Technology... BAH. (Bluetooth headset user error)

[Bonaventure]

Ok not really a rant because it's worked itself out but not before I was ready to send it in.   Nolan B4 bluetooth dual speaker headset made for the Nolan line on helmets, perfect with my N104.  So last last season the right hand speaker stopped working.  Got around to calling CIMA Int'l couple weeks ago to seek an RMA number for warranty repair send-in, glad about warranty length but rather annoyed on early "failure." 

Turns out no failure at all, except user failure.  Guy says before going through send-in process make sure you didn't set it to single speaker mono mode in the NCOM phone app.  What?  Yeah, I'd diddled around in the app late last season, so this was my Eureka moment.  Humbly agreed to check it out.

Sure enough, There was a setting in the intercom section of the app called "single" which I'd apparently ticked thinking it meant single unit no other headsets to talk to. Nope.  Apparently meant single speaker.  User error !!    Both speakers on again, and a big feeling of relief from hassle of shipping it in. 

[Zoom Zoom]

I don't know if you use it simply for nav directions and maybe phone connectivity, but I use mine extensively for music which I have loaded into the GPS. Nice for long boring pieces of road where you can relax a bit, pausing it when I need to concentrate more on things around me.

Anyway, what I have also found is that the battery will last considerably longer if I use a cable connection rather than the BT. After my 550 died, I could not get the mic to work well with phone calls. After some trial and error, I finally gave up. Since I virtually never used that anyway, I removed the mic completely and forgot about it. Back to the battery life. With music playing and using a wireless connection, I could expect 4 hours at best. with a wired connection, I nearly double that time and with a little top off at a lunch stop, I can go all day with music and nav. As a general rule, I only start using the nav when I am getting close to a destination and would like a little more help. Also while going through a big city, the lane assist comes in handy and voice guidance helps. I too am running N-Comm.

John Henry

[oldbike54]

 What's a bluetooth ?
 Dusty

[Sheepdog]

I’m going to try one. I’m looking at the Sena 10R. Anyone have any experience with them?

[Zoom Zoom]

What's a bluetooth ?
 Dusty

It's a lot like blue hair, only for guys.

John Henry

[bobrebos]

I�m going to try one. I�m looking at the Sena 10R. Anyone have any experience with them?

I have the SMH 10 and like it.  Works well except the microphone velcro attachment thingy is usually loose, but microphone works well as far as talking to others with a SMH 10.  I dont know if it works talking to other model Sena users or not.   

[twowings]

Here in Okieland, Bluetooth is one of them 'furrin' Yurapeeun' tools-of-the-devil concepts that is just SO MUCH harder than holding the phone up to your ear and driving with one hand on your beer...I would buy an SMH-10 since my helmet has a custom-designed port for mounting it, but then I wouldn't have anyone to talk to and the only music I want to hear is 1155 ccs of Italian contralto aria singing me down the road...I wish you luck with your purchase! 

[Sheepdog]

My stereo in the house, the shop, and three of our cars have Bluetooth. Since downloading all our LPs and CDs onto my laptop, our entire music collection has been stored in the barn. I can access my entire music library from my computer, my phone, or a tablet. It also allows hands-free phone calls (I've never liked holding a 3 watt transmitting device up close to my head...BT output is only 100 milliwatts), access to online music like Pandora, provides voice prompts from my GPS, and in the case of a helmet-mounted unit; will allow bike to bike comms. Yes, I'm definitely going to try one out...