I only wish that some things could be "unseen". Nightmares tonight for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
Cheers!
ChinaV
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I only wish that some things could be "unseen". Nightmares tonight for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
Cheers!
ChinaV
Playing it backwards should do the trick.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
Laojiahuo, i was browsing taobao some more and came across a whole bunch of bluetooth systems such as this one, which costs 300RMB and has 500m range. There are some cheaper ones too, but with lower range.
http://b1.images22.51img1.com/6000/s...f11ce3094e.jpg
I think these are basically the same thing as that Cardo system that euphonious and chinaV were talking about. They seem like a more compact version of what you did, a bit better integrated, but with much much shorter range. Did you consider these and dismiss them for some reason? Or am i an ass for finding them after you've already spent all that money?
If people just a want a cheap and crappy rider to passenger intercom, there also these for less than 50RMB. I suspect they are not very comfortable, but adequate.
http://www58.babidou.com/pic/2010/1/...%9C%BA/001.jpg
Yes, that is indeed a near-clone of the the CARDO SCALA, seen here:Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
http://www.cardosystems.com/user_fil...llery/solo.jpg
Felix - thanks for the tip! Looks like a good alternative.
There is that ever-present problem that one encounters when riding with an unwired buddy ... how do you communicate?
As there is always a solution out there, I seem to have found a great mod for my JH600B ...
Attachment 3583
Might work for "Turn left at the next light" ... might not be a good idea for "Wow, you see that hot babe? I wouldn't mind ..." :naughty:
Ha! Let's rename this thread Interplanetary communication systems!
Question: Is that guy in the helmet a "rider" or a "driver" or a "pilot"?
Answer: "DJ"
Incidentally, I was told this week that here in Shanghai there are still only six JH600 two-wheelers -- Milton, Motokai, Ivan, two Chinese gentlemen who I've not met, and meself. But there already a dozen or more JH600B's, including one owned by brother Nostalgie. The beautiful olive drab sidecar in this picture appears to be military. Anyone recognize that 903 insignia? Or the blue uniform worn by the DJ? The flight helmet would suggest air force.....
I need a drink.
Looks very much like a pilot.
Heh heh ... I think you've had enough, buddy, if you think she is a guy! Here's a close-up.Quote:
Originally Posted by euphonius
Attachment 3592
Anyone calling dibs? (I'm happily married)
Wohaaaaa! TIC!???? Now how I can get my visa and job from China :naughty: I am weak for NKVD style femme fatales :deal:
I think this one is army (and I think this is a CC or ChinaV pic)Quote:
Originally Posted by moilami
Attachment 3593
Truth be told, however, the "B" attracts attention from a different crowd ...
Attachment 3594
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
Yes, she can twist my throttle any time.
Yeah, from the army. The NKVD chick was from air force clearly, had the badge on her chest too, and an officer. It gives her more authority to say "u cook!"Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
Again, Felix, mucho gracias for the lead - I ordered, received & installed this pair.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
Have only done the apartment/courtyard test, so far, but these are my initial impressions:
Pros:
1) Way more convenient than wires & walkie-talkies;
2) Pretty good sound reception, through concrete/glass, to a few hundred meters;
3) True duplex communication (facilitating arguments about rest stops) which seems to be "always-on" (there may be a timed "sleep" mode, but I am not sure); and,
4) FM radio works well, but no display of frequency.
Cons:
1) Not a bad little owners manual, but still enough Chinglish to make it confusing (no Chinese version was sent - only the Chinglish version);
2) The mounting system wasn't entirely perfect, and took a bit of fiddling, but each seems secure - one on a full face, the other on an open face; and,
3) Limited to 3 units, and only 2 can communicate at one time. I'm not exactly sure how that works, as the manual isn't clear and I only purchased 2 units.
Other comments:
1) I've never used a genuine, top-notch name-brand system, so I don't know if this is good, bad, ugly ... or a perfect clone.
2) Haven't done a mountain riding test, yet, so unsure how they may be affected by obstacles (or if a running motorcycle might cause a buzzing static?).
