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Communicaton System Question

dmwbmw

New member
Looking for a reliable comm system. Nothing fancy. I don't need to be linked to an Ipod, Iphone, Bluetooth, whatever. Just need a simple communication system between rider and pilot. I need something just a little more high-tech than my wife banging me on the helmet. Any ideas??
 
Communication system

Autocom has a new system which looks like it would be just what you wanted. It is only rider/passenger. I think it sells for about $350.00. You will still need mic/headset for you helmet. If you're just looking for something not too fancy, you can get a set for each helmet pretty reasonable and put it in yourself. I did and it's not difficult. Ours works great.
 
Autocom is an excellent system. We had it on our 1200RT and it worked great. It's strength is integrating intercom with music, GPS, phone, etc. However, it is a wired system.

After selling the RT we decided to try the Sena system. No wires (works by bluetooth). It works very well. Very straight forward. If you later want to add GPS w/ bluetooth or iPod direct wired, you can do it. But the basic comm system is simple and it works well, and there are no wires.
 
Looking for a reliable comm system. Nothing fancy. I don't need to be linked to an Ipod, Iphone, Bluetooth, whatever. Just need a simple communication system between rider and pilot. I need something just a little more high-tech than my wife banging me on the helmet. Any ideas??

Cardo Scala Rider Q2 Dual Headsets - will give you wireless comm between rider and passenger.

Own a pair - work well, even at 65+ MPH.

$269.99 from www.motorcyclegear.com

Good Luck with whatever you choose. :thumb
 
Bluetooth such as Cardo Scala should work nicely for you since you are only interested in rider to pillion communication. Start adding devices and a hard wired system is a better choice. The Cardo Scala G4 is reasonable in price as well.
 
After selling the RT we decided to try the Sena system. No wires (works by bluetooth). It works very well. Very straight forward. If you later want to add GPS w/ bluetooth or iPod direct wired, you can do it. But the basic comm system is simple and it works well, and there are no wires.
+1 on Sena SMH10. We bought a dual pack on Amazon for $300 shipped, which included everything we need for both rider and passenger. My wife and I really enjoyed actually communicating while riding on our recent Colorado tour. It is very simple. No wires. Easy to set up and use. We charged our head sets every night and the batteries lasted all day with juice to spare.
 
I have two Sena units and have had problems. They stopped working and Sena replaced one unit; still no commo. Sena has acted responsibly up to now and I'm awaiting a response on this latest issue, however, the net result is I've had the units for three months and have not had use of them for nearly two. It is a shame because when they were working they were simple to use and gave us exactly what we were looking for.
 
I have two Sena units and have had problems. They stopped working and Sena replaced one unit; still no commo. Sena has acted responsibly up to now and I'm awaiting a response on this latest issue, however, the net result is I've had the units for three months and have not had use of them for nearly two. It is a shame because when they were working they were simple to use and gave us exactly what we were looking for.

Update: The Sena guys responded to my complaint quickly and emailed me a 2nd day air UPS shipping label. They received my entire dual set on Thursday (yesterday) and today I was notified that they have shipped me a new set that is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. I cannot complain about their responsiveness to my complaints. Only time will tell if my problems were an aberration or an indication of a systematic problem. Sure hope it worksout because they are cats jammers when working correctly.
 
Wired vs Wireless should be the first question. How important is avoiding headset wiring? Bluetooth systems give up a great deal of volume, sound quality, resiliance, and configurability. They don't play nice with multiple audio sources. Batteries die at the worst possible times.

If you are going wireless, go with a Sena. Only the Sena will charge during use. The controls are easier to use. Their SR-10 hub device ($149.99) has promise but is limited and not yet available. If you want an Autocom and a bluetooth headset you can use one, but expect to pay for the Autocom system + Wire3 headset interface ($179 ea) + Sena headset ($150 ea). The price ads up fast.

With Autocom you get much better sound quality, prioritization-muting-mixing of audio sources, many more interface options, a cleaner installation and no dangling box on side of helmet. Best of all you don't have the constant irritation caused by bluetooth limitations.
 
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