Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Blue tooth bike to bike interphones, any interest?

I am currently developing a new blue tooth head set for the automotive industry and wondered if there would be any interest in the bike community. The automotive use is for open top cars, hot rods and sports cars so the driver and passenger can talk to each other in normal tones without having to raise your voice. The head set is based on a Motorola Hs850 unit. { You can google that** I will have them reprogramed to be headset to headset wireless capable. They have a useful distance of 100 meters. Talk time of about 8 hours and will still be able to send and recieve cell calls. As i stated its wireless and fits on your ear even if you have a skull cap on. Its light weight and fits very good, better than most bluetooth headsets I have tried.
My wife has a friend that rides bikes a lot and she suggested I might see if there is any interest in the biking community.
They will come in sets of 2 and retail for about $189.00
My wife and I tried some walkie-talkies with headphones in our open top car and my wife didn't like the headphones and the wires. She said that if we had those little bluetooth units it would be so much better so I set out find someone to make them for me. I already have an in to the automotive industry and expect to sell hundreds of units but if there is some interest in the bike crowd I may include that demo in my marketing efforts. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Thanks
JMPRO

Can you mute it so no one can hear you talking to yourself...or worse, humming Paper Lace's "Billy Don't Be A Hero"?

Yes you can mute it. Just press a button like you were going to answer a cell call. When you want to talk again press the button and you are back on.

interesting idea, but not interested.

10 meters is just too short of a range. At that distance we are usually able to communicate pretty well... I would say at least a 100 m. range if not more.

We don't suffer from any engine noise, speeds are slower (less wind noise), etc.

I'm very interested in fact- that is perfect for use on a tandem. And that's really the bicycling segment you should be talking to.

Currently, the best solution is a wired unit such as the TandemComm, which my wife and I have used for years. Both of us would love a wireless solution. The only wireless set available now uses dual radios that have both send and receive channels open at all times. As you can imagine, they are bulky and cumbersome.

I read an article by a guy that had modified a pair of Blue Ant Interphone units (made for use on motorcycles) to work on bicycles, and they apparently work well, but there are some mounting issues because they are intended for use with motorcycle helmets.

The thing your units will absolutely have to do is reject wind noise- if you can communicate clearly with 35mph of wind blowing in your face, you've got it. Tandems obviously don't go that fast all the time, but speeds that high (and higher) aren't unusual.

If you can put out a set that works like I've described for the price you mentioned, I'll be first in line to buy.

Please keep me posted on your solution.

Rick

Can you still answer phone calls? If so, I'm very interested.

Yes you can still answer calls. Just a push of the button to answer the call and another push to be back in interphone mode. This unit has all the normal features of a high end headset but with added Full duplex interphone feature programed in. I have revised my plan to use the newer 100 meter range {line of sight** technology. It costs only a few dollars more for the extra range.
Jerry

with 100m range, this is more interesting.

I am not sure what is so important about being able to communicate at 300 ' instead of 30 ' but you got it.
Jerry

Would be interesting if I didn't already know how poorly this headset performed in windy, ie: riding my bike at 25mph, conditions. You might want to choose a more suitable headset to modify, possibly something with a better noise canceling design. With this headset there will be more wind noise than without the headset.

The headset doesn't stay on your ear all that well when you are doing 25mph either, especially when you need to look over your shoulder for traffic.

Would be interesting if I didn't already know how poorly this headset performed in windy, ie: riding my bike at 25mph, conditions. You might want to choose a more suitable headset to modify, possibly something with a better noise canceling design. With this headset there will be more wind noise than without the headset.

The headset doesn't stay on your ear all that well when you are doing 25mph either, especially when you need to look over your shoulder for traffic.

Thanks for your suggestions. I have 3 different sets from different suppliers and found the HS850 style to the best of them, however with the present technology and price constraints {getting something to market at a reasonable cost** this one will do what no others will do.
Jerry

Can you still answer phone calls? If so, I'm very interested.

