Communication Devices

[Vic]

I did a brief search for this and came up empty. if it has been discussed before, please point me in the right direction, I am not very talented with searches

Anyway, I am looking for a communication device for riding.

In particular, I would like the following:
*Ability to connect with my Blackberry (for phone calls and getting directions, particularly)
*Ability to communicate with a passenger (for now)
*Ability to get an additional unit to communicate with another bike (for later, when my son gets his license-next year )
*Ability to change from one helmet to another (I rotate between 3 helmets, and have 2 different people that ride as passengers)

Optional is: ability to listen to the radio for the passenger (my daughter would love this) I don't mind getting a radio, MP3 player or whatever and connecting to that via cable.

I don't mind having cables and such either.

My sister and her husband have the Cardio Scala and they LOVE them. I am thinking of going to check those out.

Anyone else have any thoughts or experience?

Thanks
-v

[Lostmycage]

That isn't something I've used before, but it is something that I've been thinking about more and more lately.

Check out the side menu on the right in this WebBikeWorld.com review. They've got a lot more experience using these systems and should help you wade through some of the details.

The windshield on the Buddy is kinda small, and unless there's a larger one for the RV250 (I'm not sure how sheltered you are from wind noise) then you might want to look for one with a Throat mic to avoid the wind noise coming through the speakers.

[Vic]

The windshield on the Buddy is kinda small, and unless there's a larger one for the RV250 (I'm not sure how sheltered you are from wind noise) then you might want to look for one with a Throat mic to avoid the wind noise coming through the speakers.

How do those work, I have seen people using them on TV but can you really understand what people say with those???

[Lostmycage]

How do those work, I have seen people using them on TV but can you really understand what people say with those???

They go off of vibrations right next to the voice box. That's about all I know.

A friend of mine got one. He said it was a little weird because there's a slight delay and the model that he had "popped" or chirped (or something) every time he or his wife started talking. He could have had a defective model though... I should ask him about it again, that was a while back.

[Kaos]

I ride with a Cardo Scala Rider bluetooth headset. Its AWESOME. I can hear the far end very clearly at any speed, the volume auto adjusts to outside noise, and it has a noise canceling microphone. Nobody can even tell I'm riding.

It all bolts to your helmet, and provides easy to use buttons on the outside that are no problem at all with gloves. It designed for full and 3/4 helmets but I've actually seen one installed on a 1/2 helmet before. The newer models also allow pairing with eachother so you can use them as a rider-to-rider intercom as well

[siobhan]

I just picked up the Cardo Scala 2 off another board. The b/friend installed one on his helmet; I haven't yet because our first long ride isn't planned until later in May and I don't commute with music (it would be disastrous). He's liking his; I'm happy to update on the bike to bike at the end of May.

Neither of us have cellphones so it wasn't a feature we were looking for. I just wanted music and the ability to ask him to pull over if I see something cool (his version of cool and my version are wildly different).

I think we paid $150 so shop/ask around. People get stuff, don't use it, then sell it ridiculously cheap.

[Vic]

I ride with a Cardo Scala Rider bluetooth headset. Its AWESOME. I can hear the far end very clearly at any speed, the volume auto adjusts to outside noise, and it has a noise canceling microphone. Nobody can even tell I'm riding.

It all bolts to your helmet, and provides easy to use buttons on the outside that are no problem at all with gloves. It designed for full and 3/4 helmets but I've actually seen one installed on a 1/2 helmet before. The newer models also allow pairing with eachother so you can use them as a rider-to-rider intercom as well

That is what my sister and her husband have, they LOVE it. I am curious about mounting to the helmet, is it something that I could move from helmet to helmet (particularly with my kids, son has a size large helmst, daughter is XS, I can't afford to get separate headsets for each of them yet).

[Kaos]

I just picked up the Cardo Scala 2 off another board. The b/friend installed one on his helmet; I haven't yet because our first long ride isn't planned until later in May and I don't commute with music (it would be disastrous). He's liking his; I'm happy to update on the bike to bike at the end of May.

