X-com

This entry is part 14 of 19 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #33

There’s a lot of people spruiking about Bluetooth. What is it, and what’s so great about it? The folks at Carlisle Accessories, importers of X Helmets, know all about it.

Bluetooth is a wireless protocol for allowing devices to communicate. It’s slower than wi-fi but simpler to set up, and it’s usually used for device-to-device transfers.

With just about every smartphone and GPS supporting Bluetooth it’s become the default choice for connecting up speakers, headphones and all sorts of units without cables, and that makes it ideal for riders. A Bluetooth product, like a headset or phone, contains a tiny computer chip with a Bluetooth radio and software. When two Bluetooth devices want to talk to each other, they need to ‘pair’ – they find each other and open a line of two-way communication – and form short-range networks known as piconets.

There are a couple of different ‘levels’ of Bluetooth, and of course Bluetooth technology is upgrading fast.

The good news is there’s no need for a great depth of technical understanding to make use of the system. As far as riders go, it’s a matter of finding a good set up that suits the needs, pairing the units needed and rockin’ on.

Potential

Probably the most common use of Bluetooth for riders is talking to each other.

When it comes to staying in touch with a pillion or another rider who’ll be close by, Bluetooth is hard to beat. In fact, a group of riders who’ll be pretty much sticking together can all stay in touch with a very simple and inexpensive set-up. Those funny bulges on the sides of helmets are Bluetooth units leading to speakers and microphones inside the helmet. With just that techo bump on the helmet, riders and pillions can pair compatible Bluetooth packages and talk to each other.

It’s as simple as that. There’s no button to push to broadcast, no licence needed, and, best of all, no cables running between riders or bikes and riders.

It’s an incredibly neat, simple, lightweight communication system.

Most Bluetooth rigs these days will allow pairing with multiple sources, so not only can riders communicate, they can listen to music, use the phone, and have an audio hook-up with their GPS, all from inside their helmet while they’re riding along.

Oooh, yeah. It’s some good shit.

All in the head

There are lots of good Bluetooth units available, and they’re fairly inexpensive. Sena is probably the most popular and best-known name in bike Bluetooth, and that’s largely because Sena’s been in the game so long and makes great gear.

We’ve been wearing an X.Wed2 helmet for a while, and we got very excited when we found out Sena is making a special Bluetooth unit for X helmets. The most interesting thing for us was the unit – X-com – fits very close to flush with the outer helmet shell.

Not only that, but the helmet is built ready to accept the unit, meaning the inner shell is manufactured with channels and spaces that allow the mic, speakers and antenna to be fitted without any alteration to the helmet or exterior fittings.

Geoff Bonfield at Carlisle Accessories – himself a keen X-com user – gave us some insight.

“The X-com unit has line-of-sight range up to 900m,” said Geoff, showing how neatly the whole thing fit inside his own helmet. “Once you pair Bluetooth items up to each other or to your phone, MP3 player or whatever, it automatically pairs every time you turn the units on. There’s no constant reconnecting.

“Clarity is superb. Compared to old UHF frequencies, it’s incredibly clear.

“The connection to the outside world is amazing. It’s voice-activated and includes noise-cancelling technology, so it’s ideal for riders.”

Power full

“What about powering Bluetooth? How does that work?”

we hear you cry in your never-ending search for the truth.

Mostly the units are supplied with rechargeable batteries and can be powered up with any USB power supply.

We’d think there’d be very few long-distance riders these days who wouldn’t have their bikes rigged to offer USB power.

There’s just too many accessories using it.

For those who don’t have the facility on the bike, any computer with a USB port will do the bizzo. Power consumption is very low, so a full charge will often last several days, depending on how much use it gets.

A compartment for the battery is another feature already built in to the X.Wed2.

Give it a try

We’re lucky to have a helmet which has been manufactured to accept a high-quality Bluetooth set-up, but there are plenty of models from different manufacturers, and from Sena, which are generic and designed to be fitted to just about any helmet.

If you’re not enjoying the convenience of Bluetooth, not to mention the safety offered by being in touch with others in the group, you’re missing out.

Rock in to local bike shop and ask for a demo. We’re betting once you’ve tried it you won’t want to be without it.

X-com features

We’re talking about the X-com because that’s the system our helmet takes, but the features are a good example of the parameters most riders should be looking for…

• Bluetooth 3.0
• Handsfree for Bluetooth phones
• Stereo headset for Bluetooth audio devices and GPS
• Intercom up to 900 metres
• Four-way conference intercom
• Three-way conference phone call with intercom participants
• Multipoint pairing
• SR10 two-way radio-adapter compatible
• Light weight and ultra slim profile
• Upgradeable firmware
• Support profiles: Headset Profile, Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)

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