I happened upon this intercom set and was offered it to test. Installation on my helmet was easy but there is no choice between a comfort microphone (fixed to the inside of a full-face helmet) or a boom microphone (a stalk for use on flip-up helmets) – this one is a standard boom microphone. After trying to decipher the User Manual (which might have been translated by an illiterate nine-year-old living in the Himalayas), pairing to my Zumo 500 was easy enough, but I think it might have been more from remembering how to pair the F4 Interphone. The unit has an aerial that kept unscrewing and the unit itself fell off the bracket every time I took my helmet off – fortunately the connecting wire prevented it from getting lost.
It was very difficult not to compare the two makes and during the time I tested this unit, I became more and more disillusioned. The specifications are: Range a maximum of 500m; Up to 120km/h speed; Up to 7 Hours talking time; Auto-receiving cell phone calls; Cell phone/ MP3 stereo music; Fit for motorcycle and skiing helmets; Fully weather protected.
Although the specifications are for a maximum of 120km/h, the sound quality was very poor at a speed of 80km/h and the volume doesn’t automatically adjust as your speed increases. Setting the volume higher on the unit itself distorted the sound so at 100km/h I couldn’t listen to my music. I didn’t get a chance to test the phone function but if the sound quality was poor with the music from the GPS, then I cannot imagine that it would be any different when having a phone conversation.
On the positive side, the unit is sold in pairs and will retail at around R1 800, which means it’s half the price of the F4 Interphone. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t mind having to upgrade to a better quality unit in a few months, then this might be your entry into the bike communication system market.
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