I phone intercom app. $1.99

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krrakt

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Hey all,

I just fount the answer to my problem (can't afford a senna communicator) to speek with my kid while 2 up.

I'm going to get one of these apps and review it here.

Intercomm and Mota Com are the two which seem best as they are hands free Bluetooth systems.

Has anybody tried this?

My kids Ipod does not have a mic but I have old Iphone headset which will work, awesome.

Just need your Bluetooth equipped Iphone or Ipod and save a bunch on communicators.


The price is right.
 
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I'd be curious to hear how this works in reality. What it's like with wind noise and whether the audio is loud enough (with earplugs) - two things that the helmet-mounted communicators are supposed to have solved.
 
mroberto said:
I'd be curious to hear how this works in reality. What it's like with wind noise and whether the audio is loud enough (with earplugs) - two things that the helmet-mounted communicators are supposed to have solved.
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The audio will be fine as long as the visor is closed (See motorcycle vlogs for demos), as for the audio, get some in-ear earphones for a clearer audio.
 
I have no experience with the apps you mentioned. What I do have experience with is trying to use my iPhone while riding to have a telephone conversation (using the apple headphones with mic that came with the phone). I can tell you it did not work for me during multiple attempts, mainly because I had diff hearing the caller and all the caller heard was background noise on my end. Even when stopped at the side of the road, the background noise was significant.

A couple of things to consider. I have used 2 different wired systems that are considered to be excellent by a lot of bikers (Starcom and Autocom). My experience with both of these is that at full speed with the windscreen down (on my ST1300 - meaning I get about as much wind noise as the average sport bike), it can be difficult to hear the pillion. With the windscreen up, they are pretty good. We are currently using a couple of Sena SMH10's and these are the best as far as the quality and volume at speed (and I mean this to be highway speed). All 3 of these have advanced noise cancelling capabilities designed specifically for the moto environment. They cost anywhere between $200-$600, I seriously doubt that a $2 app will replace what these systems do.

If I've found the right app on the app store, Intercomm has been around since Aug 2012 and has zero reviews. MotaCom has also been around since Sep of 2012 and the only review I see says it's junk. Personally I wouldn't waste my buck but it is your money after all. I would also hazard to say that if there was a $2 alternative to spending a few hundred (and it's been around for a year), GTAM or ADVrider would be all over that. If these dedicated systems are out of your budget, I would suggest picking up something second hand. Otherwise, the cheapest solution may be to simply slow down and yell back to your pillion or wait till the next stop light to chat.

Just my 2c.

If you happen to find something that works just as well, come back and let everyone know though.
 
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Yeah the microphone is the issue BUT with full face ( which I don't wear so I use a Scala ) - a decent set of earphones ( Ultimate Ears etc with a microphone ) may well work fine as long as you can secure the microphone just inside the chin guard of the helmet. These mics are very directional so you have to experiment.

There is no reason for it not to work as I chat and listen to phone conversations all the time via Bluetooth when riding but the key is in the microphone.

Get the microphone correct and it has the potential to be BETTER than the dedicated systems.
 
i use android intercom all the time (i assume its just not the apple version). it works great, has the Bluetooth and wifi option, wifi works best as it runs on a hotspot network and doesn't use up any data or anything like that at all. the range between both intercoms is pretty decent would estimate like 300 ft at most if its a flat surface. the only issue i ever have is setting up the mic cause the air vents in my helmet make it hard for the other person to here sometimes.

oh btw its free on any android device.... LOL
 
OK

I bought both apps for 99c. each as the first (intercom) did not work or sync. the Ipod and Iphone for some reason.

So Mota com worked great with the Wicked mic earbuds from CT $14.99 on sale.

I have not had the chance to attach the mic with velcro to the helmets interior but used them as is hanging from the chord and they worked fine up to 70 clicks and not too bad up to 90. At 100 the wind caused too much interference but this will likely be corrected when the microphone sits inside the helmet at the chin guard.

