Bike-to-Bike Comm

[pglaves]

Voni and I have ridden several hundred thousand miles without bike-to-bike communications. We have primarily used both hand signals and moments of confusion as our guides.

I am now about to decide to use a Sena, Cardo, or some similar system for bike-to-bike comm. We don't need to integrate phone, GPS, music, or anything else. I just want good, seamless, no issue bike-to-bike.

Voni uses a full face helmet. I use a modular helmet with swing up chin bar. I understand how ear phones may integrate to cavities in helmets. BUT, I have no clue how microphones do. We used FRS radios in the 2003 Iron Butt Rally but have not used any comm in the intervening years.

So I have a very simple question.

How are the microphones placed in the various helmets with comm systems: Sena, Cardo, Others. Which system(s) provide the least hassle? Sena? Cardo? Others?

 

[oldcamper]

We used Sena sm10’s, and they worked OK for line of sight comms. The kit came with a wired button mic that stuck on the inside chinbar, but it also came with boom mics we never used. A modular helmet would make installation trickier.

I recently bought a Sena Outrush helmet. It is modular with comms built in and MSRP was only $200.
Try for fit if you are interested. They seem to run small.

 

[akbeemer]

On your modular helmet a mic on a 4-5 inch flexible boom will attach to the inner side of the shell under the cheek pad with Velcro. The mic can be moved in front of your mouth or moved out of the way as desired. On Voni’s full face a mic can be Velcroed to the inside of the chin bar and the wire run over to and under the cheek pad.

We use or communicators purely for bike to bike. We’ve had three generations of Senas and switched to PackTalk Bolds two years ago. We find the PackTalks to be less finicky and have better sound quality. We can talk at highway speed although in some wind conditions it gets difficult at higher speeds. On rare occasions, when we get out of range or line of sight and the units de-link they will not re-link and must be restarted. They are in general dependable and easy to use.

I had to have my first PackTalk replaced under warranty, which was done with no fuss.

 

[PoorUB]

If you buy a boxed pair of Cardo Palktalks they will come linked already. Charge them up, mount to the helmets and turn 'em on.

The Palktalks come with two mics each. A somewhat flexible boom mic and a mic on a wire. Both Velcro into the helmet. The wired mic will work well in a full face. The Palktalks come with Velcro pads you just stick in place where you want the mic, My wife and I both wear HJC modulars. On ours I pulled back the padding on the left side, removed a screw near the front edge of the helmet, stuck a Velcro pad to the inside of the outer shell of helmet, then put it back together. Surprisingly it holds very well. I suppose we get a double deal, the Velcro and the tension of the helmet foam liner clamping it in place.

As far as the speakers there should be opening by the ears and they have Velcro on them too. You can stick a mating Velcro pad to the helmet liner, but I have found they stick well enough right to the liner. The Palktalks come with a 3.5 jack for the helmet speakers so you can use any earbuds wit them if you like. My wife and I bought have custom molded ear buds. Nice because they block out noise.

You can sync the Palktalks to your phone and listen to Sirius radio, stream music off YouTube, (Probably not where you live!), and play saved music. They also have an built FM receiver if there is a station in the area out are riding.

I listen to music constantly with my Palktalks. They claim up to 14 hours, but I find about 4 hours gets them to 50% battery. I haven't ridden any farther than that in a day so far. I also bought a "cell phone recharger", simply just a battery pack with USB connections I can plug the Palktalks in to and recharge on a long day. Plus you can buy a longer USB cable and charge while you wear them. If you use them just to talk you will get more time out of them.

 

[dsmith12002492]

I use the Sena 50S for bike to bike comm. The mesh intercom is quite good. No pairing necessary and if you get out of range they reconnect seamlessly when back in range. Audio quality is superior to Bluetooth comms. The only downside is battery life. When using mesh, battery life is down to about 5 hrs but 20-30 minutes on a standby battery restores the Sena battery to 100%. I usually charge mine during lunch when riding all day.

