Best intercom

[stever1]

Have Starcom digital. Great piece of kit but have had same probs with cables as Giles. Have had four cables fail because of untraceable faults( even if you can trace them the individual cables are so fine that repairs are difficult. Have had intermittent probs with the cable from Zumo to unit. As off to Greece Tuesday decided to fit expensive replacement and wasted two hours fitting it as it is defective. Managed to splice plug from old audio headphones on to old cable as I was pretty sure plug connections were at fault. Working ok but not too confident it will last. So conclusion good.system let down by poor quality cables not up to job of being on a bike.
There is a co. Doing replacement heavier duty cables that look good but would cost almost as much as the new unit. Autocom cables look beefier but I have no experience as to their longevity.

Have had two interphone systems. Hopeless for serious touring. After year batteries lasted for a few hours only and always seemed to pack up in the middle of foreign cities

Jeff, I have been using a starcom digital since 2005, its now on its 3rd bike. I have not had any cable problems, BUT, I use proper electronics silicon lube on the connectors for the headset and this assists in easing connection and release. I think this is worth it as I know people who have had problems and the only difference is in the way I look after my kit.

 

[Fullback]

I have just brought the scala intercom for rider to pillion and have found the sound quality very good
I would recommend the version I have which is the scala team pro .I would think the bike to bike version would be good if the same quality as the team pro and easily fitted to an htc and my arai chaser

 

[Puggy]

I have a scala G4 and G9 units and they are rubbish. Hard to set up, hard to operate, unreliable, so complicated that you have to carry the instruction book to remember the labyrinthine key sequences required to add one more rider to the set up. You also can't have your music playing from one BT source and also your phone connected and a GPS set, even though in the G9 unit manual, it suggests you can. Also, Scala's tech support service is unhelpful. Other than that, they're great.... ;-). I would never buy another....


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[Bumpkin]

You also can't have your music playing from one BT source and also your phone connected and a GPS set, even though in the G9 unit manual, it suggests you can.

So only one active connection at a time? No automatic switching between input sources? Was thinking of getting a pair of the cheaper BT headsets for this year's trip to the Pyrenees but having a bike-to-bike connection and one to my Zumo is a fundamental requirement. Whilst I have a comprehensive Autocom set-up myself, which I'm extremely happy with, my riding partner has an Interphone f4 which, quite frankly, isn't great. The only affordable option is limited to one of these sub £50 eBay headsets. Though I fear that I'd be throwing that money away. I accept that we'd need to buy two, one each, for bike-to-bike but that would still be the cheapest route.

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[RichardDunn]

Thanks again folks.....a broad range of experience and feedback.
Tha autocom....has wired connections, but also has Bluetooth. So I could use Bluetooth helmet with system if wanted?

 

[RichardDunn]

That is exactly the kind of feed back I need....wont be touching one of these then!! thanks puggy!

 

[stever1]

Richard, yes you could use a BT helmet, complete with the poor connection and sound. Remember one of the 2 big advantages of a wired system is better quality/louder volume.
Paul08, have you ever tried out the BT over 900 metres ?, i'll be amazed if it works over more than about 50mtrs.

NOW FOR THE WORDS OF WISDOM.

I sometimes think we expect too much from our comms kit. With wired systems you do have the drawback of all the cables, but once fitted its no longer a problem as you never touch them. As to BT kit. If you go back to when BT first came out the purpose was to connect just 2 items together which are in the immediate vicinity to each other. Now some people want to connect multiple units together, talk to uncle tom cobbly at the other side of the world . listen to a 40 piece orchestra with no loss of quality, dry there hair and get a BJ all at the same time.

IT Don,t work. Remember BT is fairly new technology compared to wired systems. Incidentally, a mate of mine is buying a new RT and is buying a BT unit for his Autocom system so he can pair the system to the Nav 5 as it has no audio output, which is a backward step as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Bumpkin]

Can't deny that my Autocom setup does it all (with the exception of the BJ) without breaking into a sweat. The priority stack, as I call it, handles the various inputs in a logical way. The only aspect that requires a button press is the PMR PTT switch. This weekend I have replaced the separate phone and Zumo 660 connection with a BTM-02 unit. I can now, should I need, see who's calling and use the phone book through the Zumo. Not that I use the phone to make calls whilst on the move and any I receive are only briefly replied to if safe to do so. I now have the option to see who's calling and reject the call. This addition cost £75 but a fair proportion of that will be recouped by selling the old BT dongle and isolated stereo lead I previously had installed. There's a healthy market for these, and Autocom parts in general, on the likes of eBay.