Neither of us have cellphones so it wasn't a feature we were looking for. I just wanted music and the ability to ask him to pull over if I see something cool (his version of cool and my version are wildly different).

I think we paid $150 so shop/ask around. People get stuff, don't use it, then sell it ridiculously cheap.

Yeah, I got mine from eBay for $60. Its the original Scala Rider though, so it lacks the intercom functionality.

[Kaos]

I just picked up the Cardo Scala 2 off another board. The b/friend installed one on his helmet; I haven't yet because our first long ride isn't planned until later in May and I don't commute with music (it would be disastrous). He's liking his; I'm happy to update on the bike to bike at the end of May.

Neither of us have cellphones so it wasn't a feature we were looking for. I just wanted music and the ability to ask him to pull over if I see something cool (his version of cool and my version are wildly different).

I think we paid $150 so shop/ask around. People get stuff, don't use it, then sell it ridiculously cheap.

Yeah, I got mine from eBay for $60. Its the original Scala Rider though, so it lacks the intercom functionality.

It comes off fairly easily. Its basically a clamp that holds onto the rim of the helmet.

[Vic]

It comes off fairly easily. Its basically a clamp that holds onto the rim of the helmet.

Wonderful! Thanks! I am going to go check them out on my way home!

[ageekgirl]

We have the Cardo Scala Q2, have had it for a year or so. The bike to bike intercom works well. Initially we had problems with the bike to bike getting cut off or not being clear, but after the about a month and a half and a long ride, whatever was not syncing properly decided that it was ok and now works well. I've already moved the headset from one helmet to another. Having the phone bluetooth is a good thing for me. I"m able to answer my phone (my cell phone is my biz phone) and ask to call folks back after I reach my destination. I really don't chat while I'm riding, but being able to use the voice answering to check it is nice.

[db]

Sorry if I missed this as I skimmed this looking for it, Does this scala with noise canecel work only for a full face or open face as well?

[ericalm]

I actually prefer a wired solution and have been looking at IMC Motorcom's products:
http://imcmoto.com/

[Lostmycage]

Sorry if I missed this as I skimmed this looking for it, Does this scala with noise canecel work only for a full face or open face as well?

Yep, you missed it. Scroll up.

[Vic]

I went out and got the Cardo Scala Q2 yesterday. After a very long 5 hours of charging, it was like waiting for the water to boil, I got the bluetooth to my phone all set up and connected (yay) and started working on selecting some radio stations to save (I think it will save 5 stations, I just need NPR though ).

I rode to work with All Things Considered playing in the background this morning. This is the one thing that I have missed in the mornings and afternoons when riding.

I told my kids that now they can talk to mom when we are on rides and got a response that can be called "lukewarm at best" but when I told them that they can make and receive calls while riding they started smiling and when I told them that they can listen to the radio I got smiles and some interest.

On the way home from the store last night my phone was vibrating madly and I was concerned that it might be something very serious since I have told the kids to only call repeatedly if it is "really important" and they called about 5 times in a row. I did not pull over because I was only about 15 minutes from the house and I figured that I would arrive at about the same time as the fire truck and/or ambulance.

I got home to find out that my kids and I still need to work on an understanding of the meaning of "really important" and that them disagreeing over whose turn it is to get on the computer does not fall under that category.

Well, anyway, at least I will now be able to answer and find out if anyone is bleeding and if nobody is we will discuss it when I get home.

Attaching to the helmets was quite simple, one of my helmets needed the glue plate, the others work great with the clamp setup.

I am looking forward to going on rallies and being able to let a friend borrow one of the set so we can talk. I am really excited about Scootergate and Indy because my sister and her husband are coming and we can all sync up and talk to each other. This is going to open up a whole new level with rallies, and for someone as navigationally challenged as myself, I really believe it is going to make things safer, too. Of the last 4 rallies I have been to, I was part of a group that got lost at two of them, and one time I was so lost I was navigating by the sun. That has a tendency to reduce your satisfaction with a ride.

