Sheesh!
I discovered to my chagrin this morning that rain has got into both my Scala head sets. Both dead. Bugger!
We got caught in a savage storm about a month ago riding in the heaviest rain I've ever seen, for well over an hour but mine has been used almost daily since then without problem.
I went to turn it on and nothing... Dead! It won't even charge.
Grabbing the one off the missus's lid, turned it on and it proceeded to repeatedly call my voice mail. I can't turn the damned thing off now.
This evening I pulled them both apart to find water damage on the circuit boards. Contact cleaner and cotton buds haven't made any difference. Damn it!
Looks like I'm going to have to shell out another couple of hundred notes for a new set.
They're a well made bit of kit for sure and look as though they should hold back the elements. The circuit boards are a work of art. Clearly the housings and sealing compounds were not designed to withstand the kind of rain we've had to deal with since Crimbo.
I have to have connectivity when I'm riding. Nothing wrong with combining business and pleasure. I feel a bit lost without it.
If I could afford the schuberth set up.... Nah..... I'm not that stupid, quite!
Anyone else had problems like this with Scala sets.
Are there any alternatives bluetooth sets worth considering?

 

I'm very interested in this Henry,

When I head back to Vietnam in April we will be taking a few headsets - and I was looking at the Scala ones - I have an early iteration on one of my helmets - and thought them quite good.

However, when it rains in Vietnam, it deluges and I'm not willing to shell out over $1000 AUD (6 headsets) for them to fail!


http://www.ryda.com.au/Cardo-Scala-R...derteamset.htm


Rain 'resistant' apparently

Cheers, SB

 

The only thing in my helmet is me head - I tried music and it distracted, I tried inytercom, what how fast can it go zooooooooooom, oh you meant it sarcasticaly you should have said dear - thought about sat nav but Im still a map on the tank boy.
Interesting subject re the waterproofness of such devices though it would be useful to know everyone who has headsets, etc that have stood the rain and pain test, that might help, either blue tooth or wired. With a cost Vs value comment.

 

I have a set of Scala Rider Q3 headsets for when my wife and I are riding together. She hasn't tested hers in the rain but I've ridden in wet conditions a few times, although not moonsoon rain. I haven't had any problems with water getting in it. I've had them for a little over 3 years.

 

Fair comments T & R but for those of us that do ride in the rain and do have to take and make calls on the move, having a set die on you is like having your mobile phone stolen. It's not a facility I can do without these days.
My Scala has served me well for the last four years so I'm not bitter about it dying, it's just a bit of a whack in the wallet to go and have to buy a new set without forethought.
Anyway.... I've been out (after some research) and bought a new set.
The most important and first consideration is waterproofing. There are no others on the market that I can find that claim to be water 'proof' other than this one. The others are water 'resistant', as Seb said.

This is it..... Midkand BTX1

You can read the user guide from the above link.

Having examined it closely in the shop and read the manual cover to cover it seems to be a very capable bit of kit and has a few more tricks than the Scala. Although it's the basic model which only has a 10m bluetooth range it can be connected to an aux transmitter for bike to bike comms over greater distance. I may try that at some point down the line but for now, there'll only be one reason the missus gets more than 10m away from me when we're out riding and I'm not even going to think about that, apart from at the gas station of course. (I have a felling there's a double entendre there but I can't quite see it).
We both agreed that riding without the headsets would be a crap step backwards. It's so nice to be able to chat on the move.

Other features that appeal-
charging is by Mini usb so it is possible to charge from a USB charger on the bike and on the move. When most sets die they need to be plugged into a wall charger.
Bluetooth music streaming from phone or MP3 player is supported
Bluetooth or wired connections for all devices is possible
Pairing with non-Midland head sets is possible. (Very thoughtful of the manufacturers)
Firmware and software updates can be loaded from your PC (Windows only)
VOX or manual intercom and call answer available
Set comes with two microphone types for either open/flipface or full face helmet. Wiring looks good quality too.
My favourite feature is that one of the buttons will perform last number redial. This will be incredibly useful when in areas of poor reception when calls may be cut off repeatedly. It will save the time consuming process of having to ask the phone to find the contact and dial the number again. I use and iPhone 5 by the way. Thank b'jesus for young Siri.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything it will do.

I'll get the thing charged up and fitted to both lids and let you know what the sound quality is like.
Lastly, price.... £190.00 for a rider and pillion set. Not at all bad.

Seb, this could be your tool of choice for the Vietnam trip. Watch this space....
H

 

Scala are proposing a new model for the UK market with integrated
waterproof microphone

 

I've been very happy with the two Sena units I have owned. First I had the SMH10R but it got stolen along with my helmet. Currently I have the SMH5. Functionally they are basically the same, but I prefer the controls on the SMH10R.

 

Actually have the Parrot SK4000
on one of my lids back in the US
When I do use it I really like it and
it's pretty darned resistant to the
elements at any rate

Also use the Parrot Mki9200 in
the cage

Mostly because these work well with
IOS integration but apparently just
as good with droid too.

 

Be interesting to see the level of noise suppression on that model Sprock. Perhaps I should have waited.......

 

I like the idea of bluetooth, but could never come to grips with having a box jutting out the side of my lid.
That said, I've still managed to get wet enough to fry the mike on an Autocom and the phone in an inside pocket of a 'waterproof' jacket. (it was BT'd to the Autocom under the seat).