BMW System V Helmet with WCS-1 Bluetooth Communication System

If the GPSR has a built in MP3 player, as the 2820 and 7xxx series do, then when you plug it into your computer using the USB cable, it gives you two possible choices concerning how you want the computer to treat it: 1) As a Garmin GPSR - for use with MapSource, etc., or 2) As a removable storage device - same as a USB stick or CF card or other MP3 player.

If you choose the latter, then you can upload MP3s to it as you would to any other device. I use Windows Media Player 10 to build playlists and to upload the stuff to the GPSR. You could just as easily move the MP3s around by dragging and dropping them on the GPSR. There is a folder within the storage hierarchy of the GPSR called 'mp3' or 'music' or something like that - that's where you put the MP3 files.

The GPSRs come with a half a dozen songs on them (nothing special), just so you can see how it works, and where to put the files when you load your own later.

Michael
 
Michael

PanEuropean said:
If the GPSR has a built in MP3 player, as the 2820 and 7xxx series do, then when you plug it into your computer using the USB cable, it gives you two possible choices concerning how you want the computer to treat it: 1) As a Garmin GPSR - for use with MapSource, etc., or 2) As a removable storage device - same as a USB stick or CF card or other MP3 player.

If you choose the latter, then you can upload MP3s to it as you would to any other device. I use Windows Media Player 10 to build playlists and to upload the stuff to the GPSR. You could just as easily move the MP3s around by dragging and dropping them on the GPSR. There is a folder within the storage hierarchy of the GPSR called 'mp3' or 'music' or something like that - that's where you put the MP3 files.

The GPSRs come with a half a dozen songs on them (nothing special), just so you can see how it works, and where to put the files when you load your own later.

Michael
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for that......I take it that the MP3 player is not included with the BMW Navigator 3.

Mick
 
Well...

I went and did it, after being told about battery problems, then reading posts on here decided to do it. 3.5 hours later now have a System 5 Bluetooth helmet on charge.

Cheers Micheal for your pictures which hepled no end..... :D :D

Mick
 
Hi Mick:

Hope you have fun with it. I am generally satisfied with this helmet and audio system - I guess the best way I could sum things up would be to say that the helmet itself is close to perfection, and the sound system is a reasonably good 'first attempt' at providing a Bluetooth audio system in a helmet. In other words, the WCS-1 is to audio systems what the StreetPilot I was to GPSRs - a good first attempt, but not a fully mature, all-the-bugs-worked-out product.

I have noticed a couple of minor irritations with the sound system, I'll share them with you to spare you the learning curve:

1) Whenever you turn the helmet on, it goes into 'Setup Mode'. You see a green light that blinks very quickly. In order to get out of setup mode and into normal operations mode - to allow the GPSR to function with the (previously paired up) helmet again - you have to press the power button briefly a second time, to knock it out of setup mode and put it into normal operations mode. Now the green light will blink quite slowly.

It took me a while to figure this out. The GPSR will recognize the helmet when it is in setup mode - you will see a message on the GPSR screen to the effect that it has recognized the helmet - but the helmet won't function (won't send or receive audio to the GPSR) until you press the button a second time to get it out of setup mode and into normal operations mode. This is a helmet issue, not a GPSR issue.

2) The first few times you use the helmet, let the battery run dead before you recharge it. This way, you will 'exercise' the battery fully - the correct way to break it in - and you will also learn what all the low battery warning tones are, and learn how the helmet behaves when the power runs out. This will spare you surprises and confusion later on. I found that battery endurance continued to increase with each charging cycle, up to about the 5th cycle, at which point I stopped letting it run dead before recharging it.

3) The BMW instructions suggest that you mount the speakers loose in the ear pockets. I did this, but didn't like listening to them rattling and buzzing around in there. So, I mounted small acoustically transparent foam pads to the front and back of the speakers, to cushion them and hold them in one place. This got rid of the rattling.

Addition of Foam Pads (sourced from an aircraft headset)










PS: It is not necessary to use the double-sided tape to attach the foam pad to the front side of the speaker - you only need the tape on the back.
 
Michael...

Thanks for that info....have given the system a quick check and it works fine with my GPS and phone, how did you find the mic's, it sounded a bit echo'ish. Have fiited them with the clips and the small sponge cushions.

Mick
 
Hi Mick:

The jury is still out about the microphone sound quality. I've only used it with the telephone so far, and everyone I have spoken to has commented on the poor sound quality. I'm not really sure if that is a problem with the microphones, or an outcome of the amplifier in the helmet 'clipping' the sound to suppress background noise when the microphone is used as a 'hot mike' for rider to pillion communication.

I'm going to fool around with the microphone a bit more when I get back from Africa (where I am going tomorrow, and will be till month-end). The tiny foam plugs are pretty innocent, I think - they are just there for wind protection. I'm not sure what I will do to try and improve things, though. Let me know if you discover any good ideas in the next few weeks.

Michael
 
Will see...

PanEuropean said:
Hi Mick:

The jury is still out about the microphone sound quality. I've only used it with the telephone so far, and everyone I have spoken to has commented on the poor sound quality. I'm not really sure if that is a problem with the microphones, or an outcome of the amplifier in the helmet 'clipping' the sound to suppress background noise when the microphone is used as a 'hot mike' for rider to pillion communication.

