Bluetooth intercoms

[nic.day]

So I have made my own set years ago and these pair have worked great - they are motorbike intercoms put into peltor headsets.

So they work great to talk between myself and the boss.

They work great when I am on my own to listen to music, sat nav and reduce wind noise

But - what we would like is for us to both be able to listen to the same music and talk together at the same time.

The set we have lets us listen to individual music (not the same music across both headsets) OR talk together. For example if I have the sat nav voice on and the boss would like to talk to me, I have to press a button and change to the talk setting.

So does anyone know of a set that allows us to both listen to one music source AND also talk without having to change a channel. eg talk over the music.

I have been looking at the freecom series and they might do the job, but not 100% sure they do everything we need.

[nic.day]

I think I may have found a good option

Sena SF2 - they seem to do everything we want. But would love to hear some other suggestions too

[Billy88]

The Just Add Lightness ones do this. They're quite expensive but we'll worth it and you get a club discount. I use them to talk to my children and other passengers when they're in the car.

https://justaddlightness.co.uk/product/pro-com-headset/

You only need one Bluetooth one, and then one of the non Bluetooth ones.

There are a couple of videos on YouTube demoing them.

 

[jbcollier]

Amazon sells Bluetooth gadgets that you can plug your music source into and will pair with multiple devices.  Cheap, cheerful and work well.  Does multiply the number of things lying about though.

[KnifeySpoony]

All the new motorcycle communicator sets allow this. I used to use Sena, but recently changed to the top line Cardo units and have been pretty happy with performance.

[SLR No.77]

#1. We use Sena on the bike, various combinations of the 10U and 3S depending which helmets we're using. I have them linked all the external Bluetooth devices via the sat nav (Garmin Zumo or BMW Nav 6) which minimises the BT connections to the headsets with phone connections working via the sat nav.  It all functions reasonably well but as said, for the rider to pillion comms we need to switch the system over which involves a simple press of a button on either headset.  Sound quality, particularly for the nav instructions is average, and in truth very disappointing compared to my original Autocom SPA setup on the bike.
I spoke to Chainspeed a few years ago at the bike show and they did admit they've yet to find a BT system that is anything close to the Autocom for sound quality across all media.

Having then dabbled with BT in the Caterham, the same issues exist so I've now fitted my old Autocom SPA system with the Garmin 590, it does everything and to a better sound quality plus is very adaptable and no need to be pressing any buttons.  One cable from each headset and fully automatic.

I'd really like to find a BT solution but as yet I'm not convinced there's anything better than an Autocom. The Just Add Lightness units are highly thought of but for driver to passenger comms you still need a cable to link the units which everyone fails to mention.  Maybe that's how JAL get round the issues mentioned, it doesn't make it massively different to my Autocom/Peltor setup though if there a cable involved and at least I don't need to mess about charging anything.

[nic.day]

thanks for the replies

The sena set do the music and voice over one channel and I have now found that the Cardo Freecom X2 do it as well. 

The Just Add Lightness ones look great but well well well out of my budget. So for now I will stick to a motorbike intercom set in my old peltors.

So after Christmas - I will order a set and then take apart my old Peltors and add back in the new systems (gives me something to tinker with before getting back to work)

Anything will be a real step up from my old system, which I workout was over 12 years old and real basic bluetooth, it has done us proud.

[TomB]

Nic, please could you post up some pics?  Im thinking of doing the Fish & Chip run (Manchester-Cheptow-Aberdyfi-Manchester) with my 8 year old next year, but we'll need the ability to talk/ listen to music/stories etc.  Its one my mind to try and sort something out in the next few months.   

[jbcollier]

I prefer hard-wired comms.  Music is optional so if your batteries go south sooner than expected, no big deal as you still have the comms.

[ACaterhamCalledFern]

The Just Add Lightness headsets do all of that and the battery life is very long. I've made a video on them 

If you have any questions just ask.

 

[SLR No.77]

James, with the JAL headset(s) is the only actual Bluetooth connection to the sat nav or phone?

The setup I have on my bike (using Sena kit) is cable free Bluetooth for nav and phone, rider to pillion, and bike to bike radio via a Sena SR10 / Kenwood radio, so no cables at all to the helmets. Cables aren't such an issue in the Caterham but utilising an Autocom the only cable from each headset is to connect individually to the Autocom. 

