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Looking for a new intercom system...


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I’m looking for a new intercom system.
 

There are loads of options out there. I’m here to seek advice from those who have “tried and tested” some of them. 

 

 I’m not looking at any specific brand and I’m also not looking at prices yet either, but with that being said I’m not looking to spend tones on a unit. I’d be happy to pay £250 and this would get me 2 units, one for the rider and the other for pillion. I’ll also consider buying one in a used condition unless someone feels this is a bad idea.
 

I am primarily looking for the unit to be waterproof/water-resistant and enable the pairing up of Bluetooth devices for music or sat-nav. It will also be used mostly for rider-to-pillion. Cordless too! 

i’m currently searching Google at the same time but it will be nice to hear first-hand experiences.

 

Edited by Troy
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Cant really help as there are so many different ones out there and we are using an old Interphone Urban set up. Long lasting charge, lasts for days. Bluetooth, GPS, Phone, Radio, chat to the Mrs and both have the ability to receive phone calls etc. I bought extra base fittings for different lids, just swap the unit to each lid with ease. I would buy Interphone again. Paid roughly £110 at NEC a few years ago now. 👍

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Prior to getting the Sena that is designed to fit my HJC lid I bought a pair of Lexin LX-B4FM and although they were cheap compared to the Sena/Cardo type units I can`t really fault them and my other half still uses hers and it pairs with my new set up perfectly.

Good battery life and it announces how much charge is left when you turn it on which I find a nice little feature.

Cheers

Ian

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4 hours ago, SometimesSansEngine said:

As a product guy in real life, the fact that anyone would make an intercom designed to go on the side of a motorbike helmet that isn't waterproof continues to baffle me

Same as Drift's 4k camera that I had and which died in heavy rain. Just seems so stupid.

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25 minutes ago, Stu said:

I have the packtalk bold and would recommend it! 

 

Sadly its a little more than your budget 


Well.... I am a sucker for good sounds! 
 

Is there a huge noticeable difference between the standard speakers and JBLs?

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3 minutes ago, Troy said:


Well.... I am a sucker for good sounds! 
 

Is there a huge noticeable difference between the standard speakers and JBLs?

 

I can't really answer that as I have only ever had the JBL on this unit 

 

I had the Q3 before it and the packtalk is light years ahead and the sound quality is pretty good IMO 

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1 hour ago, Stu said:

 

I can't really answer that as I have only ever had the JBL on this unit 

 

I had the Q3 before it and the packtalk is light years ahead and the sound quality is pretty good IMO 

Was there a specific reason why you chose this Model after the Q3?

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1 minute ago, Troy said:

Was there a specific reason why you chose this Model after the Q3?

 

It was just an upgrade and me being the spoilt bast*rd I am I had to get the best on the market at the time! which I am glad I did as there is a group of 5 of us who go out who all have packtalks  

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I have a pair of Packtalk Bold had it for over a year now. Can't fault them - works reallye well. Reason I bought them, the school was using them.

These are definitely waterproof 😀

 

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I have Cardo pack talk duo for 3 years now.

 

Faults complicated to use, price and no simple replacement for batteries...

Unless you are good at soldering.

 

They do the job though.

 

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8 hours ago, onesea said:

I have Cardo pack talk duo for 3 years now.

 

Faults complicated to use, price and no simple replacement for batteries...

Unless you are good at soldering.

 

They do the job though.

 


Why do you feel it’s complicated to use?

 

I'm assuming it’s been used pretty heavily if your having to replace a battery after 3 years?

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1 hour ago, Stu said:

I don't think they are complicated to use but there is a lot to take in on how to use them 


It seems there are hardly any buttons.... is it all voice controlled?

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7 minutes ago, Troy said:


It seems there are hardly any buttons.... is it all voice controlled?

Cardo's fault is that they don't read minds! At the beginning you should RTFM to be able to use them for more than just comms. Once you do that, the rest is easy. It is voice controlled, I simply don't have patience to talk to the thing :)

 

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I must admit, I’d prefer to use button controls or at least have the option to control it with either voice or buttons. 
 

I maybe better off going for the Freecom 4+ in this case.... it just seems silly money though when I’ll need to buy 2.

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A few years ago I got a pair of these.

 

They work great up to 80mph, connection to phone and sat-nav works well.

Some time ago I received a call while riding and was quite surprised with the quality of the call.

 

As I said, it was a few years ago and there are newer better models.

 

https://www.dhgate.com/product/motorcycle-helmet-headsets-bluetooth-v3-0/403877066.html?d1_page_num=1#s1-1-1;searl|3017391124:5

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37 minutes ago, Jerry1111 said:

Cardo's fault is that they don't read minds! At the beginning you should RTFM 

 

I did read the manual, and the next one and the next one.  In the box where I keep my helmet there are printed cheat sheets to remind me how to particularly for pairing.  

