What intercom system to buy?

[scotterichmond]

What system do you use?
What are the trade offs for blue tooth vs. corded?

[Foxy]

I use a corded Autocom system on my 1800 which integrates all components that I want, phone, GPS, MP3 etc.
I am more than happy to have the cords in use and I didn't like the blue tooth that I got that was supposed to be for the Nolan Helmets (N-com), which didn't work properly, gave poor sound quality and the rep eventually conceded that the Autocom would be much better.

[thrasherg]

I too have the autocom on my Goldwing, but am changing it out to use the standard 1800 built-in intercom. The autocom constantly transmits wind noise from my passengers microphone. we have fiddled with the squelch control on the intercom box, fitted wind socks, applied tape, but cannot get the intercom to stop transmitting wind noise once we are above 60mph!! I used Autocom on my sportsbikes (R6, R1, CBR900, etc) and they worked very well upto 130mph and beyond, but for some reason it won't work on my goldwing..

Gary

[Foxy]

Gary have you got the Vox headsets with the little wind noise detectors which poke out of the lining of your helmet.
I find they make a huge difference and that is why I like the Autocom so much, lack of wind noise to bother us.
Pete

[thrasherg]

Hi Pete, I have the high end Autocom Pro and there are little microphones that mount in the helmet to listen to the wind noise and set the squelch level. I think that because I am sat behind the windscreen, there is not much wind noise so the system set's the squelch level low, but my passenger (Normally one of my daughters) are sitting further back and higher up, so they get a lot more wind and it constantly trips the squelch circuit. I asked Autocom about fitting a microphone (noise sensor) in the passengers helmet, but they said the intercom had no electrics circuits to monitor a noise sensor in a passenger helmet (Only the rider helmet!!), I don't know how to get more noise to the sensor in my helmet to fool the system into setting the squelch level higher!! The sensor is at the front of the helmet (just above eye level) facing forwards, so it should be were I think wind noise would be pretty bad..

Gary

[Foxy]

Must be a fairly fine line thing, because I am in about the same situation as you.... 1800 Wing, upper range Autocom with Vox on both headsets, flip front helmets that are mostly closed down. I did start with a problem with the Vox sensor being located in the wrong place in my helmet, but once I got the sensors placed correctly the whole thing works fine and I get no wind interruption.
In the UK the Autocom systems are very popular and they are usually spoken highly of, rarely do I see a poor report.
I don't like to hear of people with woes when I know it can be so good. I had a number of different headsets using the bikes own system and I find the Autocom sound quality better. Two of the units I did have were J&M and Starcom 1, both of which I would say were "adequate"
Pete

[thrasherg]

I just purchased a J&M headset to try with the stock wing intercom to see how it works out. I have been fiddling with the autocom for over a year to get it to work (as mentioned it was fine on my R1 sport bike) but have finally run out of patience.. If the J&M route doesn't work I might go back to the Autocom, but want to try something new first as I am fed up banging my head against the autocom wall..

Gary

[Foxy]

Well I was reasonably happy with the J&M headsets that I had, but they didn't last unfortunately.
I hope it all works out for you, I got the Autocom specifically to integrate all those goodies that one buys... GPS, phone, MP3 player and they all go through the Autocom in their own right, if you have no need for them then headsets into the bike are just fine.

[thrasherg]

I didn't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a GPS going through the Auxillary input on my wing, the GPS plays MP3's so it's also my music system and my phone links to the GPS via bluetooth, so everything that I have works just fine, the only thing that I loose will be that my autocom is linked to a kenwood radio for bike to bike intercom with my wife's bike (also running intercom pro). So I will have to find a way to link the kenwood radio into the wing intercom or fit a CB to my wife's bike in place of the current kenwood radio.

Gary

[Foxy]

Well I certainly didn't have intentions of hijacking, just giving informed opinions, which hopefully we have done, with the Autocom anyway.
One thing of course is that this is under the GL1000 section and so the bike will not have it's own built in system to give music etc. so the question is really, what is available wireless or not, to suit a bike without built in systems.
Hopefully others will chip in with information on set ups they have tried.

[scotterichmond]

please Highjack. I am learning a lot.
I had a chat with a co-worker ( com guy) who has used lots of bluetooth stuff. And he says they have a ways to go till they get it working right. He recomends the wired stuff. Less problems . besides my wife says the costs are way to high for blue tooth. And when I ride ...... I leave the STUFF behind.

[scotterichmond]

I am leaning towards this one .

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 97.c0.m619

[Foxy]

Not familiar with those ones I am afraid, they look to be adequate intercom, although I am not sure how comfortable they are going to be inside a helmet.

I am in agreement with your friend about blue toothed headsets, most will not hold a charge long enough for a good day's riding and chatting to a pillion, especially if there is music keeping an open circuit at the same time. Then most of them have to be plugged into mains electric to re charge the batteries, they don't often have the option to work off a 12volt plug in on the bike.
Over here we do have various pretty good quality ones of the corded sort available to us, all are a bit more spendy than that one on ebay that you have linked.
There is the Scala Rider, perhaps the best of the cordless, Starcom1 do a nice corded system, Autocom we have mentioned. I am sure you will have various makes available to you over on your side of the Big Pond.

Pete

[skaluf]

I just purchased the Scala rider teamset. So far I'm very happy with it. The phone sound is excellet (via bluetooth) and my MP3 or phone MP3 plugs in with the supplied cable. The helmet speakers lack a bit in bass response for music. Everyone I talk to hears me very well as I do them. Plenty of volume.

Intercom also works well, you can either vox or put to talk. With the Vox you just talk loud to open the connection, it will stay open for 30 secs of silence or as long as you are talking.

I got it for $150, but have seen it a bit cheaper since then.

Steve

[Fred Camper]

I used a Nady years ago as a intercom for a tandem bike. I suspect you will find it in a drawer several months after purchase. Just not nice enough to be worth the added hassle.

[scotterichmond]

I decided not to get the nady system, too bulky and doesn't have seperate speakers.
Now I am looking at the Tork brand. Anyone out there that can weigh in with input? Has anyone used it?

http://www.bikeintercom.com/products/ridemate_v2.html

[Foxy]

I have tried similar system and it was residing in the drawer within two uses of them, but the main difference was the mic and speakers were not as good as the ones that come with the unit that you have linked to.
The battery pack unit looks pretty much identical to the one I have in the drawer.

[scotterichmond]

I know this is an old post, but I want to revisit this subject cause I just ordered the Tork Ridemate. I will post my reveiws when I get it and test it. They have a 30 day trail period , full refund of the purchase price if not satisfide

[scotterichmond]

Here is the latest on the Torkride............ DO NOT buy this unit. It is aweful. I did buy the Scala Teamset Pro, and I love it. I needed to add foam to hold the speakers next to my ears, but I have a hearing loss, and that worked so good I have TOO much volume. Hands free cell phone use is way cool and super clear. $200 from Amazon, what a great product.I don't have GPS but it is supposed to pair with that too . The customer service from the company is great, ( that's where I got the info for my needed increase in volume).

Highly recommended !
P.S. I guess there is a reason why nobody has heard of Torkride, huh?