Cardo intercom pairing issue.

[Crash Bandicoot]

Hi all,

I’m having a unique issue. I have been riding with a Cardo Spirit HD and it’s worked sans issue for several months. I purchased a Freecom 2x for my wife to use as a pillion since we don’t plan on riding with other people much but I found the audio quality in the Spirit HD kind of crap. Setting them up was a nightmare. Pairing the new device with the phone app and updating was no problem but I could not get them to intercom. I tried doing it through the app but that failed then manually on the devices with hard buttons and that would cause them to disconnect from my phone app (while still being connected via Bluetooth on the phone itself). Did eventually manage to get it working via the app but obviously when we stopped for lunch and turned them off had to go through the nighmare of trying to set them up again through the app.

I’ve done a hard reset, made sure both are updated, and even tried them without them being paired to a phone. I get them to “pair” but no audio actually comes through. Ideally I’d just like to not use the Cardo app. My phone is in my pocket on the bike and Apple Maps already sucks down enough batteries.

I want to press and hold both pairing buttons at the beginning of the ride and just set off which is what I should be able to do but doesn’t seem to actually work. I’ve attached a video below. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue or if I’m doing something wrong.

 

[Inspecktor]

My buddy and I ride with Palktalks, and when paired in Bluetooth mode (flashing blue light) we seem to have issues with different functions dropping in and out. When in DCM mode (flashing green light) it is better overall. The only issue then is when we get together after not riding for a few days it may take ten minutes or more to auto reconnect with eash other. Sometimes it is just quicker to re pair them manually.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

So oddly enough after peckering with this thing for a day and half I think I may have accidentally cracked it while pressing buttons.

If I tap the pair button on the Freecom unit after it and the Spirit HD are turned on it seems to initiate the intercom with the Spirit HD and works flawlessly. I submitted a support ticket with Cardo, I’m sure they’ll have better instructions to share in case someone else is scratching their head but Christ on a cracker what an unintuitive ordeal made even more confusing by the app. I don’t know how you’d initiate the intercom session from the Spirit HD (as it doesn’t have a designated intercom pair button) but since it’ll only be paired with this Freecom unit it’s close enough for government work.

 

[repairman54]

My Packtalk Edge units have been good. We just power them on and they connect every time.
I'm just using them bike to bike. Answering phone calls is a pain with the phone in a saddlebag as all I get is junk calls when I'm riding so I now turn the phone off. Leave a voice mail

 

[Ken_K]

I have a Cardo Packtalk and sometimes it has a mind of its own. Can be very frustrating when it misbehaves.

 

[repairman54]

I have a Cardo Packtalk and sometimes it has a mind of its own. Can be very frustrating when it misbehaves.

I have been doing the updates from Cardo when they notify me. I plug them into my desktop when they come down.

 

[Overfill]

My wife and I got packtalks 5 years ago and got so frustrated with using it for the first two years that I've basically given up on it. Rarely connects when I want it to, updates would reshuffle the start up choreography. [Darn] it, I just need an in-helmet headset connected to a walkie talkie, if nothing more. At least it would be more reliable.. You would think that hundreds of dollars would show basic communication reliability foremost, followed by intuitive, unchanging UI.

 

[weasley]

I have been doing the updates from Cardo when they notify me. I plug them into my desktop when they come down.

I have nearly bricked two different Cardo units using their update program. The whole Cardo universe works perfectly when you've fluked it all but if it goes wrong it's a nightmare. Trying to get my bike, my Cardo, my phone and my GPS talking to each other reliably is like negotiating a peace treaty at the UN. You have to do it all in a very specific, illogical order, whilst standing on one leg and chanting pi to 10 decimal places.

 

[repairman54]

Linking to other vehicles onboard systems and devices seems to be the most problematic with all these communicators.
I have avoided that and just use bike to bike to talk to my wife. Even phones have issues linking to cars and they are more advanced devices. I'm keeping it as simple as possible with communication.

 

[HangFire]

Reading this thread, I'm feeling better about the cheap Lexin's we've been using. At least if I have to put up with a crazy, inconsistently documented user interface, I'm not paying as much as the "brand names" to do so. It doesn't help that the company keeps putting out different instructions to do the same thing.

We've gotten to the point where we can sync intercom consistently, I can take a phone call (still can't make one despite claims to the contrary), and my pillion rider can switch away from intercom to iPad and listen to music (usually) and switch back to intercom (always).