Bike to bike intercoms?

[chrisktm]

I'd like to buy a bike to bike intercom but dont have a clue. What Im looking for is.... Easy to swap from one rider to another. A good price. Half decent range.

Any one got any suggestions or past experience to share?

[TimeOut]

Hi

My brother son and I have the Scala rider Q2 $150Au each
They work great, when using the phone the other end can't even tell you're on a bike. The FM radio is good although the range isn't great.
The intercom is brilliant a good 500m range 4 hr talk time, ours won't shut off automatically (like they're supposed to) when not in use as there is a bit of bike noise when you aren't talking.
Easy to fit and pair.
If there is 3 sets (like us) the 2nd & 3rd can't talk to each other, but 1&3 and 1&2 can.

Some intercoms don't give you the range.

[Tank]

search blueant on this site - they seem to do the job well and are not that expensive.

edit - here is the link: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=53288&highlight=blueant review by JohnnyFlash.

[TimeOut]

Blueant is good for rider to pillion but I think they only have a 100 m range.

[Hitcher]

Any one got any suggestions or past experience to share?

Please put this site's most excellent "search" facility to use. This topic has been done to death on several occasions, and the outcomes of that are still current.

[sinned]

Please put this site's most excellent "search" facility to use. This topic has been done to death on several occasions, and the outcomes of that are still current.

Hitcher is right - of course.

Here is a different approach to get range bike to bike. Buy any blue tooth headset - (Blue Ant is excellent) - and connect to your cellphone. On Vodafone there is the Best Mates option for around $4.00 per month which gives unlimited calling to a selected vodafone mobile. With a Nokia phone and Blue Ant you have voice calling so it is easy to call the other bike while riding. This is better than having duplex bike to bike with a continuous open microphone and flat headset batteries before the days ride is over.

There are many ways of achieving communications - waving also works.

[Qkchk]

Blueant is good for rider to pillion but I think they only have a 100 m range.

I use them for onroad training - bike to bike. I love 'em.

When I ride with communications (either training or for personal use) I tend to ride within the stated 150M distance. It hooks up really easy with my Nokia and my Garmin Zumo. Just a press of the button and I can chat to another paired unit or go back to my phone/mp3 player in my Zumo.

[chrisktm]

I use them for onroad training - bike to bike. I love 'em.

When I ride with communications (either training or for personal use) I tend to ride within the stated 150M distance. It hooks up really easy with my Nokia and my Garmin Zumo. Just a press of the button and I can chat to another paired unit or go back to my phone/mp3 player in my Zumo.

Perfect, thats exactly what I want to use it for, mainly for off road and adventure training. Cheers for the advice.

[Qkchk]

Perfect, thats exactly what I want to use it for, mainly for off road and adventure training. Cheers for the advice.

I used it on the CCA (Capital Coast Adventure Ride) back in April, they take the ruff 'n tumble offroad as well as onroad. :shifty:

[Grub]

Blueant is good for rider to pillion but I think they only have a 100 m range.

That's the same range that Nasty and i have with the Nolan N-Com bluetooth system in our N102 helmets (the N103 is out now). We don't find 100m a problem at all. We can get out to 150m if the line of sight is clear. Funnily, it gets better even than that if you're on a big long sweeper. sometimes they cut out but we just hold down the button and reconnect.

Bonus is that we can use our bluetooth phones and voice activated dialing to make and receive calls as well as adding MP3 and radar feeds to the mix. We've done a lot of touring and it's the best thing we ever bought for our bikes. The system fits fully insdie the helmet. No wires, no boxes, no worries.

[no-coast-punk]

Everyone here in The States uses the chatterbox system.

http://www.fox-com.com.au/

I love mine. I have my mobile phone and radar detector attached. Listen to music/GPS stuff through the phone and if the radar detector cries about something, the phone gets muted.

Battery life is fantastic. Way more than a full of day of riding with continuous usage.

[Hitcher]

Stereo speakers sounds like a good idea, but look at the size of that Chatterbox unit. Strewth. And it's got way too many functions and fiddly bits.

In my experience with a couple of bike-to-bike systems, they stand or fall on the quality of their connectors, not their electronics. The Pinfold systems suck big time on that score, and we've now had two Blueants go the same way. One of our riding buddies on our USA tour had invested in the hugely expensive Baehr system, but towards the end of the tour their connectors were starting to fade, particularly in the wet.

