Edge Duo, XT, Phone, Rider/Pillion - Set-up and Working !

[jfheath]

I replaced my rider - pillion wired Autocom SuperProAvi and bought a Cardo Packtalk Edge Duo.

We have rider to pillion communication.
Satnav instructions to rider.
Music from satnav to rider.
Phone calls to rider via the satnav - ie satnav screen (Zumo XT) behaves like a wireless headset and takes over the phone input, output and controls.
XT screen has access to phone book and dispalys a readable alert and option to accept / reject.
Messages / email alerts to satnav if I want them.

There is a lot of other stuff that can be set up, if I want - but this is what I had with the Autocom.

Brief and detailed instructions attached.

 

[RaYzerman]

Thanks very much for that, I'm wanting to tweak my setup (XT and Packtalk).
Not completely necessary, but may be a way for passenger to hear GPS directions (only real reason, so passenger knows when you're interrupted on the intercom), and wondering if there's a way to share music (assuming you're playing it from an SD card in the XT). I know you could with a Sena, gotta go look at Packatalk instructions again. Rather involved to go experimenting again, perhaps better to stick to what you have.

As for BT intercom, that is meant for connecting to a non-Cardo (i.e., Sena) for intercom, however, it does not remember once power is shut off as you describe. A bit flaky anyway, I wouldn't even use it.... pairs as a "phone" if I remember correctly.

 

[jfheath]

Yes - I thinks so. But it seems to require BT communication, and the way that mine is set up, I think I run out of channels.
It is probably easier to have the pillion unit to talk directly to the music on there own phone. You can set up Hey Google, if you remove the phone restrictions.
And theres the FM radio scanner on the PackTalk.

I am talking DMC (like a group) with my pillion. It connects without fuss, and I think it is necessary to do that. I didn't want to be fiddling with settings on a trip. If the phone and the satnav goes, I can cope with that. If rider pillion breaks down, that is more difficult to fix without getting phones out and apps.

The manuals for the Edge are here Packtalk Edge - Cardo Systems

Although nothing in there describes how to set it up like I have set mine up.

 

[jfheilman]

I replaced my rider - pillion wired Autocom SuperProAvi and bought a Cardo Packtalk Edge Duo.

We have rider to pillion communication.
Satnav instructions to rider.
Music from satnav to rider.
Phone calls to rider via the satnav - ie satnav screen (Zumo XT) behaves like a wireless headset and takes over the phone input, output and controls.
XT screen has access to phone book and dispalys a readable alert and option to accept / reject.
Messages / email alerts to satnav if I want them.

There is a lot of other stuff that can be set up, if I want - but this is what I had with the Autocom.

Brief and detailed instructions attached.

Ok... I just one one question. Your SuperProAvi had rider - pillion communications and both the rider and the pillion would get satnav instructions, music, and phone calls. But from your list above, the pillion only gets pillion to rider communications and does not get, Satnav instructions or music from the Satnav. Is that correct?

 

[jfheath]

Ok... I just one one question. Your SuperProAvi had rider - pillion communications and both the rider and the pillion would get satnav instructions, music, and phone calls. But from your list above, the pillion only gets pillion to rider communications and does not get, Satnav instructions or music from the Satnav. Is that correct?

Yes. That is as it stands. I believe that there may be other things that I could do to share the music / satnav. And I think (but not sure) share phone calls. I haven't tried. Example - it is possible to 'bridge' another rider without a Packtalk into the system using BT. I have yet to try that with the pillion being the 'other rider'. But my pillion doesn't want music or my phone calls.
The pillion Packtalk could also be set up to pair with a second phone to use that. On phone conversations, I assume that the pillion would be able to hear my side of the conversation - but I might be wrong - the packtalk may cut out the mesh when engaged in a phone call ?

But I have achieved exactly what I wanted - ie a foolproof method of turning on and being able to have my stanav and phone AND be able to talk with the pillion. And it is doing this perfectly - every time without fail so far.

