intercom?

[jim@55]

whats a good one (no wires /very little ),how much should i b paying ?what am i to look out for ?my wife is gtng her own bike shortly and its to comm with each other (instructor style) and i would like to b able to use it on other bikes as well (im no instructor btw but you know what i mean )iv seen a few on e-bay but tbh dont know much about a good or bad set up.most have a @push to talk 'button but that means hard wiring into that bike .id rather have the set up where u just talk and it switches on ,any advice or reccomendations folks :wink:

[thor]

I've got the autocom one and it works pretty well, but there are cheaper alternatives out there.

[mattSV]

I've got an autocom aswell - a great piece of kit.

Mine is hardwired to the bike, however they also do a battery powered version.

Cheap kits are ok, however their limitations are usually:-

1) Relatively uncomfortable to wear (Autocom use decent quality slimline stereo speakers mounted in the lid rather than ear pieces)
2) Not always VOX operated (VOX setting on the Autocoms is adjustable)
3) Poor sound quality especially at 'motorway speeds' (no problems talking to my pillion at speeds that I dare not mention on this forum :wink: )
4) Poor range - this is dependant on transeivers - see below

For bike to bike there are two elements - one is the headset/mike & interface (i.e. the autocom bit of kit) - the other is the transceiver - if you can afford an autocom and a decent quality (i.e. around £50 upwards) transceiver than you should have no real problems talking to each other at 'silly speeds' with a range of around a mile (depending on buildings etc)

HTH

Matt

[jim@55]

matt-i dont mind paying for a good system ,just dont want a pig in a poke :wink: the autocom sounds ideal .is that what u use ??how much was it?is it voice operated (not a ptt system)?i wont be buying a cheaper one if it has limitations i.e its ****e ,just want a good one thats good to use once set up .any links?sorry about all the questions but i know nothing about these apart from the fact theyre pretty handy compared to hand signals at the lights :wink: thanks

[jim@55]

p.s does the autocom sysrem have a lead/wire from your helmet?or is it bluetooth??

[TSM]

Have a look at the Starcom systems as well. They are made by a subsiduary of Kenwood and are cheaper than Autocom.

[pepe]

Ive got the older autom unit which used properly this weekend when me and a mate went to Weston super mare. Took a while to get the sound & vox adjustment sorted but worked fine on motorways and a roads. Have a look at there site and most off your questions will be answered on there. Great bit off kit :D

[jim@55]

i think ive understood it now ,i need to buy the autocom kit and then add trans/recievers ,if so are these the ones http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KENWOOD-TK-2207-VHF136-174-Professional-FM-Transceiver_W0QQitemZ9712707625QQcategoryZ4674QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem
or am i btr going to a autocom dealer and gtng it all as one?

[timwilky]

I think you will find those radios are illegal in the UK.

But who is going to catch you and you would need a couple in order to talk with your mates etc. your better off going for PMR446 for compatability with others. You can get hold of UHF programmed radios in the PMR frequency with a lot more power than the lousy 0.5w the law says you can have

I have no knowledge about radios and maybe talking bollox. but perhaps these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PAIR-OF-NEW-KENWOOD-TK-3202-3207-UHF-RADIOS_W0QQitemZ7609642623QQcategoryZ4669QQrdZ1QQc mdZViewItem)would be a better bet

[jim@55]

i take it pmr 446 is the model no??am i right in saying that u just add the radios to the autocom kit

[timwilky]

No PMR 446 is the specification

It is supposed to be an unlicenced frequency accross europe, so anyone can use these radios. (Useful if touring) The problem you have is when riding as a group, you need to be able to hear each other, so that means using the same frequencies, channels and codes etc.

So for that reason buying a radio that conforms to a common specification is the only way to go. PMR446 does however have problems. doesn't work well in built up areas and has a low power output. I suppose the output is deliberately low to stop possible interference with others. but when riding with a group you could end up a few miles apart very quickly so I personally would be tempted by the 5w versions you are not supposed to use. But like I say who is going to catch you.


Again, treat this post as suspect, I know nothing

[Tigerrrr.......]

Try Intaride.

Brilliant piece of kit. I've got the bike to bike set up with the higher spec radios.

VOX setting, portable, the lot. Much cheaper than some other "better" makes.

Ask for Peter and say that Duncan from Edinburgh sent you.