Cheers,
-v

[bgwss]

Any pictures of your current setup?

[ericalm]

I rode to work with All Things Considered playing in the background this morning. This is the one thing that I have missed in the mornings and afternoons when riding.

Well, anyway, at least I will now be able to answer and find out if anyone is b This is going to open up a whole new level with rallies, and for someone as navigationally challenged as myself, I really believe it is going to make things safer, too. Of the last 4 rallies I have been to, I was part of a group that got lost at two of them, and one time I was so lost I was navigating by the sun. That has a tendency to reduce your satisfaction with a ride.

This is also sort of a big reason for me to step up. We've had a few hangups and problems on the group rides I help organize and there are usually a couple of people with headsets there. Last week, a guy thought we were going the wrong way and just hung back until he was separated from us. The person racing back and forth to find him has a headset. (We were not, incidentally, going the wrong way.) It would have come in handy a few other times, too. So planning to have mine by Amerivespa.

[Kaos]

I rode to work with All Things Considered playing in the background this morning. This is the one thing that I have missed in the mornings and afternoons when riding.

Well, anyway, at least I will now be able to answer and find out if anyone is b This is going to open up a whole new level with rallies, and for someone as navigationally challenged as myself, I really believe it is going to make things safer, too. Of the last 4 rallies I have been to, I was part of a group that got lost at two of them, and one time I was so lost I was navigating by the sun. That has a tendency to reduce your satisfaction with a ride.

This is also sort of a big reason for me to step up. We've had a few hangups and problems on the group rides I help organize and there are usually a couple of people with headsets there. Last week, a guy thought we were going the wrong way and just hung back until he was separated from us. The person racing back and forth to find him has a headset. (We were not, incidentally, going the wrong way.) It would have come in handy a few other times, too. So planning to have mine by Amerivespa.

I've used mine for that. We lost two riders on a bigish group ride(22 bikes) , and I ran back to find them while on the phone with another rider in the main group so I could keep track of where they were.

[Vic]

I rode to work with All Things Considered playing in the background this morning. This is the one thing that I have missed in the mornings and afternoons when riding.

Well, anyway, at least I will now be able to answer and find out if anyone is b This is going to open up a whole new level with rallies, and for someone as navigationally challenged as myself, I really believe it is going to make things safer, too. Of the last 4 rallies I have been to, I was part of a group that got lost at two of them, and one time I was so lost I was navigating by the sun. That has a tendency to reduce your satisfaction with a ride.

This is also sort of a big reason for me to step up. We've had a few hangups and problems on the group rides I help organize and there are usually a couple of people with headsets there. Last week, a guy thought we were going the wrong way and just hung back until he was separated from us. The person racing back and forth to find him has a headset. (We were not, incidentally, going the wrong way.) It would have come in handy a few other times, too. So planning to have mine by Amerivespa.

I've used mine for that. We lost two riders on a bigish group ride(22 bikes) , and I ran back to find them while on the phone with another rider in the main group so I could keep track of where they were.

I got completely separated from the whole group at Scoot A Que last fall and ended up jamming my blackberry between my open face helmet strap and my ear and talked to my sister that way-it seriously sucked.

At WKRP a few weeks ago we had some inexperienced riders that got us all separated trying to get out of town and we missed a critical turn. Fortunately, my friend that I was attending the rally with realised this and got us all headed the right direction again, but it was a scary few minutes for me since this is the rally that I got lost at last year and ended up spending 4 hours riding around some of the really scary parts of the city.

I am going to hijack my own thread here, but it frustrates me to DEATH that scooter rallies (at least the ones that I have attended) force people to depend on written directions (and in the case of SAQ one of the turns instructed people to go left when they should have gone right ) when they are packed into close formation trying to not get killed and have no idea where it is they are going.

