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Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 11:58
by kiwikrasher
I'm looking at getting a pair of these

http://www.interphone.com/product-detai ... 0244/20323

I've had a good read and research on them and they seem to suit my needs and budget.

The GPS unit I recently bought only provides audio via bluetooth, and 80% of my riding is with Jess on the back, and despite my efforts she still doesn't understand my sign language. No idea why, it's clear to me what I'm trying to say (lol). From what I've read they have enough volume to still use earplugs.

Any one had experience with these?

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 12:34
by DaytonAndy
Like you I've read a bit about them but never pulled the plugs on a decent one. I bought a cheap one from Aldi which was OK but had no real range. It was handy to have a little chat at traffic lights and junctions though. It made a change from being stopped at lights and shouting at each other with no idea what the other one was saying.
I've heard good things about the expensive ones so will be interested how you get on.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 12:38
by kiwikrasher
DaytonAndy wrote:Like you I've read a bit about them but never pulled the plugs on a decent one. I bought a cheap one from Aldi which was OK but had no real range. It was handy to have a little chat at traffic lights and junctions though. It made a change from being stopped at lights and shouting at each other with no idea what the other one was saying.
I've heard good things about the expensive ones so will be interested how you get on.
yeah Andy, if got no interest in bike to bike comms, just rider passenger, so that why i picked these (10m range) rather than the F5's (500m range).

I can get them for just under $300 so might just bite the bullet and write a product review on TS :)

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 13:16
by DaytonAndy
To be fair my £40 Aldi ones were ok at that sort of range so I'd expect big things from ones many times the price. They weren't the last word in audio clarity but they were good enough to have a conversation.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 13:28
by C00kiemonster
Ive got a pair of interphones i bought for me and mrs C00kiemonster to talk on rideouts. They must be 10 years old now and still brilliant. Limited range but way way better than any radio ones i've had before.

The range is about 300m on the ones we have.

Plus if she moans at me i just open up the distance between us :D

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 13:31
by kingfixer
Yeah I have one of those in my Shoei helmet, I haven't used it for bike to bike comms just for answering phone etc. I t works really well but I haven't used it for ages as I rarely use the Shoei now, im going to get rid of it.
This one was the shoei specific model I need to get one that fits in the Arai tour X then i'll start using it again.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 14:49
by D41
I had the bike-to-bike Autocom and quickly moved it on...more bother than it was worth and VERY exspensive.

The phone adapter works better IMO...and it's something I'm going to be carrying anyway...hard to beat until the ex. starts saying dumb stuff like "Can we stop and pick up some milk on the way back??" and other inane drivel.

That's why she's an ex. I suppose.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 16:25
by kiwikrasher
D41 wrote: inane drivel.
Sounds like some around here (giggle)

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 16:34
by kiwikrasher
Bought them AU$289 on fleabay from a bike shop in Queensland.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 17:01
by Kwacky
why would you want to talk to anyone when you're riding? :D

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 18:42
by kiwikrasher
Kwacky wrote:why would you want to talk to anyone when you're riding? :D
because sometimes I get the slow down/speed up indications from my pillon mixed up and it can be troublesome :D Plus I need a BT headset of some kind for the GPS I got.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 19:15
by D41
The wife and I did waist 'taps'....left side meant go faster, right side meant slow down. No idea if that's the best way, but it worked fine for us.

Oh...and grab MY crotch if she needed to go potty. Crude but effective. And painful.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 19:17
by D6Nutz
If you can still feel the extra drag of a pillion and you can't hear screaming, then it's all good..

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 19:19
by D6Nutz
D6Nutz wrote:If you can still feel the extra drag of a pillion and you can't hear screaming, then it's all good..
Oh, and if you do hear screaming simply speed up a bit. The wind noise well son down it out..

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 20:41
by kiwikrasher
yeah we do a similar method D41 but sometimes I forgot what side is slow and fast.

D6Nutz, she's usually telling me to speed up! Last time I was doing 100-120 km on a windy 60-80 km signposted road and she was complaining I wasn't going fast enough. I was keen to go harder too, but my wallet wasn't!

A lot of our riding is touring/exploring without a fixed destination in mind so we have really noticed the lack of ability to communicate and decide where to stop, turn etc. Basically at the moment it's a dictatorship, I get to choose! (lol)

But like I said earlier, the GPS audio is a big part of my wanting the headsets. Also being sole carer for my kids when I'm home I do worry if I'm out on the bike during school hours that I'm uncontactable until I get off the bike. I don't intend on having full phone convo's but would like to know if the school is trying to call.

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 20:49
by D41
STOP TALKING ABOUT KILOMETERS!!!

Gives me a bloody migraine!

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 20:59
by kiwikrasher
D41 wrote:STOP TALKING ABOUT KILOMETERS!!!

Gives me a bloody migraine!
It's spelt kilometres... and bad luck, it's the units we use here.

The migraine is just an added bonus for me (happy)

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 22:26
by rocket
I have got some Chinese ones they are pretty good for the money However fitting the unit to my helmet was ok just not great the way it clamps to the side of the helmet. I would not want to put it on my Aria (However some lids now come so they are ready just to clip on the unit) the other thing was poor speakers they could be louder or not. As i used them when i went out with the Mrs on the bike and over 30 i could not hear her shame ...... However you can listen to music through them and take phone calls which which works quite well pulling in on the side of the road and not having to take your lid off to answer the phone etc..

Re: Bike helmet comms

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 23:41
by D41
kiwikrasher wrote:
D41 wrote:STOP TALKING ABOUT KILOMETERS!!!

Gives me a bloody migraine!
It's spelt kilometres... and bad luck, it's the units we use here.

The migraine is just an added bonus for me (happy)
Thanks, Captain Grammar. Or not.