Intercoms / Music

[Highlander]

Have been looking at (and thinking about) intercomms so I can talk to Mrs Highlander (or whom ever else is on the back) and or other bikes while cruising down the road. The systems on here (http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/motorcycle__communications.htm ) look to fit the bill. Being a self professed cheap skate I'd like to hear from someone who uses them before parting with the dosh.

Any thoughts?

[Slingshot]

I've been using one of these for a 12 months now. They're very average IMHO.
The rider to pillion intercom unit is just some cheap dirty amp with no electronic noise reduction, it's an off the shelf unit that some time ago used to be sold at dick smiths. The mic and speakers are good though, although again fairly simple technology, the mic is just a plain old electric mic.

Build quality...the headset sockets are soldered directly to the board and the solder has cracked away on me, easy to fix though.

If you turn the volume/gain up on the unit it becomes useless because the amp gets saturated with all of the noise and distorts.

The other problem is that it amplifies not only the noise from the pillions mic, but also from your own. This means that you're getting a heap of extra noise in you ear.

[Da Bird]

I haven't got one but this UK website seems like the go. Maybe do a Google search on Starcom reviews or something like that.

http://www.starcom1.com/index.htm

[Warr]

Yes I have a Pinfold unit. Dont often bother with the rider - pillion bit. I use it mostly to interface to the Radar detector. That seems more important that talking to Mrs Warr! So I havent been through a set of batteries as yet and owned it ~ 18months. But it does work well. He stands behind his product and it will easily interface to a CB radio if you want to do Bike - Bike communications as well.

[thealmightytaco]

Give it a year or two and you'll be able to just run headphones off your permanently walkie talkie cellphone option, able to answer calls with the secret code whistle if need be. And watch the superbowl.

[Highlander]

I read elsewhere on the interweb that Motorolla were working on a headset specifically for Motorcyclists that uses the Bluetooth technology so Rider and pillion could have phones in pockets or tank bag and still be able to talk to each other / answer calls etc. using phones like an intercom.

Still a few years away from regular production though they said.

[boomer]

Theres no reason why you cant use your phone now using Push to Talk ( Walkie talkie) The Blue tooth headsets are available now.. have been for some time.

[Da Bird]

I read elsewhere on the interweb that Motorolla were working on a headset specifically for Motorcyclists that uses the Bluetooth technology so Rider and pillion could have phones in pockets or tank bag and still be able to talk to each other / answer calls etc. using phones like an intercom.

Still a few years away from regular production though they said.

It was probably the HS830 Bluetooth headset you were reading about which is available about now...

See http://www.expansys.co.nz/product.asp?code=124603
and http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/5643.htm

The only problem with this one is that you have to stick the bluetooth module onto your helmet and can't swap between helmets.

I would much prefer the Scala-Rider which is interchangeable between helmets, doesn't require any glue etc to stick on your helmet and has some great features. Admittedly, it is quite expensive (about $300NZ) but maybe Santa will be kind to me. (Also available now).

See http://www.expansys.co.nz/product.asp?code=123334

BC.

[Lou Girardin]

AMPS only deal with Baehr now, after less than great performance from some other brands. If it's good enough for the Pleece it's good enough for us.:spudwave:

[Divot]

AMPS only deal with Baehr now, after less than great performance from some other brands. If it's good enough for the Pleece it's good enough for us.:spudwave:

Have a look at these sites.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/baehr/baehr-intercoms.htm
http://www.challengermotors.co.nz/
http://www.baehrusa.com/

[Karma]

AMPS only deal with Baehr now, after less than great performance from some other brands. If it's good enough for the Pleece it's good enough for us.:spudwave:

That's the stuff the riding school used when I was learning to ride. Never had any problems with it. Generic earplugs were a bit ill fitting and painful, but think they may have been the cheapy ones.

[emaN]

Autocom Autocom Autocom
Do it once, do it right! (geez, i should be working for 'em!)

Awesome; used by McLaren F1 team, BBC & ....loads of others.

Features music (mono/stereo depending on model),phone jack,pillion jack,transceiver jack (bike to bike)...

Used ours on open face helmets,cruising 'round the US on a Hog = no probs!
Used it in UK/Europe for 2yrs in full-face bash hats = no probs!

I heard the Mrs laughing at over 220km/h, saying "go faster, go faster!"

It picks up the phone and mutes the music; music comes back in when call ends. Music drops to 50% when talking, then pops back up to normal.

Can't rate it enough... Sturdy, quality stuff.

Bite the bullet & fork out for it - it'll last years/miles!

Check the webby thing for nz retailers.

Hope this helps.

[Karma]

Autocom Autocom Autocom
Do it once, do it right! (geez, i should be working for 'em!)

Awesome; used by McLaren F1 team, BBC & ....loads of others.

Features music (mono/stereo depending on model),phone jack,pillion jack,transceiver jack (bike to bike)...

Used ours on open face helmets,cruising 'round the US on a Hog = no probs!
Used it in UK/Europe for 2yrs in full-face bash hats = no probs!

I heard the Mrs laughing at over 220km/h, saying "go faster, go faster!"

It picks up the phone and mutes the music; music comes back in when call ends. Music drops to 50% when talking, then pops back up to normal.

Can't rate it enough... Sturdy, quality stuff.

Bite the bullet & fork out for it - it'll last years/miles!

Check the webby thing for nz retailers.

Hope this helps.

Sounds sweet. Where and for how much can I purchase this wonderous device?