3) Apparently can link them into a mobile phone & GPS ... but that is technology which is way above my pay grade.
Bottom line for me is ... I am a typical consumer that wants something that works, out of the box, with minimal effort (and no hundred page manuals or additional night school). These seem to satisfy my requirement, so far.
At first blush, I see the advantages of the walkie-talkie model as follows:
1) Unlimited number of users;
2) Non-duplex (is that "simplex"?) & a PTT may be a good thing, because I don't necessarily like my burps, grunts, swearing, singing, whistling, etc, transmitting to others (or receiving theirs);
3) Many other cool uses of walkie-talkies; and,
4) Substantial distances.
The disadvantage of walkie-talkies is, of course, wires & much larger size.
Thanks for the review LJH! Looks like a pretty good system for the money. Sure it has niggles but i can't stop thinking that modern technology is pretty cool. For a few hundred kuai you can talk straight into another biker's helmet!
I think this might make a good addition to my next trip with the missus.
This system looks like a dead ringer for the Cardo system I used with ryanjpyle; either it's an excellent copy or the OEM source falling off the back of the truck. It's a small fraction of the cost of the Cardo. If it works as well as the Cardo, it's a fantastic deal.
Too bad these bluetooth systems can't be persuaded to link up beyond their dual pairings.
cheers
I has a couple of questions for you mr LJH:
What is the battery situation with these things? How long do they last? What's the charger like? I hate bringing loads of cables and chargers on trips, usb charging would be nice.
Oh and another thing, how are they to install? Do the ear pads get in the way, or hurt after a long day? How does the clamp mount onto the helmet?
Stay tuned for answers and pics. Need a decent ride to materialize.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
Cool, thinking of getting a pair for my trip early may but i'll wait to hear back from you first! Now would someone in beijing take pity on this poor man and go riding with him please?
So far, I have no idea about battery life, but the taobao advertisement claims 7 hours talk time. Frankly, I have my doubts, but until one uses these things constantly it is anyone's guess. I've played around with it, quite a bit, and also left it turned on overnight, and there is no indication of "low battery" (apparently a light flashes).Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
The charger is a small mobile phone type wall charger with a cable. The receptacle that attaches the charger's wire to the headset appears to be proprietary, although it is quite similar to a Nokia-style of charger. Here's a pic of the charger that comes with the unit, as well as a close-up of the charger's output. I guess you could fabricate a USB/Cig lighter setup somehow.
http://i55.tinypic.com/2a9bsd5.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/r1yn2b.jpg
I tried taking pics, but the units are already installed and you can't really see anything too clearly (attesting to my professional installation job!) Here are some pics, anyways, and I hope it helps you ...Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
http://i51.tinypic.com/7178ld.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/wvyfs8.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2uf3cm0.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2cs9ied.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/6puonl.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2w5iyxz.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2ujld7a.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2w2nfyh.jpg
The ear piece mounting in both helmets was great. The unit comes with some self-adhesive velcro loop squares, and the rear of the ear pieces is the hook part. I mounted the ear pieces in a SHOEI open face and in my HJC full-face. In both cases, I attached the sticky velcro to the inside of the hard outershell, and routed the wires behind each helmet's removable pads. When the helmet is on, in both cases, you cannot feel the ear pieces at all. The only con was that the wires were quite long, so I had to tuck the extra length behind the helmet pads.
There are two ways to mount the unit. One is with a clamshell type of grip. I used that on the SHOEI (a very expensive helmet). The clamshell requires an ability to slide half of it up inside the helmet, between the helmet's outer shell and the helmet's inner cheek pad ... and the other half of the clamshell goes on the helmet's outer side. You then use small hex bolts to tighten it up. It works fine if your helmet has the ability to squeeze that 1/2 clamshell piece between the helmet's outer shell and the inner cheek pads.
The other method is with a glue-on plate that simply glues to the outside of the helmet. The glue-on plate is then used to attached the mounting bracket for the Bluetooth unit. Pretty simple, and seems very secure. I used this method with my HJC full-face. The manual warns, however, that this is permanent ... not a concern of mine, as this HJC was the crappy demo one I bought that doesn't open/close properly.