Our Blueants are still on their respective helmets in a crate containing an FJR1300 somewhere between here and Los Angeles. I plan to make a warranty claim on Mrs H's unit once it returns. The NZ Blueant distributors were brilliant last time we had a fail.

[CookMySock]

bump!

I see Mike Pinfold has yesterday updated his website with literally a a bewildering array of cool Bluetooth toys.

http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/motorcycle__communications.htm
http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/bluetooth_experiment.htm

I'm tempted to buy something, but there is so much information on his site that I have no idea what I just read! Boffin overload!

Steve

[vfxdog]

The Scala Rider Q2 is excellent. Works as it says on the box. I did manage to drown one after 4-5 days of solid rain but it was replaced under warranty with no quibble. Biggest problem is when the missus gets hold of one (whether she's on the back or on another bike).....yak yak yak....

[Hitcher]

It's good to see somebody thinking seriously about this. There are two major issues with bike-to-bike Bluetooth: range and battery life.

Range can be "solved" by bringing a walkie talkie into play. Battery life (for the headset) is another matter entirely, as the beauty of a Bluetooth enabled headset is the lack of cables and other encumberances that may require to be plugged and unplugged every time one wishes to depart from one's motorcycle.

[vfxdog]

Range with the Q2 seems to be around 400-500m. The battery life seems very good considering the size of the unit and what it does- lasts around 5-6 hours, so you couldn't do Auckland to Wgtn with it (legally) without plugging it in at your lunch stop. Recharging time I can't say exactly but seems fast. Main body is small and detachable so I suppose if it was essential you could always carry a fully charged spare in your pocket.

[Bike-aholic]

I'd like to buy a bike to bike intercom but dont have a clue. What Im looking for is.... Easy to swap from one rider to another. A good price. Half decent range.

Any one got any suggestions or past experience to share?

Have just got these http://www.dmme.com.au/Bluetooth.htm

and must say they put the blueant to shame, don't get me wrong i liked the blueant but got pissed off with the battery time and 110k it was getting hard to hear. The CAMOS BTS series is sterreo and at 160k (trial speed only:shifty:) was great and can listen to the mp3 player on the phone, was a little tricky to set up at first as just like the blueant the manual was written by a computer nerd but got there in the end without taking the hammer to them.
The Battery Life is at least 10hrs, have had them for 2 weeks been to Orewa and back to Auckland a couple of times out and about and still havent charged them as the battery indicator is still showing a full charge, so far so good.

[Hitcher]

Have just got these http://www.dmme.com.au/Bluetooth.htm

So who in New Zealand retails/distributes these?

[Bike-aholic]

So who in New Zealand retails/distributes these?


No one they are so new to the market, i got them off that web site in my last post. The guy is great to deal with, he takes off the gst and puts the declared value low so no gst to pay here either.

[vifferman]

No one they are so new to the market, i got them off that web site in my last post. The guy is great to deal with, he takes off the gst and puts the declared value low so no gst to pay here either.
So, what happens if you have a warranty claim (them being so new and all)?

[Bike-aholic]

So, what happens if you have a warranty claim (them being so new and all)?


Send them back, the guy Dale was great when i was trying to get them to work and said if you are not happy with them after a month or 2 testing them send them back for a refund, but i won't be. The blueants i got from america and both headsets stuffed out within the 2 year warranty and got a replacement for both. I have never had any probs with buying stuff from overseas and getting a refund so far touch wood.

[vifferman]

They look like pretty good units. The main query I have is about the speakers: how big/thick are they? The last unit we tried, the speakers were too thick and very uncomfortable after about an hour or so. (That's in Shoei helmets - a Raid and an XR1000).

[Bike-aholic]

They look like pretty good units. The main query I have is about the speakers: how big/thick are they? The last unit we tried, the speakers were too thick and very uncomfortable after about an hour or so. (That's in Shoei helmets - a Raid and an XR1000).


I will try to get some pics up later im just going out to work on our car (fn sanding), i have a shoei x-11 and my partner has a rf 1000 hers was a bit more difficult to get them in as the liner doesnt come all the way out like mine.

[Bike-aholic]

Pics of the speaker.

In Helmet

http://www.nzfordforum.com/users/22/46/03/album/pr/dsc04510_800x600.jpg

side on of speaker.

http://www.nzfordforum.com/users/22/46/03/album/pr/dsc04511_800x600.jpg

front on.

http://www.nzfordforum.com/users/22/46/03/album/pr/dsc04512_800x600.jpg

Unit on side of me helmet.

http://www.nzfordforum.com/users/22/46/03/album/pr/dsc04513_800x600.jpg

[aroberts]

We are using Mike Pinfold's Nordic system with some walkie talkies attached.
http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/wireless_rider_pillion_unit.htm

The rider to pillion works well although wind noise affects it at speed. But I don't want to talk when I'm riding at highway speed anyway.

