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Scala G4 issues

L

leesrt

Guest
I've had a couple issues with my G4 so I thought I'd share my efforts to resolve the problem.
Since I first purchased the G4 I've had a issue with my Droid X not ringing through to the G4. If a call comes in I get no ringer in my headset. The only way I know I have a call is if I'm listening to music from the same droid. When the call comes in the music will pause at the droid so if I hear a long pause it usually means I have a call.
I checked other phones with my G4 and the ring fine. This lead me to believe it was the Droid until I connected my Droid to a Senna unit. It rings fine. It seems to be something about the way the droid and G4 communicate with each other.

The current problem is if I make a call from the G4 the unit will shut down after the call ends. The G4 becomes unresponsive and the only way to turn the it back on is to remove and re-seat the G4 in the cradle. Not something I'm going to do while riding.

Scala first suggested I do a full reset of the G4 and then re-pair the droid and G4. I did this, 3 times, and replied to Scala's email stating the reset didn't work and that if there's no other fix I would like to replace this unit. They replied with the standard lengthy procedures for a warranty return. They stated I would be without the G4 while they troubleshoot the problem and that if they couldn't duplicate the problem they would send the original back.

The G4 shutting down after a call happens consistently so I'm sure it will do it for them but we all know how that goes.

I'm a little turned off by the canned responses and their unwillingness to just give me an exchange on a unit that is only 2 months old.

I contacted my local shop and they said they would look into doing an exchange for me.

I enjoy the G4 and had no complaints until know. When you pay $250+ for a bluetooth headset you expect a little customer service. We'll see what happens.
 
I had a lot of problems with the VOX on the G4 . Customer service thru Cardo was bad. I final got a credit thru the vendor I purchased it from.
I now have a Sena 10. It is sooo much better than the G4. If you have the chance check out Sena. I bet you will can the G4.:dance
Mike
 
I had a lot of problems with the VOX on the G4 . Customer service thru Cardo was bad. I final got a credit thru the vendor I purchased it from.
I now have a Sena 10. It is sooo much better than the G4. If you have the chance check out Sena. I bet you will can the G4.:dance
Mike

Have you tried the VOX function on the Sena? I've got an Autocom system on my RT, but recently purchased a Sena dual pack for me and my wife. Can't seem to get the VOX to work properly at all. I can shout like hell, and it won't turn on, and if I somehow manage to get it to switch on, it shuts down after the prescribed 20 seconds, or so, -- even if we're still talking! Works fine, however, if we initiate comms by tapping the jog dial. Downside to this method is that there's a delay before comms are established, so it's not like Autocom where my wife can warn me of a deer sighting and I hear her instantly.
 
Sena has no VOX ! All you do is tap the control knob and the channel is open. Talk as you like. Tap it again and the channel is closed. You can leave the channel open for up to 10 hours if you like. Call Sena and they will be glad to explain its function.
Mike
 
Sena VOX

Sena has no VOX ! All you do is tap the control knob and the channel is open. Talk as you like. Tap it again and the channel is closed. You can leave the channel open for up to 10 hours if you like. Call Sena and they will be glad to explain its function.
Mike

The Sena DOES have VOX. You have the choice to enable or disable it. It's right in the manual.
 
The lack of connectivity and functionality of the present BT systems compared to my Autocom is the reason I haven't made the switch. To me the wire is worth the advantages. I'm sure it won't take too long before BT or another system reaches a level of functionality then I'll make the switch.
 
I have had a super pro avi and it has been ripped out of the bike and replaced with a Cardo G4

The cardo has worked out of the box and the Autocom has been one underwhelming and ineffective capricious expensive investment which I would not recommend

Glad you are satisfied with yours
 
Sena SMH10 and VOX

Greetings all. I did one of the Sena SMH10 articles posted on wBW and continue to work with multiple BT systems, and use two sets of Senas on helmets, virtually everyday. The Sena VOX is better than the G4 overall, but as others have noted, the intercom can be activated by the Jog Dial and just left on...maintaining a live circuit and yes, you will still likely get 8 to 10 hours of use.

But, the latest firmware upgrade for the G4 has made most of its features much better, especially the VOX and AGC, both of which are now adjustable - the changes are positive. My review on the last update is posted on wBW under the Cardo G4 series.

If anyone has questions about systems and the technology, let me know via the forum or PM.

Calbogie looms, stay safe all.

Bruce
 
I have the Scala Q2, and it doesn't work with my DROID X (same symptoms as leesrt posted with his G4). I was going to upgrade to the G4, but have heard that it also does not work well with the DROID X (similar to leesrt's issues). However, I have found that a DROID app called "Super BT mono" and/or "Super BT mono Froyo" will convert the DROID's stereo BT audio to mono, and it is supposed to fix these issues. Apparently there are differing ways of implementing the new BT A2DP standards, causing some problems with stereo BT in some phones.

I am not going to spend money on the G4 until I know these issues have been solved. I like the Scala products and want to stick with them. I mainly use them for bike-to-bike comms, and they still work great for that. I don't listen to music when riding, so that's not much of an issue. But I do like to make and receive calls, and unless this works properly, it's a deal breaker for me.
It's been a while since I looked into this, does anyone know if the G4/DROID X combo has been fixed?
 
I have the Scala Q2, and it doesn't work with my DROID X (same symptoms as leesrt posted with his G4). I was going to upgrade to the G4, but have heard that it also does not work well with the DROID X (similar to leesrt's issues). However, I have found that a DROID app called "Super BT mono" and/or "Super BT mono Froyo" will convert the DROID's stereo BT audio to mono, and it is supposed to fix these issues. Apparently there are differing ways of implementing the new BT A2DP standards, causing some problems with stereo BT in some phones.

