Blue Tooth Helmet Headsets?

[yanktar]

Does anybody have any experience with these helmet-intended headsets? I have a BT IPAQ that's both phone and MP3 player. I'd like to have no wires. They also claim that a pair of them act as intercoms.

So I seek enlightenment!

 

[FJRocket]

Not using it. Looks mono. Ear lump..er...bud. No thanks. Maybe next generation will be stereo?

About 70 Ppounds in the UK.

Can you plumb your other gizmos through your PDA, then wireless to the headset? Definitetly cool stuff!

 

[yanktar]

Not using it. Looks mono. Ear lump..er...bud. No thanks. Maybe next generation will be stereo?
About 70 Ppounds in the UK.

Can you plumb your other gizmos through your PDA, then wireless to the headset? Definitetly cool stuff!

Some things. You can get B/T GPS for it--no physical connection. I use my Ipaq as a synched PDA, via my home and office PCs, where it can access eMail. But it can connect to the Internet anywhere in the US--no minute rate!--and access eMail that way. It's also a 4 band GSM phone, takes a 1 gig SD chip that can be used for music or even videos! S/W called Pocket-DVD Studio will rip a movie to about 130 megs that can be downloaded to the PDA--and watched on it! It can even be rotated into widescreen mode. I had bought Pimsleur Spanish language system. Each course is 15 CDs with 2 30 minute lessons. I can fit an entire course on the IPAQ as WAV or MP3 files or other MP3s. Since the SD chip is swapable, you can have a lot. I don't really use it for music like you would an IPOD, but you can.A wired headset is full stereo, and I think there is now a full stereo B/T headset--but not for helmets.

It does a lot.

 

[stryg8r]

Hey Yanktar,

Can you elaborate on how you connect to the Internet anywhere in the USA without paying phone charges? Are you talking about an unlimited data plan or something else entirely? Always looking for better, cheaper, faster ways to keep in touch.

Derek

 

[RonBB]

Yes very interested in anything else you can share. Also do you have a link for the helmet headset? Thanks for your comments & post.

 

[yanktar]

I pay a flat monthly fee of $20 to access the I'net from my IPAQ. It's T-Mobile which otherwise generally $#@ks. But it's the only GSM-based service with unlimited internet service data plan (unless there's something someone has for the Blackberry system) and it works (theoretically) everywhere in the US.

The IPAQ is a really cool gadget--it has GSM phone service, WI-FI and Blue Tooth as well. It's not as good for eMail as a BlackBerry--B/Bs are optimized for eMail and sacrifice other functions--but it's better at a lot of stuff.

Since it's GSM, you can swap GSM chips if you want or go abroad.

I googled BlueTooth Helmet Headset and came up with the Motorola HS850, which seems to come in 2 different flavors (neither stereo) and there are helmets like from Dianese that come with integrated B/T. MobilePlanet.com doesn't have these but DOES have the B/T stereo headset that includes a mike.

I haven't quite figured out how to hook the IPAQ to my Chatterbox--it should be possible, even wired, but the B/T option helps get around that--and it's cleaner. I would LOVE to see a STEREO version of the HS850...

 

[gryphon68]

The Motorola HS830 is reviewed in the latest "Motorcycle Escape" magazine, they liked that the headsets paired, but were down about its wind noise performance (no noise-cancelling or noise-reduction circuitry).

If you look around there are two versions of the HS830, a non-helmet pendant version with a single earbud and a mic on the hanging cord. This cheaper version is about $70-80 US. The more expensive motorcycle version has a helmet mount with a flat pancake helmet speaket and boom style microphone. The link prodived is the cheapest motorcycle unit the Froogle can find today. (~$130)

The article mentions the the helmet mount uses 3M adhesive tape. For those not familiar with this stuff, you don't have to worry about it falling off as your tooling down the road . . . . on the flip side if you ever want to take the wart off the side of your helmet, good luck . . . .

It looks like the Cardo scala-rider is finally shipping (originally scheduled for early June). Appears to use a clamp type system to fasten to your helmet without tape. Also supposed to offer 7 hours of talk versus 5 hours for the Motorola. No mention of headset to headset intercom function. I will say that I have a Scala-500 headset which works well.

I'm considering trying one of these iTech Bluetooth Stereo HeadSet. Has a 3.5mm stereo jack for my Etymotic ER6i Earphones. The clip/module I believe has a microphone on it, but using this with a helmet as an intercom is problematic I think. The easiest way to adapt it into your stereo system would probably be a dongle like this. This solution would at least let me get off the bike without worrying about wires with the headset adapter in my jacket (inside pocket?) and the headset wires tucked away. If anyone gets daring enough to try this solution before I do, please post a review.

Another thought for those with iPaq's can you pair two bluetooth headsets with your Pocket PC and find a way to have the computer route the audio between the two as an intercom? This would be a possible work around for headsets lacking the intercom pairing functionality that the Motorola's have.

