SMH10 Issue

[remark2013]

We have had our SMH10's for a little over 2 years and every now and then when we are using the intercom function, we encounter interference between the headsets. The only way to clear the interference is to toggle one to music for a minute or two then back. The problem seems to become more frequent lately. I have updated to the latest software and the problem still happens. Does any one have an idea what/why this happens? Also it doesnt matter if we are riding in a rural setting vers a big city.

Kent.

 

[Lin]

Have you tried contacting Sena directly? I have used their help desk before with good results.

 

[GearHd]

What type of interference, static?

 

[remark2013]

No I have not contacted Sena. The interference is staticy and very garbaly sounding. Not sure how else to explain it. Wouldn't necessarily classify it as electronic sounding either.

 

[GearHd]

Mine will do that sometimes, I'll just unclip it from the mount and reattach it and it'll be fine again.

 

[remark2013]

Would really like to know why they do this and if there is a way to prevent it.

Kent

 

[rtlister]

I have had this exact same problem with my SM10 system ever since I got it in Dec 2014. I've had literally dozens of conversations with Sena tech people (most all of whom speak English as a 2nd or 3rd language). I've spent literally hours and hours trying to resolve it. Also, just a few weeks ago I went back to the dealership and they are now involved trying to get it resolved with Sena. We've changed out both headsets and the transmitter (SM10)...replaced wiring and plugs. Nothing has fixed it...if anything, it is worse now.

I have given up dealing with Sena directly. It is a total waste of time and energy. They even called me a liar on one of my last calls. I am a very patient and calm person by nature and almost never raise my voice and I have managed to keep my composure by the hardest. So I'm perty much done with them personally. I'm currently hoping the dealership is going to upgrade my 10's to something better. I have come to believe that the problem IS the SM10 simply will not do what it is advertised to do. It can not funtion properly in the headset to headset intercom mode without intermittent distortion while the SM10 transmitter is on.

When it works it's an excellent addition to our ride. My wife and I really enjoy conversing as we ride. But if that transmitter (in the frunk) is on, IT WILL go into distortion (mine does it about every 15 mins or so).

What I believe is happening is the headsets are picking up two signals at the same time ...one is overriding the other (stepping on it like two CB radios on the same channel up close).

Good luck. I hope you have more success getting yours fixed than I have. BTW, Sena will tell you this is not a problem that they have heard of...don't believe that. I believe they have simply manufactured a defect in their system and won't own up to it. And to compound that, now the CanAm units are Sena's with the CanAm name on them.


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[Motorcycledave]

You never called me

And English is my first language. You have been calling the wrong
phone number if you want s tech person in the USA
call the phone number on the SENA website
www. senabluetooth.com that has a 925 area code

I have had this exact same problem with my SM10 system ever since I got it in Dec 2014. I've had literally dozens of conversations with Sena tech people (most all of whom speak English as a 2nd or 3rd language). I've spent literally hours and hours trying to resolve it. Also, just a few weeks ago I went back to the dealership and they are now involved trying to get it resolved with Sena. We've changed out both headsets and the transmitter (SM10)...replaced wiring and plugs. Nothing has fixed it...if anything, it is worse now.

I have given up dealing with Sena directly. It is a total waste of time and energy. They even called me a liar on one of my last calls. I am a very patient and calm person by nature and almost never raise my voice and I have managed to keep my composure by the hardest. So I'm perty much done with them personally. I'm currently hoping the dealership is going to upgrade my 10's to something better. I have come to believe that the problem IS the SM10 simply will not do what it is advertised to do. It can not funtion properly in the headset to headset intercom mode without intermittent distortion while the SM10 transmitter is on.

When it works it's an excellent addition to our ride. My wife and I really enjoy conversing as we ride. But if that transmitter (in the frunk) is on, IT WILL go into distortion (mine does it about every 15 mins or so).

What I believe is happening is the headsets are picking up two signals at the same time ...one is overriding the other (stepping on it like two CB radios on the same channel up close).

Good luck. I hope you have more success getting yours fixed than I have. BTW, Sena will tell you this is not a problem that they have heard of...don't believe that. I believe they have simply manufactured a defect in their system and won't own up to it. And to compound that, now the CanAm units are Sena's with the CanAm name on them.


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[rtlister]

I have not been calling the wrong phone number for Sena. I've had numerous (dozens) conversations since 2014 with their tech guys and their supervisors. They all speak English and they are in Calf. but english is not their first language. I bet I've talked to 15-20 different ones along the way. Maybe 2 or 3 would be US nationals.
I'm curious Motorcycle Dave, why are you saying I'm calling the wrong number?


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[Jim&Teresa]

Our SENA headsets are just over 3 years old. They work well except the intercom will get garbled once in awhile. We always have the headsets fully charged when leaving for the ride. Also, when they start acting up, we switch back to radio, then back to intercom. Sometimes, though, it seems to continue to garble the intercom frequently once it starts acting that way. Radio has been perfect from day 1 - only intercom issues now and then.

BTW, I mounted our Bluetooth transmitter in our rear trunk - works great.

We have lived with this intercom issue for the last couple of years....it's inconvenient and wish it was better! I wonder what the new SENA headsets do in terms of the intercom???

 

[rtlister]

I believe the reason you only have a problem with the intercom and not the radio is because the culprit is the SM10 transmitter. It is over-riding the intercom (it's not supposed to ever over-ride the intercom or gps). Turn the SM10 off and the intercom distortion will go away...at least that's the way it is with mine. The SM10 (the dongle as CanAm calls it) transmits the radio perfectly to the headsets...then when you switch the headsets to intercom, the SM10 signal (carrying the radio) is supposed to be muted. That's what's not working right (I believe for all of us). Try it and see. Turn off the SM10 and just use the intercom. I'll bet you will not have any distortion in your intercom.

