SENA 10S, Why dies it take 5 seconds for the intercom to connect ?

[ThreeWheels]

I tap the big button to talk to my passenger and have to wait at least 5 seconds before the intercom connects.
It can be inconvenient when I want to point something out on the road.
By the time the intercom connects, we may be past whatever it was that I wanted to point out.
The SMH-10 does the same thing.
Is there some setting I've got wrong or is this a "feature" of bluetooth ?

[UtahPete]

I tap the big button to talk to my passenger and have to wait at least 5 seconds before the intercom connects. The SMH-10 does the same thing. Is there some setting I've got wrong or is this a "feature" of bluetooth ?

I've got the 20S, so can't speak to the setting. But, it's not because of bluetooth per se because mine stays connected and active; if it should go off, tapping the big button instantly reconnects. Actually, this is a mixed bag because when one of us sneezes or coughs it can shatter the other's eardrum!

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

I just leave mine on intercom all the time. No need to tap any buttons.

[pitzerwm]

We listen to music until we need to "intercom" and while maybe not 5 sec. there is a delay, (SMH10) IMO just the way it is.

[Buckeye Bleau]

I have a Sean 10 and once I have pared with another unit it is really just an open microphone.

If they were pared and both are turned on, then both need to tap the jog dial within 5 seconds of each other. They are then connected and you do not have to do anything, it is an established Bluetooth connection.

You DO NOT have to push anything to talk, it is not a CB or shortwave, you are linked and connected until you turn them off, get out of range or lose power. Simple!

Joe

[CelticCross]

Joe,

Are you able to listen to music at the same time? If so, please provide step-by-step instructions for pairing the headsets. My setup is like that of other responders in that i have music or talk by not both at the same time.

Thanks,

CC

[HayRog]

I just leave mine on intercom all the time. No need to tap any buttons.

Ditto

[edmarble]

Try plugging the devices into a computer and go to the SENA site and make sure you have the most current firmware update. I started having issues with an SMH-10 and a firmware update solved it.


I tap the big button to talk to my passenger and have to wait at least 5 seconds before the intercom connects.
It can be inconvenient when I want to point something out on the road.
By the time the intercom connects, we may be past whatever it was that I wanted to point out.
The SMH-10 does the same thing.
Is there some setting I've got wrong or is this a "feature" of bluetooth ?

[ThreeWheels]

Joe,

Are you able to listen to music at the same time? If so, please provide step-by-step instructions for pairing the headsets. My setup is like that of other responders in that i have music or talk by not both at the same time.

Thanks,

CC

That's exactly my issue. I'm listening to music and I want to talk to my passenger. I hit the intercom button to talk. I have to wait 5 or more seconds and then the music is replaced by the intercom. When done with the conversation, I hit the intercom button again to return to the music. Sometimes, if I want to point something out to my passenger, by the time we connect, we've passed the place I wanted to talk about.
What's the device doing in that 5 seconds ?
Is the 5 second delay a feature of the system, or is there some setting on the device I can change.
For instance, I don't have a group intercom, my passenger only. Is the device looking for the group intercom, and when it fails to find the group it defaults to my passenger ? Can I disable group intercom ? Would that be of any benefit ?
I don't know the answers to these questions, I'm hoping the wisdom of the group will help.

I've got the latest firmware on the SM10 dongle and the headsets

[DGoebel]

Three wheels, Yep we have the same issue, and we've updated the firmware (or checked for it, on all three devices) once a month. We do listen to our IPod through the Sena's most of the time, but have to tap the intercom button to switch from music to intercom, it does take far too long to switch into intercom mode. But, my wife loves that we can listen to her playlist while riding, and converse as well when needed.

[asp125]

We have the 10S, and only one of us has to initiate the pair by tapping the big button at the start of a ride. Bluetooth stays connected as long as we are within range. If we get out of range the Sena tries to reconnect automatically a few times, before dropping out, only then does one of us have to tap the comm to get reconnected.

The 10S is what's known as full duplex with voice operated mics, which means the channel is always open. I don't have the manual, but I'm pretty sure walkie-talkie mode takes priority over music and navigation. We don't listen to music so I can't speak specifically to that "feature"

[ThreeWheels]

Three wheels, Yep we have the same issue, and we've updated the firmware (or checked for it, on all three devices) once a month. We do listen to our IPod through the Sena's most of the time, but have to tap the intercom button to switch from music to intercom, it does take far too long to switch into intercom mode. But, my wife loves that we can listen to her playlist while riding, and converse as well when needed.

