Tft screen, nav 6 and Bluetooth headset.

fred_jb said:

So the TFT does not allow the Nav to pair with it and route its instructions through it. I am not at all surprised by that, as to do so would mean the TFT having to be able to simultaneously connect to a mobile phone, a satnav, and a BT headset and route all the incoming/outgoing audio correctly between them.

Can you not instead get your BMW BT headset to pair with both the TFT/phone app combo and the Nav at the same time in the same way that third party headsets like those from Sena can do? The two devices will then just act as multiple separate input sources to the headset.

Could be an issue which one takes priority, but depending on what mode you use to pair it, normally the satnav input will blank the other source for the duration of an instruction, but will then stop transmitting and the other source will resume. The information below is fairly specific to Sena, but might be useful.

Here is the Sena guidance on pairing modes: https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/articles/217518866-The-Different-Pairing-Modes-on-a-Sena-Headset-

Here is a maybe more useful explanation from a forum: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...ng-Multiple-Devices-to-the-Sena-SMH10-Headset

Click to expand...

Cheers for that will have a look

What are people trying to achieve here.? do you want the nav5/6 to talk to the headset and talk to the tft.? why.? two sets of instructions.?
The nav6 handles only gps and media only if its stored on the sdcard or iphone any streaming and it gets its knickers in a twist.
Whats missing in bluetooth is a hub device that handles all connections the Sena 20s,evo and 30 does it best to do this
We are at bluetooth 4 with 5 over the horizon, people with BMW helmets moaning you are bluetooth2.Forget that go play somewhere else
Bluetooth 4 means 2 phone connections HFP and A2dp, and a seperate a2dp connection
I get my Rallye++ on Wednesday, my helmet will be Sena 10R to gs and the gs connected to the phone for music streaming, Nav6 forget for the moment and mobile phone pairing 2 for Sena SR10 for bike to bike
If I introduce the Nav6 for instructions
1 it annoys the fuck out of me
2 the media fails to reconnect (streaming) not on the sdcard
if you dont need media streaming or bike to bike I dont see the problem just got Nav5/6 phone2
GS and phone connected to GS (mobile phone 1), Nav paired as mobile phone 2 and you will get instructions etc
I am missing something here.?
Mts

I'm back at step 1. I connected the Sena with the Nav V separately, but now the helmet will no longer connect to the bike. Also the iPhone had trouble connecting to the bike.

To be continued ...

I spoke to the BMW chaps on Thursday at the show, they are working on a fix at the moment as you can't have TFT and Nav connected at the same time. Just connect the Nav to the TFT surely?

The dealer told me upon delivery of the bike that the Nav and TFT are connected through the wiring and no BT connection between both is required. That wired connection does not support the sound of the media player on the Nav.

®win said:

The dealer told me upon delivery of the bike that the Nav and TFT are connected through the wiring and no BT connection between both is required. That wired connection does not support the sound of the media player on the Nav.

Click to expand...

The NAV has a data connection from the bike's ECU for sure - that is how it can display all sorts of data including speed, and receive commands from the wheel, though I'm not sure that it isn't a one-way connection - i.e. ECU to NAV only. I suspect that the only output from the NAV, apart from audio over BlueTooth, is an analogue audio output that can be plugged into bikes with an audio system like the RT. I don't believe the NAV would be capable of outputting a digital audio stream over its data connection without some modification.

No doubt the TFT has similar data connectivity to the ECU. What I find hard to believe is meant to happen, or will ever happen, is that audio is output from the NAV in digital form, transmitted on its data connection to the bike, processed through the bike's ECU and then re-transmitted from the ECU to the TFT via the TFT to ECU data link. Even if updates to the NAV are made so that it can output audio in digital form and send it directly to the TFT over CANBUS without involving the ECU, I still think the bandwidth requirements might be too high for the CANBUS.

Digitised audio requires a reasonably high bandwidth data connection, for example CD quality stereo audio requires a bandwidth of 1.411 Mbit/s and this would be more than the maximum 1 Mbit/s that CANBUS supports. I'm no expert on this, but it seems that even at a greatly reduced quality it would still take up a large proportion of the CANBUS bandwidth.

I would think that means that not only will the bike not support playback of media from the NAV via the TFT, but will surely also not support playback of the audio for the NAV's navigation instructions either. This is why I suggested pairing the BT headset in the helmet separately to both TFT and NAV, though it may be that BMW's own helmet comms are not capable of this. The Sena headsets should be, though you have to use the correct pairing mode, possibly Multipoint Pairing, if you want more than one source connected to the headset at the same time - see: https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/articles/217518866-The-Different-Pairing-Modes-on-a-Sena-Headset-

Fred

As the phone is connected to the TFT unit and phonecalls are possible that way, I connected the Sena helmet set as a 'Phone pairing' to the TFT. That went OK, but when I paired the Nav as a media device to the Sena all connections went south. So, as I said, I have to redo and retry the connection.

Well if you guys can't work it out, then I'm well and truly fucked....

Me Too
Only been trying to get it all to work for 8 weeks.
Failed:

ok, so update after the so called software update.. Don't do it.

simply put things are worse for me, total loss of Bluetooth settings for no reason, not seeing helmet or phone is common, media fails to play sound, and media/satnav fail to see the phone.

I like the tft screen, but everything else is worthless and pointless.

personally I'm considering rejecting my bike.

Al

So I have a definitive answer from BMW regarding the navigator and the TFT screen.

