cardo Packtalk Bold

Jesim1

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Bought a set of Duo paired headsets as they seemed to be the best around, and the most expensive unfortunately, but I'm not that impressed with them. All the hype seems they would be ideal, and if they worked like they do in the promo vids I'd be over the moon, but they don't.

TBF the intercom is good, but could also be a bit louder, and I haven't tried pairing it with up to 15 bikes!, but from a rider and pillion point of view I've used mine on a couple of 3 hour trips now, and during that time I've been very frustrated with their inability to recognise my voice of connect to siri - like they do in the adds. It's a bit hit and miss some of the time for my wife, and most of the time for me, and I don't have a hard accent to follow, even though I'm Scottish, it's pretty clear after living in England for the past 30 years.

They have unpaired each time we stopped for lunch and tried to drive off again, the music in mine fades in and out, and sometimes the wife's commands turn on my music or turn it off? No idea what is gong on there, probably something we have set up wrong - but that is also the problem. I've had to go to the web site and set up an account and update them and set some of the preferences, I've also had to download an app which give other features, and the instructions are crap - you then have to download a 31 page pdf from the net with the full instructions - and as there are only 4 buttons you do combinations on them with various flashing lights to enter and activate different menus and functions - totally impossible while driving, and there is no way you can remember this shit.

So overall I'm not impressed, especially as I bought them to use the VOX function as it was supposed to do away with all the button pressing - but for me at least it simply does not work.

I'll be looking to get a refund and buy something simpler and more basic - this is just technology gone wrong.

James
 
Had a Packtalk for a year but it was shite .
Been using SENA SRL in two Neotec 2s this week and its brilliant. Works every time . Very clear intercom and you can hear music even with wearing ear plugs at 90mph
 
I have had packtalk for a number of years and must admit the instructions are C@@ but once you persevere and get it working it does do it very well.
Re VOX are you using DMC or Bluetooth? VOX and siri works well using Bluetooth, but on DMC it struggles.

I have found the rotating wheel easy to use and navigate the different menus.
 
I christened my PackTalk last weekend on a trip to France. My fellow biker had the same unit and we paired (DMC mode) them in seconds on the ferry and they worked clearly and flawlessly for 3 days with no issues at all. They always paired up when ever we turned them on.

If your unhappy with the volume check the speakers are virtually touching your ears and turn off the mode that adjusts the volume to ambient noise (do this on the app). Once turned off you will be able to wind up the volume much higher. I am mutton-Jeff and wear foam ear plugs yet I can still hear mine perfectly at high speeds.
 
I have had packtalk for a number of years and must admit the instructions are C@@ but once you persevere and get it working it does do it very well.
Re VOX are you using DMC or Bluetooth? VOX and siri works well using Bluetooth, but on DMC it struggles.

I have found the rotating wheel easy to use and navigate the different menus.

I've tried both - we could not get Bluetooth working properly at all, so stuck with DMC. The wheel on mine only turns the volume up/down and also has a button built into it, it does not navigate menus - could this be an earlier model?

I christened my PackTalk last weekend on a trip to France. My fellow biker had the same unit and we paired (DMC mode) them in seconds on the ferry and they worked clearly and flawlessly for 3 days with no issues at all. They always paired up when ever we turned them on.

If your unhappy with the volume check the speakers are virtually touching your ears and turn off the mode that adjusts the volume to ambient noise (do this on the app). Once turned off you will be able to wind up the volume much higher. I am mutton-Jeff and wear foam ear plugs yet I can still hear mine perfectly at high speeds.

I'm glad it has worked for you - I had to turn both sets on and off three times today to get them to pair, and that was after setting them up in the hotel the night before when they were working fine!

I've adjusted everything I can find to be as loud as possible, it all fit's well in my helmet, so a bit miffed I'm going to have to remove it all. I just wish it did what it says on the tin - but the vox is very poor for me, must just be the tone of my voice, but with the other niggles I can't say I'm impressed for £400 - maybe it's faulty?, but I'm not pleased with it's performance at all.

James
 
Is there a firmware update outstanding on your sets?

If not - send back for a refund, and try a different system would be my suggestion.

TBH - I had only heard good things about the Cardo system, before.
 
I've tried both - we could not get Bluetooth working properly at all, so stuck with DMC. The wheel on mine only turns the volume up/down and also has a button built into it, it does not navigate menus - could this be an earlier model?

James

Yes its the earlier model but I would be surprised if they had changed it

If you press the rotating wheel in twice it should bring you onto "play music" you can then scroll through the menu's using this one button so much easier.

DMC gives great intercom service but it does limit voice recognition and tbh it does limit vox but with a scotch accent it was never going to be great anyway :)
 
scala rider q1 teamset

I realise mine is the previous model but works much the same. bought it new 3 years ago. rider to pillion and blue tooth to Tom Tom V5. intercom cuts out regularly have to stop and switch off and back on. never know if the GPS is going to talk to me, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. Complicated to set up on computer. I have the speakers right next to my ears and can only just hear them.
now taking longer to charge up so suspect the battery's are getting tired.
just returned from a trip to Dolomites. Italy. new intercom for next year, but which one to choose??
 