Still curious as to the multi connect capabilities of the BT kit, especially the cheaper ones. Having said that I do have with the exception of the main box and a PTT, the parts to set-up my riding buddy with a full AUTOCOM system including a PMR.

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[JerseyNeil]

My pennies worth......
I have used a Midland BT2 bluetooth head set for years for work and pleasure.

For the money it was perfect. It never failed to sync with my phone and used voice activation to make calls seamlessly. When away I have communicated with my riding buddy bike to bike with a range of about 200m which is all you need to pull up behind each other and say time for fuel, coffee or pee. If you get separated then You can call each other on your mobile phones using the headsets so no drama.

They have a wired connection to plug in a PMR device or you can use a blue tooth PMR radio instead with vox. You do need to read the manuals. When I go away and pair my zumo 550 I un pair my phone from the head set and pair it with the zumo only as instructed and all works perfectly using the zumo to make calls the head set gives priority to the zumo if chatting with another rider. If you try to link your phone to your head set and your gps then Problems start. I think this is a common mistake with all Bluetooth head sets.

As others have said we do expect too much sometimes. If you don't want wires then You have to accept the penalty of charging them up but let's be real here. We charge everything up at night these days so let's not get to hung up on it. For commuting I only need to charge it up once a fortnight for keeping my phone connected.

I have just spent a small fortune on a Schuberth C3PRO with the SRC system. I am away on Friday for a trip to Germany so will give it a good workout with the zumo etc. so far the sound quality and volume is much better than the midland BT2 but that's not slagging the Midland system because it was much cheaper and served me well for about 5 years used every day without any obvious loss in battery life.

I don't listen to music on my bike even though the Schuberth SRC has built in FM radio as I don't see the attraction and I personally feel you lose one of your riding senses with music playing.

My personal thoughts on this, wired or blue tooth. If you want a chat and listen to nice quality music then buy a convertible

Neil

 

[notadrop]

I've had autocom, then starcom (pretty much the same thing) and now have a sena smh 10.

By and large, I wouldn't go back to a wired system ..

Exactly what that man has done and said!! Sena SMH10

 

[jeff]

Jeff, I have been using a starcom digital since 2005, its now on its 3rd bike. I have not had any cable problems, BUT, I use proper electronics silicon lube on the connectors for the headset and this assists in easing connection and release. I think this is worth it as I know people who have had problems and the only difference is in the way I look after my kit.

Thanks for useful suggestion. Have a tube of the stuff in Crete I think or my electrician mate will have.
Faults I have had have not in the main been caused by the six pin helmet connectors(although I still think that what are essentially indoor sterio music connectors are not robust enough for a bike and a simple jack would be much better and easier to connect- I have the extra twin outlet connected to frame)
I have had the helmet set go onto mono which I have traced to a defective solder joint.
The cables from the Zumo to the Starcom unit became faulty. Again traced to a defective solder joint in the jack plug into the Starcom unit (which is permanently connected so not affected by being connected and disconnected .
The never used expensive new cable has a break in continuity in either the audio output or it's ground. This is a manufacturing fault.I am sure Starcom will replace it , but it does little to have faith in quality of cables.
On bright side the emergency splice job is doing fine so far and has got from London to North Italy with perfect performance. If I can source a jack plug in Crete I will do a proper repair.

The fact that a reputable co makes better quality cables and head sets for the Starcom unit and sells a lot of them speaks volumes.

Even the Starcom engineer in so many words admitted that the 6 pin connections were too fragile for the job

 

[kalbo]

hi i use an auto com logic with ptt for my midland g7 and a wire 3 that connects this via bluetooth to my gala g9 ,so no wire . i also use the bluetooth dongle that connects my nav v to my autocom and my phone through my sat nav, this set up gives me both choices for a vast arrangement of touring companions whether they are using radios or bluetooth sets hope this helps . also the logic fits perfectly under rear seat .

