This is a review of the Cardo PackTalk model based on a recent trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway with three PackTalk users and a Scala Rider G9 user.
I previously owned a Scala Rider G4 and later a G9X which usually worked OK, but had exasperating quirks that made them user unfriendly. Namely, they could only pair with two other Scala units. One of those could pair with an additional unit for a maximum of four units altogether. Once paired, the units usually worked OK, but getting the units to pair was often an exercise in frustration. If the phase of the moon wasn't just right or our eyes weren't crossed together, the units sometimes would not pair. It wasn't unusual to spend 20 minutes or more getting four units to pair and communicate together.
I'm happy to report that the Cardo PackTalk system does not have these problems and worked flawlessly throughout our trip. The new "DMC" intercom mode works exactly as advertised. Pairing multiple units together as a "pack" was quick and easy and only had to be done once. All members of the pack are paired together for life unless they are manually deleted from the pack. After the pack was established, the units communicated with each other as soon as they were turned on. It got to be a joke in our group that we had nothing to do for the first 20 minutes every morning because we didn't have to waste time on pairing or connecting to each other. Simply turn these suckers on and go!
The DMC intercom audio is very clear and when no one is talking, there is total silence. There also is no static that frequently occurs with the Scala Rider models. The DMC intercom range of the PackTalk appears to be the same as the Scala Rider, but when a rider leaves the range of the other pack riders, he is automatically reconnected when he returns.
Although intercom communciation is the main purpose of the PackTalk, it has several nice additional features:
1. GPS Nav Voice Guidance--I paired my Zumo 660 to the PackTalk and the Zumo's Nav Voice Guidance temporarily overrode the intercom audio. For those who would rather hear the intercom continuously, muting the Zumo's audio allows this too.
2. A2DP Stereo Music Player--My Zumo 660's internal music player worked well. The PackTalk allows the music to play at a reduced volume in the background while the intercom is active so you hear both music and intercom at the same time.
3. Scala Rider G9 Pairing--The fourth member of our group had a Scala Rider G9 which is only Bluetooth intercom capable. We paired him to one of our PackTalks on Bluetooth Channel B and then used the PackTalk's "DMC Bridge Mode" to bring him into our pack so that the other pack members could hear and talk with him. The current user's manual says that this feature works with a "passenger", but we found that the intercom worked fine over normal intercom distances.
4. Cardo Smartset App for iPad/iPhone--I paired my iPad to the PackTalk and could change all of the unit's settings by remote control via the app. The app worked great and was much easier to use than the PackTalk's button controlled menus. If fact, I've never really used the button controlled menus as the app makes them unnecessary.
As with any device, there are some negatives.
1. Price--this puppy is expensive. We were able to snag duo sets (two units in a box) for an average price of $221 per unit, but today's prices appear higher. Your mileage may vary.
2. The user manual is OK, but some instructions are already out of date and it takes several readings to understand all of the PackTalk's capabilities. If you are a Scala Rider G4/9/X user, then it will make more sense to you. The printed manual that came with my unit was v1.0, but there is now v2.0 on Cardo's website. Even this version is out of date in regards to how to set up the DMC pack. Revzilla has better instructions which are located here:
http://www.revzilla.com/assets/0001/5030/Pairing_Instructions.pdf
The Cardo Smartset app has no instructions at all! Through trial and error, I was able to make it work, but it's shameful that a product that costs so much would have such poor or no documentation. There is a series of YouTube videos by MotoGeek Freek that are great at describing how the PackTalk and Cardo Smartset app work and I recommend you watch them:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_7Be1AJCq7JZU06mSs0cQ
Five of us have planned a trip in September and all will have PackTalk units. I don't anticipate any problem with having this number of members in our pack as other testers have reported that five work OK. A pack can contain up to 15 members per Cardo.
All in all, I highly recommend the Cardo PackTalk...it's a HUGE improvement over the previous Scala Rider G4/9/X models and is finally what I've wanted for years.