 

[52184]

Paul,
Cathy and I have been using Sena 20S units for several years, ever since I once missed a hand signal and delayed a restroom stop.

We both use the boom mikes that came supplied; mine in a Schuberth modular and hers in an Arai open-face. The two-pack kit also came with button mikes that could be attached via velcro to the chinbar of a full-face as well as speakers which were installed in the helmets. We don’t use the speakers; both of us use custom molded earplug/speakers made by the late Al Schibi (“Arizona Al”). We could never get reliable comms with the speakers unless we abandoned our earplugs, which we didn’t want to do, and the molded earplug speakers actually give much better sound quality while still offering some hearing protection. We consistently get 8+ hrs of use on a full charge, even with mine linked to GPS and phone and hers to her phone.

When we replace the Senas we will be moving to Cardo units. The Cardo is waterproof, Sena is not. IIRC the Cardo has only one output port so you have to choose between helmet speakers or earphones, while the Sena can have both connected but the earphone jack overrides the speakers—but we won’t be bothering with helmet speakers. Lastly, I recommend buying your units from an in-person vendor as most of them will handle the headset installation in your helmet. Richard Battles at RKA did ours and did a great job, but IIRC he handles Sena only. My local BMW dealer also did an excellent job of transferring my Sena into the new Schuberth I bought from them; they have done many, many installs.

Best,
DeVern

 

[riderr1150gsadv]

I have used about 3 brands of comm systems and so far the Cardo Packtalk bold has been the best. On my trip to the Rally I rode 12-14 hours a day and had no problems with battery life as I didn't listen to music full time and was able to make and receive a few phone calls with the home front. When I ride with my brother and friend we have comms for the entire day (usually 6-8 hour rides). Hooking up to other Cardo Packtalk units is as simple as can be. The Packtalk's can also be recharged while being used, if you worry about battery life...
Don't forget the big discount we get as MOA members.... YMMV

 

[lee]

When we decide to get intercoms a few years ago I did not want a boom mic sticking in front of my mouth. I figured I would need to mess with the mike every time I put the helmet on.
Our mics on our Schuberth helmets are tucked in out of site on the side. I like that location because you never notice it.
Henzilla added the same type of mic to his helmet. Ask Steve about it.

If you happen to need new helmets Sena is now selling helmets with the intercom built in like Schuberth and Shoie.
Last month I looked at one at Engles and liked it. Seems like the price was only $200.

 

[irish]

I've installed Senas in several of my helmets and they have always been very easy to install and very reliable. I've used both the SMH-10 and 20S EVO and installed them in full face and modular Shoei helmets, as well as a Scorpion modular. As others have alluded to, they come with boom mics for modular or 3/4 helmets and a small button size microphone with a wire that is designed to be velcroed to the chin bar of a full face helmet. In every case, the installation has been straightforward, and they provide you with a variety of mounting option and hardware to customize the fit. I can't speak for other brands as I've only used Sena. I was glad I made the move to bluetooth comms, hope you enjoy it as well!

 

[jsd]

I have been using Sena for years. Using full face and Modular. In the modular I always had the boom mike right in front of mouth per directions which worked great but the chin vent of course was slightly blocked and it would always get moved when donning the helmet. I noticed Shuberths and others built in was way over on the cheek pad so when I moved mine intro my new AGV helmet I slid the boom mike back so only about 1/4 of it is exposed. Its about 4" away from my mouth, this seems to be the best position for me. No one talking on the phone can tell, they still think I am at home and cannot hear wind or bike noise. Intercom is the same.

 

[Rick del Monte]

Just picked up the Cardo Freetalk 4+from Moto Liberty here in Dallas for my Arai full face helmet. Always try to keep my local dealer/vendors in business. They will show you how to install for free, $20 for them to do it all. Well worth the $20.

