TFT and Nav6 and phone and Bluetooth intercom - has anyone connected them all???

gbmud

Registered user
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
388
Reaction score
0
Location
Sussex
I hope someone can help - even if that is to say 'don't be so bloody stupid, it cannot possibly work', or 'why didn't you use the search function, look here' etc... I did try searching BTW!

A little background. After a few years in the wilderness with a Honda I have bought a 2018 GS Rallye TE. It came with Navigator VI and the new TFT screen. I currently own a Scala Rider G4 Bluetooth intercom system. I have an iPhoneX and it has the Garmin and BMW apps.

What I CAN make work: TFT is connected to iphone. Navigator is connected to iPhone AND to Scala G4 at the same time and I can make calls, use the app etc. All good.

What I cannot make work: TFT to Scala G4 at all, it just will not 'see' it when both are in pairing mode. I am prepared to accept that the intercom is probably just too old to work with the TFT - is that likely.

With the old age of the Scala G4 in mind, I am prepared to buy a new Bluetooth intercom. I went to Helmet City in Tatsfield this morning where they very helpfully demonstrated that the Sena 30k will pair with both the TFT AND the Navigator - but NOT with both at once. As soon as you connect the Sena to the TFT, the Sena (or the Garmin?) drops the Navigator connection.

I next went to the BMW dealer who basically said 'they all do that sir' - which is something of a disappointment. It is apparently one OR the other but not both.

Connection to the TFT is desirable as it has an interface for playing MP3s, making phone calls etc.. Concurrent connection with the Navigator for directions would be nice. I cannot see why BMW would make a phone/music control system on the TFT which essentially becomes useless when you connect the Navigator and actually want to navigate with it.

So; has anyone managed to connect BOTH the TFT and the NavigatorVI to a Bluetooth helmet intercom at the same time? If you have, how do you do it please, and what Bluetooth helmet intercom do you use?

I hope I have explained the situation clearly - I barely understand it myself!

Thanks

Chris
 
You are now feeing my pain!

I have the packtalk headset and can pair both the TFT and the NAV VI to the iPhone X and the Headset. Media on the TFT Phone on the Nav - everything works its just a pain as you have to remember to switch them all on in the correct sequence and if you forget and answer a call on the TFT instead of the Nav it all goes wrong and you have to stop the bike, turn everything off and start again.
Some people on here with Sent headsets appear to have better results and some on here with BMW comms are not able to get it all to work.

So basically the connectivity side of the TFT is a POS and BMW need to up their game and sort it out. Bluetooth is not exactly a new protocol and this should be easy.
 
I feel your pain Chris.

I have a 30k, iPhone SE, TFT and nav6.
I also have a passenger with a 30k aswell.
I have connected the TFT to the phone and my 30k as rider headset and the wife 30k as passenger headset.
You can then connect the nav6 as a second phone to the 30k, this will give you voice prompts for navigation.
I haven't connected the 2 headsets together nor have I connected them to the iPhone.
This allows us to chat and listen to music by connecting through the TFT.
This only works because the headsets can multi task using MESH technology.
Hopefully someone out there has got a better method of connecting all these devices, but this is the best I could come up with.
I guess trying to get 5 bluetooth devices to play nicely together is a lot to ask.

Hopefully this makes sense.
Andy
 
I hope someone can help - even if that is to say 'don't be so bloody stupid, it cannot possibly work', or 'why didn't you use the search function, look here' etc... I did try searching BTW!


Chris

Hi Chris

I have iPhone 7 Plus, NAV V, and scala rider G9

The NAV V is paired to the scala as GPS. The phone is paired to NAV V. The smartlink app works and I can do calls.
Now I added the tft. Paired to phone and using the bmw connected app. You must set the connected app as having location set to always (which is a bit crap). I had problems getting the app to work initially. The tft is then paired to the scala as being mobile phone.

Everything works for me with directions coming from NAV and music through TFT. Calls are totally broken though. Both apps work at the same time for me connecting to NAV and TFT.

I want to get the new slimline scala rider packtalk slim for a new helmet https://www.cardosystems.com/products/devices/packtalk-slim/ but until I’m happy the whole phone call bit is sorted I will hold off. The modern sena users seem to have better luck in that regards.
 
