autocom or bluetooth

[dannys]

Hi guys, anyone has experience with both? should I go with an Autocom unit with a kenwood receiver or one of the new Bluetooth units, scala rider G4 or Sena. I would appreciate your thoughts.

[marcopolo]

I have both, but you'll have to be more specific as to what you want to do with a comm system.

[Beemah]

We have lots of deer and Moose in Maine. One of the things that you might try that is a pretty inexpensive solution is to attach a couple of deer whistles to your bike. I don't know that these would be helpful with a moose. Seriously, I saw them in a discount store here, a pack of two for 99 cents. I know a guy who has ridden the roads that the deer frequent for over 30 years with these and never had a problem. Don

 

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1292400

[BluegrassPicker]

Had the autocomm - Get the Sena

[Caddis]

As mentioned above, it depends on what you want out of a communication system. We had an Autocom when my wife was riding two up on my bike. The sound quality is great, and it is a good "hub" for connecting different types of devices. My only issues was dealing with the wires. It wasn't a big deal, but was a slight annoyance.

 

When my wife got her own bike, we decided not to buy another Autocom system (which I considered a bit expensive), or try a bluetooth system. We went with a Scala Rider Q2 multiset. We really like being wireless, and it works very well for our needs. We use it for talking between bikes, but don't listen to music. I connect to a GPS, and my wife connects to her cell phone.

 

Personally, I am glad we went with a bluetooth set because it is so nice to be wireless. But it does have some limitations.

[T-Rock]

Howdy:

 

I have an Autocomm. The wires are a bit of a nuisance, but the real issue is corrosion. My connection from the unit has corroded pretty bad. Also, I had to replace the extension cable that goes from the unit to the helmet for the same reason. This thing is way too expensive for these types of minor issues that take it out of commission. At this time I can't use it because the driver mic is dead and the driver left speaker is toast (all due to that bad connection - i have tested it).

 

Finally, the mic placement had to be pretty much dead on. I have no idea how the other units work, but I was talking with some folks about this at a rally this weekend and they said a push to talk button helped that a lot.

 

For what it's worth...

[lawnchairboy]

what Tom said.

 

I lost longer range Bike to bike comms, it really depends on what you want to do. If you ride solo a lot, I think the sena bluetooth unit is ideal and works flawlessly with my iPhone. I recently switched bikes with someone I was riding with (my phone was on my bike) and was still able to listen to my tunes coming from the phone on the other bike, pretty nifty without wires...

[OoPEZoO]

Absolutely love me Sena as well. Granted, I only have about two days worth of actual use with it because my bike went tits up, but it was a wonderful two days. I just spent the weekend pulling all of my farkles and old intercom system (J&M 2003) off of my RT. It was quite a pile of wires by the time I was done. I will never go back to a wired system of any kind.

 

The thing you can't discount is being able to hop on a different bike and everything is exactly the same as your bike. I took a new R1200RT out for a test ride 2 weeks ago. Before the ride, the dealer started explaining the radio controls. I politely interupted him and just asked him how to turn it off. I now have an intercom and MY music any time I want, on any bike I want.

 

I also figured out that the mount clamps right to the side of my snowboard helmet as well. I can easily manipulate all of the controls with my gloves on as well. I doubt I'll use the intercom feature, but I will definitely be taking advantage of the music capabilities next winter.

[Armando]

How would one pipe in the alerts from a radar detector?

[dannys]

Hi Mark

Both me and my wife ride separate bikes and the autocom sometimes brakes up especially with windy situations. I am trying to find a better communication system. however the autocom has reception for a longer range and I do not know about some of the bluetooth systems. other things such as GPS or music are not that important

[marcopolo]

My primary use is for rider-passenger intercom, with GPS prompts and music coming second. I'm not interested in using it with a phone and I've never tried bike-to-bike with the Autocom, or the Sena. From my experience, Autocom beats Sena easily in terms of sound quality (I use earbuds, by the way). Autocom's VOX also works flawlessly. The Sena's VOX really doesn't work at all, so the only practical way to use the Sena is to either leave it on constantly (don't know yet what this means for life on a fully charged battery), or switch it on/off each time by tapping the jog dial. That's easy to do, but it takes several seconds before it "connects" with the other user. That means, if used this way, the Sena is effectively useless for my wife trying to warn me of a road hazard, like a deer, for example. The Sena's real advantage is the lack of wires, so it's the convenience factor (though some of that is negated by having to charge the units and carry the charger on trips). We bought two Sena units because my wife needed a new helmet and we thought we'd give Bluetooth a try (she found it a bit of a pain plugging in her Autocom headset while sitting on the bike. We also didn't feel like moving my wife's Autocom headset etc. to her new helmet). I still have the Autocom on my bike and still have one helmet Autocom-equipped. I'll use it on solo trips.