Oh I did the firmware update last night and the really useful menu that you could access by double pressing the rotating wheel has gone.

Why do techys feel the need to change something that is not broke - horse and cart rules :)
 
I've had my Packtalk for probably 4 years now. I upgraded to the latest firmware update. Did a weekend trip to Wales this weekend with a mate who had one. We had it in DMC mode, it worked flawlessly for the whole trip, really clear. Connected every time after we had switched them off. I had my phone connected to it, and my nav all worked ok. My mate was using his phone and co pilot to nav, again it worked flawlessly. There must be an issue if your having problems. Volume wise, the loudness is controlled by regs, so it can't be massively loud. I changed my speakers for xpro after marked ones and my mate uses professional in ear ones. I have toured with my setup and a pillion for 1000's miles and it all works fine. You can setup most things from the connect app. The new bold manual is pretty good most stuff works on the older Packtalk apart from the siri bit.
 
I've updated the firmware from 2.5 today (it was working so why change it). Well, curiosity did kill the cat.

Now my packtalk won't let me control the music on my zumo 595...….bastard!!! I only use the sat nav as a music player and it was all groovy. Tried everything I can think of (pressed every button, rolled the wheel) no go, can't skip tracks anymore :tears:tears:tears

Also, in the manual it says connect the phone to phone channel 1 and the sat nav to phone channel 2, tried both and on 2 the sound was awful. There's a lot more hiss than before too. I'm not impressed!
 
You can restor to the original packtalk and not the bold settings on the Cardo community
 
I must say imo the original packtalk is probably the best unit on the market and to move to an untested bold is like buying a new Gs you are a Guinea pig I have use my unit with 5 others on more that I can remember trips an it just works music radio ect all work
I think the latest update is to do with the Tft screen and integrating the nav v1
 
You can restor to the original packtalk and not the bold settings on the Cardo community

Thanks, just downgraded from the mega super doesn't work firmware to the cronky slow and shit working system, my packtalk now does everything I want it to do...……...feckin techy twats that don't understand real world usage sticking their feckin oar in again!
 
Thanks, just downgraded from the mega super doesn't work firmware to the cronky slow and shit working system, my packtalk now does everything I want it to do...……...feckin techy twats that don't understand real world usage sticking their feckin oar in again!

Well I’m in France using my Packtalk with the new update and everything is working as it always did
 
I've had my Packtalk for well over a year now. Initially I found it difficult to set up, but once cracked it has been fine. I use on tours with others, also on Packtalk, mainly in DMC and it has been brilliant. Occasionally, it might fail to connect to all headsets, but the App on the phone makes it easy to rectify. I found the update helped with my volume for music, but it was OK before now max volume is too loud.

One thing though, I use in conjunction with an iPhone and Tom Tom 410, and you need to make sure the volumes on the phone are set correctly. If you have reduced them to use the phone in your room or such like, you need to make sure you reset it before you set off on your bike. I have been caught out a couple of times with this. Also Siri in DMC mode is not very loud when activated and responding, although any subsequent phone call, or music playing is fine. Occasionally, when it plays music it will play 'all tracks' from my library starting from A in alphabetical order, rather than the selection I have set up in music on my phone. I still haven't worked out why this is.

On my recent tour of Portugal with a larger group, those with Packtalk had no issues and the two guys with he latest Sent had the issues. One gave up with his and has returned it to the supplier when he got home. So it is sometimes the luck of the draw, and what other devices you are using with it.
 
Well I’m in France using my Packtalk with the new update and everything is working as it always did
Well it definitely can’t work the way it used to as they have removed several of he old features on the new firmware. I think it is probably ok if you have a jog wheel like on the 1200WC but no good for us on older bikes.
It’s all good now, I’m happy again.
 
Well it definitely can’t work the way it used to as they have removed several of he old features on the new firmware. I think it is probably ok if you have a jog wheel like on the 1200WC but no good for us on older bikes.
It’s all good now, I’m happy again.

What I meant was, after the update I have had no issues, everything is working as expected. I much prefer the new switch off sequence. Using the new connect app to setup DMC and bits works really well.
 
For those having issues with pairing being lost, try to make sure that the same units are not in different pack lists. ie delete everything and start again ensuring that there is only one pack list with those units in it.
It seems to have problems if the same units are in different pack lists.
 
Oh blimey, I was just looking at getting a Packtalk Bold. Currently using a cheap nasty Chinese V6 double unit. OK for intercom, or phone, but ask it to do more than one thing at once, it struggles.
It seems the Packtalk does too. Those chinese ones cost £60 for the pair, do I really wanna spend over £400 to get the same probs?
Having second thoughts now
 


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