 

I think they are on the 3rd major software upgrade in the 3 years we have had the device.

 

Meaning my partner has to ask every time she rides how do I?  So does my daughter and she is 14 so it should be simple for her.

 

If just using to pillion they are fairly plug and play. A handful of buttons to remember.

 

However how do you pair a second phone without unpairing first or SatNav?

 

I have several friends with various Cardo units, pairing is attempted but often given up on in practice its just not as easy as it should be..

 

Then you think we're in DMC we will drop back in.  Nope ones just upgraded software and you have to re group again.  Or they have been riding with someone else and not got the group your in open anymore. Phones out to mess around..

 

Voice control is great unless your talking to your pillion. If I have to push button to activate I learned for me it was easier just to learn the right combination of buttons to push.

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1 hour ago, Troy said:

 

I maybe better off going for the Freecom 4+ in this case.... it just seems silly money though when I’ll need to buy 2.

FWIW you only (want to) buy it once, you'll be using it forever.

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1 hour ago, onesea said:

 

I did read the manual, and the next one and the next one.  In the box where I keep my helmet there are printed cheat sheets to remind me how to particularly for pairing.  

 

I think they are on the 3rd major software upgrade in the 3 years we have had the device.

 

Meaning my partner has to ask every time she rides how do I?  So does my daughter and she is 14 so it should be simple for her.

 

If just using to pillion they are fairly plug and play. A handful of buttons to remember.

 

However how do you pair a second phone without unpairing first or SatNav?

 

I have several friends with various Cardo units, pairing is attempted but often given up on in practice its just not as easy as it should be..

 

Then you think we're in DMC we will drop back in.  Nope ones just upgraded software and you have to re group again.  Or they have been riding with someone else and not got the group your in open anymore. Phones out to mess around..

 

Voice control is great unless your talking to your pillion. If I have to push button to activate I learned for me it was easier just to learn the right combination of buttons to push.

I have taken photos of the info I need from the online/PDF version/s of the instructions. 
I can then have a quick read on any brew stop. 

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3 hours ago, Troy said:


It seems there are hardly any buttons.... is it all voice controlled?

5 buttons in total 

 

3 separate independent buttons and a volume control wheel that also has a button built in to it 

 

You use certain presses to do certain stuff one button controls the music so you press it once to start music from a music app and twice to start the radio then you use the same button to skip tracks back and forward and also preset stations by pressing it once or twice respectively then to turn it off you press the volume wheel 

 

It's very easy to use IMO once you know what button does what. 

 

You can use voice control and you can use hey Google and siri too all can be a bit hit and miss though but that's normal with most voice control that I have experienced 

 

2 hours ago, onesea said:

 

I did read the manual, and the next one and the next one.  In the box where I keep my helmet there are printed cheat sheets to remind me how to particularly for pairing.  

 

I think they are on the 3rd major software upgrade in the 3 years we have had the device.

 

Meaning my partner has to ask every time she rides how do I?  So does my daughter and she is 14 so it should be simple for her.

 

If just using to pillion they are fairly plug and play. A handful of buttons to remember.

 

However how do you pair a second phone without unpairing first or SatNav?

 

I have several friends with various Cardo units, pairing is attempted but often given up on in practice its just not as easy as it should be..

 

Then you think we're in DMC we will drop back in.  Nope ones just upgraded software and you have to re group again.  Or they have been riding with someone else and not got the group your in open anymore. Phones out to mess around..

 

Voice control is great unless your talking to your pillion. If I have to push button to activate I learned for me it was easier just to learn the right combination of buttons to push.

 

I have not experienced any problems with any of the software updates and the ones I have with my mates are down to user error and me having to explain to them what they have done wrong 

 

The controls have never changed with any updates either 

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  • 4 weeks later...

As with the first poster I too am looking for a comms system.

I’m quiet interested in the ‘Cardo freecom 4 plus’ and the ‘Sena linkin ride pal 3’.

the Cardo I know is all voice command if you want, which I do and I believe it has a good range.

The Sena on the other hand I’m not sure whether that is voice command if required or not, as there seems to be conflicting information on that, also I believe the range is only 400 metres, so, does anyone have either of these and if so 

what info could you provide regarding voice command and distance?

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  • 4 weeks later...

the Lexin LX-B4FM look really good. ive got some V6 which are ok for what i paid, but we get alot of interence and often sounds like its next to a jumbo jet taking off. music sounds crap on them too.

but have done a good job and showed us we love comms so want to upgrade too, but dont have 100's to spend. work starts soon so will be getting some. the reviews on the Lexin LX-B4FM are really good.

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