[johnlt]

I guess I'm the odd one. I love my autocom. Had autocom for nearly 9 years now. Currently using a Superpro AVI which is not their latest model. I just plug in and away I go. No setup, no battery charging, nothing. All my accessories are bike powered including the Kenwood 3101 under the seat. Never fails me. I get:

-bike radio am/fm/cd (only used for local news)

-XM and mp3 through my Zumo

-cell phone

-V1 radar detector

-B2B GMRS (also CB if I choose)

-intercom although rarely used (once a decade with my wife)

 

If I get a phone call, all music mutes.

 

Yes, I have a lead that I have to plug into my helmet but have been using the same lead for 5 years no problems.

 

Until someone shows me a unit that will do everything I listed above wirelessly and can do a 12 hour day on a single charge, I'll stick with autocom. I personally think that the wireless technologyf will indeed get there but is still a couple years away.

[OoPEZoO]

How would one pipe in the alerts from a radar detector?

 

You buy a cheap Bluetooth dongle from Amazon, plug it into the audio out on the detector, and then pair the dongle with your headset. Done. Takes about 2 min tops. Same goes for a GPS. Towards the end of June they are supposed to be releasing the Sena SR10 hub. This will allow you to integrate your phone, intercom, radar detector, and two way radio without the use of wires.

 

The other thing I love is that my wife can sit on the back listening to her OWN music instead of complaining about what I want to listen to. I pair with my iPhone, she pairs with her iPhone. We each get our own music, can each make/receive individual phone calls, and then at the push of a button we have intercom. Happy pillion = happy rider

 

The more I fiddle with this thing the more I like it.

[Bernie]

I guess I'm the odd one. I love my autocom. Had autocom for nearly 9 years now. Currently using a Superpro AVI which is not their latest model. I just plug in and away I go. No setup, no battery charging, nothing. All my accessories are bike powered including the Kenwood 3101 under the seat. Never fails me. I get:

-bike radio am/fm/cd (only used for local news)

-XM and mp3 through my Zumo

-cell phone

-V1 radar detector

-B2B GMRS (also CB if I choose)

-intercom although rarely used (once a decade with my wife)

 

If I get a phone call, all music mutes.

 

Yes, I have a lead that I have to plug into my helmet but have been using the same lead for 5 years no problems.

 

Until someone shows me a unit that will do everything I listed above wirelessly and can do a 12 hour day on a single charge, I'll stick with autocom. I personally think that the wireless technologyf will indeed get there but is still a couple years away.

 

+1

[John Bentall]

How would one pipe in the alerts from a radar detector?

 

You buy a cheap Bluetooth dongle from Amazon, plug it into the audio out on the detector, and then pair the dongle with your headset. Done. Takes about 2 min tops. .

Indeed - You now have 2 helmets and 1 dongle to charge up.

Same goes for a GPS.

- & again, you now have 2 helmets and 2 dongles to charge up.

Towards the end of June they are supposed to be releasing the Sena SR10 hub. This will allow you to integrate your phone, intercom, radar detector, and two way radio without the use of wires.

 

The other thing I love is that my wife can sit on the back listening to her OWN music instead of complaining about what I want to listen to. I pair with my iPhone, she pairs with her iPhone. We each get our own music, can each make/receive individual phone calls, and then at the push of a button we have intercom.

Standard function on my wired system

Happy pillion = happy rider

 

The more I fiddle with this thing the more I like it.

 

A paradise for some folks, but I am not totally convinced yet.

