Best choice for helmet mount BT cell and radio communicator for 2019/2020 BMWs

[pmariana]

Hi folks, after 15 years of my wife and I losing each other on the highway . . . figure it's time to invest in a pair of radio and cellphone communicators, the ones that attach to your helmet and integrate with the bike's Bluetooth etc.

We're not really too concerned about music and such, but definitely want the best Bluetooth stability and a very good radio as well in case there's no cell coverage. Good helmet-speaker and mike. Can folks with experience please give me some comments on what models that they like or dislike and a bit of why?

I'm more of a solid hardware and software kind of person, good waterproofness and stable software matter more to me than too many tricks and whistles. But a good radio is also very important in case my cellphone has no access to a tower, common with us riders, I imagine! Those radios with the 3 mi range, or something?

my bike is a 2019 R 1250 GSA, my wife's is a 2013 F700 GS (no fancy BT system or screen, so have to solve that too, somehow)

thanks all!

Peter

 

[Zwniana]

Sena vs Cardo

Tried both. Sena seems to be better for communication and mesh technology. Cardo had slightly better music quality and touch less commands. If you want to only talk sena 20 evo is fine.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Hi folks, after 15 years of my wife and I losing each other on the highway . . . figure it's time to invest in a pair of radio and cellphone communicators, the ones that attach to your helmet and integrate with the bike's Bluetooth etc.

We're not really too concerned about music and such, but definitely want the best Bluetooth stability and a very good radio as well in case there's no cell coverage. Good helmet-speaker and mike. Can folks with experience please give me some comments on what models that they like or dislike and a bit of why?

I'm more of a solid hardware and software kind of person, good waterproofness and stable software matter more to me than too many tricks and whistles. But a good radio is also very important in case my cellphone has no access to a tower, common with us riders, I imagine! Those radios with the 3 mi range, or something?

my bike is a 2019 R 1250 GSA, my wife's is a 2013 F700 GS (no fancy BT system or screen, so have to solve that too, somehow)

thanks all!

Peter

I started with a Cardo system, switched to the SENA 20S then discovered the Cardo Packtalk Bold and have been running it for two years.
The Packtalk Bold is the simplest and quietest system I have tried. The range is better than the SENA, even better than the new SENA 50.

The Packtalk is "Waterproof" - the SENA units only claim "Water Resistance" I had two SENA units warrantied by the factory for water intrusion issues.

CARDO created the MESH technology, SENA has adopted a MESH of their own, neither of the two MESH systems are compatible with each other.

The SENA 50 Mesh is an improvement over the SENA 30 but is still not to the level of the CARDO Packtalk system IMO.

All the manufacturer's claims with regard to the range are suspect. The best I've seen between two riders is a bit over 1/2 mile on a straight level road with nothing in between riders. They are high-frequency line-of-sight radios.

There is a huge improvement with Bluetooth 5.0 in all of the systems.

Your phone drives a lot of the issues.

The Voice interface with the Cardo is excellent.

If you can work your way through this long video you will be much better prepared to make a decision and a purchase.

https://youtu.be/LzPoILCj-aU

 

[akbeemer]

On the topic of getting separated from your riding partner..... Annie and I are on our way home from a few days of riding in Colorado (very hot and Smokey) with a stop planned at the Klim HQ store in Rigby,ID. While going thru SLC in the fast and chaotic traffic in 100.5 degree heat we got separated. We use the excellent PackTalk Bold communicators but got out of range. We both use iPhones and have their “Find My” app. It allows you to see the location of other app users who give you permission to do so. I have a phone mount on my bike which I seldom use. I pulled over, mounted the phone and fired up the app.... and there she was. Like James Bond tracking Goldfinger, I was able to follow her from about 15 miles behind. When she stopped for fuel I was able to get to here before she pulled out. Turns out she had texted me and we would have eventually sorted things out, but the app made it simple.

 

[rangerreece]

Kevin,
The “Life 360” app, is like the Apple find me app only 100 times better and easier. It actually IS like James Bond tracking gold finger, but in like a Daniel Craig 2021 James Bond movie. I highly recommend it. (It’s also smartphone agnostic and will work cross platform, so you can bring non Apple users into your group, did I mention it’s free and has crash sensing notification)

 

[r0ckrat]

For BT radios, I have been really happy with an up-and-coming brand for cost, ease of use, and quality sound. Check out lexin-moto.com for the FT4 Pro, and you can use the discount code SV6502020 at checkout for an additional 15% off your purchase. They also have a wireless charger that mounts on RAM X-Grip holders.

I think the only way to integrate with the bike is if you have the BMW Nav system.

