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Intercoms

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welshmike

welshmike

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Mike
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Allen
Can anyone recommend a cheap, and effective, intercom. The wife and I are going on our first trip on the bike. I've seen some on e-bay for 30 bucks, but they sound to good to be true. We've got to buy all the gear for her, so, communications is last on the list. Then again, for the sake of the marriage, should I just hook her up to her MP3 player?

__________________
Mike
'01 Triumph Trophy 1200
 
I used the chatterbox intercom with wires between the rider and passenger. It works ok, but the quality is low and it eventually broke. There is no voice activation, it is just always on.

Right now I have an autocom and it is better. It has voice activation, but my wife's voice isnt strong enough to trigger it and keep it on, so I have it set to always on too.

You may be better off just getting her an mp3 player to listen to. I find that while I am focused on riding and not dying my wife gets bored and starts thinking about issues at work, then starts talking to me about work. Then I have to remind her that you can't talk about work while riding on a bike and she gets a little mad. Music may be better! If she starts to get bored she can listen to an audiobook or something so that she has somethign to focus om.
 
If you want cheap:
cb0505ada_0241.jpg


I vote for the MP3 player for now...
 
Mike, I used the autocom system and based on postsings before I bought and my expereince it's a very good system. Mic placement has a big impact on how well the VOX circuit works (voice activated mic). They have basic passenger to passenger, bike to bike with external 2 way radio and other with more audio inputs for phone, music, GPS etc... Autocom is abit pricey but they work. With Auto com you'd get the basic unit which should come with mic and speakers for one helment then you need another mic and speakers for the other helment (about $70 to $100).

Lobo10s (Jerry and Jamie) use the chatterbox which is less costly and they like it and have used it for some time.

Oh and make sure you have a recess in your helments for speakers or is easy to cut out for speakers. Traci's Shoei flip up could not be fitted with speakers so she uses ear buds which work well. Ear buds required a $50 adapter cable.

Dave
 
wabbit said:
You may be better off just getting her an mp3 player to listen to. If she starts to get bored she can listen to an audiobook or something so that she has somethign to focus om.
Click to expand...

If you go this route, test it first. Audio books put me to sleep within 10 minutes (very dangerous on a bike). Not because they aren't interesting...may be something about the pattern of the speaker's voice. This happens to a friend of mine as well, so I don't think it's my weirdness. Music is no problem, however.
 
I've got a Starcom1 and I've been very pleased with it.

I've got 2 helmet headsets and a cable for the iPod and a bike-to-bike radio. came to something like $450. worth every penny IMO.
its always in and the radio is PTT. I actually like this setup. don't have to wonder if something is going to open the circuit or not. just know its always open.

if your only looking for rider-passanger you might look at the Chatterbox unit. don't recall the model but its just cables from rider to passenger with a 1/8" jack for inputing music.
 
Hands down, the best intercom I've used has been the Autocom, but it can be a little pricey depending on what options you go with.

Friend of mine uses an IMC intercom, supposedly made by Baeher, but is significantly cheaper than both the Autocom or the Starcom. The only problem I've seen with it was when we got stuck out in a pretty bad thunderstorm near Kerrville ... his PTT switch started to act up and gave us fits with the CB. He's also got his cell phone plumbed in, and when you talk to him on the phone while he's riding, you have no idea he's not indoors in a quiet office. The IMC seems to be the best value intercom of all the systems I've seen, but the Autocom is the king.
 
wabbit said:
You may be better off just getting her an mp3 player to listen to. I find that while I am focused on riding and not dying my wife gets bored and starts thinking about issues at work, then starts talking to me about work. Then I have to remind her that you can't talk about work while riding on a bike and she gets a little mad. Music may be better! If she starts to get bored she can listen to an audiobook or something so that she has somethign to focus om.
Click to expand...

+1 for an MP3. Load it up with her favorite tunes and take off. I let my wife use mine. It helped her relax and enjoy the ride. Worked out good ... We had time together and I got an hour of nothing but pleasant V4 tunes via Two Bros. pipe.:rider:
 
99VFR said:
+1 for an MP3.
Click to expand...

-1 on the MP3 for me. I just can't get into listening to music, etc. while I ride. Even on loooong rides.

I have driven from Austin to Tucson and few times and still don't like the music. I am in the MAJOR minority on this I think, so I would certainly suggest getting a comm system that can hook into music.
 
Voltar said:
-1 on the MP3 for me. I just can't get into listening to music, etc. while I ride. Even on loooong rides.
Click to expand...

If I get a few miles down the road without music, something is wrong. I almost always have music going, but the type of music depends on how I'm riding and my mood.