I'm going to fool around with the microphone a bit more when I get back from Africa (where I am going tomorrow, and will be till month-end). The tiny foam plugs are pretty innocent, I think - they are just there for wind protection. I'm not sure what I will do to try and improve things, though. Let me know if you discover any good ideas in the next few weeks.

Michael
Click to expand...
how it goes over the next few days and will let you know. Have a nice time in Africa....

Mick.
 
Michael,

I am curious about the audio volume. Are the speakers loud enough to overcome high speed windnoise? (110kph+)

I always wear ear plugs when I ride so any system would need to be loud enough to not just overcome windnoise but loud enough for me to still hear GPSR and other audio signals.

Thanks!
 
Sergi:

No problem whatsoever with speaker volume and high speed. A few weeks ago, I rode from Zurich to Dresden Germany and back - at speeds upwards of 200 km/h - and had no problems at all hearing the sound. I also wear earplugs when I ride.

The volume level of any Bluetooth device connected to the 2820 is controlled directly by the Bluetooth device (in this case, the WCS-1 in the helmet), and not controlled by the GPSR. The GPSR simply sends a 'line out' type of feed to the Bluetooth device, and the device then amplifies it and give you control over volume levels.

In short - no worry, you'll be able to hear it under any conditions. In fact, if the volume is all the way up, the sound level is painful.

Michael
 
Thank you! I'm now wondering how long I will have to wait in order for my local dealer to stock these.
 
Michael..

Have been using my System 5 bluetooth helmet for just over a month. Overall am very impressed, except for the mic's everyone who I speak to thru my mobile have commented on my voice being muffled, have removed the two small foam plugs, which has made no difference, fitted the mic's directly in view, still no better. Have thought about fitting a boom mic. Do you know if this woud cause any problems, or have you found a better fix.

Cheers

Mick.
 
Hi Mick:

I have also heard the same comments from people that I have talked to on the phone via the helmet - muffled sound, 'sounds funny', etc.

Personally, I think wireless telephony via the helmet is kind of like a dog walking on its hind legs - what is remarkable is not that the dog doesn't do it very well, but the fact that the dog can do it in the first place...

I'm not going to bother fooling around with the system to try and improve the microphone sound quality. I think the microphones and the placement of the microphones has probably been quite carefully researched by BMW, and the cause of the problem is the fact that we are basically talking with a fishbowl over our heads. A boom microphone 'might' improve things, but I doubt that it would improve things very much, because we would still have the problem with the acoustical environment - an upside-down fishbowl. I suspect that the processor in the helmet sound system is already doing a lot of work to cancel out echos, etc. - hence the slightly muffled sound.

I have also found that I tend to reject most of the phone calls that come through the GPS when I am riding the moto and using the helmet - I don't really want to deal with phone calls unless they are seriously important, and for the ones that I do choose to answer, the muffled sound is a bit of an advantage - it allows me to tell the caller that I am on my motorcycle, so let's get this phone call over with as fast as possible. :)

Michael
 
What do you guys think the best place to mail order the System 5 and bluetooth accessory is in Europe? This isn't sold in the US.
 
Beats me how you would order the thing other than in person.

I know that BMW absolutely refuses to sell the (Schuberth) System 5 helmet in the USA, because they don't want to be bothered by all the lawsuits. The Bluetooth communication system (WCS-1) is designed to fit into the System 5 helmet, which has special cavities in it to hold the battery pack and the circuit board, as well as special channels to run the wires.

I don't know how easy it would be to fit the WCS-1 into a different helmet. I very carefully evaluated fitting it into my Arai, and then decided I couldn't do it without compromising the protection that the helmet offered, which is why I then forked out the additional US $500 for the System 5 helmet.

Michael
 
Flying GS said:
What do you guys think the best place to mail order the System 5 and bluetooth accessory is in Europe? This isn't sold in the US.
Click to expand...
I know several people in the U.S. have successfully ordered the System V helmet via either friends stationed in Germany or via other contacts.
 
Sergiok said:
I know several people in the U.S. have successfully ordered the System V helmet via either friends stationed in Germany or via other contacts.
Click to expand...

That may be the cash but the helmet is not certified for the States. You may come into problem with insurance if you had an accident and was wearing the helmet.
 
Quote:- a source of good quality retro-fit BT headsets for helmets, BMW obviously have the Sys. V as a 'from scratch' design, but competitors (like Dainese, etc) have useless penetration with their designs. The WCS-1 kit is really only for BMW helmets, you need a good quality kit for all the Arai, Shoei out there ... Schuberth's new kit is supposed to be impressive, with BT and active noise cancellation via a passive/active mic pair in the helmet ...

Not sure what you mean by "useless penetration",by Dainese,etc.In my experience,(18 months ownership),the Dainese Airstream is a pretty good lid.It's light-ish,comfortable,and the Bluetooth system is excellent.Very clear speech and reception on both telephone and pillion,(my wife wears one as well).Very quick visor change,and good quality throughout.Only drawbacks are the volume/on-off/mode is all done with one button,and the "rubbery",feel on the exterior.I don't know whether you can connect one to the Navigator 3 though,but I'd like to try......
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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