In both cases, the unit & mounting bracket protrude a bit below the bottom of the helmet on the mounting side. This means that the helmet no longer rests on a flat surface in its natural state (it is slightly tilted). I think one might have to be careful, since placing weight on the helmet when it is on a flat surface might dislodge the mounting bracket.
All the bits & pieces came with the unit. Nothing to hunt down and buy, which is very nice.
In closing, my sweety`s undergrad degree is in electrical engineering. She`s also Chinese, and therefore started using mobiles in the womb. It took her all of 10 seconds to bluetooth link everything together and show me what neat things the unit could do with her iPhone, a GPS, priority-interrupts, switching, etc (show off!). My reply - "yeah, I knew that. I was just testing you."
So, the point is, I guess it works fine with Bluetooth linking to other devices.
Most excellent post LJH :thumbsup: That Felix guy sure does make us do a lot of work with those little questions of his.
As euphonius mentioned, they must be coming from the same factory as the Cardo, the only difference I can see is that my Cardo units don't have the little antennae, and my charger has two plugs to charge both units at the same time. Unfortunately they don't work with any kind of USB charger, so you need to cary the wall charger. On the plus side, my wife and I were getting 2-3 days of solid use during our America tour this summer and we were riding 10 hours a day and one of us was talking most of the time. Just to answer another question that Felix will probably ask... the battery can not be accessed an can not be replaced, this is a common problem with all bluetooth headsets and I doubt any of them will last more than 3-5 years as rechargeable batteries tend to go bad over time.
Thanks for all the details...¥438 is a great price.
Cheers!
ChinaV
Thanks a million for that lao jia huo (and chinav), this is extremely helpful. If only the companies who make these things were as helpful as the fine people on this forum! I'll find an interesting piece of gear to review for you guys soon.
Mounting onto the helmet seems handy enough. I was wondering if it's annoying to have the microphone still in front of your chin when you lift up the chin guard on a flip up helmet. I guess there's not much you can do about it, unless you mount the bracket onto the chin guard itself so that it lifts up with it. That might be a bit unsightly however.
The charger thing is slightly annoying if traveling two-up. Assuming you're traveling with a laptop, a couple of phones, at least one camera and then these two things, that's a lot more stuff to plug in than any hotel room i've seen provides for. Might try to find that Cardo double charger that ChinaV is talking about.
Still, i'm basically convinced, it seems like it would be a great addition to my riding gear and not an extravagant amount of money for what it is.
We know where you work (or did, if you've moved on) ... an interesting piece of gear from your work would, undoubtedly, be the MOST interesting review MCM, or any other bike forum, has ever seen! Pics mandatory.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
The mic is at the end of a semi-rigid, flexible "boom" that is easily moved/twisted around. On my HJC full-face helmet, there is a small cloth apron at the bottom of the chin guard (wind reduction?) - I find it best (and most comfortable) to position the mic slightly to the left of my mouth, clearing the apron, tucked just inside the chin guard. Hence, even a quick lift (e.g., toll booth) means the mic is not directly in front of one's mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
I'd love to review one of those for you but unfortunately i don't have the anatomical requirements for it. Plus if i did i might get mistaken for a porn bot and banned from the forum.
I have a nokia charger at home and it has the same output rating as yours there, 5V 500mA. Unfortunately it is the small head type. The older, bigger nokia charger connection does look remarkably similar to what you have. If you PM your address, i can buy one of these and have it shipped straight to you to try out. What would you say?
http://img03.taobaocdn.com/imgextra/...!!61391802.jpg
Incidentally, the charger that comes with Lelo sex toys can also be used to charge a nokia phone.
Dear LJH,
Awesome R&D you're doing on this unit -- really appreciated.
I've had minor problems with the non-permanent (non-glued) mounting method, which basically uses friction to keep the unit in place by jamming that flange up between the helmet shell and the padding, (EDIT:) then tightening two little locknuts. Your unit attaches to the mount in the same fashion as the Cardo, i.e., by sliding the unit down on tongue-and-groove slots until reaching the locking position. The problem is that if you are wearing the helmet and slide the unit into place, there's a risk of putting pressure on the mount to come out of the space where it's wedged. So you just have to remember to hold the unit and the mount between your fingers and thumb and squeeze them together, which avoids putting any torque on the mount.
