Bluetooth Communication sets

I an looking at buying a bluetooth communication system to use with my wife when we travel. I read the article from the July edition of Rider and they tested five different products. The best overall seemed to be the SENA SMH10. The other possibility seemed to be the J&M Elite 277. I wondered what the experience/opinion of the fourm is on these sets?

[QUOTE=jbarnesvt;764414]I an looking at buying a bluetooth communication system to use with my wife when we travel. I read the article from the July edition of Rider and they tested five different products. The best overall seemed to be the SENA SMH10. The other possibility seemed to be the J&M Elite 277. I wondered what the experience/opinion of the fourm is on these sets?[/QUOTE]

oops. I just bought a Scala Rider q2. It's not here yet.

I got a Sena for myself more than a year ago and really liked it. I eventually got a second when my wife started riding with me some. They work quite well. I take an occasional phone call and people are surprised that I'm on the bike. What I really use it for the most is listening to music though. The Sena's seem to have the loudest volume and since i were earplugs all the time on the bike, I needed something that I could hear through the plugs. My brother in law thought the speakers sounded tinny (not much bass) and after a short ride without the earplugs, I agree. The plugs block some of the highs, I guess.

Anyway, for intercom they work well. The sound is quiet good and the controls are very simple and easy to use. I have mounts on full face and flip up helmets, just for reference.

+1 for the Sena and everything Rusty wrote. I have a pair to use for intercom with my wife, listen to music on my iPhone, and talk on the phone. The battery lasts for a full day of touring, or for weeks of daily commuting. I've ridden with mine in the rain and all winter in the cold with no problems at all.

Sena here as well - great for father & son talks on the bike or father / daughter time about the birds & the bees & just talking.

Got the Scala Rider - happy with it

When I bought my G4 most most people recommended them. However the vox never has worked on them properly. I have screamed until my throat is raw trying to get them to activate.

I have to operate in constant on mode to be any use at all. I am riding a GS with a full face helmet and there is some wind noise which I am sure causes the intercom to go on and reduces battery time.

Truth is I am ready to go to a hard wired system like the J&M cb intercom system. These things while they have worked to a point are really a pain.

I have had the Sena for about a year now and they work great. We use them mostly as an intercom between my wife and me. We both have custom in-ear speakers and the sound is great. The jog dial that controls the on/standby modes and the volume is very easy to use even with gloves on. Their service is also great. I had a pin jack plug break off while on a trip and called them when I got back. They sent a complete new helmet mount and spiral cord within tree days at no charge. +10 for Sena

[QUOTE=lagator;764685]I have had the Sena for about a year now and they work great. We use them mostly as an intercom between my wife and me. We both have custom in-ear speakers and the sound is great. The jog dial that controls the on/standby modes and the volume is very easy to use even with gloves on. Their service is also great. I had a pin jack plug break off while on a trip and called them when I got back. They sent a complete new helmet mount and spiral cord within tree days at no charge. +10 for Sena[/QUOTE]

I have ear plugs with speakers. Will they plug into the receiver and used instead of the speakers that come with the unit?

Check out what reviewer HBC has to say about various systems here:

[url]http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-intercoms/bluetooth-intercom.htm[/url]

mike

We had the old Scala and like them very much. We sold them to another couple and bought the G4. The G4 is complete junk. They don't work properly and any rain will cause the headsets to fuzz out. They will replace them but it gets old. I just got fed up and bought the Sena. The Senas sound much better and are much easier to operate with gloves. They have been thoroughly rain tested and they have passed with flying colors. Had I never ridden in the rain I might have been happy with the Scala Riders and never known the genius of the fine folks at Sena. It pisses me off I screwed around with those little buttons and all the quirks of the Scalas for so long when Sena got it right.

We have the Sena. They failed after a couple of months and Sena replaced them without any questions. That was about 10 months ago and they have worked well since then. The vox function does not work well in our experience so we leave the comm channel open when in town and running speeds of 50 or below. At highway speed we go to push to talk so as not to have to listen to wind noise. I use ear buds; Annie uses in helmet speakers; the buds make it much easier to understand her when speaking at higher speeds.

They are line of sight to the nth degree; a characteristic common to all Bluetooth communicators I believe. A simple line of trees can cause a break in comms as can a small hill between riders. They have a range of at least a mile when line of sight is maintained. I have used only the bike to bike function; not the MPs, GPS or mobile phone functions.

We tried StarCom and other radio hook ups and had mixed success. But no matter how well they worked it seemed like there were cables running all over the place and attaching us to the bikes. All in all, I give the Sena a B+.

[QUOTE=jbarnesvt;764694]I have ear plugs with speakers. Will they plug into the receiver and used instead of the speakers that come with the unit?[/QUOTE]

You have to buy extra helmet mounts for the in-ear speakers to plug in. they have the pin jacks on them. The helmet mounts that come with the set are hard wired for the helmet speakers. The extra helmet mounts are abount $30+ more each.

I am going to purchase the Sena SMH10 but I need to be able to use my in ear speakers as well as the helmet speakers and have the jack in for my iPod Nano. Does anyone know what additional module will do this.

Thanks,

Jack

[QUOTE=jbarnesvt;766244]I am going to purchase the Sena SMH10 but I need to be able to use my in ear speakers as well as the helmet speakers and have the jack in for my iPod Nano. Does anyone know what additional module will do this.

Thanks,

Jack[/QUOTE]

For the in-ear speakers, I think you need [URL="http://www.senabluetooth.com/products/acc_SMH-A0303.php"]SMH-A0303 Helmet Clamp Kit - For Earbuds[/URL].

The iPod Nano will plug right into the SMH10 main unit using the included audio cable--no additional module required.