Thing is, I always have music in the car, music in the shower, and music when I work out. I think I just need some kind of background noise in my life?
 
welshmike said:
Can anyone recommend a cheap, and effective, intercom.
Click to expand...
Mike, I have some Chatterbox stuff up for sale in this thread. It is probably a lot more than you want to spend, but something to consider.

We switched to Autocom when they had their half price sale last year.
 
Thankyou all for your information. Chuck, if you have a 4" hole saw I could borrow, I've bought the coffee, just not sure I can drink that much before our trip. Does it make a difference what string you use?
Failing that, I think we'll go with the mp3. Looking forward to our trip!

__________________________
Mike
'01 Triumph Trophy 1200
 
Hmm, if you use 2 cans you could actually get stereo sound... :ponder:

:lol2:

ya'll have a great, safe trip!
 
tx-vfr said:
Hmm, if you use 2 cans you could actually get stereo sound... :ponder:

:lol2:

ya'll have a great, safe trip!
Click to expand...

Now, I would never have thought of that!

Thanks.
__________________
Mike
'01 Triumph Trophy 1200
 
Take a look at Midland's GMRS radios and helmet sets. Not a $30 solution, but pretty cheap street prices and functional enough for basic comm. Plus radios can be handy elsewhere.
 
Last edited:
Rocket_Cowboy said:
Hands down, the best intercom I've used has been the Autocom, but it can be a little pricey depending on what options you go with.
Click to expand...

Actually, the best I've seen is the baehr http://www.baehronline.com/, but he mentioned affordable. I looked at several before I ended up with the Starcom. I personally think both the Autocom and Starcom are neck and neck in quality, but I liked how it was still less for me to get stereo audio from my iPod on the Starcom than it would have been to get stereo out of the Autocom.

I purchased the additional mounting kit and the intercom plugs into my bike and looks like it belongs there (OK, almost belongs there). :-)

Wayne
 
Can anyone comment on the audio clips on the comparison page at the starcom site? Are they accurate? I suspect "A competitor" is AutoCom?

http://www.starcom1.com/competitors.htm

This type of device has been on my list for awhile... Just haven't found the overwhelming need (nor has my wife). It's just at times we really wish we could talk instead of point.
 
EricJRW said:
Can anyone comment on the audio clips on the comparison page at the starcom site? Are they accurate? I suspect "A competitor" is AutoCom?
Click to expand...

I can't comment on competitors' quality b/c StarCom is the only intercom I have ever owned/used.

Regarding StarCom, however, I would say that is an accurate represenation of sound quality. Actually we get quite a bit less wind and ambient noise than the sample but we use modular (HJC Sy-Max) helmets and the test was done with open face helmets. We have never had any problem with sound volume, distortion or cutting out. OTOH, my wife's plug did become accidentally unplugged during a long I-10 stretc recently but I digress.... :yawn:

We have had StarCom for about 2 years and 15-20,000 two-up miles and the intercom has worked perfectly. I have actually had to talk to my wife about 'screaming' into the mic. Because she hears so much wind/road noise she thinks she needs to holler for me to hear her and it blasts me out of my helmet. With our set ups we just need to whisper so low you wouldn't even hear yourself talking for the other person to hear loudly and clearly. I talk into it much like I would the mic on an airplane radio headset - mic almost touching the mouth and words spoken firmly and clearly but not loudly. We get no distortion and the VOX is adjustable to keep high winds from setting it off.

The intercom is my favorite non-safety motorcycle accessory, period. Heck, I might even call it a safety item because my wife is a VERY good co-pilot who often catches things I don't see soon enough - particularly in my mirrors. Of course, there was the time in San Luis Potosi when she told me the two lane road was one-way so I could pull out to pass the half mile of doble-remolques but I digress yet again... :eek2:

Oh yeah, gum chewing by a passenger could - hypothetically - be INCREDIBLY annoying to the driver. :zen:
 
Thanks for that... That's pretty much what I was hoping for... Not expecting many to have both, but for those with one or the other, comments on if the sample is accurate... I don't mind spending money, but I do mind spending more than is necessary... If the StarCom does the job and costs less the AutoCom (seems to be the other competition), then why spend more. I am looking for the most bang for the buck for 2-up comm and maybe a place to plug in the GPS, and maybe (less likely) a music source.
 
EricJRW said:
I am looking for the most bang for the buck for 2-up comm and maybe a place to plug in the GPS, and maybe (less likely) a music source.
Click to expand...

If you end up with the Starcom, get the optional pro fitting kit, with the 04 RT, you can put the outlets into the plastic above the 12v outlets and it will look like it really belongs there.

Wayne
 
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