Last night I was pondering about what to post and thought back to my last motorcycle touring trip. The trip wasn't a failure but definitely could have been better. The problems that we ran into were not what I considered major but all the small annoyances added up to make the trip miserable. The ability to communicate amongst ourselves was one of them. Considering that 3 out of the 4 motorcycles on that tour carried communication radios and wouldn't you know it... the one that didn't exacerbated the problem for our small group.
This rider is a good friend of ours and is a frequent participant in out motorcycle tours. We had tried convincing him to obtain an intercom radio so that he could tune in on many occasions but he usually just shrugged it off. The group lead, my brother, even bought a radio system and handed to him but he just wouldn't consider using it. Perhaps he didn't like radio chatter or for other reasons that I never heard him mention. But from my perspective he could always turn the intercom off and switch it back on when the situation warrants it to stay tuned in. I know it's his prerogative but the lack of communication gave us issues at times.
I guess here is where I would like to point out some positives about radio intercom systems. First and foremost everyone stays in contact. Anyone getting separated because of traffic lights, for example, as it so often happens when we arrive in a major city, could easily give the leader a quick status and plan a meet up point if need be. Moreover, riders could notify leaders of their physical conditions: fatigue, bathroom breaks, being hot/cold and the need to take off/ put on gear. They could also communicate their need for gas stops, mechanical troubles, et cetera.
Motorcycle riding to me is total freedom so I do not wish to push anything on anyone. But if you're riding in a pack that uses radios extensively wouldn't you consider getting an intercom system? In which case I would suggest the J&M Integratr IV (this is not a misspelling), also known as the JMSR-4020. I've been using this intercom unit paired with the Motorola Talkabout 250 FRS/GMRS two-way radio (walkie-talkie) ever since I've been riding in my brother's group. I must admit I had never tried any other setups, however, I can vouch for this setup as being a very good one from experience riding with it the last several years.
A few years back, before the Integratr VI was produced, BMW had contracted J&M to design an intercom / radio system for their K1200LT motorcycle line and gave J&M all the specs for the system they wanted. After the contract ended BMW surprisingly did not impose copyright, or restrict J&M from using their technology, the result a few years later was the Integratr IV. So if you decide to try this unit out you're actually getting a piece of BMW technology.
The J&M Integratr IV features a FM stereo radio tuner, a driver-to-passenger voice operated transmit and receive (VOX) intercom, an auxiliary stereo input for an MP3 or iPod-type music devices or satellite radio units (a great feature for those long, boring stretches of highway). As the name implies the Integratr IV is able to integrate a number of accessories: cell phone, a 40-channel Citizen's Band (CB), or Family Radio Service or a General Mobile Radio Service FRS/GMRS two-way radio (this is where I connect my Motorola Walkabout 250 radio).
The cool thing about the Integratr IV is that it could either use stand alone power from 8 AAA batteries easily lasting through a whole day's ride (up to 16 hours of continuous operation), or through the use of J&M's 12V automobile type cigarette lighter adapter that plugs directly into your motorcycle's cigarette outlet for uninterrupted power. Unfortunately for me, BMW built their motorcycles with smaller diameter outlets. Therefore, to use the Integratr IV on my F650GS I had to purchase a standard 12V cigarette outlet cable and plug, and adapted that to my motorcycle's battery. It wasn't hard to do, just took a little bit of work.
The Integratr IV package comes with the intercom unit, a leather pouch and a single auxiliary cable. To complete your setup you would have to purchase everything else separately. This would probably include headset, extension cable, etc. And speaking of cables and headset installation, the setup to suit your particular configuration could get a bit complicated, hence I suggest doing thorough research or speak to J&M (or their dealer) directly before you commit to getting all the pieces since it would be a big hassle to have to return things if you bought the wrong parts.
Operationally, the J&M Integratr IV functions superbly with the Motorola Talkabout 250 two-way radio. I've tested a number of other Motorola FRS/GMRS radios that claimed to have ranges of 15 miles or more, but once installed voice communication through my helmet at freeway speed became distorted, garbled. Even though the Motorola Talkabout 250 has only a 2 mile range it functions flawlessly. Of course you're not limited to Motorola walkie-talkies and could choose from a number of different manufacturers. Furthermore, if you desire more range the Integratr IV could easily accommodate a CB radio.
The Integratr IV is very portable when using batteries and could be worn on you belt via the leather pouch. The unit has a push-to-talk (PTT) button located on top that you could activate with one hand. From my experience chances are more times than not I would need to have both hands on the handle bar so I opted for a PTT cable for ease of use when I'm maneuvering and needing to communicate. You could get one through J&M or in my case I constructed one. I mounted mine near my left thumb.
The disadvantages? The Integratr IV is not waterproof . But this could be easily remedied by placing the unit inside the tank bag or just simply covering it up with plastic to keep it from getting wet. One other thing worth mentioning, not related to the intercom, is the 8-pin upper section, right-angle hook up cord connecting the Integratr IV to my headset. This cable connector easily chafed when I placed my helmet down, resting on the cord frequently. I had to replace one and can foresee that you may have to replace this cable every so often. You could avoid the costly mistake ($40 for a new cable) by simply be aware of the connector when you place your helmet down... or just simply get a couple of spare cables.
Overall, the J&M Integratr IV is a very robust intercom system and functions reliably. What disadvantages it has is very minor when comparing to the features it offers. One additional plus is that the cost for the unit has dropped considerably since I bought mine. They run about $120 now considering I bought mine when it was around $300.
Our riding friend could argue about many reasons not to use an intercom system but he sure can't argue that intercom / radios are too expensive to afford.
I just thought it may be an idea to post incase anyone else was having problems researching but I am a little unsure if I am allowed to put names and addresses on here.
ReplyDeleteinterfon casa