This is so great, I don't need to spend more than 30 bucks for an intercom.

I can't compare them to a scala or senna as I have not tried but these Wicked earbuds are great and work as earplugs when not communicating. Also compared to 300 bucks 99c. is a huge savings even if it is not quite as good

I will post a full review when I have more experience with them.

For now I would suggest that anybody looking at a budget communicator to try this first, either the Android as mentioned above (what is the app called btw?) or the motacom Iphone app.
 
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Do these apps use bluetooth you said? Bluetooth has a pathetic range, no? Cell data is out of the question, I got unlimited data but Wind coverage is not good up north.
 
Pegassus said:
Do these apps use bluetooth you said? Bluetooth has a pathetic range, no? Cell data is out of the question, I got unlimited data but Wind coverage is not good up north.
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Yes blue tooth or creates a wifi hotspot, you choose.

The Bluetooth is good for about 20 meters and hotspot I don't know. It also automatically re connects if you get disconnected. So if you are with someone on another bike as soon as they are in range you will be hooked back up.

I plan to use it with my passenger so range is not an issue for me.

Also if I can find these with a microphone it could work good.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzIwWDcyMA==/z/9IwAAOxy4c5RsFjo/$(KGrHqNHJCUFGmtkfJbvBRsFjnyN3w~~60_1.JPG
 
krrakt said:
OK

I bought both apps for 99c. each as the first (intercom) did not work or sync. the Ipod and Iphone for some reason.

So Mota com worked great with the Wicked mic earbuds from CT $14.99 on sale.

I have not had the chance to attach the mic with velcro to the helmets interior but used them as is hanging from the chord and they worked fine up to 70 clicks and not too bad up to 90. At 100 the wind caused too much interference but this will likely be corrected when the microphone sits inside the helmet at the chin guard.

This is so great, I don't need to spend more than 30 bucks for an intercom.

I can't compare them to a scala or senna as I have not tried but these Wicked earbuds are great and work as earplugs when not communicating. Also compared to 300 bucks 99c. is a huge savings even if it is not quite as good

I will post a full review when I have more experience with them.

For now I would suggest that anybody looking at a budget communicator to try this first, either the Android as mentioned above (what is the app called btw?) or the motacom Iphone app.
Click to expand...

its called android intercom. they got a pretty crapy website its www.androidintercom.com
 
You can try using instanttalk/motochat. I have used it for many trips and have posted about it and which headphones work great with it. I used a headset for 2 years already with my iPhone and it worked better than my scala rider g9 did for phone conversations. When doing 2up I used the instanttalk app. There are threads here on it that you can lookup. Bell does noise reduction on their own, it's called something like HD voice and that may substantially reduce the noise, depending on how fast you ride.
 
Sorry to bump this ancient thread everyone, but I'm wondering if those who were experimenting here could chime in (a few seasons later, lol) with their experiences.

I've been looking at communication options for next year (me and my wife 2up) and just can't fathom paying the huge dollars for a fancy com system when it sure seems like a good headset / mic combo coupled with a smartphone app (considering instanttalk as mentioned above, also com:link, both iPhone apps which have been mentioned here and elsewhere) would be a good option.

Could anyone else who's tried experimenting with this give me some feedback?
 
Might be talking to myself, but following up for anyone interested..so hopefully they can avoid the same mistakes - don't waste your time on both the iPhone apps InstaTalk or COM:Link - both don't work. InstaTalk showed promise but doesn't work over Bluetooth anymore (which makes it useless while riding) despite working nicely on WiFi. COM:Link is just hopelessly broken and should be removed from the appstore as it appears it hasn't been updated in so long that it doesn't work properly on either iOS8 or iOS9.

I've applied for refunds on both purchases.

The hunt continues.

EDIT: This appears it might be a problem with iOS9. InstaTalk might still hold promise as it seems well suited once the BlueTooth issues are resolved.
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