 

[mtraphagen]

I bought a cheap ($85), no-name pair on Amazon a few years ago, and also have my phone (for music) and Garmin GPS paired to it.

At some point, I'll get a better set as I'm hearing impaired and could use a bit more volume at highway speeds, along with the hope of better quality audio -- but the cheap set has worked great for now -- we both use Shuberth modular helmets and moving the boom mike out of the way when putting the helmet on quickly became a habit.

I wear my hearing aids while riding -- but do have to turn them down a couple of notches to avoid feedback. My wife has no problem hearing at higher speeds, so the lower volume on my HAs is likely my problem.

Funny, but we actually talk more during our weekend rides than we do sitting on a couch at home.

Mitch

 

[powwow]

Count me as another satisfied owner of the Packtalk Bold. Installation is a breeze and function is flawless. My wife and I have used in-helmet communicators for quite some years and I'm comfortable now with having the boom mic in front of my mouth. The flexibility of the boom allows you to move it around so it isn't actually touching your mouth. With all the miles you and Voni do together, I'm sure you will like having the option of better communication with each other. Of course, there's always the excuse "I think the battery on mine is dying" when you're tired of talking.

 

[Stebe]

We have the Sena 30K. Although we haven't done it, the manual says you can link up to 8 (I think) helmets, supposedly good for up to about a mile, if I recall. We use them to avoid screaming to each other through full face helmets while riding. They work quite well, and possibly of more interest for you, Paul, they come with different mikes. We use the standard flexible mike, but there's also one that could be fixed-mounted inside the chin bar.

 

[Omega Man]

Things sure have come a long way since Autocom with Kenwood ProTalk XLS radios.
OM

 

[lee]

When we decide to get intercoms a few years ago I did not want a boom mic sticking in front of my mouth. I figured I would need to mess with the mike every time I put the helmet on.
Our mics on our Schuberth helmets are tucked in out of site on the side. I like that location because you never notice it.
Henzilla added the same type of mic to his helmet. Ask Steve about it.

.

This is the mic location I mentioned on our Schuberth C4.
I like this better than a boom mic or a mic attached to the chin bar. With a Modular I didn't want to mess with a wire when I open or close the chin bar.
I like things to be simple

 

[MotoToph]

I bought a cheap ($85), no-name pair on Amazon a few years ago, and also have my phone (for music) and Garmin GPS paired to it.

At some point, I'll get a better set as I'm hearing impaired and could use a bit more volume at highway speeds, along with the hope of better quality audio -- but the cheap set has worked great for now -- we both use Shuberth modular helmets and moving the boom mike out of the way when putting the helmet on quickly became a habit.

I wear my hearing aids while riding -- but do have to turn them down a couple of notches to avoid feedback. My wife has no problem hearing at higher speeds, so the lower volume on my HAs is likely my problem.

Funny, but we actually talk more during our weekend rides than we do sitting on a couch at home.

Mitch

I think if you took out the hearing aids and put in so ear buds it will work out better! That's what I do anyway. I'm trying out a pair of plugfones and like them. S plug is popular too.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[akbeemer]

I used ear buds with our Sena units. The sound quality of the PackTalk Bold JVB is so good the ear buds are unnecessary.

 

[MotoToph]

I used ear buds with our Sena units. The sound quality of the PackTalk Bold JVB is so good the ear buds are unnecessary.

Not with my hearing! May have missed that I wear hearing aids off the bike. I use ear plugs that double as earbuds. I had the JBL's with my Cardo Freecom's and like the ear plug/bud combo much better. The JBL's sound good but are still harder for me to listen to podcasts with the addition of earplugs!

My wife has perfect hearing and likes the ear plug/bud combo better as well. It's great that we have so many choices!

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[easy]

Paul,
Cathy and I have been using Sena 20S units for several years, ever since I once missed a hand signal and delayed a restroom stop.

And the man lived to get a Sena....

There must be some kind of BMW award for this.

E.