 

[Davy F]

Interphone F4 is my current choice. Hooks up easily, volume ok up to legal speeds. Sometimes it does seem to drop out for whatever reason, but a quick off/on and it hooks back in. Battery life, claimed 8 hours, but when listening to music, it starts to lose it after about 6. Can't see me going back to a mess of cables again. I would like to try the UClear system as they claim 10 hours talk time and may sell my F4 which has just been replaced by Interphone and see how the UClear performs.

 

[King Key]

I've had an Autocom system for 5+ years then decided to splash out on a pair of Sena SMH10s. I wouldn't return to a wired system now, the sound wasn't as loud or clear and there is no alternator/ECU hum on the Sena system despite using isolated cables on the Autocom you still got some and they suppress the sound a fair bit) surprising as it could draw as much power as it wanted where as the Sena is battery powered. (You can charge and use the Sena on the move if you really wanted to though).

 

[Davy F]

Now have the Uclear and will fit it into my lid today, then get it hooked up to the 660 to see how it works.

 

[earthmover]

Denise and I used a hard wired system, but when she started riding herself we switched to Bluetooth. We have an older Scala Q2 set up, with an extra unit for when her daughter is with us. So between us we have 5 helmets with speakers in, and 3 of the actual comms units.
I don't like satnav instructions verbally, so that isn't an issue, but I do have my phone connected to the satnav, so I can see who it is calling via the screen and decide whether to take it on the move or not. Music is via a jack plug to an iPod, or BT to the satnav. I only use music for boring motorway journeys on my own, so that isn't an issue either.
The main reason for the intercom is to be able to speak to each other during the ride. This can be a double edged sword, but on the whole, I would have to confess to preferring talk to Denise while riding.
If we take her daughter with us, she is on the back of mine with her iPod plugged in while Denise and I are on "open channel". If she wants to speak to me, she taps me on the shoulder and I switch the channel so that I connect to her. Denise then can't her either of us.
I believe the newer sets (G?) do more, but as ours still work and do what we want, we won't be changing yet.
The system has survived all sorts of conditions and proved to be 95% reliable. The other 5% can be put down to user error!
Hope this helps.
Mark

 

[jimbo]

I mainly want a music source with the ablity to speak to my Mrs. I wear earplugs when riding, so I have relied on the helment speakers.
1 - started with a AutoCom- completely rubbish and I returned it - I now understand that as Autocom went bust a defective batch of units got out. So I think we can ignore that. starcom later bought the Autocom product, so they are both from the same company now.
2 - Starcom ONE - fine for music, but whenever the Mrs was onboard, I would heard all the wind noise from her (no sniggering at the back) through my speakers, not clever. Conversations were OK up to 60mph, but the constant additional background noise was wearing. I've not seen other have this problem, but I don't understand why they don't -unlike autocom the mic is open the whole time, so its no surprise that it picks up helmet/wind noise.
3 - AutoCom(err SPA?) - basically works fine. Music is clear and I can hear the Mrs too. I find a single wire/plug each rather less taxing than some seem to suggest - some tipex marks to align the connector make life easier


Ride did a review recently, I think the outcome was for sound quality the autocom still has the edge over BT, but its getting closer. I can't help thinking that Autocom are due a bit of a technical refresh - keeping their best feature, but more modern.

edit->just looked at their site and seen the "air", so maybe they have that new model now.
can find a single review of it though.

 

[Davy F]

OK, so far I've fitted the new kit into my lid and paired the 660 and my iphone to the uclear hub thingy. Seems good, but a more intensive test will have to be carried out.

 

[Urban Rider]

I've had an Autocom Active Rider kit on the GSA since 2006 and it works perfectly. Sound quality is great and crystal clear at non legal speeds. Intercom with the missus is good and it's worked flawlessly for 8 years now. I've been considering the bluetooth set up but have been put off by reading issues with connectivity between Phone/Ipod for music and a Garmin Zumo (550) for sat nav.

 

[Biot]

Davy F any news on how you got on with the Uclear and are they the 200 ones? Am looking for a new set as selling my old Interphone F3's. Ta.