I am not going to spend money on the G4 until I know these issues have been solved. I like the Scala products and want to stick with them. I mainly use them for bike-to-bike comms, and they still work great for that. I don't listen to music when riding, so that's not much of an issue. But I do like to make and receive calls, and unless this works properly, it's a deal breaker for me.
It's been a while since I looked into this, does anyone know if the G4/DROID X combo has been fixed?

It has not. Motorola pretends there's no problem. I can tell you that the Droid X does work with the Sena. I'm have some money invested in the G4 so I'm not switching. I'm sure a patch will come out soon. I use mine a lot to listen to music so I dont want to go mono. Right now I can tell when I get a call because the music pauses. I have the VOX set high so all I have to do is say "hello" during the pause and it answers.
 
Sena

I used the Scala system for about a year. Had some similar issues. Switched to Sena.....It rocks. Try Sena and you will not go back...
 
I've sent one more email to Cardo to get their response to this problem experienced by many. I'll post their response when it arrives.

Here's my email
*********************************

Hello,

My name is Elias Tsonos and I've had a problem with my G4 that has been unresolved. I have communicated with your company about the matter and at first it seemed the problem was with my phone (Motorola Droid X).

The problem is when I receive a call I get no ring from the G4. It stays silent. I have tried my Droid X with a new Sena blue tooth set and it rings fine. I have done some research on this and have discussed this with many of my club members from the BMW MOA and discovered I'm not alone. There seems to be an issue with the G4 understanding the A2DP during incomming calls. One person told me that he installed an app on his droid that made it mono instead of stereo and that fixed the problem. The G4 would now ring but you couldn't listen to stereo music.

There have been several other issues with the unit locking up after a call and not responding to any inputs. You can hold the call button as long as you want and it won't turn on or off. When this happens you have to remove the unit from the cradle and then reinstall. Somehow this allows you to then turn it back on. This has also happened to many others. I have tried another new G4 and it does the same thing so it's not one particular unit. I've also reset the unit several times and re-paired the phone and G4 with no success.

Most of the people I've talked with suggest to just get the Sena unit and the problem is solved. While this may be easier I'd rather stay with the G4 and hope for a fix. I think you make a good product and I understand how software can be glitchy and sometimes it takes real field testing to reveal problems. I've invested money on the initial G4 and 2 additional cradles for my helmets so I'd like to not have to remove all this for another brand.

I'm a Telecommunication Specialist by trade (for the last 28 years) so I understand how to trouble shoot problems like this. My hope is that these issues can be resolved soon with a new update.
 
I hope you get some results with your email to Cardo.

At this point I have to wonder why the A2DP standard is not being implemented the same way by all comms and phone manufacturers. It's a relatively new standard, and maybe it wasn't worked out as well as it should have been before release?

I've only had my Scala Q2's for about 7 months, and they worked great with my old phone. No problems whatsoever. It wasn't until I upgraded to the DROID that I noticed problems with the Q2's, and before I jumped the gun and ordered the G4's I did some research (good thing!). I also contacted Cardo and they were the ones that mentioned the "super mono" apps that some folks are using. But you're right, changing the BT audio to mono effectively kills many of the supported activities. I can't imagine listening to mono music, especially now when "stereo" is almost outdated in favor of surround. That would be like getting rid of my HD TV and replacing it with an old B&W NTSC TV. Not gonna happen.

I might just bite the bullet and buy the Sena set. But before I do, I'll have to verify that someone has used it successfully with a DROID X. Lee, you mentioned that you had tried this, correct? Were you able to test all of the functions?

Thanks for starting this thread, I was beginning to think nobody really cared about this issue...

Rob
 
My HTC Incredible Droid phone works properly with the Cardo built SRC system in the Schuberth C3.
 
Can't get SRC to pair w/ Droid Incredible

Tried pairing many times now but each time the message says that the SRC rejected my phone.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
I've had a couple issues with my G4 so I thought I'd share my efforts to resolve the problem.
Since I first purchased the G4 I've had a issue with my Droid X not ringing through to the G4. If a call comes in I get no ringer in my headset. The only way I know I have a call is if I'm listening to music from the same droid. When the call comes in the music will pause at the droid so if I hear a long pause it usually means I have a call.
I checked other phones with my G4 and the ring fine. This lead me to believe it was the Droid until I connected my Droid to a Senna unit. It rings fine. It seems to be something about the way the droid and G4 communicate with each other.

The current problem is if I make a call from the G4 the unit will shut down after the call ends. The G4 becomes unresponsive and the only way to turn the it back on is to remove and re-seat the G4 in the cradle. Not something I'm going to do while riding.

Scala first suggested I do a full reset of the G4 and then re-pair the droid and G4. I did this, 3 times, and replied to Scala's email stating the reset didn't work and that if there's no other fix I would like to replace this unit. They replied with the standard lengthy procedures for a warranty return. They stated I would be without the G4 while they troubleshoot the problem and that if they couldn't duplicate the problem they would send the original back.

The G4 shutting down after a call happens consistently so I'm sure it will do it for them but we all know how that goes.

I'm a little turned off by the canned responses and their unwillingness to just give me an exchange on a unit that is only 2 months old.

I contacted my local shop and they said they would look into doing an exchange for me.

I enjoy the G4 and had no complaints until know. When you pay $250+ for a bluetooth headset you expect a little customer service. We'll see what happens.

Anyone want two more? I've got mine for sale!

Sadly, this is Bluetooth. The Sena is miles above the Scala, but the technology just isn't there. If you want good audio, multiple audio sources and reliability go with an Autocom, but be prepared to shell out some coin. It isn't cheap but many have over 200,000 miles on there system.
 
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