SENA and BT question

Kevin_56

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I have the motorola MU350 frs radio with bluetooth built in. I have tried to link my Sena 20s to it via the universal function with NO success. Has anyone gotten this to work?...
My brother "KCMO Steve" on the board here is running the BT Motorola with his SMH10R headset. He also has the SM10 unit to handle some of his BT pairing. He would be the one that might be able to help out on this question. He is not on here much as he is more active on the K1600 board. A PM might get answered.

He has commented that it use to drop signal, but since adding the SM10 it has been more reliable. Again I am second hand knowledge on this.
 

ST Gui

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Blrfl said:
Bluetooth is fine for its purpose
BT varies widely in quality of connectivity. From a reputable manufacturer it's generally pretty good. I am surprised at the distances we've been able to maintain contact. And the audio quality is reasonably good.

There is something to be said about wired gear. My buddy has been using his Sena a lot and forgot to charge it. It died in the middle of a phone call early in the day and he didn't have the charging cable with him. I showed him how to check the state of charge. I'm not sure but I think you can use the 20S while it's charging. But that's more weight and tension than I like to see on a micro-USB port.
 

Kevin_56

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There is something to be said about wired gear. My buddy has been using his Sena a lot and forgot to charge it.
I was using the J & M Intergtr about 11 years. I watched Steve and Mondo (Greg Kane)sort out their Senas and I made the jump after our May trip this year. It was a learning curve to say the least. I have the SMH10R with the external battery pack and an extra battery on charge in my tank bag. If I am riding all day, I will change it at the lunch break as a precaution. Otherwise it will last for sure a half day. I never have to remember to charge mine. I need that at my age. I have the SR10 which is the BT unit you plug a conventional Walkie Talkie to with the correct cable. The SR10 comes with the Push To Talk button. You can also BT to the SR10, like a phone. It was a PITA to get everything paired in the correct order, but I have the Zumo and SR10 paired to my headset and my Phone to the SR10. This was the only way I could get a good quality phone connection to work. SR10 is only mono. It will take a stereo signal but sends out mono to your speakers. I like not getting my head twisted by the cord attached to the bike.
 

ST_Jim

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I have the motorola MU350 frs radio with bluetooth built in. I have tried to link my Sena 20s to it via the universal function with NO success. Has anyone gotten this to work?...
As Kevin said I have a Sena SMH10R and the MU350. I normally have my "stereo" device connected and use Hands free profile to connect my phone to the Sena. By using multi-point pairing I also connect my MU350 as another Hands free device. I don't always carry the MU but when I need it all I have to do is turn it on and the Sena sees it. I've had this setup for several years so I really don't remember each step well enough to lay it out here. Not much help here and I don't know how different the 20's are over the 10's. I'm heading out for a couple of weeks as soon as I'm done here so I may not see further questions. Kevin, email me if there's something I can try and do to help.
 
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That's not legal in a lot of states. We can get away with helmet speakers but a driver wearing headphones might get picked off. Or not.




Don't know but aren't most simplex not duplex and that could be a problem.
I actually agree with that law. I don't understand how some of the drivers can drive a car with headphones on their ears and not even being pulled over...? That's why I don't want to get them.
 

ST Gui

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I don't understand how some of the drivers can drive a car with headphones on their ears and not even being pulled over...?
Like any other violation— police have to see it first. Around here police departments have been cut back for the last several years. And since one earphone/bud is legal (in CA) police have to see the both 'buds are in play or it's no violation. And there's not enough police in the street for my liking.

People either don't know or play the odds that they'll see the cop car before they get got. People have tinted license plate covers which are illegal here and they're pretty blatant. Transparent plate covers are also illegal but there may be case law that gives them a pass but they're sorely outnumbered by the tinted covers. I'm all for more traffic enforcement.
 

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I actually agree with that law. I don't understand how some of the drivers can drive a car with headphones on their ears and not even being pulled over...? That's why I don't want to get them.
As usual, the situation is unique for motorcyclists.

First the law requires us to wear helmets, which is basically a big fiberglass and foam earmuff over both ears. But riding at speed increases the noise from wind buffeting, and in many states it's illegal to wear earplugs to minimize hearing loss. I combine earplugs into ear-phones with Etymotic ER-6i's, so I can listen to my GPS spoken directions (less distracting than looking at the GPS screen). Technically illegal.

"Helmet mounted speakers" with no earplugs are supposedly better. But how good is my hearing at the end of a days ride when tinnitus is kicking in? It may be legal, but I can't hear a thing. I've also combined earplugs with cranked helmet mounted speakers - this works for me also.

As usual for a motorcyclist, you research the situation and make YOUR choice. Earplugs or comm? Full face helmet or beanie? Or heaven forbid no helmet where allowed.
 
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It is legal in California to wear foam earplugs under your helmet, because you can still hear sirens and horns and you need to use ear plugs to protect your hearing from wind and motor noise.... read the exception carefully!

foam ear plugs attenuate 30 db, you have over 100 db of dynamic range in your hearing. So with foam ear plugs in you can still hear!....