 

John

 

[OoPEZoO]

Hey, it won't work for everyone. BTW, how much do you have wrapped up in that system? Honestly.....add up what you have spent on your comm system. Headsets, wires, fuseblocks, adapters, noise isolaters......etc. I know guys that have spent an upwards of a grand on their comm systems. To me, thats just nuts. Plus the hassle of working around all of that stuff everytime you have to work on your bike. I've had enough of that crap.

 

I spent less than $300 to have a dual Sena setup delivered to my house and it took more time to remove my old headsets from my helmets then it did to set the whole system up and have it working perfectly. For the price, I don't think you can get a better setup. If the new Sena-10 hub works as advertised, it will replace all of those dongles and be powered by the bike. I personally don't have a radar detector, and don't want to listen to my GPS. The only time you need the dongle is if you run an antiqueded brick like my old 2610. Any of the newer Zumo's will pair directly with the headsets without a dongle. I still have to charge my helmets after every use, but its a minor inconevience for the payoff.

 

like I said, it won't work for everyone, but 90% of my riding is commuting an hour each way through rush hour traffic. All I really want is music for that, and this lets me choose between the songs on my iPhone, streaming Pandora, or streaming Sirius all without doing anything other charging a headset. It does that flawlessly.

[lawnchairboy]

and if necessary, you can use the sena units while charging.

[johnlt]

I bought my SuperPro AVI here in the classifieds for $150. It included 3 headsets and a bunch of leads. I have 4 systems, all of which I purchased used. If all you want out of a system is to listen to music while commuting, get some in-ear speakers and plug directly into your iphone then stick in your jacket pocket.

[Sidmariner]

It took me about three years of experimentation and modification to perfect the Autocom setup on my RT. I had to overcome issues of ground loop interference, bike power supply, amplification of GPS and Satellite radio audio, integration of my Kenwood FRS radio and repair of faulty DIN plugs and headsets. If you are patient and prepared to invest some time in dealing with Autocom's quirks you will end up with a superb system.

 

I figure Autocom is the best system available if you want to add riders to your comm network. I now have 6 complete Autocom/Kenwood outfits, mostly procured through eBay, which I set up for friends on group rides. I thought about going Bluetooth, but it seemed the system had limited potential to include multiple riders.

 

 

[OoPEZoO]

I bought my SuperPro AVI here in the classifieds for $150. It included 3 headsets and a bunch of leads. I have 4 systems, all of which I purchased used. If all you want out of a system is to listen to music while commuting, get some in-ear speakers and plug directly into your iphone then stick in your jacket pocket.

 

because I don't want to

 

A. deal with earbuds and wires for my daily commute

B. deal with plugging anything into my phone before a ride (how many times are you all geared up and realize your phone is buried in your pants pocket and you forgot to plug something in?)

 

With this setup, I don't touch my phone. It just goes in my pocket when I'm getting dressed. I pull my helmet on, hop on the bike fully geared up, and push a button on the headset. It automatically starts playing music from my phone with no physical interaction with the phone. Then I can use the jog knob to change songs......this even works when streaming pandora.

 

Add to that, my passenger can pair hers with her phone and listen to her own music, make/take her own phone calls (that I don't have to listen to ), and gets full intercom function with the rider or another bike running a Sena.

[terryofperry]

I see what you are saying Keith.

 

I have a Starcom1 and love it. I don't have to touch my phone as it pairs with the GPS automatically. Yes, there are wires, but only one wire from rider to dash and I do not even notice it while riding.

 

I'm glad Bluetooth works for you, I am staying wired.

 

How is the bike hunting coming?

 

Terry

[OoPEZoO]

I'm glad Bluetooth works for you, I am staying wired.

 

How is the bike hunting coming?

 

Terry

 

Can't blame you. If I already had a wired system that worked well, I certainly wouldn't replace it just to go wireless. In my case, I blew out one of the speakers in my old J&M wired headset. I also needed to buy a new headset for my wife's helmet because it was not compatible with my current J&M system. The cost for two of their GOOD wired headsets (there cheap ones don't last) was more than the whole Sena dual setup. So instead of patching together a few new parts to keep my old system running, I decided to just start from scratch and pull the trigger on the world of wireless. Now that my bike is dead, its also the perfect time to move over to a new system.

