Sena module dropped off and disappeared into ivy hedge

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  • #26
INdeed, There is a chap who does it...he found some celb's ring a while back, I'm going to try and track him down.
 
Mine fell off my helmet the other day on a job, went to go dump, then realized it an hour or two later as we were rolling up tools & ropes. Walked all around, couldn't find it. Probably had been in the Juniper bush rakings, gonzo forever. Enjoyed radio silence for 2 days before getting another one off a defunct helmet. Really terrible design, that model -- actual turn button volume knob that sticks out the back of the helmet, can snag on branches & limbs, and the clip mechanism is pretty weak.
 
I've ordered a pair of the scala packtalks for biking. Curious if anyone is using them for treework? Waterproof, not water resistant, auto re pairing once done the first time, some fancy new digital mesh system as well as Bluetooth for enhanced connectivity, stream music and talk at the same time, speakers that plug in so you can swap them out to whatever you like, up to 15 units can pair. Seems all round superior to senas(which I had for treework). I'll report back once I've used them some.
 
I will start a topic when I've had some use on them. So far so good. But I'm questioning their suitability for treework due to the 'antenna' they have. Also the dmc mode which is the big advantage has live mics all the time. Might be annoying for treework. But they work flawlessly IMe in the first week for streetbiking. You only pair to a 'pack' once and that's it. Seamless disconnect and reconnect when turned on or in and out of range forever more. Never re pair again.
 
When it comes to Sena's...I got what DMc suggested...they are low profile and have worked very well for us for just over a year:

Sena SMH10R Low Profile Motorcycle Bluetooth Headset and Intercom Dual Pack - SMH10RD-01
by Sena


4.1 out of 5 stars 190 customer reviews | 66 answered questions
Price: $278.29 Free Shipping for Prime Members
G
 
If you research it. Bluetooth tech is yesterday's news for comms. Digital mesh is the future. Huge advantages for biking as far as range and pairing, clarity, reliability. As well as leaving the range and dropping connection and re pairing. For biking Bluetooth is dead. But for treework I don't see the huge advantages of dmc over Bluetooth to justify the increased cost. All of the high end bike comms now employ dmc, sena too. Although they are being blasted for being late to the game and still 'buggy'.
 
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  • #37
No, never found the lost unit...it's probably still there though.
Otherwise they still work fine for me, I would get the low profile if I were buying again, the bump knob for volume and connection is a bit too vulnerable to being knocked when climbing...but it it easy to reconnect with a tap on it.
I'm still really glad I got them for work, way worth it.
 
After using the cardo packtalks for a bit here. I don't think they need a thread of their own. I wouldn't recommend them for,treework over a traditional Bluetooth comm unit like a sena smh10r or the such. The digital mesh which is a great feature for biking I think would grow old for treework. The mics are live all the time, your music streams and the units automatically lower the music volume when talking occurs. The noise cancelling is amazing, comms are crystal clear, my wife and I are each listening to different streaming music from our phones. Voice commands work well. So it's virtually a handsfree helmet comm system. Super handy for riding. But every mutter, curse,grunt or groan of a tree person would potentially be activating the comms. I could see that being very frustrating on a tree crew. The ability to shut the comms off entirely withnthe Bluetooth systems is nice in that setting. The packtalk also has a phone app which is handy for setup as all volumes and mic sensitivity and features are easily adjusted through it without having to memorize a new language of button combinations.

The digital mesh tech and enhanced voice command/recognition makes for a much more costly unit over a traditional Bluetooth comm system. Also the antennae and 'roller' for volume adjustment(as well as other things) I could also see being problematic for tree work. It should be noted that the packtalk can be used as a Bluetooth comm system as well but that negates the advantages of the digital mesh which is a big part of the increased cost.

Plenty of vids out there on the system if you don't want to take my word for it. Cardo packtalk.
 
Thanks, Squish.

I'm a fan of connecting when you need something, and disconnecting after the communication is done. Listening to guys work while I'm trying to concentrate in the trees, or on the ground, is a distraction. Same in reverse.
 
For biking it's somehow very intuitive. You never hear breathing or any sort of engine or ambient noise from the other person/bike. None of that activates the mic. By live all the time I don't mean you constantly 'hear' the other person. I mean all they have to do is talk and your music lessens in volume and the conversation is crystal clear. Somehow they've got it sorted pretty well for voice recognition as my bike has had a obnoxiously loud exhaust on it until yesterday(I swapped it out to a tamer one) and no issues with noise. But. I don't know how that would work/transfer to treework and the noises dealt with there?
 
That would drive me bugshit if I had to listen to amplified sniffling and coughing.
Thanks for the info!
 
To update the functionality of these cardo units a bit ill bump this thread. So now that I've had a bit more time with them their operation is quite impressive. We have extremely good range for comms, crystal clear and automatic re pairing if we do go out of range. The comms are live all the time which is nice for riding, no finicky buttons to find or push. The normal operation is digital mesh comms live all the time, music streaming which automatically diminishes slightly when conversation happens, and also I am now pairing a radar as a second (or third depending how you look at it) connection which is set to override comms and music when an alert occurs. Delivering radar warnings right to my ears. All priorities and volumes are infinitely adjustable through an app or through button prompts on the device. For biking these are definetly the way to go. Feature rich and flawless function.

The next upgrade eventually for me will be the jbl speaker option which is supposed to be sweet.
 
I've always owned a radar detector since I was 16. It's not a guarantee, but it's worked for me so far!
Alot of things on the road set it off now. I think newer cars with the sensors that tell a driver that they're very close to an object is almost constant now. Cops checking speed makes a different noise, KA band I think for cops mostly.
 
Yah I've had one forever but recently upgraded to a uniden r1. Top rated, great price, great false alert filtering too. Completely programmable to eliminate false alerts from bsm, radar assisted cruise and all that jazz. The extreme long range description is accurate too. Just another tool in the box, certainly no guarantee by any means.
 
I need to upgrade I think. I hit the mute button way to much now. Mine has great range I think, Cobra I think. It'll start beeping long before I can see the cop.

How do you keep it dry on the bike?
 
You don't. You put it away in a ziploc. But one, I don't ride in the rain by choice, and two I don't really run the risk of tickets if I do. Where I live is considered semi-desert. Rain is not a big concern.

Radars have come along ways. I used to think my old bel had good range too. There's a plethora of information on the web about detectors now and I researched the living hell out of it. The uniden r1 has the best range of any detector for sale, this I'm confident of. The r3 version of it has a gps chip too which I don't really need so I saved the coin on the non gps version. Same detection sensitivity. You can pay twice as much or more for a detector with less range and more false alerts.
 
Jeez...I just drive the Jag way faster than the cops can keep up with, then slide into a secluded position and let them hunt on down the road to their heart's content ;). Nothin' to it.

8)
 
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