[lesblank]

Many of us use communication devices, rather it's for GPS, streaming music or communicating with passenger or others. What kind do you use?

Years ago I bought Uclear units for wife and I. Works great for talking, GPS and streaming music.

UClear HBC200 Review - webBikeWorld

UClear HBC200 Bluetooth intercom review Part 1

www.webbikeworld.com

Used them several years and never had an issue. Battery life was good and would last all day, if you remembered to turn them off when stopped.

Then bought the Electra Glide that has a built in, wired, communication system. Really liked that one once I got used to being wired.

Used the stock HD setup for years. When I totaled the bike went back to Uclear units that had been sitting idle in closet for Vulcan and now on Freewheeler. Was concerned about batteries not holding charge due to age, but has-not been an issue. They are older but work well, so no replacement needed.

The biggest issue with either wired or Bluetooth units is volume. Above 75 mph or so it's challenging to hear sometimes. I normally stream off phone. If you turn phone almost all the way up and use Bluetooth unit as amplifier it works much better.

 

[ndncowboy]

I've not gone Bluetooth due to range. I've stuck with CB although range still isn't great it's much better than Bluetooth devices.

 

[lesblank]

Does anyone use one of the mesh capacity communicators? I've read they work much better than Bluetooth.

 

[Boog]

I currently use this Sena unit on our helmets.

This one has been on my helmet for 3 years now. It works great when Pretty Pillion rides with me and lasts around 8 hours or so.

I also use this with other riders as it mates up to other brands as well. It has a range of about 1KM as long as line of sight is not broken.

 

[lesblank]

@Boog, how's the volume at higher speeds?

 

[Boog]

@Boog, how's the volume at higher speeds?

With pretty Pillion aboard, I usually stay under 70mph, and she hears me well. However, I have to turn the volume up when she speaks as she has a soft voice (Except when I scrap hard points in a curve) and she just does not project her voice well into the microphone. When i am talking between other bikes, I hear just fine as those guys speak louder and may be accustomed to speaking on a radio from their past lives in the military.

At 80+ MPH, I listen to the FM radio and hear it just fine.

I think much of the sound is a function of how well the helmet is designed for the person wearing it. One helmet design does not fir us all.

 

[Tinsnips]

With pretty Pillion aboard, I usually stay under 70mph, and she hears me well. However, I have to turn the volume up when she speaks as she has a soft voice (Except when I scrap hard points in a curve) and she just does not project her voice well into the microphone. When i am talking between other bikes, I hear just fine as those guys speak louder and may be accustomed to speaking on a radio from their past lives in the military.

At 80+ MPH, I listen to the FM radio and hear it just fine.

I think much of the sound is a function of how well the helmet is designed for the person wearing it. One helmet design does not fir us all.

Your farings and windscreen (or lack there of) are gonna make a big difference in the amount of wind noise too. I wear a full face helmet and the farings on my bike are small - not even up to my chest or as wide as my shoulders so in the wind all the time. My helmet had (lost it) a mesh insert that fit in the space between my chin and the helmet. It dampened the wind noise considerably.

 

[Boog]

I wear a neck gator that helps keep both the cold air out and some noise.

 

[lesblank]

All the years of road noise, drag racing and just loud noise is catching up to me. I need to go hearing checked according to wife. Guess I should to find out if hearing is getting that bad or I ignore wife more than I think I do. @Boog, does the Sena play nice with other brands. I've tried liking to other brands of communication devices without much success. But my older Uclear units didn't want link.

 

[Boog]

does the Sena play nice with other brands. I've tried liking to other brands of communication devices without much success. But my older Uclear units didn't want link.

It does but I had to consult YouTube to find out how. The instructions that came with the two systems do not tell you everything needed.