Thus being no better than any of the other distracted motorists on the road. I dont want to poo poo on the party here but off the shelf solutions already exist that does what this new device is supposed to do.

Unless you've somehow come up with a way of making it much cheaper of have some extreme functionality not provided.

Thus being no better than any of the other distracted motorists on the road. I dont want to poo poo on the party here but off the shelf solutions already exist that does what this new device is supposed to do.

Unless you've somehow come up with a way of making it much cheaper of have some extreme functionality not provided.

I am unaware of any other off the shelf solutions that do what this does. Please enlighten me.
Jerry

I am not sure what is so important about being able to communicate at 300 ' instead of 30 ' but you got it.
Jerry

No cage, no engine noise. If someone is that close to me I can usually talk/yell without too much of an effort.

Jerry-

This is not the most sympatico forum for a device like this- I think you're mostly talking to cell phone users here. Try moving it to "Tandem Cycling" on this forum where folks are more interested inter-person communication between people on bicycles rather than answering a d*mn telephone while they're supposedly out recreating and escaping such distractions.

Try also Double Forte and Tandem@Hobbes.

No offense intended to cell phone freaks that can't stand to be out of touch for the duration of a bike ride.

Rick

Here's what I want: For 2-20 cyclists to all ride single file and easily converse with each other. This would make life easier for both motorists and cyclists.

That's what I'm talking about- people on tandems are two people riding single file that need to easily converse with one another.

Rick

[QUOTE=RickinFl;7819490]Jerry-

This is not the most sympatico forum for a device like this- I think you're mostly talking to cell phone users here. Try moving it to "Tandem Cycling" on this forum where folks are more interested inter-person communication between people on bicycles rather than answering a d*mn telephone while they're supposedly out recreating and escaping such distractions.

Try also Double Forte and Tandem@Hobbes.

No offense intended to cell phone freaks that can't stand to be out of touch for the duration of a bike ride.

Rick[/QUOT

I get your drift Rick. My original intention was to come up with a product that is for interphone use, Just head set to head set communication. It just so happens that it also has the cell phone function that has some people distracted. If you don't use a cell phone as I rarely do just use the unit to unit mode .
Jerry

however with the present technology and price constraints {getting something to market at a reasonable cost** this one will do what no others will do.

However if the device fails to perform the function it was designed for, then there is not likely to be any interest in it. I for one would not be interested in a device that only works at talking distance and does not work well under the windy conditions encountered while riding. The whole point of a device like this is to overcome wind noise. Without better range and better noise canceling, there is not likely to be much interest. What interest there is will be from customers who are not familiar with that headset model and will be very angry at you when it doesn't perform well.

The main talk button on this model worked horribly after only a few months. GF now owns one of these that she never uses and has never used very much and it has the same button defect.

While there may be few or no bluetooth solutions out there, there are other headset options that will outperform what you suggest.

however with the present technology and price constraints {getting something to market at a reasonable cost** this one will do what no others will do.

However if the device fails to perform the function it was designed for, then there is not likely to be any interest in it. I for one would not be interested in a device that only works at talking distance and does not work well under the windy conditions encountered while riding. The whole point of a device like this is to overcome wind noise. Without better range and better noise canceling, there is not likely to be much interest. What interest there is will be from customers who are not familiar with that headset model and will be very angry at you when it doesn't perform well.

The main talk button on this model worked horribly after only a few months. GF now owns one of these that she never uses and has never used very much and it has the same button defect.

While there may be few or no bluetooth solutions out there, there are other headset options that will outperform what you suggest.

