FAQ
On our ride yesterday, we (Brick, Yamadog, and I) paired up our Sena SMH10’s to use in intercom mode. This was a first for me, as I have been using the GMRS radio thru the SMH10/SR10 setup. I learned quite a bit—here are some observations.
1) Getting started: Initially I didn’t think we would get all 3 of us paired up; once 1 of us were paired with Brick, the next one would break the connection for all 3. This happened 3 times—finally the 4th time it just suddenly worked. Maybe Brick knows why but I sure don’t….? Later after lunch when we had shut them off, they re-connected right up.
2) Range: At one point I was a good ½ mile ahead of the others and also out of sight around a turn but we were still connected. That was impressive. Later as we split off from Brick on the way home, we lost contact in no more than ¼ mile. Overall, we were always connected as far as I could tell. The real test will be riding up 80 or 226A to see how terrain affects it.
3) Ease of use: Real easy--nothing to really do but talk as needed. Nice not to have to push the PTT button. Much easier to holler “Gravel” or “Radar”. Zero “latency”, lol. Super clear audio.
4) Downs: Wind noise was picked up and re-broadcast from Brick’s unit but not from Jim’s or mine. We are guessing Brick had Mic Boost turned on and that was causing it, as his audio was also over-driven if he moved the mic closer so we could hear him over the wind. He also didn’t have a mic muff or the plastic noise-killer clip the newer mics come with. But if it hadn’t been for the wind noise, I would never know the 3 of us were connected unless someone spoke—and fortunately none of us were total blabbermouths so the constant connection was not a problem. And when the going got technical, we all got quieter which was good. Brick, what did you find out—was the mic boost on?
Tests:
1) Once while the 3 of us were connected I turned the SR10 back on to see if I could still get audio from the GPS or Radar and whether it would prioritize itself. But I couldn’t get any other audio period unless I opted-out of the intercom by bumping the jog dial once, then I could hear my other gizmos. And I could rejoin the intercom by bumping the jog dial again, no problem. But the SR10 should have overridden the audio without having to opt-out---more Sena weirdness.
2) When Brick peeled off, Jim and I suddenly lost our intercom since we were both paired thru Brick (the “A” member) but as we rode along we both hit the jog dial to enter pairing mode and in a few seconds we were connected again. It was simple to do while riding, no stopping required.
3) A few miles further, I decided to re-try my earlier test (see # 1) with just Jim and I connected. It worked this time! I was able to get radar and GPS audio without opting out of the intercom, in fact Jim was able to hear the radar tones back thru the intercom. So it works properly when only 2 are connected but not when there’s 3? Even more Sena weirdness. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if it works with a 3-way pairing the next time. Inconsistency is the norm with Sena it seems!
4) Jim and I were able to seamlessly switch from using GMRS to Intercom modes on the fly: if we were connected thru the Intercom, we simply tapped the jog dial once to opt out and then start talking on the GMRS. Or to switch back to intercom, just quit using the PTT and tap the jog dial and we’re back on intercom. Easy peasy. Useful for switching on the fly if the terrain suddenly gets in the way of Bluetooth.
Conclusions: The Intercom mode is a nice option to have. I think it is probably best used in smaller groups (3-4 max) since the larger the group the bigger chance of losing comm between the front and rear, depending on the terrain, plus the complexity involved in just setting the connection up initially. And also with larger groups comes the possibility of too much chatter which could be distracting at times. Having to push and hold the PTT tends to make the talking self-limiting, lol, which could be a good thing at times. But at no time was I distracted by other “noises”, like shouting, screaming, sniffling, heavy breathing, etc.
I think the earplugs plus the sounds of riding tend to override most everything except voice. (and transmitted wind noise) And for traveling from A to B for long distances with larger groups it seems like a real plus.
