UPDATE July 2024
GEAR REVIEW of radio testing Btech GMRS-PRO.
I’m always trying to improve comms.
I wanted to try this bluetooth audio inside my helmet with packtalk.
I purchased the BTECH GMRS Pro for audio testing with my cardo packtalk helmet intercom.
I paired the GMRS-PRO to my packtalk by going into the General Settings | select pair | wait for the packtalk to show up and select it and choose pair.
On the packtalk I put it into phone pairing mode by holding the bottom most button down for 5 seconds.
I suggest you pair the btech TECH BS-PTT Wireless PTT (Push-to-Talk) Device FIRST to the radio before connected the packtalk.
It would be super nice to be able to control the radio with the btech app on my phone, because the radio usually lives in my moto hydration pack.
However, with my testing on GMRS freq. The audio mic inside my helmet makes it sound like the mic is very far away and the audio level is very very low. So low there really couldn’t be any other noise in the env and be able to communicate (which does NOT work well with engine/exhaust/wind and tire noise on a dirt bike/dual sport bike).
So, for that reason I will be returning the GMRS PRO and accessories and going back to the btech shoulder mic with a uv5r. No batteries to die, other than the uv5r. Its just hard to hear the shoulder mic inside the helmet if the bike or wind is noisy, so I have to stop and ask to “say again”.
LINKS FOR TESTING:
BS-PTT > https://amzn.to/3xUbIGC
Btech GMRS Pro > https://amzn.to/3Sd2qMP
Links for what I’ve used for many years and it has proven to be very robust.
BTECH QHM22 Weatherproof Heavy Duty IP54 Speaker Mic: https://amzn.to/46btLVi
UV5R radio: https://amzn.to/3LxyKWV
USB C batter: https://amzn.to/3LuIdOM
I would like to test the oxbow renegade with a packtalk.
OLD ARTICLE:
I’ve written a lot of blog articles (on my other blog – UTV and motorcycle) on solving some hard communication challenges with dual sport motorcycles.
I finally found a good solution and it has ONE last problem to solve! the BT adapter that plugs into my ham radio (uv5r) will NOT disconnect after using the PTT. I have an open ticket with packtalk.
WHILE WAITING FOR A FIX to the “not releasing connection to radio” and thus not able to re-join packtalk intercom:
PlanA primary network/connection is using cardo packtalk mesh intercom. If that breaks, usually because further away than 100 yards, use planB network/connection.
PlanB moto communication
- Baofeng UV-5R – https://amzn.to/3gU9cE3
- BTECH QHM22 Platinum Series IP54 Rainproof Shoulder Speaker Mic https://amzn.to/3Hb5BfH
- rugged and increased range antenna – Signal stick https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick-sma-female/
The logic for PlanB moto comms is putting the shoulder speaker/mic on your hydration pack strap nearest your ear, so you can hear over the noise of your motorcycle. Also, if packtalk fails, bad mic or too far of distance, you have a dead-simple way to communicate…even if you have to stop your bike to reduce noise and be able to operate the radio w/o crashing. I estimate a legit 5 miles in the wild, unless a mountain is blocking line-of-sight communication with 4 watts and a high-gain antenna.
Also, its cheap to have a comms solution for your riding buddy! $60 and you got long range comms that is simple enough to put in their pack and run with it in under 2 minutes.
I’m looking forward to testing out planB moto comms in conjunction with packtalks. I think I’m DONE trying to get dongles to work with the radio and integrated with packtalk, KEEP THEM SEPERATED!
Motorcycle Comms Request for Enhancement (RFE)
FoxyMCrider
I want WIRELESS moto comms that have good range (approx 1-5 miles). A Pushtotalk (PTT) on the handle bar to a radio is fine, so long as its wireless.
IMO, given limitations of BT range, I think the only real solution is HAM radio (HT). But it MUST be wireless for dualsport/dirt biking/timbersleding/snowmobiling. If we could get a ham radio to have an open intercom like packtalk/sena, that would be nice, but I doubt that will work with VOX for noise canceling, so a PTT is about the only way to go.
RFEs
- Better wireless adapters for UHF/VHF radios, like the uv5r
- Earbud for hearing protection integration with helmet intercom
- Better “openness”, do you know how big a pain it is to connect packtalk with sena? I’ve wasted hours of my life, sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn’t work.
- OPEN SOURCE BT intercom software/hardware and let the community improve!
Use Case:
Dual sport and or dirt biking, often where cell phones don’t work for voice calls.
Things I’ve tried.
- Wired helmet insert with PTT for radio, the connector breaks quickly, especially when you have a “get off” the bike
- CON: wires break and lots of static on radios
- Sena 10/20s
- CON: same problem as all BT intercoms, very limited range, like 200 yards max under normal riding conditions
- Packtalk (currently own 7 packtalks) – Approx $230 each
- CON: same problem as all BT intercoms, very limited range, like 200 yards max under normal riding conditions
- Garmin inreach satellite communicator and SOS
- CON: can’t operate while operating a moto, but really good peace of mind
- Sena BT hub – Sena SR10-10 – approx $150 https://amzn.to/31vkxX3
- CON: you must have a tank bag or similar cuz the PTT on the handle bars has a wire to the radio, but great features and can tie into uv5r ham radio for good range.
- Radtel radio adapter. Approx $50
https://amzn.to/3lEJLcv- CON: pairing with packtalk works great, however, once you do a PTT, it will NOT go back to packtalk intercom because it thinks you are still in a phone call, will NOT disconnect in the app, nor any packtalk buttons.
- Icom HT ham radios
- CON: with a single pin, it is easy for headsets to vibrate OUT and then begin transmitting 100% of the time, blocking all coms
- Uv5r
- PROS: $25-30 and a grate radio for FRS/GRMS/2meter/70cm ham radio freq
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
- Get radtel and packtalk to work together to come up with a good solution – why did they waste time/money/r&d for HD/JBL sound…who cares about listening to music on a bike? We need Emergency comms, nav or just long range comms with our ridding buddies!
- and/or reboot the packtalk after needing to use the PTT/ham radio, so we can rejoin our packtalk intercom group.
- Move the PTT to your hydration pack strap and put the Sena SR10-10 & Uv5r in your pack with radio, that way no “Get offs” problems, no cables on the bike, have the first and last rider with sr10-10 and ham radios in case separation or emergency (medical/mechanical) and the last rider with sr10-10 and uv5r.
- buy another expensive intercom that is FRS/GRMS, it will be better than bluetooth, but it will NEVER had the same range as a 4 watt ham radio with signal-stick. https://maxonamerica.com/product/x2-slim-p/
This is the error in the packtalk cardo app after joining a packtalk intercom, tested/verified all working good. BUT, then if you PTT and use the ham radio/uv5r, packtalk/radtel will NOT hang up…so thus you can NOT rejoin your BT intercom!