Here's the rub, now with the SM10 turned off, if you want to listen to the radio in your headsets, then you have to stop...get off the bike...get to the SM10 (open trunk... remove suitcase... unzip inner lining...turn it back on...put everything back in place...get back on bike...and don't use the intercom. That's NOT the way the system was designed (or advertised) to work.

And another problem: not only will the SM10 distort the intercom but it will also distort gps and phone audio. If you use your phone bluetoothed through your GPS to helmet, the SM10 will over-ride (distort) phone calls as well and GPS audio (direction prompts) the same way it distorts intercom (intermittent). I've lost many a phone call because of this. When it works right, it's a super cool feature! But it screws up often.

Sena and BRP should make this right with all of us who shelled out the bucks for this system.

Sena has another model (SM20) that I am told is a little more advanced than the 10's. I'm interested to know if the 20's have the same problem.

If you ride alone, obviously you will not have had your intercom interupted with distortion... (you wouldn't be using intercom riding alone but you can have phone and gps distortion...if you use those features.

I want my system to work right.

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[oldguyinTX]

And English is my first language. You have been calling the wrong
phone number if you want s tech person in the USA
call the phone number on the SENA website
www. senabluetooth.com that has a 925 area code

The number is 925-255-8936. This is in the U.S. And English is their first language.

 

[ottawa-rider]

When and where do you experience the static, it could simply be local interference you are picking up while going thru a stretch of road.

I know it happens to us every now and then.

 

[Fjrwillie]

Our SENA headsets are just over 3 years old. They work well except the intercom will get garbled once in awhile. We always have the headsets fully charged when leaving for the ride. Also, when they start acting up, we switch back to radio, then back to intercom. Sometimes, though, it seems to continue to garble the intercom frequently once it starts acting that way. Radio has been perfect from day 1 - only intercom issues now and then.

BTW, I mounted our Bluetooth transmitter in our rear trunk - works great.

We have lived with this intercom issue for the last couple of years....it's inconvenient and wish it was better! I wonder what the new SENA headsets do in terms of the intercom???

I have the Sena10 as well, and use it as an intercom and Bluetooth to my Android phone for music. For the most part it works perfectly. I have seen many you folks refer to the transmitter in our rear trunk. Unclear what the transmitter in the trunk does. Help

Willie

 

[Gray Ghost]

I have the Sena10 as well, and use it as an intercom and Bluetooth to my Android phone for music. For the most part it works perfectly. I have seen many you folks refer to the transmitter in our rear trunk. Unclear what the transmitter in the trunk does. Help

Willie

I believe this is what they are talking about. http://www.sena.com/product/sm10/

 

[Fjrwillie]

I believe this is what they are talking about. http://www.sena.com/product/sm10/

I am confused by why this would be needed. I our Sena 10 setup I can set it up so we can speak to one another and by a push of a button we can toggle to the Android device Bluetooth and both of us are listening to music. We are both listening to the same device. Not sure what this does that the base unit doesn't.

We are using Galaxy Mega which I bought a 32g card for and loaded it up with around 3000 songs for a library with out ads

I guess the need for this would be if the device you wanted to listen to, wasn't a Bluetooth device this makes it into one, such as a stand alone MP3 Player. (Hmmm I think I just answered my own question)

Thanks for the link thou , someone else I know may be able to use this.


Willie

 

[rtlister]

When and where do you experience the static, it could simply be local interference you are picking up while going thru a stretch of road.

I know it happens to us every now and then.

It happens anywhere and everywhere ...I've experienced it sitting in my garage ...on back roads...interstate highway...you name it. I'm 99% confident it's a defect in the system. I have an electronics background and have worked with radio frequency equipment and sound equipment for over 40 years.

I don't profess to know it all ...and would love for someone to show me I'm wrong and how to make the SM10 system function the way it is billed to work. but.....I believe it's going to require the manufacturer and BRP to fix it which may even require recalls.

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[remark2013]

Our SM10 is in the trunk not frunk. We do not have an issue with the SM10 transmitting the signal to the SMH10, rather the SMH10 getting the signal between headsets, when using them to talk to one another, all messed up. It does this when we are riding in town as well out in the boonies where we do not have cell phone service as well. Sounds like a common issue that we will just have to deal with.

Kent

 

[rtlister]

Kent, let me suggest you turn off the SM10 (in your trunk) during your next ride and just use your SMH10 headsets to talk on intercom. I'll bet you a cup of coffee you will not have a problem with the headsets if they are properly paired to one another. Try it and let me know.

If you do still get interferance with the SM10 (the dongle) "off" then your problem is different. But I believe you'll discover that the problem is the SM10. And unfortunately, it's probably not just yours, but a manufacturing defect. There are a lot of folks having the same problem.

Turn the SM10 off and see if that doesn't clear it up. Let me know. Blessings!

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[Desert Spyder]

I had an issue a year or so ago after upgrading the firmware to the units. It seems the VOX feature was checked which can only be discovered when the unit is plugged into the computer and the SENA program open. The sound the speaker was making was like intermittent psst's. If you have done a recent upgrade chances are it may be related. All I had to do was uncheck the vox but had to wait 250 mi till I got to the motel and brought in the laptop which I use to download the Go Pro for one.