Poor mans, Intercom+mp3+gps+cellphone bluetooth setup.

[timgray]

I finally came up with a solution to having a fully modern setup for the bike. I did not want wires and I dont need CB. I do need to be ablet ot talk to the wife, take a cellphone call, and listen to music+GPS instructions.

 

I landed on the Scala Rider Q2 multiset. for the helmets. $250. at most amazon.com retailers. This gives me headsets that will talk to my Phone and each other for intercom. bonus the wife can connect to her own phone and chat away on the back of the bike to whoever she wants to call without bugging me.

 

I needed GPS and my ipod, wanting to stay wireless I came up with an idea. I need to mix 2 audio sources... so I need to make the following cable....

 

INPUT 1 -------\/\/\/\---+

---+ R1 10K +------------ OUTPUT

| | +----

INPUT 2 -------\/\/\/\---+ |

---+ R2 10K |

| (shields) |

+---------------------+

input 1 is the ipod, input 2 is the GPS. hook them to a FM transmitter for an ipod.

 

Now set your volumes and you are almost all set. All I need to do is to set the scala Q2's to that FM channel and it's all done. Stereo sound, GPS alerts, Intercom and Cellphone.

 

This allows me to use a cheap GPS, plus a cheap mp3 player or ipod with the wireless control on the handlebar. Far less than the cost of a used bluetooth GPS and near the price of a new set of headsets for the bike. Plus I get current technology instead of 1983 technology and best of all.... no wires for the wife to forget to disconnect and rip out a connector.

 

[FreezyRider]

Hmmm, interesting.

 

Have you tried the communications at higher speeds? I had another brand of bluetooth headsets in my full face helmets. They worked fine, even with my cell phone. But above 60 mph they got to be very hard to hear clearly. Interested in your results with the Scala sets.

[Dave77459]

I too am interested in your results, insofar as I have a Tour Deluxe without the built-in stuff.

 

I note that here is the WebBikeWorld review. I find their reviews to be pretty insightful.

 

Dave

[Owen]

I can vouch for the Scala Q2. I have used it extensively for all my comm needs, from ham radio to gps to cell and intercom. It even has a FM tuner built in. Absolutely perfect audio, in and out, at speeds up to 85. Callers have no idea I am on a bike. With out a question the best bluetooth device I have ever used. The newest version even has a 3.5mm connection for your mp3 or what ever you want to plug in. The charger plugs into the cigarette lighter and I charge it during stops. Nice and easy.

[timgray]

Moving foreward....

 

Using a belkin tunecast as the transmitter, you can get far more signal out of them by doing the following modification.....

 

http://sonic.net/~n7moe/BelkinMod.htm

 

Hooking the GPS and ipod (or Sirius radio) to the mixer cable and then to the Belkin tunecast I now get a solid stereo signal on the headsets. I set the volume for the GPS to be 2X the volume of the music source so I can easily hear the instructions over the music.

 

Mine will be a bit more powerful, as I have a 1 watt FM signal booster kit I found on ebay. I will be driving the FM antenna on the back of my 1st gen with a full watt so the entire riding group can listen to my radio station plus GPS directions if they want to.

 

The Q2 also allows to do rider to rider communication. I can talk to a buddy on his bike within 500 feet of me. if he get's farther than that away then I simply call his cellphone with voice dial. Works suprisingly well on my nokia phone.

 

What I need to do is find a way to power the fm transmitter from the bike. I dont want to keep track of batteries.

[timgray]

My wife wanted to listen to something different that I do. so I picked up a Monster iEZClick remote for Ipod. This straps around her wrist/arm over her riding jacket and has huge rubber buttons.

 

http://www.monstercable.com/images_350w_225h/computer/iEZClick_glam001.jpg

She simply plugs her ipod into the mp3 input on the Scala Q2 and can easily change tracks from her wrist with gloves on. she is going to add velcro to her jacket so we can simply velcro the remote on.

 

This is coming together very well. If she wants to listen to my music she switches to fm radio, if she wants to listen to hers she can switch away. Plus we can communicate on the intercom and she can make a phonecall and yack away on the back of the bike....

 

$240.00 for the Q2 multiset off of amazon.com. and the Monster remotes are $15.00 each. I spent more than that for my 1st gen radio system and headset cables.

 

I'm thinking of selling my refurbished and complete 1st gen stereo+intercom cables

[a1bummer]

That's about the same thing I was wanting to do also. I was also going to put in a Jensen / Phase Linear BT1611i to go along with Scala Rider Q2 multiset, Garmin Nuvi 765T, and my bluetooth cell phone.

 

I also seen a nice waterproof case for the GPS here

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-WEATHERPROOF-Handlebar-Mount-Garmin/dp/B001G189DM]Amazon.com: Motorcycle / Bike WEATHERPROOF Handlebar Mount for Garmin Nuvi 200 200W 205 205W 250 250W 255 255W 260 260W 270 3100 310 250 560 570 650 660 670 680 75 760 770 780 850 860 870 GPS: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31fxzwVAfJL.@@AMEPARAM@@31fxzwVAfJL[/ame]