Wind noise with intercom System

[Houska]

When I bought my RT I bought the Scala intercom system for my passenger & me. We wear 3/4 helmets. She could hear me good But I couldn't understand anything she said because of the wind noise. I'm guessing the windshield was blocking the wind from me. When I bought my F3T I bought the Sena 10. Neither one of us could hear what the other was saying. I ended up taking them out of the helmets. Now my passenger bought her own F3 & I would really like to have something that worked. I tried bigger muffs over the mic but nothing worked. Don't know if we need to go to a full face helmet which don't really want to do. Any suggestions because im going broke on buying different systems & them being useless.​

[johnsimion]

1. Ask your friendly local motorcycle policeman what kind of microphone they use. These guys (at least the ones here in Nevada) all use half-helmets with boom mikes. If anybody needs clear communication, it's them.
2. I don't know if these would help but there are a couple of web sites selling helmet-specific mikes: https://www.pryme.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2243 and http://www.gibson-barnes.com/prod-294218/Microphones-With-Booms.html
3. If I were you, I'd simply get full-face helmets -- or at least a full-face helmet for your wife, who is the one with the wind noise. My wife and I have matching Arai full-face helmets and never have any wind noise issues using our Sena SMH5 intercoms, even if we leave the visors wide open, which is pretty easy to do on the Can-Am. Full-face helmets are also quieter than the other kinds and the extra protection in case of a crash makes them an easy choice for us.
4. Yet another alternative would be a modular helmet. When you're talking and there is wind noise, flip down the lower portion of the helmet. If you're not talking or there is no wind noise, leave the modular portion up. Modulars aren't rated as safe as full-face helmets but they'd still be safer than 3/4 helmets and also ought to solve your wind noise problem.
Good luck.

[Highwayman2013]

We use the SENA20s in modular helmets. Bike to bike works great. 2016F3L to 2014 Suzuki V Strom.

[Chupaca]

#1 you have to have the mike touching your lips and make sure it is in the right position. The mike on the scala are flat and only one side is the reciever and should face your mouth
#2 put a small foam pad behind the speakers in the helmet to have them closer to your ears.

This has solved all our problems on our modular helmets that are not great on wind noise. I do have to keep reminding my wife to move the mike closer and checking that it is the right position.... :thumbup: don't know about other systems but Zoozmc.com has a real nice one and may be my next.....

[johnsimion]

The mike on the scala are flat and only one side is the reciever and should face your mouth

I agree with all of Chupaca's post but this part gave me an additional idea. Somehow we have to keep the wind off the mike itself. If the Scala mike is flat on the back side, maybe the OP could fabricate a thin piece of plastic (say, round and a 1" diameter) to glue or double-stick tape to the outside of the mike -- the part that faces the wind. It might look funny but it also might divert just enough of the wind around the mike to reduce the wind noise.

[Many brands]

The Sena - comes with a small piece of plastic (about the size of a dime) that clips on the back of your microphone - just for that - reducing the wind noise.

[Houska]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Looks like we need to go with full helmets. I have the mic in the right position. I even went as far as buying the plastic cover that fit over the end of a toothbrush & drilled a hole in the side that we talk thru. That didn't help either. Maybe we got a bad set. About 30mph & higher all we hear is wind. Thanks for all your advice.

[Bob Denman]

:clap: Good choice! Full-face helmets will make it much easier to hear what is being said. :thumbup:

[Devious56]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Looks like we need to go with full helmets. I have the mic in the right position. I even went as far as buying the plastic cover that fit over the end of a toothbrush & drilled a hole in the side that we talk thru. That didn't help either. Maybe we got a bad set. About 30mph & higher all we hear is wind. Thanks for all your advice.

When we first got our Sena's I had the settings set for VOX and found that the wind noise from having the mic's hot all the time kept the mikes keyed and the system was just about unusable. After turning the VOX off and keying the mic with the Sena switch the intercom worked very well if you could put up with a little wind noise. Then, using the spoon end of a plastic spoon like you get at fast food places, gave the mic enough protection that you didn't hear any wind noise. Just cut off the handle part close to the spoon part, leaving enough of the handle long enough to wrap a small plastic zip tie around and pull it tight.