There answer is, it's an either or system, they explained that the onboard tft was designed for local use, but for longer trips use a satnav. They have no intention to chance this, but there will be future updates to improve the standard TFT system. (If you believe that).

The bike can't be retro fitted with the old style clocks either.

My end comments are this, the TFT looks great, and yes it does work in its own way, the display is great and the layout makes everything easy, so from that point I would say it get it, but from a connectivity point, it's very flakey. I hope that Sena make a BT that connects to the bike, as that may be a future work around.

I've been following this thread with interest and would like to thank everyone for their input seeing as I'll be investing in the new/update model, and to be honest, I've sort of given up on the idea that the TFT, VI and headset will ever be fully integrated....and if it does....the first software/firmware update by one of the individual manufactures will start the whole process off again....It reminds me of when Autocom started down the line with "bluetooth", I remember them telling me I needed this "thingie" and when it didn't work, I needed t'other, also telling me to cut wires in the unit.....Bloody nightmare!!

So my twopence "for what its worth"....I'll be buying the TFT....'but'....just for the display and info and if it can be integrated at sometime....It's a bonus.

So my first ride on my TFT Rallye approx 100 miles so it is earlier to say but my first impressions are good
Sena 10r connected to rider 1 on the bike and the bike is phone 1 on the sena, iphone 6 connected to the bike, I have a sr10 for bike to bike and with all the chatter from this I dont have the nav voice on at all.
After using the nav6 for streaming music I was very disappointed, sure it plays from your phone but if you stream internet radio then its a nightmare.No controls are working or clip art,there is a work around by starting mp3 on your phone and then starting the steaming app, this works ok but you have to restart everything everytime you stop.
The TFT on the GS is a revelation for internet radio, I can stop and start radio stations, change the staitons while on the move and it shows the art and song titles.
If you need this then I cant recommend this enough, it sounds better than the nav6 as well
Mts

Seems a no brainer, once you have the TFT, to play media and direct calls from your phone via the TFT rather than faff about loading music files to the Nav and trying to take calls through it. Still leaves the issue of trying to get audio instructions from the Nav when using it for satnav purposes though. If to do this you have to unpair your headset from the TFT in order to pair it with the Nav, then that seems unacceptable.

I guess you will have to pair the Nav to your (sena)headset as phone 2 to hear instructions from the nav

MickTheSaw said:

I guess you will have to pair the Nav to your (sena)headset as phone 2 to hear instructions from the nav

Click to expand...

Yes, I was saying earlier that you should be able to pair both TFT and Nav to the headset, but it seems like that has not been working. Not sure though if it has been tried with Sena, or only with the BMW headset.

BMW Helmet is bluetooth2 which allows only one hfp connection, the latest bmw helmet System 7 should be bluetooth 4.? rumoured to be a Sena system.?

Hi all, new to the forum and new GS owner. After some playing yesterday I’ve paired my Sena 20S to my TFT and nav V (in that order), using the “pair second phone” function.

This seems to work fine, the only issue is sound levels at the moment - music (via TFT) is normal volume, nav instructions are so loud they’re distorting - I expect this can be sorted by tweaking some settings, maybe a firmware update for the SENA.

Anyway, it seems it CAN be done and surely things will improve as software updates come through.

Just found this thread. To summarise my experience. Bought the bike with tft plus a Nav 6 and without researching it assumed that the best way to get everything to work was buy the BMW bluetooth as well which the dealer fitted to a new helmet. After a week of trying discovered, as others have, that it is not possible to get everything to work together as the BMW headset is old tech and will only allow one connection. Really annoying as all the manuals that came with the bike suggest the kit can only be relied on if the BMW system is used. Later found on line posts by BMW that confirms the kit will not work together and gives the impression that is a limit on the technology. My experience below shows this is not correct.

Dug out my old lid with Sena 20S. Paired with TFT as a smartphone and then paired with Nav 6 as phone2 (GPS pairing option). Paired with wife's 20S and with son's old Sena. iPhone paired with tft. Everything works perfectly. I can listen to music on the Sena via the iPhone using the TFT menu or use the Sena radio and voice instructions from the Nav 6 interrupt a they should. Chat with the other two headsets as a group is also perfect.

My general impression with the BMW system was very poor as well. It looks sleek with just a couple of flat buttons on the side of the helmet but i found it very hard to locate the buttons with a gloved hand. As the battery is built in to the lid plugging in to the supplied mains charger means the lid cannot be used and no 12v charger is offered. It was also very hard to get to the charger socket though the little flap fitted for that purpose on the back of the GS helmet. May be worth noting that when I originally bought the Sena one of it's big advantages was that it could be charged from the bike while being worn and used. All other makes turned off when charger was connected. This was important as a after a days riding either my headset or my wife's would run out of power and that was the time when we could be navigating a strange town somewhere in Europe trying t find our hotel so comms was most important.

The dealer refunded the price of the BMW Comms system but could not get it out of the helmet without damaging the helmet so had to supply a new helmet as well.

The only very small minus with the Sena is that to reliably connect the Sena must be turned on before the bike. If this is forgotten the bike needs to be turned off for a minute or two before a second pairing attempt. The volume can't be adjusted via the bike either but that is hardly a problem a the Sena has the big easy ti find wheel on the side.

You connect the Nav as a second phone (Sena GPS pairing option). Both Nav and TFT then play nicely together with the Sena