Lee
I previously owned a Scala Rider G4 and later a G9X which usually worked OK, but had exasperating quirks that made them user unfriendly. Namely, they could only pair with two other Scala units. One of those could pair with an additional unit for a maximum of four units altogether. Once paired, the units usually worked OK, but getting the units to pair was often an exercise in frustration. If the phase of the moon wasn't just right or our eyes weren't crossed together, the units sometimes would not pair. It wasn't unusual to spend 20 minutes or more getting four units to pair and communicate together.
I'm happy to report that the Cardo PackTalk system does not have these problems and worked flawlessly throughout our trip. The new "DMC" intercom mode works exactly as advertised. Pairing multiple units together as a "pack" was quick and easy and only had to be done once. All members of the pack are paired together for life unless they are manually deleted from the pack. After the pack was established, the units communicated with each other as soon as they were turned on. It got to be a joke in our group that we had nothing to do for the first 20 minutes every morning because we didn't have to waste time on pairing or connecting to each other. Simply turn these suckers on and go!
The DMC intercom audio is very clear and when no one is talking, there is total silence. There also is no static that frequently occurs with the Scala Rider models. The DMC intercom range of the PackTalk appears to be the same as the Scala Rider, but when a rider leaves the range of the other pack riders, he is automatically reconnected when he returns.
Although intercom communciation is the main purpose of the PackTalk, it has several nice additional features:
1. GPS Nav Voice Guidance--I paired my Zumo 660 to the PackTalk and the Zumo's Nav Voice Guidance temporarily overrode the intercom audio. For those who would rather hear the intercom continuously, muting the Zumo's audio allows this too.
2. A2DP Stereo Music Player--My Zumo 660's internal music player worked well. The PackTalk allows the music to play at a reduced volume in the background while the intercom is active so you hear both music and intercom at the same time.
3. Scala Rider G9 Pairing--The fourth member of our group had a Scala Rider G9 which is only Bluetooth intercom capable. We paired him to one of our PackTalks on Bluetooth Channel B and then used the PackTalk's "DMC Bridge Mode" to bring him into our pack so that the other pack members could hear and talk with him. The current user's manual says that this feature works with a "passenger", but we found that the intercom worked fine over normal intercom distances.
4. Cardo Smartset App for iPad/iPhone--I paired my iPad to the PackTalk and could change all of the unit's settings by remote control via the app. The app worked great and was much easier to use than the PackTalk's button controlled menus. If fact, I've never really used the button controlled menus as the app makes them unnecessary.
As with any device, there are some negatives.
1. Price--this puppy is expensive. We were able to snag duo sets (two units in a box) for an average price of $221 per unit, but today's prices appear higher. Your mileage may vary.
2. The user manual is OK, but some instructions are already out of date and it takes several readings to understand all of the PackTalk's capabilities. If you are a Scala Rider G4/9/X user, then it will make more sense to you. The printed manual that came with my unit was v1.0, but there is now v2.0 on Cardo's website. Even this version is out of date in regards to how to set up the DMC pack. Revzilla has better instructions which are located here:
http://www.revzilla.com/assets/0001/5030/Pairing_Instructions.pdf
The Cardo Smartset app has no instructions at all! Through trial and error, I was able to make it work, but it's shameful that a product that costs so much would have such poor or no documentation. There is a series of YouTube videos by MotoGeek Freek that are great at describing how the PackTalk and Cardo Smartset app work and I recommend you watch them:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL_7Be1AJCq7JZU06mSs0cQ
Five of us have planned a trip in September and all will have PackTalk units. I don't anticipate any problem with having this number of members in our pack as other testers have reported that five work OK. A pack can contain up to 15 members per Cardo.
All in all, I highly recommend the Cardo PackTalk...it's a HUGE improvement over the previous Scala Rider G4/9/X models and is finally what I've wanted for years.
Lee
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