Now that a new riding season is here, I'm still looking for an answer, but I'm surprised that you are the only one who understands the issue.
Everybody else is kind enough to help, and I thank them, but they offer advice on a problem I don't have.

[DGoebel]

ThreeWheels, haven't started riding this season, but will do a firmware check and update if needed, but I do think the switching modes does inherently have the frustrating delay.
It's right there after how long the Press mode response is when starting. I think I'd go buy a Chevy Pickup if my Ford truck made me press another button to start when I turned the key.

I too normally listen to music/Ipod/Gps sound while riding and pressing that button to talk to my wife requires just a bit more patience than I wish it did. Rarely do we leave it always connected in intercom person to person mode.

[johnsimion]

I have a Sean 10 and once I have pared with another unit it is really just an open microphone.

If they were pared and both are turned on, then both need to tap the jog dial within 5 seconds of each other. They are then connected and you do not have to do anything, it is an established Bluetooth connection.

You DO NOT have to push anything to talk, it is not a CB or shortwave, you are linked and connected until you turn them off, get out of range or lose power. Simple!

Joe


I agree with MOST of what Buckeye says. We use the SMH5 units. These pair to my phone within a couple of seconds but for some reason they take well over a full minute to pair with each other for intercom use. Once paired for intercom use, I agree with Buckeye that they're just like an open microphone and instantly available. Where I disagree may be a case of our SMH5s versus his SMH10s operating differently. All I can say is that with our SMH5's, once paired it only takes ONE person to tap ONE jog dial to start the intercom. Once ONE person taps the jog dial, the intercom is instantly available. With our units, if we both tapped the jog dial within 5 seconds as Buckeye suggests, we would actually lose connection (one would connect and the second would cut it off).

[ThreeWheels]

I have a Sean 10 and once I have pared with another unit it is really just an open microphone.

If they were pared and both are turned on, then both need to tap the jog dial within 5 seconds of each other. They are then connected and you do not have to do anything, it is an established Bluetooth connection.

You DO NOT have to push anything to talk, it is not a CB or shortwave, you are linked and connected until you turn them off, get out of range or lose power. Simple!

Joe


I agree with MOST of what Buckeye says. We use the SMH5 units. These pair to my phone within a couple of seconds but for some reason they take well over a full minute to pair with each other for intercom use. Once paired for intercom use, I agree with Buckeye that they're just like an open microphone and instantly available. Where I disagree may be a case of our SMH5s versus his SMH10s operating differently. All I can say is that with our SMH5's, once paired it only takes ONE person to tap ONE jog dial to start the intercom. Once ONE person taps the jog dial, the intercom is instantly available. With our units, if we both tapped the jog dial within 5 seconds as Buckeye suggests, we would actually lose connection (one would connect and the second would cut it off).


Thanks guys, I appreciate your input, but you clearly do not understand the point I'm making.
YES, you are all correct, once you pair the intercom system, it operates like an open microphone and you just talk to your partner.
Once the intercom is paired, that's ALL you get is the intercom. The intercom overides the music and the GPS.
To try and be more specific, once you have the intercom paired to the other unit, you can't hear your GPS giving directions, or hear your music, or hear your phone through the headset.
If you want to listen to your music or GPS, you need to turn the intercom off by tapping the big button. The music or GPS then returns through your headset.
When you want to talk to your partner again, you have to hit the big button to turn the intercom back on. This can take as much as 5 seconds after you hit the button.
Generally, this is a minor inconvenience. Occasionally, you might want to point out a landmark, and the delay may make you pass by the point by the time the intercom connects.
johnsimon has indicated the SM5 connects instantly. This leads me to think that the time delay for the SM10H and SM10S may have something to do with group riding. If so, I'm looking to turn off the group function.
So, for all of you who connect the intercom and just leave it on all the time, thank you for your input, but that's not the same issue.
I guess this is just a "feature" of the SENA bluetooth. Does anyone have experience with any other brands ??