The 3-mile radios would be using an FRS radio, and would not integrate well with BT, but there are a FEW left that might work, I just wouldn't know where to look - and most are "push-to-talk".

 

[akbeemer]

Kevin,
The “Life 360” app, is like the Apple find me app only 100 times better and easier. It actually IS like James Bond tracking gold finger, but in like a Daniel Craig 2021 James Bond movie. I highly recommend it. (It’s also smartphone agnostic and will work cross platform, so you can bring non Apple users into your group, did I mention it’s free and has crash sensing notification)

Thanks. I’ll check it out.

 

[lee]

We both use iPhones and have their “Find My” app. It allows you to see the location of other app users who give you permission to do so. .

This type of app is very handy. We have Friend Finder on our Android phones. My problem is Debbie rarely has her phone on during a trip.
We have used the app several times when I've been on bicycle rides and she wanted to meet up with me on the route. She'll send me a text telling me she's parked in a town or along a road, I turn on the app and press Directions. The app will give me directions to her location.
As mentioned, you don't always have cell service but I don't see us getting separated when out in the boonies. The easiest place to get separated is going through a town and you probably have service there.
In the 32 years Debbie has had her own bike I only remember being separated once and that was in Sedona. It was pre cell phones for us. We both pulled over and waited. Turns out we were only two or three blocks apart
I don't remember what happened but pretty sure it was my fault

When going through towns if we both don't make the same light I pull over while still in range of our communicators and wait for her.

 

[lee]

but definitely want the best Bluetooth stability and a very good radio as well in case there's no cell coverage.

Peter

I don't know if there's much out there for bluetooth radios. There used to be Autocom that hard wired to the bike.

 

[cap]

... The “Life 360” app...

+1

My riding buddies and I use it on long trips. They are paranoid about privacy, and immediately turn off location sharing when our trip is over. I leave it on. My wife has it on her phone, and she loves having the little pop-up messages that say, "Cap has arrived home."

 

[cap]

... definitely want the best Bluetooth stability ... good waterproofness and stable software ...

Bluetooth is no longer the way to go for rider-to-rider comms. Especially if you don't already own some older gear, and you will buy two new sets for you and your wife. Get Cardo Packtalk Bold or Sena 50S mesh systems. I prefer Cardo. Cardo is the only one that claims to be waterproof. The range with mesh is greater than with Bluetooth. And these new systems also have Bluetooth to connect to your phone or a BMW moto.

 

[pmariana]

On the topic of getting separated from your riding partner..... Annie and I are on our way home from a few days of riding in Colorado (very hot and Smokey) with a stop planned at the Klim HQ store in Rigby,ID. While going thru SLC in the fast and chaotic traffic in 100.5 degree heat we got separated. We use the excellent PackTalk Bold communicators but got out of range. We both use iPhones and have their “Find My” app. It allows you to see the location of other app users who give you permission to do so. I have a phone mount on my bike which I seldom use. I pulled over, mounted the phone and fired up the app.... and there she was. Like James Bond tracking Goldfinger, I was able to follow her from about 15 miles behind. When she stopped for fuel I was able to get to here before she pulled out. Turns out she had texted me and we would have eventually sorted things out, but the app made it simple.

That's pretty funny akbeemer . . . good ol' GPS! Good thinking, for sure!

 

[pmariana]

Communicators and radios etc.

Especially to bigjohnsd and cap, thanks very much, I really appreciate your help, both of you had similar opinions, interestingly,

others also clarified that BT wasn't the big issue nowadays and I sort of see that,

if anyone has time, what is this MESH thing, is it a new way for the electronics to synch with the bike? contact lists, voice activated phone calls, etc.?

will take a good look at the Cardo Packtalk Bold, sounds positive! up here in BC, Canada, waterproof is a big issue, so . . . thanks all!

oh, one last question - these Cardo units are the type that fit on the side of the helmet, right? that's what we're talking about?

I will go to the website of course, just want to make sure that we're talking about the same general thing . . .

 

[r0ckrat]

"Mesh" is just another form of bluetooth communications, and the range greatly depends on the number of participants. Here is a good "primer" on the tech being used... (Yes, it's Bluetooth, so Bluetooth isn't going anywhere yet.)

https://www.androidauthority.com/bluetooth-sig-unveils-mesh-networking-capabilities-788015/

That's the basic tech that both Cardo and Sena use, they just send different signals so aren't compatible with each-other.

So choice of unit boils down to:

1) Do you need compatibility with a group
2) How much do you want to spend

If you need to be compatible with others in a group setting, get what they are using.
If you are only going to be riding with 1 other person at a time, a simple BT unit with universal pairing will work just fine. Spend as much or as little as you want.