Pairing two headsets so that each can hear the TomTom

chickenlegs

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So far I have got two conflicting opinions on whether it is possible to pair two, multi-channel BT headsets (rider and pillion) to one Rider 550 so that both rider and pillion are able to communicate AND both rider and pillion can hear the instructions from the TomTom. I have not purchased the TomTom, nor the headsets yet as I have found this question unanswered by TomTom and most of the popular headset manufacturers.

Does anyone with a 550 have experience of this set up and my desired pairing strategy?
 
So far I have got two conflicting opinions on whether it is possible to pair two, multi-channel BT headsets (rider and pillion) to one Rider 550 so that both rider and pillion are able to communicate AND both rider and pillion can hear the instructions from the TomTom. I have not purchased the TomTom, nor the headsets yet as I have found this question unanswered by TomTom and most of the popular headset manufacturers.

Does anyone with a 550 have experience of this set up and my desired pairing strategy?

Maybe you are getting conflicting opinions because you are asking the question in the wrong way.

It is crucial to you that both rider and pillion hear the instructions from the 550. You should go to the nearest reputable accessory shop (phoning before you go) and ask for some headsets (Sean, Cardo, Interphone) with music sharing capability. The rider might pair to the 550 and then the passenger would pair to the rider, sharing music and instructions form the GPS as well as voice communication.
Do not leave the shop until you have proved that the set-up works for you.
 
Why does your pillion want or need to hear the gps device’s instructions?

If you (I assume the driver of the bike) miss the instruction, isn’t there an easy way to prompt the gps device to repeat the directional command, rather than relying on the pillion to dig you in the ribs, wave their arms like a demented windmill and shout?
 
Thank you for your response. You are right, I have concluded that this set up, (referred to as "unique" by a Sena chat person), can only be solved by speaking to a physical person and trying out different options! It has surprised me, however, that this isn't a fairly common requirement for BT connectivity, and how unresponsive the intercom manufacturers have been to what seems to me to be a simple question.
 
Presumably because there is little or no demand amongst the bikermate fraternity, for their pillions to hear gps device instructions. Nor from their passengers. Should they ever install it, it’ll only prompt umpteen demands as to how to turn it off.
 
I use a BT set up from Intaride and I pair with the GPS first and then pair my headset with Her Ladyship and it works fine, it is a Garmin GPS though not TT.
 
I use a BT set up from Intaride and I pair with the GPS first and then pair my headset with Her Ladyship and it works fine, it is a Garmin GPS though not TT.

Thank you for responding. I notice from other similar posts as this one that you are a devotee of Intaride. May I ask how you find the unit (presumably the S-3)? How is it for consistency of connection, battery life, robustness, ease of use, loudness? The S-3 is certainly a cheaper option to other makes.
Chris
 
I've had it for at least a couple of years now and it has been faultless, it always pairs immediately and the clarity is good on the move. Went for a ride yesterday and paired up with my mate and we had crystal clear comms for the whole ride. Battery will last all day.
 
I use a BT set up from Intaride and I pair with the GPS first and then pair my headset with Her Ladyship and it works fine, it is a Garmin GPS though not TT.

Sorry to be persistent, but in your setup, can Her Ladyship hear the GPS or can she only communicate with you?
 
I'll have to double check with her but I think she can hear the GPS, she's out at the moment, will get back to you.
 
I'll have to double check with her but I think she can hear the GPS, she's out at the moment, will get back to you.
Hello, I’ve been following this thread with interest as I also would like to move to BT provided my passenger can hear music and route instructions from the GPS.
Dis you manage to get any clarification from your wife?
Cheers
 
Hello, I’ve been following this thread with interest as I also would like to move to BT provided my passenger can hear music and route instructions from the GPS.
Dis you manage to get any clarification from your wife?
Cheers

Hello vincentrapide. In follow up to my original post, I have gone ahead and purchased two Intaride S-3 headsets and a new TomTom Rider 550. Having been assured by the owner of Intaride that my desired setup would work, I took the plunge, plus there is the security of a 14 day returns policy!
I have tested the setup and can report that my pillion can hear the TomTom instructions and we can talk to each other without the need for any BT switching or pairing complications. So long as you pair the TomTom to the rider first and then pair the pillion to the rider's headset, all communications are audible by all parties. I have not paired anything to my iPhone, so cannot comment on whether music can be heard, but I would have thought that it would be.
Obviously, I have no experience with any other type of headset, but the pairing was relatively easy and the fact that my pillion can hear the TomTom is great.
However, the downside is that my pillion has reported that the quality of the audio/ voice is somewhat poorer than if we weren't paired with the TomTom. This is odd as my experience of the audible quality is pretty much the same whether we have the TomTom paired or not. She can hear stuff, it's just less clear.
Also, we have noticed an annoying time lag between the TomTom and the headsets. Bluetooth lag is a thing apparently. Turn instructions arrive to both of us a bit late, sometimes up to 50metres later than the displayed distance to the turn is indicated. We have learned to compensate!
Hope this helps.
Chris
 
Hello vincentrapide. In follow up to my original post, I have gone ahead and purchased two Intaride S-3 headsets and a new TomTom Rider 550. Having been assured by the owner of Intaride that my desired setup would work, I took the plunge, plus there is the security of a 14 day returns policy!
I have tested the setup and can report that my pillion can hear the TomTom instructions and we can talk to each other without the need for any BT switching or pairing complications. So long as you pair the TomTom to the rider first and then pair the pillion to the rider's headset, all communications are audible by all parties. I have not paired anything to my iPhone, so cannot comment on whether music can be heard, but I would have thought that it would be.
Obviously, I have no experience with any other type of headset, but the pairing was relatively easy and the fact that my pillion can hear the TomTom is great.
However, the downside is that my pillion has reported that the quality of the audio/ voice is somewhat poorer than if we weren't paired with the TomTom. This is odd as my experience of the audible quality is pretty much the same whether we have the TomTom paired or not. She can hear stuff, it's just less clear.
Also, we have noticed an annoying time lag between the TomTom and the headsets. Bluetooth lag is a thing apparently. Turn instructions arrive to both of us a bit late, sometimes up to 50metres later than the displayed distance to the turn is indicated. We have learned to compensate!
Hope this helps.
Chris
Chris, Thanks very much for the update. The “Bluetooth lag” sounds very disconcerting! Just as I think I’ll finally take the plunge and ditch Autocom for a form of BT, I read tons of negative information that puts me off.
Yours, Uncertain of Oulton Broad. Cheers!
 