David

[JacCh]

We wear 3/4 helmets make sure the mic is close to lips and also make sure the speakers are in the right spot and close to your ears.

[jaherbst]

#1 you have to have the mike touching your lips and make sure it is in the right position. The mike on the scala are flat and only one side is the reciever and should face your mouth
#2 put a small foam pad behind the speakers in the helmet to have them closer to your ears.

This has solved all our problems on our modular helmets that are not great on wind noise. I do have to keep reminding my wife to move the mike closer and checking that it is the right position.... :thumbup: don't know about other systems but Zoozmc.com has a real nice one and may be my next.....

You done took the words right out of my mouth Gene! :joke:

​Jack

[Fire34]

The wife and I have a Nolans B5 intercom system We have modular helmets and rode all summer with the chin guards removed. Of course when the face shields were raised just a little for ventilation, we had some but not as much as it sounds like you do. Of course when we put the chin guards back on with cooler weather, not a peep

Dave

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

i use sena 10 with full face but if my shield is up even a little i do get wind noise

[ARtraveler]

We use modular helmets with the face plates down during riding. Right on about the Sena mikes. To the lips and facing the right direction.

No wind interference or noise with either Sena or Nolan. Sena are the best of the three mentioned so far. :yes:

[AeroPilot]

As Devious mentioned, when on the road or on windy days, we toggle the Senas OFF with the bump switch until we want to talk. It doesn't give us the immediate warning mode that VOX gives, but makes it a lot more pleasant on windy days or at highway speeds. We have learned to bump the button easy enough to warn about hazards ahead or plans to pull over, etc.

[Flamewinger]

Have used Uclear for a few years and when I talked on the phone it was the engine that they heard over me. Now with their new AMP Plus or Pro, they're even better as well as the speakers. The mike/s are in the padding above the forehead so no Boom mike therefore no wind noise. Uclear uses same technology as the military.

[trucker1]

You may need to put a piece of tape on the back side of the Mic. That's what I did and it helped some. But then I had to put some more padding around the helmet where the speakers were at. We was getting wind noise around them also. That helped a lot. Plus my wife tends to move her Mic when she wants a drink and I have to get her to put it back up to her mouth at times. Or get a straw and put it in her drink so she'll stop moving it So much.

[Clary]

My group all use the UCLEAR system. I have switched over to the ear buds over the in helmet speakers and now find that I can hear every word at all speeds, and everyone said I am a lot clearer now as the mikes are a lot better in the bud system.

[Tyris]

When we first got our Sena's I had the settings set for VOX and found that the wind noise from having the mic's hot all the time kept the mikes keyed and the system was just about unusable. After turning the VOX off and keying the mic with the Sena switch the intercom worked very well if you could put up with a little wind noise. Then, using the spoon end of a plastic spoon like you get at fast food places, gave the mic enough protection that you didn't hear any wind noise. Just cut off the handle part close to the spoon part, leaving enough of the handle long enough to wrap a small plastic zip tie around and pull it tight.

David

Good tip, bought the Sena's and thought they were worthless, their tech support in the setup was worthless as well, even returned one of the units and havn't bothered to take it out of the box. Will try your suggestion, thanks.

[Wes P]

Having flown airplanes and helicopters for years, you get picky about your headsets. So when we bought our Spyder I did a lot of research on wireless intercoms. We selected the Scala Free Com series. When I am on the cellphone, even with the visor and front piece up ( modular helmet ) nobody can tell I am zipping along at 50 mph.

I do get some noise on just the intercom but changing the muff to the larger size ( supplied ) and that does a very good job of reducing the intercom wind noise.

Just like the aircraft headsets, you need to get the mic muff just slightly touching your lips for the best sound. too much space between the mic and your lips will cause too much wind noise to be transmitted.


Best of the Holidays to all

Wes