Best bluetooth comms setup?

Craig321 · 7 Jul 2015 at 10:34

Hi

I'm after a decent bluetooth comms setup.

I currently have a pretty awful radio setup - walkie talkie in your pocket, push to talk button on handlebar, headset in your helmet. Cables everywhere.

The bluetooth headset must also be able to connect to my phone for satnav instructions or even music.

I know the Scala rider and Sena stuff both do all that, but I have one big worry:

If it activates when I speak (i.e. not push to talk), how does it know what's helmet noise and what's me speaking? Is it good at differentiating that, or am I going to be deafened by the wind noise in the other person's helmet? This worries me particularly on motorways. Can't be sitting on the motorway for ages with wind noise from the other person in your ear.

Also want good battery life of course and good distance in case we get split up.

Thanks

Craig321 · 7 Jul 2015 at 11:52

I'm happy to spend enough to get have a decent setup basically. It's mainly for comms between two bikes, so needs the distance. I'll never take a phone call on the bike and probably won't listen to music but as you say all that'll probably work anyway if it's bluetooth.

I've been looking at the Sena 20S. A little pricey, but if it's the best setup then I may consider it.

Craig321 · 7 Jul 2015 at 13:23

Thanks. the 10R does look nice & small compared to something like the 20S, but I have heard the 20S is a good upgrade from the 10? They're pretty close in price, so wouldn't want to buy one over the other purely over looks.

I guess the 20S isn't one you tried?

Edit: hmm, the distance on the 10R isn't great, about half a mile it says (which I'm going to assume it only gets in perfect conditions). The 20S claims 1.2 miles which is more suitable.

I'll check out the Cardo Scala as well. The G9X is slightly cheaper and does about a mile apparently.

What were they like when it comes to wind noise? Did you try them at, say, 80 down the motorway? Can you still talk to eachother?

Craig321 · 7 Jul 2015 at 15:38

Thanks. That does put me off the 10R really. It'd annoy me if it started to cut out when we got split apart by a couple of corners.

I'm also leaning towards the 20S now as it has BT 4.0 whereas the Scala has 3 I think?

Craig321 · 7 Jul 2015 at 16:28

I guess what you pay for a lot of the time with the more expensive ones is bike to bike, isn't it? There seems to be plenty of choice when it comes to rider to pillion or just plain bluetooth for calls/satnav, but not as much when you get into the realms of bike to bike and longer distance comms.

Craig321 · 10 Jul 2015 at 08:51

Ended up getting the Sena 20S. I'm amazed by the quality and how it doesn't pick up wind or engine noise at all, even at 80! Very impressed.

Fits perfectly in my Shoei. A bit of a pain in my brother's Arai as the chin bar is ridiculously close to his mouth and there isn't much space for the headphones. Should be able to sort all that though with a bit of time & patience.

Craig321 · 16 Jul 2015 at 15:02

^JP^ said:
Can you hear the little speakers if you wear earplugs?

Yes, perfect even at 80+. We both wore earplugs and my speakers were under the ear hole cover things in my helmet.

Craig321 · 17 Jul 2015 at 09:24

France have ban them?! They have some odd road laws over there.

20S battery is very good. Me an my brother were doing a good 200+ miles a day last week in Scotland and only had to charge them twice over the 7 days. Pretty impressive. Charge time is also good, think they took about an hour and a half plugged in to my bike to charge.

I'm so impressed with them. Still not cheap, but worth it IMO, makes a trip riding with someone else so much more entertaining.