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Bike Intercom


Guest cam_bt
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Back to biking after a long while (see picture!)

I want to buy an inexpensive (to see how it goes) intercom system - rider to pillion - can anyone recommend one (say up to £30)

I know this isn't a lot, but if it works well, we can upgrade later on.


Thanks

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Guest philgale

**moved to accessories**


welcome to the forum mate, bob into newbies and stick a post up...


best bet for intercoms and the like would be akey, hes got one, but im sure others have too....


hope you decide to stick around :thumb:

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Bump!


Just bought one of these but haven't had a chance to try it out yet.


Simple piece of kit, but uses earbuds which are a pain to use with a helmet and earplugs in.


If there's anyone who's clever with a soldering iron I may ask for a small favour or two.

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Having tested this bit of kit now I was right in my original concerns.


The system works well upto around 50MPH with very clear comms both ways. After that it's difficult/impossible to distinguish words clearly. This is due to the 'earbud' style of speaker used. It doesn't block the ear canal sufficiently well to cut out the windnoise, which then drowns out the spoken word.


It is too awkward to use an earplug as well as an earbud, as the plug pushes the bud out of the ear. I have an 'over ear' set which would work, although it needs to be soldered onto the earbud cable.


Failing that, my best idea is to detach the speaker and resolder it to the outlet and then fasten it to the inside of the helmet semi-permanently.


I now have to be brave enough to take the current Chatterbox ear bud to pieces to see if it is compatible with my 'big idea'.


If I cock it up I will end up with a pile o' bits!!!!

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They do o/e attachments but they are for the 456R PMR Radio and they have a twin pin connection.


It is possible to have a 2 into 1 adaptor but the cost starts to rise. Also the ones I have seen are PTT whereas the Chatterbox system is permanently live VOX.


I just need to be brave enough to explore my options.

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I use an autocom which works extremely well for rider to pillion communication using the included speaker and mic sets. It is more expensive than your price range, but in my opinion is probably worth it. The speaker sets install into your helmet with adhesive tape and velcro.


The autocom and other units like it (starcom, a few others) typically have a pre-amp built in that overcomes the problem parapanfan talks about. Also, it has built in "vox" control that damps ambient sound when a mic is activated by talking into it. As well, I plug my ipod in and have a bluetooth receiver for my tomtom rider satnav and mobile phone, all controlled through the autocom main unit. Finally, I have a set of kenwood 2 way radios for bike to bike communication (mainly for when my wife rides her own bike), which also work through the autocom main unit.


Depending on what you really want a comm setup for, I'd guess you get what you pay for...


Good luck!

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Thanks for all your advice, it looks as though I may wait until I can afford a better set, or perhaps as someone advised, enjoy the silence. At least without an intercom, he can't hear me scream!


I think I may just buy a tank bag instead.....

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To further expand on the questions put forward, what would anyone recommend for three or four way communication? I.e if there were four people on seperate bikes that wanted to communicate with each other, what's best and what's the price range on something like that?

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