 

[gryphon68]

Oh yeah, BTW, if you have a Sprint PCS phone w/ Sprint Wireless Web, you can also get Dial-Up Networking anywhere you have Sprint service. You need the right USB cable or bluetooth. It's a bit of a grey area in the contract, don't call Sprint asking for help, and don't abuse it. More information on various cell phone forums . . . .

 

[twowheelnut]

More information on various cell phone forums . . . .

*Rubbing his eyes and gulping back another cuppa Peet's Blend 101*

WTF?! Cell phone forums?! You're just atuggin' our collective legs, right?

 

[RonBB]

Thanks Yanktar & Gryphon68 for the info.

 

[yanktar]

More information on various cell phone forums . . . .

*Rubbing his eyes and gulping back another cuppa Peet's Blend 101*

WTF?! Cell phone forums?! You're just atuggin' our collective legs, right?

Welcome to the 21st Century, TWN. An office colleague is all into that stuff. I gather these phone guys are all into hacking to the phones to get them to do about 10x what the vendor tells you. T-Mobile won't give you unlock codes for their GSM phones for 90 day, then you have grapple with them to get the right code and procedure (they build in something to make SURE you don't get the correct unlock code--I'm not kidding). So people hack them and figure it out. I don't get it. It's just a damn phone.

There's something called an IMEI code on GSM phones. You need that to get the unlock code. T-Mobile, when they sell you a phone, records in this IMEI in their system. But they change the last digit to "zero" on all the phones. Then, when you ask for an unlock code, the moron at the help center sends the IMEI code they have stored. The manufacturer sends back the unlock code for the phone with the IMEI ending in zero! The WRONG code! So once you READ them the IMEI code off your phone they can send it in and get you the RIGHT unlock code. We got 3 phones from them on the family plan and they got them ALL wrong the first time. One, they couldn't even find the IMEI code in their system and they had to replace the phone! The second they just got wrong the first time. The third, my IPAQ, they got right on the second try, but, because they couldn't figure out a software issue, they made me send it back and the NEW one I had to get new unlock code for.

Unlock codes are important if you want to use GSM chips from other providers. Say you go to England. You get a UK GSM chip with a UK number and you can make local calls there at low rates, rather than at T-Mobile's super high internat rates. With a set of phones, you get SIMs (as they are called) for your phone, your spouse's, your kid and you can EASILY stay in touch cheaply if you get separated.

So there are two B/T helmet set ups, and a couple of B/T stereo headsets, one with a mic (from MobilePlanet.com). Motorola has built-in intercom, the other has excellent noise reduction....

Ok...

Any more out there?

 

[twowheelnut]

Gad Zooks! Geeze, thanks (I think) for the edumacation, YT... I had no idea. I just say 'hello' when my phone rings... WTF do I know?

Maybe I should go back to the old Dixie cup and string method....

 

[yanktar]

Maybe I should go back to the old Dixie cup and string method....

Cut the string! We're talkin' WIRELESS here! B)

 

[yanktar]

Well, I broke down and bought the Cardo Scala Rider B/T helmet headset and so far so good! It works really well with my IPAQ but the pairing can be difficult. Still, the sound is very, very good.

But there doesn't seem to be any way to use it as an intercom, and it doesn't come in stereo. Also, you can only mount it on the left side of the helmet.

But, so far, so good. I haven't been listening to music on the bike, but I do listen to language files--trying to learn Spanish. Only need one ear for that--or for books on CD.

I expect a stereo version will emerge, but this is great until then.

 

[Bike Effects]

I googled BlueTooth Helmet Headset and came up with the Motorola HS850,

I use an 850, but I don't think that there is any way that you could wear a helmet with it, unless you are one of them Harley types that wear the beanies!

 

[yanktar]

I googled BlueTooth Helmet Headset and came up with the Motorola HS850,

I use an 850, but I don't think that there is any way that you could wear a helmet with it, unless you are one of them Harley types that wear the beanies!

There are 2 versions of the 850--I don't understand it either. One is on some sort of necklace, the other is designed for helmet mounting.

 

[tschrnr]

I think the 'necklace' version of the headset was probably designed for women, so it could be worn like a pendant with the earbud less obtrusive in their coiffured harido than the actual BT headset. Motorola sells the headset alone, or as a helmet/headset package.

Glad to hear that the Scala Rider works well, they are rumored to have an intercom feature planned. That is where the Motorola unit has an advantage, I think you can use the Motorola as a bike-to-bike communicator, too. Beyond those, there are a few helmets being manufactured with BT built-in. so far, I haven't been able to find a decent review on BT helmets.

I have the Audiovox Smartphone, with a version of Windows Media Player. That allows you to d/l music to a mini-SD chip. It works well, although I haven't tested it's capacity.