[emaN]

www.autocom.co.uk
then go to the 'dealers/distributors' section...someone in Hamilton does them, lucky for you, nice 'n close.

[madboy]

I'm fortunate that I don't have a pillion on frequently enough to justify either doing the research or purchasing one. But I can relate to you my experience of a cheapie that I bought from Dick Smith's in 1997 and used in my rally car for a couple years.

I'm sure it was only $40 or so, ran on batteries (we hard wired it actually) and did the business. 3 inch exhausts, no sound deadening and gravel are a peaceful mix. Obviously the guys running the flash $300 jobbies probably had a better product. But I figured I didn't need to sink more money into it to get the results that I wanted, which was to hear what the co-driver was saying.

My 2 cents.

[emaN]

just listened to their 'demo lap around Donnington'...
that's exactly what it's like... two way chat as normal.
mates would call me while i was out riding, not knowing a thing until i asked 'em about it afterwards...
so yeah, pretty stoked with it all.

[Holy Roller]

Yes I have a Pinfold unit. Dont often bother with the rider - pillion bit. I use it mostly to interface to the Radar detector. That seems more important that talking to Mrs Warr! So I havent been through a set of batteries as yet and owned it ~ 18months. But it does work well. He stands behind his product and it will easily interface to a CB radio if you want to do Bike - Bike communications as well.

My Pinfold unit (the old style headset) with a $30 digitalk prf radio (from supercheap) works well. I have a second unit that I use for the rider to pillion. These headsets are cheaper than the new model but does not have the walkman/detector interface. I will upgrade to the new model sometime but for now I'm happy with what I have.

[Hitcher]

Have been looking at (and thinking about) intercomms so I can talk to Mrs Highlander (or whom ever else is on the back) and or other bikes while cruising down the road. The systems on here (http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/motorcycle__communications.htm ) look to fit the bill. Being a self professed cheap skate I'd like to hear from someone who uses them before parting with the dosh.

Any thoughts?
Mrs H and I have been persisting with the Pinfolds system (Amalgamate2000) for a couple of years now. God knows how many full looms we've swapped and push-to-talk buttons replaced. I guess this is an example of getting what you pay for. When they work, they're brilliant. But they'll go flakey and then fail when you least expect it. At least our latest bunch of kit survived a Grand Challenge and most of our subsequent Northland/Coromandel trip. But Mrs H's loom has got a fault that stops her PTT switch working, and her headset has had only one operating earpiece for many months. The Uniden walkie talkies we use are brilliant. Never miss a beat and the batteries last for ages on "low".

There has got to be a halfway house between the CAN Pinfolds system and the ludicrously expensive Bauer rig. Come on you geeks out there -- build one!

[zeRax]

active 7 smart sounds sweet, pity its no good me getting one if noone else has one :/

[Slingshot]

But Mrs H's loom has got a fault that stops her PTT switch working, and her headset has had only one operating earpiece for many months. Come on you geeks out there -- build one!

The one earpiece problem could be the similar to the problem I had. It may just be that the plug socket has started to come away from the board. To fix it I just opened up the box and resoldered the joints.

I have built a few prototypes, none of them actually worked:doh:

The idea was to build a simple 2 channel amp, one channel for the rider and one for the pillion (the pinfolds one uses one channel) and I was trying to build a bandpass filter into the system to cut out any sounds above 3000hz and below 300hz which would (in theory) just let the frequency for normal voice through. The idea was to filter the signal before it was amplified so the amplifier received a fairly clean signal to work with.
I might pull it out again and see if I can get it working.

[Lou Girardin]

Mrs H and I have been persisting with the Pinfolds system (Amalgamate2000) for a couple of years now. God knows how many full looms we've swapped and push-to-talk buttons replaced. I guess this is an example of getting what you pay for. When they work, they're brilliant. But they'll go flakey and then fail when you least expect it. At least our latest bunch of kit survived a Grand Challenge and most of our subsequent Northland/Coromandel trip. But Mrs H's loom has got a fault that stops her PTT switch working, and her headset has had only one operating earpiece for many months. The Uniden walkie talkies we use are brilliant. Never miss a beat and the batteries last for ages on "low".

There has got to be a halfway house between the CAN Pinfolds system and the ludicrously expensive Bauer rig. Come on you geeks out there -- build one!

Baehr's start at $575.00, not bad for something reliable.

[Hitcher]

Baehr's start at $575.00, not bad for something reliable.
Add to that the cost of getting a bike to (west) Auckland [shudders, visibly], getting the kit installed and then getting it home again. And I seem to remember they either butcher your helmet or you have to buy one of theirs (Man with large head doesn't want to go there...).

[Lou Girardin]

Add to that the cost of getting a bike to (west) Auckland [shudders, visibly], getting the kit installed and then getting it home again. And I seem to remember they either butcher your helmet or you have to buy one of theirs (Man with large head doesn't want to go there...).

It's all do-able by even the slightly mechanically inclined. The intercom is a 2 wire connection and you just have to route the headset leads. Fitting the head set is a piece of wees too. (admittedly some helmets are trickier than others)
I've fitted several Harley headsets to different helmets and they're a bit more difficult than Baehr.
The most you may have to do is make space for the speakers.

[Hitcher]

Shame you're not in Wellington, Lou. Or I'd call in for a chat and a demo.

[Edbear]

HAs anyone heard about the hollow tube type? Like a firm rubber tube. I've wondered if something so simple actually works?