Mobile phone bluetooth helmet device

I have had a bit of a search through the forum without much success looking for information on a bluetooth helmet adapter to link to a mobile phone.

I did find a post from 2008 that was exactly what I was after but... I was hoping that someone had tried something more recently. I've seen a few guys locally with what looks like adapters attached to the side of their helmets but to date haven't been able to actually stop one and ask him!

I want to purchase one so I can answer a call and then pull over without the frantic pulling over, trying to get my gloves off, helmet off and phone out of my pocket after I feel the phone vibrating, to answer a call. Anybody had any experience or suggestions as to a good one?

Thanks for any opinions, ideas or suggestions.

 

Why would anybody interrupt their ride for something like a phone call?

Do you realise it isn't compulsory to be connected to everyone, everywhere 24/7?

Dont want to feel it vibrating and and pull over frantically trying to get your gloves off, helmet off and phone out of your pocket then turn it off

 

Why? I'm riding.... the world can wait.

 

Two points I'd like to make:

1. You should NEVER answer the phone on the bike. Change your voicemail to say you might be on the bike and will call them back as soon as you pull over if that is a concern.

2. Good headsets are available in bluetooth connectivity. I use the SMH10. I know how to work all the features (intercom, pairing with an iPod, power, volume, etc) EXCEPT the phone answer/call features. Someone riding on the back of the bike in intercom mode is WAY safer than someone on the phone - ESPECIALLY while you try to maneuver out of high speed traffic to a stop on the shoulder of the road.

 

I definitely hear you on the don't answer the phone or make calls while riding... but... (you knew that was coming)

I have found myself in the position where I need to make sure my other half is able to reach me anytime.

Basically I found myself swerving over multiple lanes of traffic and slamming on the brakes to get to the phone over the last month just to see if it was her or the doctor and then finding out it wasn't or missing the call and it being a private number.

Previously I would just ignore the phone... it's a bad situation but as long as I follow the same protocol as I would in a car... "one sec, I'm pulling over" hopefully it will work out in my favour!

Thanks,

 

Considering your situation, I suggest you advise the doctors to contact your spouse if they are unable to reach you, and request they leave a message on your voicemail. You can always call them back, even if it is in just five minutes.

As for your spouse, I would apply the same logic. She surely knows you are going to be on the bike, and to expect you to answer while on the road is just dangerous and unreasonable. Discuss it with her, and have her call you and leave a message. Additionally, suggest (delicately) that she have patience and allow time for you to call her back, say within 10 minutes, to give you adequate time to safely maneuver to a stopping point that is not on the shoulder of a highway, for example.

WITH THAT BEING SAID (Read: by continuing to read this post you agree to all liability and responsibility for your life and the lives of other motorists you may take into your hands by distracting yourself with the phone while riding on the bike in traffic - I know it is long but I want to stress this point again)

If you choose to pick up a headset, what I recommend is something wireless. This means bluetooth to work with your phone Reasons being:
1. The wires won't get tangled, dangle from your helmet, pull your phone out of your pocket, come undone and require adjusting after turning your head to check traffic before a merge/turn, etc.
2. The good sets have easy to use controls, meaning easy even when wearing full leather winter riding gloves.

There are two brands / headset lines that are highly rated across all discussions I have looked at: Sena with their SMH-series, and the Scala Rider series. I personally have no experience with the Scala brand, so I can only relay the information I have read about the headset (so do your own research before you buy).

Both Scala and Sena offer stereo speakers - one velcroes or glues into each side of the helmet. Both clip on to the exterior of a helmet (3/4 or full required) and both offer a boom mic with noise cancelling to help with wind noise. Both offer good battery life, some form of weather resistance, and both advertise good sound quality.

