StarCom Communications

[sootie]

I certainly don't ride a motorcycle to answer a phone ........... and I sure as hell won't listen to music on a motorcycle, I value my hearing too much. It's already over 90dB in that helmet of yours

Totally agree about cell phones. But it is quite different for a conversation with someone on the road with you. I quite like to know about a gravel spill on the next corner, cop car, crazy cager nearby or whatever.

Good accurate figure for the noise level in a helmet, but I use the US airforce system ... ie 35dB of earplug sound reduction, and high level helmet speakers to give an overall sound level about the same as the back seat of a good modern 6 cylinder car. (Some guys still do long rides with no ear protection I know.)

Every car I know comes standard with a stereo system fitted. Why is listening on a motorcycle at sensible volumes any different? A reasonable option to enjoy on a long ride I think (and I do.)

I do enjoy riding alone. I also enjoy group riding with guys I trust, when I can occasionally talk to them if I want to, and they to me. It is a different side to riding I think but group safety is an issue.

As I said prviously, I believe the real issue here is the difficulty of providing good quality, convenient, long term, long range bike to bike comms at 100kph. Most of the commercial gear simply doesn't do what the glossies say and is not very enjoyable to use.

[Blackbird]

I totally understand where Jim is coming from. For years when my wife came on the back of the bike, she wanted me to buy a comms set and I refused. Riding, even with trusted mates, is the time for me and my thoughts. With mates, a chat before we set off and the occasional hand signal is all we need between stops.

I actually have a Sena SMH 10 comms set these days which is a lovely bit of kit. Have never used the connectivity for music, phone or any other peripheral. All it gets used for is communicating with the IAM trainees I mentor and it's perfect for that function. For all other riding, it's just me and my thoughts but that's simply a personal thing. Don't need anything else but to just get on and ride.

[sootie]

With mates, a chat before we set off and the occasional hand signal is all we need between stops.
..........
Don't need anything else but to just get on and ride.

"Need" is usually expanded or contracted in most circumstances to what is actually available.

We do sometimes "Chat" while riding, but it tends to only be on long boring straight stretches of road with little other traffic. Something that is amusing, is a group of riders briefly pulled off the road, engines still running, and discussing next meal stop, which road to take, or a minor bike problem etc! (A rider in the group without comms usually stuffs all this up for us!)

I completely understand the enjoyment of riding by ones self, (as already mentioned),
but you will never convince me that it is actually better to ride with others & NOT be able to communicate.
I believe that good comms while group riding in traffic is a safety issue. (This probably really only apples in the main centres in NZ though.)

For what it is worth, I am totally unimpressed with comms gear which can't work through a truck & semi, or between a leader & a tail end charlie who is stuck out of sight at 1 km plus behind. These are exactly the times when you do need comms!!

We use simplex UHF comms. It is actually more civilized than duplex since only one person at a time can speak. The real advantage though is that it becomes a party line. All riders can hear every conversation and contribute when they wish. (Transmission sometimes only once an hour for some riders by the way.)

[James Deuce]

Sounds like a first world solution to a non-existent problem to me.

I REALLY don't like the idea.

[sootie]

Sounds like a first world solution to a non-existent problem to me.

I REALLY don't like the idea.

I repeat: "Need" is usually expanded or contracted in most circumstances to what is actually available"

Twenty years ago nobody wanted or needed a cell phone. Now, most of the folk I know have to have a new one everytime there is a minor change in technology. (Not me by the way).

Sony had a hell of a marketing job with the first tape based walkmans. "Who wants to listen to music while they walk?? Ridiculous idea." (Have a look down our main streets now days!)

The really stupid one of course is putting a motor on a cycle to propel it. "It is going to be top heavy & fall over, go too fast, and be generally bloody dangerous!"

[Blackbird]

Hahahaha

Can't speak for Mr Deuce of course, but I'm a cantankerous (according to my wife) 65 year old who owns an iPod but limits its use to washing the car or gardening, thereby pissing off aforesaid wife because I can't hear her shouting at me . Also ditched my fancy company phone when I retired from corporate life at 60 and moved to Coromandel Town to became a hippy yokel (which probably explains a lot!). I love riding with my close mates whom I trust implicitly, won't touch group rides with a bargepole but also love the peace and solitude which solo riding brings.

Long live the differences in the motorcycling community

[sootie]

Hahahaha

Can't speak for Mr Deuce of course, but I'm a cantankerous (according to my wife) 65 year old who owns an iPod but limits its use to washing the car or gardening, thereby pissing off aforesaid wife because I can't hear her shouting at me . Also ditched my fancy company phone when I retired from corporate life at 60 and moved to Coromandel Town to became a hippy yokel (which probably explains a lot!). I love riding with my close mates whom I trust implicitly, won't touch group rides with a bargepole but also love the peace and solitude which solo riding brings.