Thanks for the benefit of your experience guys! I will have another go with the G4 tomorrow, having set the app to 'always allow location' and see if I can get any more success. Failing that it looks like I will be buying the Sena 30k - which while eye-wateringly expensive looks like it should be fairly future proof... Incidentally, Helmet city was the cheapest I found for the twin pack at £449 and I find their service (at Tatsfield) very good - I am not connected with them (no pun intended) in any other way.

It looks like I have 16 pages of bedtime reading too. :)

Thanks again.

Chris
 
Thanks for the benefit of your experience guys! I will have another go with the G4 tomorrow, having set the app to 'always allow location' and see if I can get any more success. Failing that it looks like I will be buying the Sena 30k - which while eye-wateringly expensive looks like it should be fairly future proof... Incidentally, Helmet city was the cheapest I found for the twin pack at £449 and I find their service (at Tatsfield) very good - I am not connected with them (no pun intended) in any other way.

It looks like I have 16 pages of bedtime reading too. :)

Thanks again.

Chris

The SENA 20s Evo should work. As I understand it the tech you need for this application is audio multitasking + Bluetooth 4.1 rather than adaptive mesh which is more aimed at bike to bike comms. While I don’t have a TFT I do have a 20s Evo connected to satnav, phone and another headset and it all works perfectly.
 
The SENA 20s Evo should work. As I understand it the tech you need for this application is audio multitasking + Bluetooth 4.1 rather than adaptive mesh which is more aimed at bike to bike comms. While I don’t have a TFT I do have a 20s Evo connected to satnav, phone and another headset and it all works perfectly.

Its does work, and very well.
Sena 20s - Nav 5 - Galaxy S7 - TFT
 
Just a quick update to this. I have today achieved success. :beerjug:

Earlier this week BMW did a big software update to the TFT/bike and to the Nav6 - though I think that was already up to date through Garmin on the PC. I do not know if the updates were in any way relevant.

Last night I looked online at the proper instruction manual for my Sena 30K rather than the 'quick-start' guide they actually print and put in the box. I was wondering if it were possible (from the Sena's point of view) to connect the Garmin to the Sena as a GPS rather than as a mobile phone - the QS guide only gives simple mobile connection instructions. It is.

So, with the TFT connected to my iPhoneX, and to the Sena through the 'mobile phone' pairing option as detailed in the QS guide as 'Rider Helmet' on the TFT, I deleted the Nav6 pairing to the headset. The Nav6 was paired to my iPhoneX, and that had worked all along. I followed the instructions for pairing the Sena to a GPS (https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005482486-30K-GPS-Pairing) and lo, it was connected to the TFT AND the GPS concurrently. Hopefully it will all still work when I turn it all back on shortly! :)

Cheers

Chris
 
Cardo has also issued an update 4.2 that has solved the TFT infotainment audio issue, all works fine now
 
I took delivery of a new GS this week with TFT and have spent the previous weeks reading up on what can and can't be done.....needless to say I wasn't hopeful that my Interphone would connect to the TFT.

Before attempting the connection I up dated the firmware on the Interphone....there was an update which I duly installed.

Today I have tried to connect the Interphone to the TFT, I then connected my phone to the TFT and success..... phone book downloaded and I can make/receive calls using the TFT with the twisty wheel, the other functionally works including the navigation after I installed the BMW Connected app on my phone although I can't check the 'Media' functionality as I don't play music through my phone but the menu is lit up on the TFT but there's nothing there, the phone callers image is displayed on the TFT exactly as it does in my car!

The problem that I have is that occasionally I listen to music which is downloaded on to the SD card in my Nav 5, and with everything connected...TFT, Interphone, Nav 5 there is no sound.

So I have the option of full TFT functionality without music until I work out how to get music on my phone, or no TFT functionality but using the Nav 5 for phone and music.

For your information I use an Honor 6 Android mobile phone.

As I didn't pay any additional for the TFT I can live with it, but if I'd paid £600 as some people have I'd be a little p'eed off.
 