 

One othe nice feature is being able to swap the module between helmets. I plan to add a mounting bracket to my snowboard and dirtbike helmets as well

 

EDIT: The bike hunt is slowed until I can get my bike parted out. I want a '08+ 1200GS, but I have every intention to wait until I find the right deal on the right bike before I do anything.

[terryofperry]

Agreed Keith

 

Now get that bike.

 

Terry

[Caddis]

If the new Sena-10 hub works as advertised, it will replace all of those dongles and be powered by the bike.

 

Did you read somewhere that the SR-10 hub will be powered by the bike? From what I have seen online, it looks to me like it will use its own rechargeable battery. If it can be powered from the bike, that would make it even more attractive.

[OoPEZoO]

If the new Sena-10 hub works as advertised, it will replace all of those dongles and be powered by the bike.

 

Did you read somewhere that the SR-10 hub will be powered by the bike? From what I have seen online, it looks to me like it will use its own rechargeable battery. If it can be powered from the bike, that would make it even more attractive.

 

I'm assuming it will charge off of either a wall plug or USB port just like the Sena headsets. If that is the case, and I can't imagine any reason why it would be any different, then all you have to do is run 12V switched power to a USB port and plug the Hub into that. Then it will be powered anytime the bike is on and you should never have to mess with it. The one thing I don't know is if the unit will be able to be powered ON and OFF with the 12V switched power (I would prefer this). It could be a hassle if you had to put it somewhere convienient because you needed to reach the power button before you head out for a ride.

 

I already have a rough design for a 4 port USB hub that I plan to mount in the new topcase for whatever bike I end up with next. That way, when I head out on a solo trip, I can keep my iPhone, spare Sena headset, and potentially the Sena Hub all charging or powered at the same time I'm running down the road. That way when the headset module I'm using dies (took about 7.5 hours of streaming music at max volume), I can just swap the headset modules every other gas stop or so. Swapping modules literally takes about 10 seconds without even removing your gloves or helmet because of the quick release mechanism they use.

 

 

[SageRider]

How would one pipe in the alerts from a radar detector?

 

You buy a cheap Bluetooth dongle from Amazon, plug it into the audio out on the detector, and then pair the dongle with your headset. Done. Takes about 2 min tops. Same goes for a GPS. Towards the end of June they are supposed to be releasing the Sena SR10 hub. This will allow you to integrate your phone, intercom, radar detector, and two way radio without the use of wires.

 

The other thing I love is that my wife can sit on the back listening to her OWN music instead of complaining about what I want to listen to. I pair with my iPhone, she pairs with her iPhone. We each get our own music, can each make/receive individual phone calls, and then at the push of a button we have intercom. Happy pillion = happy rider

 

The more I fiddle with this thing the more I like it.

The problem with the cheap bluetooth dongle solution is the delay between when the radar detector triggers and the audio is piped to the headset. Enough time to cost one a ticket.

 

I have a Sena headset, which works fantastic with GPS/Cell phone. However, I think the bluetooth bike to bike is useless unless the only comm desired is with a passenger, or a family member on their own bike.

 

My Autocom is back in use. I bluetooth between the Autocom and the GPS/Cell phone. I hard wire the radar detector and the 2 way radio.

System works great. Only downside is the headset cables.

 

My Sena unit is sitting on a shelve waiting for the SR10 hub to be released It will get another try at that time.

 

[James Clark]

. . .then all you have to do is run 12V switched power to a USB port and plug the Hub into that.

 

You may want to consider a powered hub instead. Multiple devices can exceed the capacity of a 12v USB power adapter.

[OoPEZoO]

. . .then all you have to do is run 12V switched power to a USB port and plug the Hub into that.

 

You may want to consider a powered hub instead. Multiple devices can exceed the capacity of a 12v USB power adapter.

 

Not if I design it and do the circuit board layout myself. I do have a day job

 

Right now I'm just trying to figure out all of the damn proprietary mumbo jumbo that each company uses. Sony won't charge on an Apple USB, Apple won't charge with a Nikon USB.....etc. They do it with identification resistors on the transmission lines in the USB port. If I can figure out the values and configurations of the varies resistors, then I can design a circuit that will charge anything. I can also design it to handle as much current as I want.