From the SENA Forum:


0
Intercom triggering delay - needs improvementhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/631d8ad59e30a7770b7500ef579cacc9?default=https%3A% 2F%2Fassets.zendesk.com%2Fhc%2Fassets%2Fdefault_av atar.png&r=g
Terry Wysocki (https://support.sena.com/hc/en-us/profiles/280389281-Terry-Wysocki)January 08, 2015 14:21

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I used to have a wired intercom that handled VOX very well with almost imperceptible delay. As soon as I'd start talking, my first word was still understandable to my partner. The SMH10 VOX is a real step down from that. It would benefit from having a threshold setting to adjust for loud vs quiet riding conditions since sometimes I have to scream to trigger it and other times a wind gust will do it.
As such, I just resort to doing manual triggering of intercom. But even this is annoying because it takes about 1.5 seconds for the intercom to connect / disconnect. So I have to hit the jog dial, count to two, then start talking. VERY annoying when I need to confirm a routing question or even point out an interesting sight with my partner. As a result, I just leave the intercom ON all the time, but then I can't use my phone based nav system!!!!
I would like to see some work done on improving the intercom delay in non-VOX mode as well as an adjustable threshold for the VOX triggering.

[Devious56]

Something not mentioned in the earlier posts is there is a function called VOX, that senses when you talk into the mic and starts the intercom. The VOX can be turned on and offf in the settings. When I had my Harley, the VOX worked as advertised and had an adjustment as to what level of sound would acturate this feature. All I would have to do is say something and the intercom was automatically turned on. On my Sena, it doesn't work this way, when the VOx is turn on, even the wind noise is enough to cause the intercom to turn on and stay on, meaning you can not listen to music or receive or send phone calls. If I turn off VOX, everything works as advertised except I do have to push the button on the Sena to activate and deactivate the intercom. I do not have a 5 second delay, and think this delay could be caused by the order in which you have pared the different features; Senas, GPS, Phone, Radio. The paring was the hardest thing I had to sort out, and casued me much headache at first.

[jcthorne]

We listen to music until we need to "intercom" and while maybe not 5 sec. there is a delay, (SMH10) IMO just the way it is.

Now it makes sense. You need to upgrade to the 20 or 30 series that do audio multitasking rather than manually switching back and forth from music to intercom. The 10 series only maintain one audio connection at a time. Limitation of the device.

[Fire34]

We have Nolan helmets, so naturally we have their intercom. We have the B5s. We have our helmets paired to each other and the intercoms connect with a push of a button and stayed connected. When she gets a phone call we disconnect, but reconnect when the call is over. I am trying to find out if we can listen to music through the aux setting on the bike we have a 2013 RTL.

[spydernatic]

I tap the big button to talk to my passenger and have to wait at least 5 seconds before the intercom connects.
It can be inconvenient when I want to point something out on the road.
By the time the intercom connects, we may be past whatever it was that I wanted to point out.
The SMH-10 does the same thing.
Is there some setting I've got wrong or is this a "feature" of bluetooth ?

I think someone made the suggestion about how you are paired go to your settings and unpair everything on your sena then start by pairing the headsets together 1st and then you Garmin and then phone...try that ...what I would do is make sure you have the latest update then do a factory reset on both headsets and then re pair in the above order.

So here is my problem on my 10S and I hope I can get as much input as possible to see if it is only me with this problem. My Garmin 590 paired to my Sena 10S when the Garmin gives me directions some are broken up the first part of the directions are garbled so much that I can not make out what is said, this is not all the time some directions are crystal clear but a lot are not.
Does anyone out there with the same set up have the same problem, been fighting this problem since October 2017... any suggestions??

[ottawa-rider]

The intercom overides the music and the GPS.


My buddy and I use the SMH10 headset, I have (had) the Garmin 660 and he has the newer Garmin 590, in both case the GPS always overrides the intercom, even in mid-sentence.

[frigmall]

We have the Sena "SMH10" units and I listen to my Iphone primarily. When I want to intercom the wife I have to push the button and it does not take 5 seconds. It's not instantaneous, but it's not 5 seconds. Maybe check to see if you have the latest firmware download. I do understand the newer models are better but these do fine for us. Big issue is when we are done talking and both hit the jog button to disconnect and we reconnect, then disconnect, then reconnect........"let me do it"!

[ThreeWheels]

I think someone made the suggestion about how you are paired go to your settings and unpair everything on your sena then start by pairing the headsets together 1st and then you Garmin and then phone...try that ...what I would do is make sure you have the latest update then do a factory reset on both headsets and then re pair in the above order.

