Helmet Communicators

[bigdog_mike]

Ready to make the purchase of helmet communicators for my modular helmets, let me say that i once used the Collett communicators back in the early 2000 as they were the best at that time, but with all the upgrades and many models that are now available on the market with all the bells and whistles the choices are much harder to make the plunge. The field of units out there I have narrowed down to are the Sena SMH10, Scala Rider G9, Interphone F5, and Chatterbox. I like the blue tooth connections to my phone for the times that signals get blocked by the terrain or the distance between users is greater than the units can handle. Also the battery life and ease of use and pairing units is important, and with a modular helmet the placement of mounting of the unit and mic boom is very important too as most modular helmets also include a sunshade switch that maybe covered by the communicator units. So my question to TY users is which model do you use and are they living up to what you expected? With them costing $250 for Sena SMH10, $500 for Scala G9, $450 for Interphone F5 and $300 for the Chatterbox, as i need to purchase 2 units which the prices listed are for 2 units, I was hoping for some feedback from TY members

 

[bigreis]

I am using Chatterbox X1 slim and wouldn't spend my money on anything else! I have tried the Scala and returned it due to its terrible range. The units that use Bluetooth technology to communicate with each other are best suited for motorcycles where the distance between riders is very small because Bluetooth has a very limited range. The Chatterbox X1 uses walkie-talkie technology which gives a significantly greater range... not 5 miles (even on a lake) in my experience, but certainly WAY better than the other options you listed. The only drawback to the Chatterbox is that the communication is not full duplex, meaning only one person can be transmitting at a time, where the Bluetooth units act like telephones where you can talk and listen simultaneously.

 

[CaptCaper]

I second for Chatterbox X1 slims. You can get used X1's used on ebay. I just bought 3 of them and work great for about $70 each. The X1 is a little bigger then the slim but works as good. Mine fell off into a water hole and was full of water. After it dried out it worked as new and still does after years of use. Lot's of good accessories too.

 

[bigdog_mike]

Glad that i asked on here as I was leaning towards the blue tooth units until I realized the range of the units would be greatly diminished with hills and trees that we have here in Michigan, So I just talked to a riding buddy that has the XBi2 and he agrees that they work great but his model doesn't have the distance that the X1 Slim delivers and his can only sink to 3 riders so he suggested the XBi2 plus model that sinks up to 16 riders but he said they only give 1/2 mile range and with the girlfriend hanging back that half mile range will be come a problem so it looks like the X1 Slim will meet my and the girlfriends needs better...now i need to drop by the dealer today to get a look at them in person.

 

[CaptCaper]

I also believe the battery will last longer in the X1's. Gmrs radios work with these as well. Not so with other units.

 

[wavemaster]

It would be easier to consolidate this thread into one place, however this is our findings on the chatterbox,

Our group switched to the chatterbox x1slim. It is a Bluetooth (BT) as well as GRMS (walkie-talkie) system.

The main pros,

Unlimited number of users (that was always an issue with the pure BT systems)
2-5 Mile range (The BT can't come close) between each unit/units. Hopping between them you can actually get a message to a guy 20 miles ahead.
BT for phone, music, GPS etc.
Cheap passenger "intercom" headset
Over 8 hours runtime (actual usage)
Very loud speakers (the loudest of any system we have used/tested)
Music first with a graceful switch to communication/phone etc.
Not full duplex (you can't hear your buddy breathing hard, whistling/humming/singing along to his tunes - swearing at his non TY sled - bit****g that he can't keep up, etc).


The main cons,

Not full duplex you need to use a "Push to talk" button (on unit, or on handlebars) or VOX (voice activation) to talk to the other riders in the group.
1 Person at a time transmitting (when multiples are talking, your unit will synch to the strongest signal).
Cost (at 225.00 they are not cheap)
Size, they are bigger than the pure BT units

 

[bigdog_mike]

Decided on the Chatterbox X1 Slim then looked for the best deal and found a used one on ebay then another one a couple days later on ebay for $275 for both as new models were $220 each plus shipping so the used ones were the best route for me