Hey Google, when I'm saying this it activates on the phone but anything I'm saying after hey google does not recognized.
Any info would be much appreciated.

 

Well the main reason this isn't working is because you are on a Street Glide instead of a Road Glide :-).

But aside from April 1st answers...I was running into the same issues. Having to connect the phone directly instead of through the bike and then having the CB not work because the mic would not go through to the bike were issues I could not solve. Finally ended up just selling off the Cardo's and going to Sena and everything works. It was a bummer because the Cardo intercom is awesome and the Sena sucks. Sorry I do not have any real advice for you...other than buying a Road Glide ;-).