Mobile phone on a bike

[Titch]

Situation

I leave for work before my wife.
She cars it.
I bike it.
I take my house key with spare car key on.
She manages to lock her keys in the car after I leave.
We haven't got homestart with the AA.
£75 to add AA homestart with an immediate call out.
Gets keys out after an hour and half.
Dents car in process.

Problem

How do I get mobile phone communication on my bike?

As a call to me to turn round and bring the spare car key back would have saved me a lot of money!

 

[judge]

The cheapest way is a handsfree earpeice if space in your helmet allows, with auto answer you are quite legal as receiving calls you do not touch the handset or headset. You will unlikley be able to wear an earplug in that ear so I do not personally reccommend it.

Next up is a custom moudled speaker which will plug either directly into your mobile or via a small adaptor.

Lastly and the full monty version is go the Autocom route.

My custom moulded plugs came from here and I can personally reccommend their products. There are other suppliers and we have a couple of Green Leopard reps amongst the GS'ers here.

 

[richie]

The cheapest way is a handsfree earpeice if space in your helmet allows, with auto answer you are quite legal as receiving calls you do not touch the handset or headset. You will unlikley be able to wear an earplug in that ear so I do not personally reccommend it.

Next up is a custom moudled speaker which will plug either directly into your mobile or via a small adaptor.

Lastly and the full monty version is go the Autocom route.

My custom moulded plugs came from here and I can personally reccommend their products. There are other suppliers and we have a couple of Green Leopard reps amongst the GS'ers here.

I agree with the Judge, I sometimes use a hands free on the bike but it is crap once your over 50MPH and uncomfortable. I only use it if I leave work early and a client maybe wants to ask me a question so its no big deal.

 

[Timolgra]

Keep another spare key in the house

 

[Keyframe]

Pobably not what you want to hear, but I've learn't my lesson at work with a hire-car... Boy did it make me think.

Without the expense and hassle of a bike phone installation:

Keep a spare car key in a magnetic box "hidden" underneath the car. Cannibalise an old tankbag for a for an extra magnet or to make a gaffa-tape homebrewed key holder. (Give the key a smear of grease and wrap it in polythene first)

keep a spare alarm fob in the car glove box.

Tectronics: 0161 872 6275 Can supply replacement alarm fobs/plippers for £38.71 Even if It's a sixteen year old system like mine.

Make sure nobody sees you putting the box under the car and tell the wife.

Never worry about loosing your car keys again.

Unlike the (senior) person who disppeared with the keys leaving us stranded with our bags locked in the car, it took some of us a long time to politely see the funny side of the situation.

 

[Greg Masters]

Next time you upgrade your mobile, keep the old one for the bike!

I Have the full Autocom setup, but, when I'm on a long ride, I swap the SIM card to my old phone which I then velcro to the tank and plug in my Autocom lead.

The battery on my old phone is getting a bit tired, so I propose to hardwire the car charger into the bike so that the phone can be on permanent charge.

As all the kit is otherwise worthless, I don't give a fig if it gets wet, falls off the bike or gets nicked - so long as I get the SIM card back!

Greg

 

[notadrop]

mobile

A while ago I had a throat mic. and earpiece that could be used on the bike at any speed - people didn't even know and sometimes didn't believe I was actually on the bike. I have since changed phones and that option isn't available on the supposedly 'superior' model.
Need to check that one is made for/compatible for your phone as it needs to work on auto answer [ don't need to touch the mobile for incoming calls].

 

[Wolfman]

Using an old phone

Greg,

this makes excellent sense, I've always stayed with Nokia, but have recently ordered a Sony P900 after some scum bag nicked my PDA and phone from the car.

To cut along story short, have cancelled my claim with the insurance company as Vodafone now suppling the P900 with is also a PDA, and for £90.00 wasn't worth claiming for my Ipaq that was stolen after all the excesses and lost no claims bonus was allowed for.

The Scum bags have won again!!

So will be keepin a old nokia on the bike to work with the Autocom.

Gary.

 

[Greg Masters]

Re: Using an old phone

....but have recently ordered a Sony P900 ....

But then what you want is the Sony-Ericsson HCB-30 Bluetooth unit!

I haven't done this myself yet (but do have an HCB-30 in my car), but you hardwire and bury this unit somewhere in the bike. The challenge comes in hooking the HCB-30 up to the Autocom - I haven't quite worked that bit out!

As the P900 supports Bluetooth and voice activation, you can leave you P900 in your pocket/rucksack/topbox and still be able to make/receive phone calls.

I asked Autocom to develop this idea - but the tosser that I spoke to at the Bike Show suggested that there were too many problems of wind noise (?????!!) to make it work.

Greg

 

[jenks]

Greg and any other teckies who know what they are talking about.

I to want to use a mobile phone on the bike, I have just bought a hands free kit that I use in the car.

It's an ear piece (looks like a hearing aid with a mic) and uses bluetooth, it's brilliant, clarety is v good etc, does anyone make one that will fit into a helmet permantly and offer the same sound / voice quality????

If not why not??

If not is the auto com the next best solution???

Andrew......a numpty who still lives in the dark ages

 

[Greg Masters]

This is what's needed (thanks Mike).

Greg

 

[ebbo]

A friend and I tried Vemar Bluetooth helmets at a show in January, The helmets worked very well, it’s the sort of thing as kids you dreamt of, now you can buy them in the shops.
I just can’t believe Autocom aren’t taking this threat seriously because the future certainly isn’t with cables.

 

[kalahari]

the best route is autocom/phone. thats what i use on long jorneys.minidiskplayer player put the phone on autoanswer and u good 2 go .hi judge

 

[BawdyMonk]

The cheapest way is a handsfree earpeice if space in your helmet allows, with auto answer you are quite legal as receiving calls you do not touch the handset or headset. You will unlikley be able to wear an earplug in that ear so I do not personally reccommend it.....

Try a Nokia 5100, you can uses it as Judge says, its also splash/dampproof, so no worries if you keep it in an outside non waterproof pocket.
You can feel the vibes through your jacket and the speaker is loud enough to hear with a helmet on so you can just pull up and answer if you don't feel like wearing an earpiece. Take a look HERE .

 

[Fanum]

Yup...was just thinking something along the lines of what BAwdy said.....if your phone has vibrate, keep it in an inside pocket close to you so you can feel it ring then stop, fish it out and check the number that called you......or you can get silly little things that flash lights on pens when a mobile rings in their vicinity...you could put one of those on your bars and you'd have a good visual signal if your phone rings.

They're only about a fiver and any phone acessory shop will sell them.

 

[Titch]

Thanks for all the responses to information has been most helpful.

I only hope my wife doesn't do it again!