As for the mike, on the Cardo, with my full-face helmet, I find there is enough space for the mike with its windproofing foam -- but just enough. I route the mike up through a hole in the chin mesh, which helps hold it in place, but always when I put the helmet on I have to fuss a bit with the mike to position it so it's not hitting my lips. I'm looking forward to trying the cardo in my HJC flip-face to see how it works in that roomier space inside the chin bar.
The Cardo earpieces also mount nicely via Velcro hooks into ear spaces of my helmet, but they sometimes come loose. It's easy to just press them back in and problem solved.
It's great to have an electrical engineer for a sweety (and in this regard I hesitate to pursue the repartee about the Lelo units and their charging...), and I do have a question that you might put to her during your bluetooth-related pillow talk: Any chance, given the putative shared DNA between this unit and the Cardo, that you can pair this Cardo-like unit with an actual Cardo unit? I guess the only way would be to try, or is there some kind of hack? (I've read any number of reviews of the various bluetooth units and have been disappointed that the industry has NOT moved toward cross-brand interoperability.)
If these units work anywhere near as well as the Cardos, you'll love having this full-duplex communication with your sweetie -- whether she's pillion or on her own steed. When ryanjpyle and I ride, it's great being able to discuss road conditions, navigation, hazards, dodgy drivers, lunch plans, daydreams, observations about the scenery, politics, future rides, women, etc, not necessarily in that order. And you can switch it off if you want some privacy.
If you've got your gps and mobile phone all synced up, you can hear your turn-by-turn directions, listen to music, and take (or better yet reject) calls at your leisure. Unless you are a lone wolf kind of rider, these add a lot to a long ride -- especially if you are highly compatible with your riding companion. (Congratulations on that score, ChinaV!)
cheers!
Felix, here's a couple of pics comparing the BT Communicator charger plug with a genuine Nokia charger plug. The Nokia is much smaller and does not fit. I tried some generic Chinese chargers we have laying around, and they all seem to fit but do not indicate the output voltage.
http://i55.tinypic.com/2iaze6s.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/jja4bn.jpg
Euphonius, hope your India trip was worthwhile? I'm jealous re the fantastic Indian food you must have enjoyed.
I asked sweety about BT handshakes, and she thought that unless the Cardo was quite proprietary in its band it should work fine. One sure way to find out is to head back to Beijing and bring your helmet!
I concur about your mounting comments. As I was placing it onto the SHOEI, I couldn't help wondering how easy it would be to knock the whole thing off. It feels pretty tight, but perhaps a hard knock would send it flying - it is, after all, just a plastic clamshell gripping on a smooth plastic surface. The permanent gluing on my HJC feels more secure. When I get around to buying an HJC IS-Max (they're more expensive in Beijing for some reason), I'll just buy another BT communicator & keep the HJC CL-Max as a back-up, or visitor's helmet.
Man, how did we ever live without these things before? They are so great!
I agree with the permanent glue pad being very robust, but I use the flange type mounting on my Shoei Multitec and it's very well mounted. It's never moved even slightly and you would have to bang the helmet pretty hard to get it dislodge. Euphonius, strange that yours can't be tightened as mine can :confused1:
Cheers!
ChinaV
ChinaV, I take it all back: Upon inspection, I see I do indeed have two securing bolts on my mounting flange. I'll edit my post.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
thanks
Felix - I was browsing around taobao and bumped into this. Problem solved.Quote:
Originally Posted by felix
It appears that the charger cable has a USB-style connection to the wall charger body. Otherwise, it is identical.
Cheers
Richard
That charger has a different plug than the one on your unit and the Cardo. Which brings up another question...is the MP3 input jack and headphones in stereo? You would need to test this by finding some trippy music with left and right audio channel effects and trying it out. My Cardo unit is not, which I don't care about as I never listen to music while riding.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
Cheers!
ChinaV