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An alternative to wiring an intercom system in the R1200RT and others!!


imeyers

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I saw this in a magazine and though I would share it with everyone. This unit would cost under $500 with everything including rider to passenger as well as rider to rider. You can plug in a cell phone, mp3 player, and a gps unit, and best of all it is wireless unless you want to talk to the passenger (there is a small wire that goes from the passenger helmet to the main unit, but that is the only wire). It is voice activated and is in stereo. Read the FAQ on the info page. A comparative setup from BMW is around $1400+ and you have to have a wire going from the bike to the helmet and you can't communicate with other bikes. I just ordered the complete package and will review it after a few trial runs.

 

Their website is ChatterboxUSA thumbsup.gif

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I talked to a couple riding two separate bike about their Chatterbox. They wouldn't recommend it. The main problem was their helmet mount speaker become totally inaudible above 60MPH. They suggest I should look at something else. So I am still looking...

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What model did they have an how old is it. I was told that the new units have noise canceling and are great at high speeds. The older units did not have noise canceling.

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It look the same but I don't know anything about them. I just asked "is this thing any good?"

 

If new one has noise canceling, it may work better. Although I 've also looked into noise canceling headphone and heard comments that noise cancel is not effective.

 

If you find out more, please tell.

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That unit has been around for awhile and usually gets pretty poor reviews. Usually because of the poor reliability of the wiring to the helmets not holding up.

 

Perhaps they have improved it. Post your results after a few months use / abuse.

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The main problem was their helmet mount speaker become totally inaudible above 60MPH.

 

Many have that same issue with ANY brand of intercom.

 

Agreed, the wiring seems to be the downside of these units from friends who have had them.

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i've tried chatterbox in the past - the quality was terrible. units worked great in the living room, but in real world use they broke within a week - the helmet mount system on one, the internal wiring on another, the charger on a replacement for one that broke.... I threw them out and went with autocomm.

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Years ago I had an '85 K100RT, and bought some kind of cheapo amp that fit on my belt and had 2 earpieces/boom mikes. Cost less than $100 then. It worked fine for what I needed - to communicate with my other. I figure if you take care of them, and only want to talk, then go for the cheaper one. I wonder why you couldn't just use 2 plastic tubes like the earphones on airplanes use... It ought to work fine to talk.

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I saw this in a magazine and though I would share it with everyone. This unit would cost under $500 with everything including rider to passenger as well as rider to rider. You can plug in a cell phone, mp3 player, and a gps unit, and best of all it is wireless unless you want to talk to the passenger (there is a small wire that goes from the passenger helmet to the main unit, but that is the only wire).

 

I have had this unit for some time now, and it's not exactly overwhelming... It's heavy (if you mount it on the helmet) compared to the tiny rider to passenger unit I also tried. I rode with it to the Norcal Tech Day at RT4ME's place, and my neck was getting tired on the way home. (330 mi. round trip).

 

The rider to passenger unit has had the wiring problems reported by others.

 

The GMRS unit has one audio input, and one aux. input for a cell phone (special adapter cord is extra). I couldn't get my Sony T616 to work with the cell input - seemed like a short in the works somewhere. As for only one cord, that's true if you don't use any other inputs. I usually ride with a pillion, so I have her cord, my short cord to my helmet mic/speakers, and another curly cord to my Palm pilot for combo GPS/mp3 audio input, all added to the original weight.

 

It is voice activated and is in stereo. Read the FAQ on the info page. A comparative setup from BMW is around $1400+ and you have to have a wire going from the bike to the helmet and you can't communicate with other bikes. I just ordered the complete package and will review it after a few trial runs.

 

I started with the PTT cord (yep, another cord!) and it failed on the first trip I went on. Changed to the VOX, and it worked pretty well, but you had to get used to adding an extra syllable to the beginning of each sentence. I found myself actually saying, "Test" before each sentence to activate the system! If not, it would drop the first word. Audio filled in the background when used, then dropped out for any transmission/reception. That was nice. I did have fun using this on a trip when my wife had to bring her van up to help her brother move. There was some good roads nearby, so I rode the bike and chatted with her in the van via one of those small, cheap, FRS walkie-talkies that use the same frequency. Made the trip go by much easier and cozy!

 

I feel this might work well IF used only for bike to bike. Due to the weight, you might do better to clip it on your belt, but that's ANOTHER cord added!

 

WyreNut

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. I wonder why you couldn't just use 2 plastic tubes like the earphones on airplanes use... It ought to work fine to talk.

 

There was a brand of intercom that worked like that. I can't find a link to it. frown.gif

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What the others said. My experience with Chatterbox is not good -- wiring problems mostly.

 

I now use a wired Autocom (the cheap one -- do they even make it any more?) and it does well even at 80+ mph. Seems to have noise cancellation. A lot of money for a plastic box with nothing but one chip on the circuit board, but what the heck, it works well.

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A good friend of mine was a parts department manager for a BMW mc store. A lot of people went the cheap route with the chatterbox the first time around, and then threw it away and bought a useable setup like the autocom. My wife & I have the autocom setup on our bikes and they work great. Good quality equip is not more expensive, it is less expensive because you only have to make one purchase. YMMV

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Quote

 

There was a brand of intercom that worked like that. I can't find a link to it.

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Steveknapp

 

I think you may be talking about

 

http://www.backchat-vixen.com/pages/duo_clipper.html

 

The owner Alan is a very nice chap and we often meet at shows,

 

Autocom-UK-Tom

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I have used an Autocom unit for several years now, moving it three times in the process. It does require a wire to both helmets, but it works extremly well. The controller is the size of a cigarette pack and it will velcro to the underside of the tail section on the RT. The noise cancelling is almost perfect. It requires zero adjustments in use, I think the model was the Eurocom, I am sure they have better units now.

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