Rider / Pillion wired intercom

[thehermitage99]

Hello All,

having ventured out t'other day for the first time with my better half as pillion, I have come to realise that the journey would have been made even better if we had been able to talk to each other during the trip.

Having trawled through the internet I am stumped by the wide number of intercoms available; all I want is a simple rider / pillion two way wired intercom but preferably one that fits 'in the ear' rather than fits in the helmet, as I won't be using it all that often.

For the same reason I don't want to spend a fortune on one.

any one have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bryan

[colonelh]

There are some cheap ones about. We started with this one

www.championmotouk.com/product-info-a.php?Vox_Box_Rider-Pillion_Intercom-pid9498.html

Moved on to a bluetooth though when Lady H pulled the wires a couple of times.....plus she preferred the helmet mounts as she doesn't like the earpieces and we were heading on a long tour so wanted something a bit easier. The bluetooth models are ok (Abou £100 though)

The only issue this this type is when travelling at speed.....ok up to about 50/60 but noisy after that. Ok for the odd use though

Hope this helps

[christhedivvy]

we've used the 2 way radios that are usually bike to bike. they are ok at lower speeds but forget them on m'way. Only thing with these is they seem to have loads of wires dangling outta ya jacket and not water proof. but unless your spending mega bucks dont expect anything fantastic.

[neilmud Lord Protector]

Lidl & Aldi do them for about a £10 in their bike bits they work at lower speeds but a bit noisy at speed. you can shout things but not hold a conversation.They look similar to that vox box but half the price.

Neil

[the-big-biker]

We tried various cheap ones, then gave up and invested in Autocom. Not cheap, but works really well even at high motorway speeds (apparently... Fits in the helmet though, so maybe nor what you're after.

[christhedivvy]

Is the autocom water proof?? and does it work off bluetooth or has it got wires?

[doyle]

Feb 7, 2011 14:36:16 GMT christhedivvy said:

Is the autocom water proof?? and does it work off bluetooth or has it got wires?

Not sure if I can answer the waterproof question, suspect the unit is not, have had no problems with the unit under the seat (D9). I bought a second hand Autocom and it is wired. Very good for voice / voice and music (listen to music ALL the time), even at speed. The newer Autocoms can be bluetoothed......have no experience with these. In Oz, Scala Units seem to be most popular......battery life seems to be quite short, and it has to be re charged each night. Tried the cheaper units but noise was an issue, at least thats what I told her when i didnt want to talk ;D

Hope this helps.


Greg

[colonelh]

I have the scala bluetooth units.....Battery life seems fine....usually a couple of days before recharging (4/5 hours per day). Only issue I have with them is the large lump stuck on the side of the helmet.....no the other large lump.

[DahDit]

Autocom are generally regarded as the best generally available wired intercoms - they just work, are reliable and expandable. The unit is fitted to the bike, the only thing exposed to the elements are the headset wires and the connectors are waterproofed.

The new ones are expensive being the wrong side of £150. Plenty of used ones come up on eBay and if you can find an Active Smart 7 or Active Duo for a good price (below £50) go for it they're nice and small and are easy to fit under the seat. Yes, you could try the cheaper stuff, but in general they're not worth the money - at best you'll be disappointed, at worst you'll be thoroughly annoyed by the flamin thing as you ride.

OK, so they're wired - both to the bike for power and to your helmet(s) for the audio. Speakers can be replaced by inner-ear headphones, but the mic will have to be attached to the helmet itself.

As mentioned, they are expandable. Bluetooth is available for the units, they've just released a new module (£80) that is compatible with both the older and newer range. Generally the module is used to pair a phone and/or GPS to the intercom. Music can be piped from your MP3 player via a standard 3.5mm input and Bike to Bike can be added with a PMR radio (£40ish) and a suitably compatible cable(£15).

On longer trips, they're worth the investment - if you want wire free, there are a few models now on the market.... the Scala being quite popular. There are plenty of helpful reviews online if that's the way you'd prefer to go.

hth

[thehermitage99]

Thanks all for the responses... it seems there is more to the subject than I first thought so I'll have a bit of a think on it for a while.

Cheers all..

Much appreciated.

Bryan

[peteff]

I've picked a couple of Autocom units out of the bin round at the shop but no headsets. I keep looking on Ebay for the 7 pin headsets but they seem very expensive for what they are.

[DahDit]

A couple of Autocom units?

Re-sell one of them and pay for at least one headset........ Compared to the cheap stuff, the headsets will last years and give good service - they are good value imho.

Hope you manage to find some at the right price - I'm sure you will.

[Colster]

Another thumbs up for Scala here. I tried numerous cheaper ones, as well as other expensive ones (intaride) which didn't do the trick for me as they were less than useless at higher (legal) speeds.

Never tried Autocom on my own bike, but ended up pillion on someone elses who had wired Autocom and I was impressed with it. Opted for Scala though but from what the original post is saying that might be a bit expensive for not much use.

Things to consider are - as this was the first tme with your pillion, is there a chance it might lead to more trips and longer tours. And the fitment in the helmet doesn't make much odds now internally as most helmets have a cut away for the earpiece anyway. But the Scala does stick out the side of the helmet.

For anyone thinking about a Scala, look online, specifically the states. A new one in Oz was about $700, but I ordered it, delivered to a friend in the states and he posted it on. All up, for about $350.

[peteff]

I've looked at the units and one is a Smart 7, the other is a Super Pro AVI which also has a bluetooth dongle attached. I connected this unit to my jump battery in the house and the dongle paired with my phone and the computer so it definitely works. I'll keep my eye out for headsets on ebay to test the units properly but I'm in no rush for them. I wouldn't want to sell a duff one on ebay.