Chris, Thanks very much for the update. The “Bluetooth lag” sounds very disconcerting! Just as I think I’ll finally take the plunge and ditch Autocom for a form of BT, I read tons of negative information that puts me off.
Yours, Uncertain of Oulton Broad. Cheers!

What is this tons, you have read about? Take for example this 50 metres of delay. Are the pages full of similar problems? Maybe it's something to do with the pairing and that the voice instructions from the GPS device have to a pass both to rider and pillion, though it's not clear why.
 
Right I know I don’t know enough about this but I have fucked about with headsets, phones and sat navs enough to know first it’s a right pita but secondly that it’s all something to do with order, priorities and handshakes. Your sat Nav, phone, intercom, music know what they are and where they fit into the order of Bluetooth priorities.

So, music is at the bottom of the heap, as an intercom “call” will cut the music or reduce its volume. Phone trumps intercom, and sat Nav trumps it all (or is it phone call that is top. Can’t remember). When your phone is also your phone your music and your sat Nav the phone cleverly knows what it is transmitting and where that bit fits in the priorities.

Further I think your Tom Tom is acting as hub for it all. Your voice intercom message goes from your Mic to the headset to the Tom Tom which checks what sort of information it is and retransmits it as an intercom call onto your pillions headset and vice versa when your pillion speaks. The multiple handling could be why sound quality is poorer than when it’s intercoms only.

When your sat Nav sends voice instructions it has to first of all close down the intercom connection, then open up the Sat Nav connection. This all takes a few moments, slightly longer if it has two (rider& pillion) intercom and two sat Nav channels to close/open. In the meantime the Sat Nav message is playing rather queuing so the first bit of it gets clipped off. For incoming phone calls it’s less important as all you miss is the first bit of the ring tone. For outgoing calls everything is already disconnected so no lag.

Personally I gave up with it all and don’t bother getting voice sat Nav instructions. Headsets are just for talking to each other which extends battery life and makes them near instantaneous. Sat Nav - Garmin or one of several phone based apps I just have on screen looking for the next instruction. I rarely follow routes anyway just using sat Nav for a scrolling map and the apps for final mile in towns if I need them. Besides going the wrong way often leads to the best bits and when I do follow sat Nav routes I find I can’t retrace the route in my head as I’ve followed instructions rather than working it all out in my mind. After which it seems to be lodged in there forever.
 
What is this tons, you have read about? Take for example this 50 metres of delay. Are the pages full of similar problems? Maybe it's something to do with the pairing and that the voice instructions from the GPS device have to a pass both to rider and pillion, though it's not clear why.
I don’t think I’ve read of such a delay before, but acknowledging that more often than not it’s only the problems that get to be discussed, there’s still enough on this forum alone to raise concerns for me. I’ve tried a few BT systems over the years and been less than impressed. The tech gent at Intaride is having a look at the question posed at #1 for me. I look forward to a solution.
Cheers
 
just to put the cat amongst the pigeons, using a wired autocom spa automatic that is as old as the ark, i can do all that the op requires and a whole lot more, although it does have the downside of a physical connection. i would have thought by now blue tooth would have it nailed.
 
just to put the cat amongst the pigeons, using a wired autocom spa automatic that is as old as the ark, i can do all that the op requires and a whole lot more, although it does have the downside of a physical connection. i would have thought by now blue tooth would have it nailed.

I think that you will find that many bluetooth systems can also do a lot more!
 
Quote (I think that you will find that many bluetooth systems can also do a lot more!) I have no doubt that what you say is true but reading the various posts on here regarding bluetooth comms it seems that many people have problems with connection issues and the likes, now i fully understand that this may not always be an issue with the comms but user error, I myself would love to be able to get a way from being wired to the bike and have asked the same questions as the op and more to the suppliers of bluetooth equipment with reference to what the equipment can and can not do, and have yet to find one that will do what i require, so hence my saying, i would have thought by now blue tooth would have it nailed, not knocking it, just thinking it would be a little more sorted.
 
Quote (I think that you will find that many bluetooth systems can also do a lot more!) I have no doubt that what you say is true but reading the various posts on here regarding bluetooth comms it seems that many people have problems with connection issues and the likes, now i fully understand that this may not always be an issue with the comms but user error, I myself would love to be able to get a way from being wired to the bike and have asked the same questions as the op and more to the suppliers of bluetooth equipment with reference to what the equipment can and can not do, and have yet to find one that will do what i require, so hence my saying, i would have thought by now blue tooth would have it nailed, not knocking it, just thinking it would be a little more sorted.

Ieedude03, it's the way of the world now. The Autocom was deigned by 1 single-minded, autocratic, motorcycle-cycle-riding, ex-Navy Signals engineer when there was nothing else even half-decent out there.

Nowadays there is lots of competition and it's a game of features. The devices are being programmed by a raft of computer nerds, whose mummies will not let them ride a motorcycle because it now too bl**dy dangerous out there.

....and breathe :rob
 


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