There is a significant delay in one person talking and the other person hearing - which is very noticeable when the engine isn't running - you hear the other person speaking beofre you hear it again through the headphones. I've not timed it - but maybe half a second ?

I'm willing to experiment if you need to check out that it can do what you want before buying, or if you have one and cannot get it to do what you want.

 

[SMSW]

All very interesting. I could not get my Edge to hear my Garmin XT. This is what Cardo told me in an email:
Hi Peter,

Thank you for reaching out to Cardo Support.

We are not fully compatible with the Garmin GPS systems. You will only be able to use the GPS with your unit as a standalone. Once the GPS takes over the controls, Cardo features do not mix and are not full available. For more information on compatibility, please reach out to Garmin directly. Please let us know if we can assist you further.

Best Regards,
Cardo Support Team

I'll try what @jfheath's attachment says (have not read it yet).

 

[jfheilman]

jfheath: Thanks for the reply. I think I will stick with my Autocom SupeerProAvi. I have to build my own connection assemblies for my helmet and the pillion's helmet but... I will live with that for the next few years or as along as I can keep riding. And yes, I have a spare SuperProAvi on hand.

Maybe one day....

 

[jfheath]

When I was first trying to install, I thought that BT was the best way to go for rider/pillion communication. But I hit two snags.
i) I couldn't get the Edge to reliably re-establish communications with the other edge and with the Zumo.
ii) There were three devices all trying to talk to each other via BT:
Phone to XT
XT to Edge
Edge1 to Edge2
I came to the concluison (right or wrong, I don't know - I was jsut starting out with this) that those 3 BT connectins were not possible.

The order of connection seems to be important with establishing any communication - and I cannot do with that at the side of the road, in the blazing sun, desperate to get some fast air flowing past me.

Paramount for me was the rider / pillion communication. Even that would not connect reliably every time by BT - not just by turning the units on. I didn't want to have to press a button to pair every time. I wanted switch on and go.

So - I paired the two Cardo Packtalk Edges using the mesh system. (DMC) - creating a group of two members.
This has worked reliably every time. It doesn't matter who turns on first or whether the satnav is on or off.

Then it was the normal arrnagement for BT to the XT - XT to Edge. Phone to XT.

This gives me Phone music to the XT to the Rider Edge (not that I want that - it has never worked out successfully even with the autocom. Stuttering playback.)
It gives me MP3 playback from the XT - perfect, but I rarely use it.
All sound from the XT comes to the rider Edge.
Phone call is directed to and from the rider edge.

The Cardo manual describes a way of linking to a GPS device. Ignore that. Once the phone is connected to the XT, the XT behaves like a phone to other devices. The XT is paired to the edge as a second phone.

If my pillion wants it, the second edge can be paired to a second phone.

Both Edges can play their own FM radio stations throuhg their own headsets.

Two things I am not so keen on are the time delay - although you don't notice it unless there is no other noise to drown the words from mouths.
There is no 'foldback' - ie you cannot hear your own voice when you speak. This is odd for autocom users. The mics on the autocoms have a Vox trigger level, so quiet muttering do not trun on the transmission. So my normal habit of making comments to myself when riding, which normally go unnoticed, are now picked up. I'm hypercritical of my own riding from a safety point of view so if I find myself in the middle of the road on a right hand bend (UK remember, read 'left hand bend' if you drive on the right), when I should be way over to the outside of the bend, I'll mutter something like -"That was stupid John". Which doesn't inspire much confidence in the pillion, and the surprise reply back - "What's Up, What's Up ?" (Yorkshire for 'What is the matter').

 

[jfheath]

Update.

Just checking the full documentation. I haven't done it yet but:-
There is the facility for sharing music with the pillion
There is a facility for sharing the phone call (talking and listening) with the pillion.
There is a facility for including someone with a BT only intercom into the Mesh.