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Intercom Systems

Telebeamer

New member
My wife recently bought her own bike and we are looking into some sort of 2 way communication device. Does anyone have some suggestions on a good product. We are looking for something simple that allows us to check in occasionally while riding.
Thanks
 
communications

I bought the Sena smh5 for my wife and I. Although we ride two up, the units will pick up from a far greater distance as two bikes would be traveling together. I paid around $186.00 for the pair. We are really happy with this system. It is also bluetooth. This unit slide on a clip which is placed on the side of the helmet. Speakers and microphone come with the pair. Again, we are really happy with the system. I originally purchased the pair from Revzilla. Great service......
 
I use the Sena SMH10. Works well between bikes/riders. Easy to use jog dial. Pairs with my zumo 660 and my iPhone.
 
My wife and I also use the Sena SMH10. We've got about 35K miles on them and they preform well. They are very much a line-of-sight device; if you cannot see your partner then you are unlikely to be able to communicate. Range is 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. The voice activated function has never worked well for us because the wind noise activates the radios. The push to talk mode is easy to use, but there can be a 2-3 second delay before the radios connect. You can leave the radios in an open-mic mode where you will hear every thing that either of you says. This works well for urban and other slow speed areas where you are talking directions, which restaurant or gas station to go to. At highway speeds, say 70 MPH and above, communicating is normally limited to short messages due to wind noise, I suspect that can vary depending on the bike and helmet used. They are also simple to switch between different helmets so long as you have a mount on each helmet. Time between charges can vary depending on how much you talk and how much time is spent in the open-mic mode. We've gone as long as three consecutive 400 mie days on a single charge.

Before getting the Sena we tried a variety of other systems such as StarCom and ChatterBox. They worked well at times but we seemed to be always be dealing with cables and wires and the problems they can present.
 
Sena SMH10 since winter. We love them and couldn't imagine riding together without them. I upgraded mine to newest firmware, though, and having some pairing issues with my Bluetooth/iPhone. I suspect it's the user's issue :whistle. I second the comment about hearing each other at high speeds. We have HJC modular helmets and they are just plain noisy!!
 
I have a BMW system 5 modular helmet (made by Schuberth). With earplugs, and I always wear them, I have no problem, at virtually any speed, hearing another rider, as long as they speak up and their helmet's are not too noisy.

The auto speak feature, I turned off. The one guy I ride with is always coughing or hacking or making some other noise that turns it on. So I got him to turn it off on his system too.
 
another confirmation for the Sena, I use the SMH10R works very well. Wife really enjoys the phone coupling she can now keep in touch much easier and talking even at speeds slightly over the leagal limit are clear. Price was reasonable, and the unit is simple to upgrade via the internet, and very easy to operate.
 
Pretty expensive for dual helmet setup versus Sena SMH10 dual setup for $285.00

So people using the various communication products available, are you on touring bikes behind full windshields or bikes more open to the wind such as a GS?

Most of my riding comes in the open air an I am concerned about that issue. Both riders wear Shoei full face helmets.
 
So people using the various communication products available, are you on touring bikes behind full windshields or bikes more open to the wind such as a GS?
I ride a 1200RT. I also ride a CBR1000RR with a full face Shoei helmet and use my Sena headset with it. I wear ear plugs (because of the Two Brothers exhaust) and I can hear phone conversations and my music very well.
 
I ride a 1200RT. I also ride a CBR1000RR with a full face Shoei helmet and use my Sena headset with it. I wear ear plugs (because of the Two Brothers exhaust) and I can hear phone conversations and my music very well.

Thanks for the input Tony.
 
I ride a 1600 GT
Wife rides a c650gt
Both have Schubert helmets with bmw comm, both bikes have nav systems paired to phones. The intercom function works to about 1/4 mile line of sight. After that she calls on phone. Only draw back for us is that intercom hot mic on all the time

J&M audio sells some pretty good CB/FRS radio systems that mount on various bikes for greater distance without using phone/intercom had one on my 1200gs for bike to bike worked well
 
My wife recently bought her own bike and we are looking into some sort of 2 way communication device. Does anyone have some suggestions on a good product. We are looking for something simple that allows us to check in occasionally while riding.
Thanks


Sena.
 
Actually, it sounds like you're looking for bike to bike comms, not intercom. Have you considered CB radio? If you use Bluetooth for the phones, that works where you have service. CB just works because you create the service when you key the mic. Added benefit is you can hear/communicate with others on the road. Oldwhatshername and I used them when she was able to ride her bike and they worked great. Now when she travels in the car and I'm on the bike - we can still communicate. I bought a $35 CB and a magnet mount antenna for the car and it's pretty much plug-and-play.

I run a J&B CB on my RT and am hard wired to it. Others I know use Bluetooth and think it's great.
 
SENA has the ability to go with push to talk radios as an add on. The expandability with software updates really makes this setup more futureproof than others. Also, unlike Scala (BMW, etc), you can buy from the factory, a helmet mount to plug in-ear monitors into. Oh yeah, they have a wired mic that is super small & attached with velcro vs. a clumsy boom mic. They really stepped up the game. Nobody even comes close.
 
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