CA law:

27400.
A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, earplugs in, or earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both ears. This prohibition does not apply to any of the following:

(d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer’s ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle.

FYI:

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?151865-Protect-your-Eyes-and-Ears&highlight=
 
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EASt

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...I combine earplugs into ear-phones with Etymotic ER-6i's, so I can listen to my GPS spoken directions (less distracting than looking at the GPS screen). Technically illegal...
It ain't going to be long before Big Brother starts making the GPS illegal too, as it has an interactive screen. For my own experience, I'm way more distracted with a GPS than I am listening to an iPod.

Ooop. Sorry Mods! Going political!
 

ST Gui

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It ain't going to be long before Big Brother starts making the GPS illegal too, as it has an interactive screen.
Yeaaah no. This especially considering the number of cars that have and do offer interactive nav and music screens such as Apple Car Play.
 

EASt

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Yeaaah no. This especially considering the number of cars that have and do offer interactive nav and music screens such as Apple Car Play.
I'll put a slice of pie on this one. Let's give it a few years and see who wins. In most states, it's already illegal to enter addresses into the things while the vehicle is running.

The nanny is coming...
 

ST Gui

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The nanny is coming...
And probably in most of those states it's illegal to text and drive. Is that a bad thing or just a 'Nanny' thing.

I suppose we could 'Thunderdome' it out. No 'Nanny' no rules. Only the strong survive be they offenders or offender-dodgers. Wait 'till everybody gets flying cars. You'll really hate Nanny then. Give it a few years.
 

Blrfl

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Drifting more than a little off topic here, guys... Would you like me to move it to a separate thread?

--Mark
 
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Lets get back to blue tooth. ( I tried to push the other topic to another thread back in post 29...)

So, I did get the Motorola MU350R to pair to the Sena 20S as a "second mobile phone pairing" following the procedure 5.2 on page 17 of the user manual. No pin required, Just wait.... Sounds like it will work now, it will be a while before I can fully test it out. I will most likely wire up a PTT switch on my handle bar and put the bluetooth FRS radio in my tank bag. hopefully I do not have to go through repairing each time I want to use it.....

2.5mm plug

Tip: Speaker
Ring: Mic
Base: Common Ground

Also, putting in a switch wired in series with the mic makes that switch a remote push to talk button.
But in my case i will put a 10k resistor in place of the mic.
If the mic circuit is closed, you transmit, if it's open, you receive.
But with no wires connected to me!

This looks like it will be your best solution.

I also removed all other bluetooth devices out of the room when I did the pairing (including the fitbit -- oh yeah that too)
 
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Lets get back to blue tooth. ( I tried to push the other topic to another thread back in post 29...)

So, I did get the Motorola MU350R to pair to the Sena 20S as a "second mobile phone pairing" following the procedure 5.2 on page 17 of the user manual. No pin required, Just wait.... Sounds like it will work now, it will be a while before I can fully test it out. I will most likely wire up a PTT switch on my handle bar and put the bluetooth FRS radio in my tank bag. hopefully I do not have to go through repairing each time I want to use it.....

2.5mm plug

Tip: Speaker
Ring: Mic
Base: Common Ground

Also, putting in a switch wired in series with the mic makes that switch a remote push to talk button.
But in my case i will put a 10k resistor in place of the mic.
If the mic circuit is closed, you transmit, if it's open, you receive.
But with no wires connected to me!

This looks like it will be your best solution.

I also removed all other bluetooth devices out of the room when I did the pairing (including the fitbit -- oh yeah that too)
+1 on this set up. today I suppose to receive a pair of MU350Rs and pair one to my S20. I also ordered wired mic with PTT button and now wondering how to hook up button to steering bar but use Bluetooth as speaker.

Mark
 
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This morning I turned on the frs radio, hit the scan button and put it in my pocket. When I turned on the Sena 20s, she confirmed pairing with my cell phone and a second device. nice! On my way to work I could clearly hear a few conversations on the FRS at 65 mph through my foam ear plugs.
 

tonythecarguy

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This morning I turned on the frs radio, hit the scan button and put it in my pocket. When I turned on the Sena 20s, she confirmed pairing with my cell phone and a second device. nice! On my way to work I could clearly hear a few conversations on the FRS at 65 mph through my foam ear plugs.
Thanks for the good news spiderman!
 
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This morning I turned on the frs radio, hit the scan button and put it in my pocket. When I turned on the Sena 20s, she confirmed pairing with my cell phone and a second device. nice! On my way to work I could clearly hear a few conversations on the FRS at 65 mph through my foam ear plugs.
I am ok with a little bit of electronic magic but sometimes when people speak of oHms and resisitor etc I think the task is too much for what I am wanting. I am happy that you found a solution and works well. Is there an easy set by step for the non-techy guy who would just like to plug and play?
I can get the radios ordered but after that? Thanks for any help with that.
 
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