My personal experience is with the Sena SMH-10. I picked up a set of two for myself and my girlfriend when we ride. We ride two-up on my bike, and trying to talk or point out different things along our trips is difficult at speed, as anyone here who has ridden two-up knows.
We use the headsets for music - I have mine paired to my iPod touch through bluetooth, she uses hers with a wire and her iPod Mini. We both have ours paired to our phones as well - each headset will pair with up to three other SMH-10's or SMH-5's (and maybe to other brand bluetooth headsets? I don't remember) as well as two other bluetooth devices - a media player / gps and a phone.
The button interface is simple: a scroll wheel that controls volume primarily that can be pushed in to change intercom paired sources (as well as other bluetooth devices - GPS, music player) and a phone button on the back of the unit that allows phone voice commands and answer/end calling (something I never experimented with as I mentioned in a previous reply on this topic).
Battery life is good, sound quality is about as good as it can get for 1/4-inch thick speakers, and you can hear music at highway speeds, though not anywhere near car radio sound quality at that volume. Since the speakers mount to the helmet (normally the hard plastic outer shell on the inside of the ear wells), they allow other sounds to get in (read: traffic and pedestrian noise, emergency vehicle sirens, screeching tires, etc).
The headsets also have a voice feedback for when the headset powers on, connects a device, a connection fails, etc (headset paired, intercom failed, etc).
My understanding is that you may be able to set up your phone and the headset together to ring a call and give you the caller ID from your contacts list when you get an incoming call. I can't confirm or deny this, and I would recommend you research this more before taking my word on it.
I have ridden in moderate rain - about as heavy as you would want to on a bike - and the headset kept working, even exposed to the elements. I rode about half an hour like this; I don't know if I would ride longer (not necessarily due to the headset, but overall safety).
Overall cost if you buy online for two headsets is around $300 USD. I believe single headsets can be purchased for $150-200, but I didn't look too much into that. If you buy from an authorized retailer, you have the warranty (read: not ebay). I got mine from CompetitionAccessories.com, a company based in South Carolina, and they are authorized and had the price listed above.

FINALLY, just because the Sena SMH-10 is right for me, does not mean it is right for you. I'm sure others will have more to add, and may have different experience than I do with the same headset, or other headsets they tried.

Whatever you decide to do, be safe about it and be sure that anyone who may be calling you knows that you are or may be on the bike and to have your safety in mind too when trying to reach you. Make sure you yourself are practicing the safest practices you can, especially while riding, even more so if you do decide to answer the phone.

 

Hi John,
Thanks for that!
I spend a lot of time on the bike all day, between jobs and what I found myself doing is forgetting to check my phone for messages when I get to the next job and forgetting to check before I got back on the bike to ride off again. At any rate the recent issue with my other half has been all about a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage and surgeries and ... well enough said. Depressing shit.

Thanks again for the info!

 

Just rang and spoke to the chap at mrmobile.net.au and ordered one. He reckoned it was just the shot also

http://www.mrmobile.net.au/sena-bluetoo ... ingle-pack

 

Glad to hear! When you get it and use it for a while, post up how it works out. I'm sure others will be interested to hear how it stacks up to your personal needs.

 

you should try this
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ter2&hl=en

 

There is also a wired option that I've been wating to try. There shouldnt' be any road noise from the wearer's end due to using a throat mic.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/c8e1/?pfm=Search&t=throat%20mic

Or....not hands free, but it will get you lots of looks.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2c9/?srp=1

 

My friends like the scala stuff currently, just for a data point...

 

Got the Sena installed and the lady who says "Hello", when you power it up, just starts things off nicely...

Connects like a charm to the Nexus 5 in my pocket.

I seem to have an aversion to reading the manual but after working out how to turn up the volume I managed to answer a call... which I promptly hung up on as there is a lag between hitting the button and it answering, so I hit it again and hung up on them!

It did make me me pull over so when they rang back I was all ready and waiting! Problem solved

Sounded good talking to the person with the helmet on, parked on the side of the road. Better than holding the phone up to your ear, thats for sure.

Thanks for the info again. Now all i have to do is make it tell me who is calling so I can ignore Darkfibre when he calls