So here is my problem on my 10S and I hope I can get as much input as possible to see if it is only me with this problem. My Garmin 590 paired to my Sena 10S when the Garmin gives me directions some are broken up the first part of the directions are garbled so much that I can not make out what is said, this is not all the time some directions are crystal clear but a lot are not.
Does anyone out there with the same set up have the same problem, been fighting this problem since October 2017... any suggestions??

I have the BRP Dongle.
My phone, the other headset and the dongle are paired to the SENA.
My GPS plays through the dongle as well as the music.
The priorities for over riding the signals is based on the source, not the order of pairing.

[ThreeWheels]

Now it makes sense. You need to upgrade to the 20 or 30 series that do audio multitasking rather than manually switching back and forth from music to intercom. The 10 series only maintain one audio connection at a time. Limitation of the device.

So the 20 or 30 series keeps the music on AND the intercom ?
I had a wired intercom system that was set for VOX. When you started talking, it would lower the volume of the music but not cut it out completely.
When you stopped talking, the music volume came back on.
Is that the way the 20 series works, or do I misunderstand ?

[jcthorne]

So the 20 or 30 series keeps the music on AND the intercom ?
I had a wired intercom system that was set for VOX. When you started talking, it would lower the volume of the music but not cut it out completely.
When you stopped talking, the music volume came back on.
Is that the way the 20 series works, or do I misunderstand ?

You understand correctly. That is the function SENA calls audio multitasking. Moving up to the 20 series also gets you digital noise cancellation for a muck quieter ride with clearer communications. In pairs at least, the 20s is a big step up.

[1SpyderGal]

What is a BRP Dongle and would it make using a Sena device with a GPS and phone easier, is it easy to install and where can I buy one?
I have the BRP Dongle.
My phone, the other headset and the dongle are paired to the SENA.
My GPS plays through the dongle as well as the music.
The priorities for over riding the signals is based on the source, not the order of pairing.

[1SpyderGal]

Will the 20s pair with a 10s, I have two 10s and I just ordered a 20s which hasn't arrived yet. I really didn't care for the 10s so I'm hoping I'll like the 20s better. I am hoping it will work with the 10s I have on my guest helmet so I'll still be able to communicate with a passenger.
You understand correctly. That is the function SENA calls audio multitasking. Moving up to the 20 series also gets you digital noise cancellation for a muck quieter ride with clearer communications. In pairs at least, the 20s is a big step up.

[ThreeWheels]

OK, here's the latest for anyone who is interested.

I bought a pair of SENA 20S units for use on the Spyder. The intercom connects almost immediately. That solved the problem we were having with the delayed intercom connection allowing us to better point out scenery, etc.

This left me with a pair of SENA SMH-10 headsets that took 5 to 10 seconds to go into intercom mode.
What to do ? I couldn't sell them, seeing as how I was dissatisfied with their performance.

So I recycled them !!!

I mounted them to each ski helmet. We keep the units in standby to save the battery while on the lift, and just turn the intercom on while going down the slopes. It's not an issue of it takes a few seconds to connect initially.
This way I can talk to the remarkable Susan while skiing.

What a BLAST !!.

The only downside is, I look a little dorky with the headset and my camera both mounted on my helmet.
Well,maybe I'm pretty dorky all the time..........................................


As always, my free advice comes with a double your money back guarantee.

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[ARtraveler]

I just leave mine on intercom all the time. No need to tap any buttons.

:agree: x 2. That tap the button and wait thingy looses its luster fast. And...what if you have to communicate quickly in a pending emergency. "Pothole left/right !" etc.

We just leave the line open all the time. It does not have any effect on battery life. We can ride all day and not run out of juice. Sometimes, if we forget to charge, we can still go another day or two.

[ThreeWheels]

:agree: x 2. That tap the button and wait thingy looses its luster fast. And...what if you have to communicate quickly in a pending emergency. "Pothole!" etc.

We just leave the line open all the time. It does not have any effect on battery life. We can ride all day and not run out of juice. Sometimes, if we forget to charge, we can still go another day or two.

On the Spyder, we listen to music through the headsets when not chatting with each other. That's why we have to tap the button when we want to talk. On the slopes, we just need the intercom.

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