I guess I am a cantankerous 66 nearly 67 year old, but I can relate well to all you have said above. However I still like new things - if they work!

The Baehr UHF comms gear which Gremlin uses sounds similar to the setup on one of my mate's bikes. It is well thought out, & has worked well (but not flawlessly) for thousands of kms, and I respect this brand. Most of the other commercial gear I have seen does not really offer what bikers need & fails to impress me. I really know nothing about StarCom gear. Getting back to the thread here, this review tells me nothing.

Anything works OK out of its fancy box, when used at 100 metres line of sight & at 50kph.
How does it go after:
- a day's ride in heavy rain
- a few hundred kms over heavily corrugated metal roads
- to communicate with another rider out of sight & 1.5 km away
- at 100kph in a 20kph head wind
- can it communicate between say 6 riders at the same time?
- how much hassle is recharging before every ride going to be - will it even recharge after ride 100?
- can it survive a waist height drop on to a concrete floor? (It will happen!)

These are pretty minimum requirements in my view. I can be a lot harder if you want an A+ rating!
My opinion remains that the main reason so few bikers actually use comms is because we are so poorly serviced with suitable commercial gear (at any price actually). I will remain a minority of one on this if I must.

As you say Blackbird - cantankerous, but I am going to bail out of this now.

[GTRMAN]

I have been running a starcom1 advance system for the last 3 years. bluetooth connection to phone and a gme uhf radio. radio is good for 5Km line of site and about 2Km in town. I can happily carry on a phone conversation at 100Km/h or more and the person on the other end can't tell I am on a bike. Works in the pissing rain, works in the wind. Pretty much just works. I did spend some time sorting out a neat and tidy installation. helmet sets are wired but don't get in the way and no problems with not having enough charge.

[vifferman]

Sena.
FTW.
No wires.

Works.

[sootie]

I have been running a starcom1 advance system for the last 3 years. bluetooth connection to phone and a gme uhf radio. radio is good for 5Km line of site and about 2Km in town. I can happily carry on a phone conversation at 100Km/h or more and the person on the other end can't tell I am on a bike. Works in the pissing rain, works in the wind. Pretty much just works. I did spend some time sorting out a neat and tidy installation. helmet sets are wired but don't get in the way and no problems with not having enough charge.

Sounds interesting. As I say, I have not met a StarComm system yet, but have heard them mentioned a few times.

I am not very keen on any cellphone use around motor vehicles & don't want one. I think it has something to do with cagers who regularly wear glazed expressions & try to take me out. Their conversations must be really important. Some of the big 4WDs in Ak might not even notice they had just run over a motorcycle.


In traffic, the guys I ride with keep comms short & pertinent. (We all use a PTT click from time to time to indicate "heard you, but concentrating on traffic for the moment" .)

Not too impressed with communications that can't be a bit more lucid than "meh" , "FTW" or "works" by the way.
Our dog normally uses a higher bit rate & conveys more information than that!

[Lancelot948]

I purchased one of these units about 5yrs back and whilst it works fine for me I have just noticed that the wiring out of the unit has suffered dramatically. The sheathing on the leads from the unit (which connect to the helmets) has totally fallen apart and when discussing this issue with supplier they are very evasive about guaranteeing or providing some typical the life expectancy. Supplier wishes to charge 15Pound ea, pus freight (ridiculous freight amount) or $35 Aussie dollars from local Aussie agent. Given the short life (which I consider to be unacceptable) I contacted the supplier asking if they have upgraded this cabling, with no suitable answer, so I decided to repair myself and save heaps.
Great product, poor aftersales support and lacking in product development = designed obsolescence = continued revenue for manufacturer.
Your choice to buy as long as you are aware of this product fault and can afford to replace leads OR are able to fix yourself.

[guzzi_moto]

I purchased one of these units about 5yrs back and whilst it works fine for me I have just noticed that the wiring out of the unit has suffered dramatically. The sheathing on the leads from the unit (which connect to the helmets) has totally fallen apart and when discussing this issue with supplier they are very evasive about guaranteeing or providing some typical the life expectancy. Supplier wishes to charge 15Pound ea, pus freight (ridiculous freight amount) or $35 Aussie dollars from local Aussie agent. Given the short life (which I consider to be unacceptable) I contacted the supplier asking if they have upgraded this cabling, with no suitable answer, so I decided to repair myself and save heaps.
Great product, poor aftersales support and lacking in product development = designed obsolescence = continued revenue for manufacturer.
Your choice to buy as long as you are aware of this product fault and can afford to replace leads OR are able to fix yourself.

I've got a Starcom, one of the first models. I've had it 10 years now, replaced one set of speakers and mic. The cables are now starting to fall apart. They are a 6 pin mini din with a straight through cable, which is NZ$30 from the supplier or... if you go the Element 14 and buy a PS2 extension lead it will cost you about $9, and is 3m long versus 1.5m .