I'm sorry but I am not sure we are talking about the same product. The unit I am suggesting does not have a talk button. This is not a walki-talki. This is a full duplex {no press button to talk**. You just put it on and talk and listen at the same time. {My wife loves that part**There may be a little wind noise but I am looking at a solution to that problem. Further testing is going on now. You say there are other options out there but will you give me there names or where I can find them. I am very open to suggestions and willing to look at anything as long as we are comparing apples to apples. The units I have now are almost ready to go into production and if the bike crowd likes them fine, if not then the open top car guys will buy them. I am not trying to flame anyone and if you have constructive criticism thats good, i will listen. If you just trying to shoot something down with out giving me any specifics then I can't use that info. If you have a specific unit in mind that mine should be compared to let me know. I have looked at a few of the other units that have some of the same capibilties but found they did not meet my qualifications. The "Blue Ant "unit is geared for motorcycle helmet use and requires modifications to be used otherwise plus its more expensive. Also it's attached to your helmet and that makes it less portable.The "Call Pod" unit is clumsy, lots of wind noise and has poor quality sound plus more expensive. Let me know if there are others I should be comparing too. Like I said , this is not a do-or-die deal for me. If I can make this work for you guys thats fine-if not then I'll move on.
If you consider 100 meters talking distance then your a better man than I.
Jerry

grwat idea, get behind the companies and patents for the motorcycle systems

and 2....

you will need to figure out how the breathing and slobber sounds of a working cyclist
are gonna come across. in a car or motorcycle no one is working hard. on a bike, that
is a whole new game


I predict fail for 1) patent infringement and 2) slobber

Well there is no patent infringement as these are licenced by Blue tooth but thanks for your input.

Having used the Moto H700, H350, H670, and Plantronics Voyager 855, I haven't yet found one that I can have a conversation on while moving. The wind noise is overpowering. I'm planning on buying a few this month to try again, and the new jawbones look good, and apparently have a slightly different noise cancelling technology than the motos.

If I get a headset that works my wife and I can just use our cellphones, since we're on the same network. I have no problem keeping the call open while we're going through an area we need to talk.

Another possibility I've been looking in to is using a phone with wifi capabilities to create a hotspot that we could VOIP across. This would allow for multiple headsets, which would impress my father in law, which is my main purpose here.

Sorry, but I worry enough about intermittent radiation when using a cell phone and/or a bluetooth headset so close to my brain. Broadcasting all of the time and at 100m power would certainly raise my concern level. Walky talky mode would be better because the unit would only be broadcasting when you want to talk.

I'm sorry but I am not sure we are talking about the same product. The unit I am suggesting does not have a talk button. This is not a walki-talki. This is a full duplex {no press button to talk**. You just put it on and talk and listen at the same time.

We are indeed talking about the same headset. It's not the push to talk button but rather the push to answer call button. With these headsets, something tends to happen with this button so that it does not work reliably. Mine was either not triggering properly when I pushed it or triggering when I had not pushed it. They are also unusable in windy conditions while riding. The jawbones have been said to deal with this but I didn't mention them because they don't fit your (cheap) requirement.

I don't know of any options that are cheap and I'd be really unlikely to buy something that didn't have the range of a cheaper product. As someone already mentioned there is an advantage to having push to talk if you are really riding hard.

Your initial question was "would you be interested in..." and my honest answer was no and I even gave you specific reasons why I would not be interested. If you are determined to go along with the project no matter what then you should, but it was sort of pointless to ask for an opinions and then completely ignore them.

1. The headset you have chosen will transmit more wind noise than desirable sounds especially at the speeds you can achieve on a tandem.

2. Your only potential market will be tandem riders since people on single bikes will be more likely to drift out of range.

3. The only options out there that will deal with problem number 1 are more expensive right now. the prices will probably drop over time, but for now they will push the price of your product way up over any other cheaper options that are available now.

I would be more interested in the wi-fi enabled phone option if a noise/wind canceling mic could be used with it. I always carry a cell phone for emergency situations.

This is what I would expect from wireless communications intended for bicycle use:
1. Noise/wind canceling absolutely necessary.
2. Talk time long enough to handle at least most ride lengths.
3. Comfortable to wear and doesn't come flying off in the wind if I look behind to check for traffic.
4. An option to switch between push to talk and constant would be desirable as well.

Thanks for your input.
JMPRO

I'm thinking this would be a fun and useful addition to group and event rides. Do you think some music [that automatically cuts out with a communication] can be sent also to the device from a DAP or iPhone?