The bike to bike communication via the walkie talkies is not the best but Mike has been making suggestions for us to try and it is getting better.

I'd recommend the system for rider to pillion but we need to get the walkie talkies sorted before I can recommend it for bike to bike. But if you can ride to Rotorua Mike will probably let you try it out for free.

I haven't had the connection issues that Hitcher has spoken about on this and other threads. The PTT button for the walkie talkies is quite large/robust so I'm guessing it is a new model from the one Hitcher tried.

[Dodger]

3 of use have also brought these radios for use on our trip down to the Burt rally:
http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/wt%20419.htm

The have needed a little bit of fiddling to get working right (and talking to the Nolan helmets) but so far seem very good.
Cost is $150 for a radio, Helmet Speakers/mic, and a push to talk button for the bars.

Wind noise can be an issue at 100km, but ear plugs help.
at speeds up to around 80km they work great.

There's cheaper radios also available.
http://www.amalgamate2000.com/sales/motorcycle__communications.htm

[Moki]

I'd like to buy a bike to bike intercom but dont have a clue. What Im looking for is.... Easy to swap from one rider to another. A good price. Half decent range.

Any one got any suggestions or past experience to share?

As you are, I too have been looking for an intercom. I'm currently looking at the Blueant Interphone. Best prices are from the states, although the kiwi has taken a knock recently so might be on the expensive side at the moment.

[Gizzit]

Sit back ... put your feet up ....

I have a Blueant unit which I have been trying to use with my Garmin GPS. Now everything being equal .... it should be no sweat. However, I can't hear the bloody thing ..... no matter what I do. I have the unit set to the LOUD setting. I have repositioned the speakers. (the unit was installed by Cycletreads originally, so should have been at the optimum for placement - as they are experienced at these units).

My problem is ... I'm mutt n jeff! (that's deaf for those of you who are English speaking) I have to wear ear plugs to try and maintain what hearing I have got.
I use plugz 4 lugs jobbies, and they are great. However .... with these bad boys in place the Blueant would need to be fitted with a large megaphone into each side of the helmet .... so I could listen to the sweet English voice coming from the Garmin! And fuck me if I'm not looking for a light helmet now .... not a bloody megaphone hiding nut protector ....

So .... what I've been thinking of ... is not communicating with Mrs Gizzit on the back, apart from rudimentary hand signals ....
What I want to achieve is having a bluetooth "device" I can plug my Plugs 4 Lugs headphone earplugs into. This device would be able to link via bluetooth to my GPS, and that would be sweet. My GPS has voice direction, so I could listen to it. It also has an mp3 player built in and when I'm listening to that, the voice directions interrupt that and cut in instead. I can also bluetooth my cell phone to the GPS, and that will sound and come up on screen when a call comes in. I can answer that with voice answer (I think) or manually on the touch screen of the GPS.

So what I need is the equivalent of the Blueant or similar ... but I DON'T want the F#$%n thing hanging off the side of my new Shoei, Arai, Shark, HJC, Camakuza, or whatever. I would like to have it on a lanyard around my neck ... or in a top jacket pocket, maybe. I put my earplugs in, don't know how the microphone works in to the equation yet ... I haven't got that pictured exactly yet ... the Lid goes on the swede ... and pair up the bluetooth ... and off into the sunset....

I also though about using an ordinary cellphone bluetooth earpiece unit and setting it up inside the chin area of the helmet, (in front of the mouth somewhere .... seemed like a good option!) You use the mic side directly .. and somehow you bribe a boffin into putting some kind of stereo or mono plug into the device, that defeats the built in speaker ..... and lets me plug in my Plugz 4 Lugz earplugs in .... and I'm sweet! If everything worked ... I could pair up with the GPS .... and thereby get my voice direction, music, and the cell phone.

Now with a pillion you could take that a bit further .... they could have the same "as yet to be invented magical device" and have them use a cell phone and be on Vodafone Best Mates .... and you could just phone each other using voice dial and answer.

Ok .... this doesn't address the communicating with other riders .... yet ... but the fingers still works within range !! :done:

Now .... where to find a user friendly boffin ..... !!!!????