The JAL units are clearly superb quality but I'm a little surprised there are so many cables needed, I'd known about the driver to passenger cable but hadn't realised another cable is needed for the radio.

Stu.

[nic.day]

Thanks again, 

Tom, I will post some photos after Christmas as I am away from the garage and my set up. I will post photos as I have them now and then when I decide which set up to go for - hedging towards the Cardo ones I think.

should be an easy job again to open up the plethora and change over the system.

[Doggydog33]

When I had bikes the group I rode with used Sena and didn't get on with them. We swapped to cardo paktalk bold and they were a massive improvement. 
I've looked at the 'edge' which is the updated 'bold' and was going to fit them to a set of Peltors. 
my thinking behind it was I can use them normal road driving for passenger/driver, car/car communication and when I do a trackday, I could give the instructor a unit and he could hold the boom mic inside his helmet to give me instruction (you could give him the speakers too but he wouldn't necessarily need to hear what I'm saying)

I'm not sure how nicely you could integrate them in to ear defenders though. Don't think they would look as tidy as the JAL ones. 

Regards, doggydog 
 

 

 

[SM25T]

Peltor Optime III give great noise insulation and room for speakers and mic boom inside. Optime I yellow are hopeless, as the cups are way too shallow. Best of all is the newer model X5A which is easier to take apart without the internal plastic shell of the III.

[7Up]

I think these have only just come out, looks like they do everything required; good noise protection, Bluetooth for music and for communication to other head sets, but why are these things so expensive!

https://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Personal-protective-equipment/Face-and-ear-protection/2134995-1545/ADVANCE-ProCOM-ear-protectors-headband-version.aspx

 

 

[ACaterhamCalledFern]

Hi Stu

It's two cables if you want to talk to a passenger and use a radio at the same time. For me personally it's normally one or the other. The cable for the radio comes with the headset (you can pay extra for a detachable cable). 

I don't know about the intercom you said. What I've tried is the sony xm3 which didn't work well in the car at all and the JAL headsets. When I was doing my research the other options I found were wired into the car which I didn't want. There are other options that I've not tried. I was just trying to be helpful as the JAL headsets do all what the original poster wanted I thought.

Thanks

James

[7Up]

I found a pair for £280 each. Looks like they were launched March this year, hopefully will do a great job. I will keep the group updated. 

[SLR No.77]

#16. Thanks James. They look great quality and looking at the details on the JAL website, it would appear that if you have two Bluetooth headsets you can have wireless comms but you need to use the button to talk in the same way you use a car to car radio, I guess this is to help increase battery life.

Stu.

[Handwheels]

We've got the JAL set up; Bluetooth for driver and non-Bluetooth for passenger with a cable connecting the two. And another cable if I'm using the radio.

You can change the settings so that you can speak to each other without needing to press the talk button - which is handy at times. This setting uses up the battery quicker (although battery life is normally good) and you get a little bit of background noise from the microphones (which I don't really find much of an issue as I keep the volume a bit lower and can still hear the passenger's words of wisdom).

Richard

[Hampshire West AR]

Anyone thought about using these?

Stihl Advanced Procom

[Dan R]

Or these 

https://sena-industrial.eu/collections/communication-headsets-with-hearing-protection

[TomB]

There's certainly a few options now being the x traditional autocom or gluing something in a set of Peltors. 

[7Up]

Just purchased a pair, as per messages above. I've kept an eye on intercom options over the last few years and never found one that offered a good combination of noise protection, music, intercom blue tooth connectivity and value. These push the last category a little (£280/person), but they are new out (2022) and I'm giving them a go - will keep the group updated. 

[nic.day]

Hi Tom

This is the old set up - I have just ordered a new pair of motorbike bluetooth intercoms - I went for the Cardo Freecom x2 duel set. I will take these apart and swap over the new set. Apparently these will allow me to share the music to both headsets and also talk over the music at the same time - the sat nav is on my phone so that will come through as well.

For just over £100 for the pair and a little fettling with my peltors, we will have a new up to date wireless set up again. The original set you see here has done us proud for over 10 years.

 

[David Brown]

Anyone used Zello as phone walkie talkies? Friend and I were going to Alps in bikes and 7 and were going to try using this to communicate. Worked ok in tests between his helmet and my headset out of the car but Covid caused our plans to be abandoned and haven't (yet) tried it again.