A simple Google and I now have music on my phone, and can confirm that Interphone Tour, TFT, Honor 6, all work as expected. In addition passenger Interphone Tour connected to TFT and music playing in that headset too, but phone call only in my headset which is probably correct.

Richard
 
Here's my 10p worth. I use the TFT as a "hub"
I have the TFT connected to my Sena 20s EVO. (mobile phone pairing mode)
I have my phone connected to the TFT
Music is on my phone and can be controlled by the wizzy wheel/TFT.
Phone can be controlled by wizzy wheel/TFT
I keep the Nav 6 out of the equation. When I try to connect the 6, not much works and it keeps crashing and I have to do a soft reset (which is a pain whilst riding)

Pairing up the Sena headsets with other brands has never worked though, even though the manual says its possible!
 
A simple Google and I now have music on my phone, and can confirm that Interphone Tour, TFT, Honor 6, all work as expected. In addition passenger Interphone Tour connected to TFT and music playing in that headset too, but phone call only in my headset which is probably correct.

Richard
I cannot get music through the nav when connected to the TFT.

Any pointers?
 
I cannot get music through the nav when connected to the TFT.

Any pointers?
I can only get music through the TFT, I couldn't get music to work through the Nav. As sdcastle above says, keep the Nav out of the equation, just use it ( Nav 6) for intricate navigation/ uploaded tours etc. On the TFT connections screen you only want to be connected to your phone and your headset/pillion headset. i haven't played music whilst riding....only in my garage, and I had to start the music from the phone, I'm not 100% sure if I can change tracks or albums whilst riding, but I'll give it a try the next time I go for a ride.

Good luck

Richard
 
I have the Sena 30K but before this I had the 20s. The connections are.....My phone a Samsung is connected to the TFT, the TFT is then connected to the Sena as phone 1.

The only problem I seem to have is that the Sena headset as to be turned on first or it becomes hit and miss. I can play music thro the TFT (hub) using the wheel and use the phone to make/receive calls.

The Nav6 is connected to the Sena headset as phone 2 and used just for navigation.
I have realised a bit of a minus, if you stop the bike for a couple of minutes i.e. petrol you have to turn the headset off also....if you don't, when you start the bike its back to the "hit and miss" scenario.

I've only just got the 30K so it hasn't been used fully so they may be other plus/minus when used in anger
 
Why the fuck would you want to listen to music on a motorbike?
If you need music use the car.

Are you really aware of your surroundings and concentrating on staying alive with music in your ears? I would suggest not.
 
Why the fuck not (listen to music) ???
 
Hi Chris,

Believe it or not I have just joined this forum just to find out how others are getting on with this issue.

I have the exact identical bike and devices you have. GS TE Ex with TFT and Scala G4 (duo). I experienced the exact same problems you have. I have been in contact with Cardo in the US and they have confirmed to me that not only does the G4 NOT connect with the BMW TFT but neither does their latest offering of BT devices.

I have on order a Sena 20S Evo (duo) after trying out my mates 20S on the TFT and Nav IV. I found that I could make calls and receive music from my iPhone 8 through the TFT to the Sena 20S... works a dream. I can communicate with my pillions Q20 and other Sena devices, but like you I am unable to receive navigational voice prompts from my Nav IV. So I guess, that leaves me in the same situation as with the G4. If I want full functionality... Rider/Pillion, Rider/Rider, Phone Calls, Nav prompts it all has to be through the Nav IV and the Sena. Which like you is not what we want as I had hoped to control the whole shebang through the bikes handlebar control wheel.
It is my understanding from my local dealer, that the only way to get (nearly) everything we want, is to purchase the BMW Communicator system and connect it to a BMW System 6/7 helmet... OucH!!!. I prefer my Shubbie C4 by miles. And even then it means I can't talk to my non BMW mates. Sucks a bit!

Unless we get any more progress on this, I think the only option is to drop the SatNav prompts through the system which will still give me Rider/Rider/Pillion, Phone Calls and Music from iPhone, through the bike's controller. At least until there is some magical software update comes along that is. Mmmm!

If anyone our there has a solution for Chris and I... Please shout!

Cheers

IanChelt
 


Back
Top Bottom