When I rode in bicycle tours we had our written directions, but they also provided a marked map AND (this is the part that I think scooter rally organizers need to use) they marked arrows or other instructions in spraypaint on the surface of the roadway. I am not talking about painting murals on the road, just an arrow to tell people go straight through this intersection or turn here! This seems so DUH to me! I talked to the guy that did the route for WKRP and he loved the idea, but had never heard of such a thing before. I asked about doing it before SAQ last year and was told that this was not something that rally organizers do, but I was not given a reasonable answer to as to WHY (and "because that is the way we always do it" is never an answer I am prepared to accept).

I don't know but it seems like putting people close together riding on motorized vehicles that weigh at least a few hundred pounds each travelling at speeds upwards of 30mph going through city traffic on a weekend and then expecting said people to use a piece of paper to try to navigate unfamiliar streets... Well, that just seems dumb to me, to say it bluntly. If people riding non-motorized bikes that you can pick up with one hand and carry up a flight of stairs with little or no problem going at MAYBE 20-25mph need to have arrows painted on the road so they can pay attention to the road and not have to fuss with maps and turn-by-turn directions, then it seems the first group could benefit from the same thing.

Ok, semi-rant thread hijack complete.

-v

[Vic]

Any pictures of your current setup?

My capabilities with negotiating between my camera and the forum are non-existent, hopefully someone else can post a picture for you. Sorry!

[Kaos]

Any pictures of your current setup?

My capabilities with negotiating between my camera and the forum are non-existent, hopefully someone else can post a picture for you. Sorry!

Hmm, the paint isn't a bad idea. We have several people with GPS mounts on their scooters, so we just split them into a few smaller groups manned by a GPS.

[Vic]

Any pictures of your current setup?

My capabilities with negotiating between my camera and the forum are non-existent, hopefully someone else can post a picture for you. Sorry!

Hmm, the paint isn't a bad idea. We have several people with GPS mounts on their scooters, so we just split them into a few smaller groups manned by a GPS.

For groups that are small enough, but a rally with 300 scooters (and lots of them seemed to be pretty new) you have a high risk of someone missing a turn.

I mentioned the idea last year (on another forum) and the only response I got was from the forum troll that does not seem to do enough to piss off the admin and he was just stuck on the fact that the idea comes from bicycle riding and so it would not work.

I guess a few years ago they put signs up, but not lately.

Getting lost sucks.

-v

[DutchIV]

I was on both of the rallies that Vic is talking about and yes there needs to be a better way of telling riders where they are going.

Luckily at WKRP I was a little familiar with a particular turn and was able to get the group headed in the right direction.

I can't wait to try out the intercom system.

Did you buy it locally ?

[Vic]

I was on both of the rallies that Vic is talking about and yes there needs to be a better way of telling riders where they are going.

Luckily at WKRP I was a little familiar with a particular turn and was able to get the group headed in the right direction.

I can't wait to try out the intercom system.

Did you buy it locally ?

Hey there Dutch my friend! Welcome.

Yup, I am not patient enough for e-bay, I bought mine at Iron Pony. They do have the Q2 packaged individually. The next time we ride together I will let you try it out (you might have to fight my daughter for it for the whole ride if she is there, but I am sure we can convince her to let you try it. )

I know it comes packaged as an individual device as well as the multiset, I looked at IP's website and it is a (typically) confusing mess, if you want to buy from them I would suggest calling to make sure, but if you are willing to be patient I would order elsewhere (maybe someplace that has a satisfaction guarantee or something.) The Multiset (two units in a package) is around $400. The Single set in a package seems to be around $170-199.

here are a few reviews:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle- ... -rider-q2/

http://www.motorcycle.com/products/card ... 87889.html

http://www.ridermagazine.com/output.cfm?id=1909513

Just a few places that have them for sale (I have no affiliation with them, yadda yadda yadda):

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... er-Q2.aspx

http://www.revzilla.com/product/scala-rider-q2-headset

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/extr ... h+fm+radio

Cheers,
-v