UPDATED: Review-Scala Q2 Communication System

[taranis]

Picked this up yesterday at the Dallas Motorcycle Show.
http://www.cardowireless.com/MultiSet

Ann and I have been looking for a good bike-to-bike communications system that is easy to operate and allows us to talk to each other while on the road. We liked the idea as much for convenience as for safety, so yesterday we spring for Cardo’s Q2 Multi-set.

We picked this setup for its “Ready Out of the Box” simplicity. One button to power the unit on, a channel/standby button, volume up/down buttons and an a/c adapter power jack. With the exception of the power button, the rest can be operated easily with my thick winter gloves on.

The package comes with two complete setups for each user. There are two brackets that fit many types of full face and ¾ face helmets, as well as a peel & stick piece for ½ shell helmets. Once installed, the main unit slides onto the bracket and snaps securely in place. Two slim, wired speakers are part of the mounting bracket and can be easily routed inside the helmet and velcro’d in place with the included Velcro strips.

The units are very light, and completely unnoticeable when installed. The boom mic’s are long enough to reach underneath and inside a full-face helmet. Both are placed about an inch or two away from the mouth.

The control units themselves are very easy to operate, and the instruction manual is quite thorough. The two units come paired from the factory, so the only thing needed is about 4-5 hours of charge time. One neat feature is the power light comes on when charging and goes out when charging is complete. Run time is 8-10 hours on a single charge. The unit goes into standby mode when there's no communication for 20 seconds, saving battery life. It didn't work well at highway speeds for me, because the wind noise with my half helmet kept turning the units back on. Still, we rode for about 4 1/2 hours today and the batteries held up without any problem.

Once charged and installed on the helmet, power on the unit by holding down the power button for about 3 seconds. You get an audible beep confirmation the unit is working, and within a few seconds, both units are ready. Sound quality is crisp and clear without being tinny.

Today we took a ride toward Lake Whitney, about 190 miles round trip. We were both very pleased with the performance of this setup. The volume auto-adjusts for the ambient noise, and also features noise cancellation. In fact, I could not hear anything other than her voice at 80 mph. Ann also said I came through loud and clear with my half helmet and the louder ambient noise associated with it.

Another nice feature is that this is a full-duplex setup when used as an intercom (i.e. not paired with a cell phone or GPS). It also features priority calling, so when you’re listening to your i-pod (a jack is provided on the headset clamp) and your wife needs a potty break, the unit automatically cuts in and mutes the i-pod. Ditto for when you’re solo and connected to a voice/BT enabled GPS or when paired with a BT-enabled cell phone.

One feature that has me salivating is paring this with my BT phone and a Garmin Zumo as the parent device. Using this, I can make and accept phone calls through the on-screen interface of the GPS, listen to music through the Zumo’s MP3 player, etc. I think this'd be great for when She Who Must Be Obeyed calls wondering when I'm gonna be home for dinner.

The Q2 claims to have a communication range of up to almost 1700 feet. I was a dubious at first, but the claims seem to be accurate. I’ve been as far as 1/4 mile away from Ann and with or without a clear line of sight, communication was flawless.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a simple-to-use, simple-to-install, simple-to-understand comm system for rider/passenger or bike-to-bike communications, I highly recommend the Q2.

Update: Here's a rundown of the installation in my Scorpion X100 Half Helmet:

First, I peel and stick the bracket onto the helmet, shown here (the long oval piece). The kit also includes a non-stick piece that simply completes the "bracket" on the inside of the helmet. This is Cardo's preferred method of installation because it's fully removable for transfer to another helmet. That setup wouldn't work with my half because the styrofoam is too thick, so I went with the included peel & stick piece. Either way, the bracket is ON there:



Next, screw on the mic boom. The fat piece in the foreground where you can see one of the screws (left) is the bracket. Set the mic boom in place and install the two allenhead screws. Then route the two speaker wires inside the ear flaps:



I just popped the left side through an opening and stuck it to the padding. There's velcro on the back of them and it works without the other piece glued to the helmet padding:



Run the right side across the top:



Then find another place to pop the speaker into the helmet on the right:



Installed, without the comm unit:



Here's the brains of the Q2, with it's rubberized outer shell that protects it from the elements. On the left is the power button with indicator light. The button on the right is the channel change/standby/FM Radio switch:



The rear of the Q2, showing the charging port and volume control buttons (also rubber sealed to protect against water). By the way, the system comes with two chargers, one for each Q2:



Back of the unit, showing the contacts:



Installation is simple - just slide over the bracket until it clips into place:



Installed and ready to go! Total install time was about 15 minutes. Ann has an HJC modular helmet and she was done before me. The total package cost me $300 from High-Five Cycles here in Dallas, but sticker was almost $400. I've seen it online for about $320. Either way - a little pricey, but after our first ride, definitely worth it.

[Idaho]

taranis, you have been a wealth of info in your writeups on these headsets and the new Kawasakis. KawaNOW is definitely the better for having you here. Great job on these reviews. Keep up the good work.

[nomad561]

Thanks for the info.I have been looking at the Q2 setup for awhile and think I might go ahead and get them in the near fyture.

[rewindgy]

I've got a set and I can't get mine to work all that well! I mean, they work - but not all that easily. We have got it down to the passenger just listens to the Radio ( tuned to my Sirius ) and I listen thru the Fairing speakers. We have not found a good way to get the Intercom to work!

[taranis]

rewindgy: It sounds like they're not paired in Bluetooth, which is required for intercom. Did you try re-pairing them using the instruction manual?

[rewindgy]

Yes, to all of the questions. I contacted Scala and asked about making the headsets a little less sensative and was told that 's the way they were. The company I bought them from has shut it's doors and Scala wanted me to take them back to them first ( told him can't do) and then his attitude changed so I guess I will have to live with them the way they are. We both have Bell Mag 8 helmets and when we had the J & M headsets on the Venture we had no problems with wind noise or Intercom actuation problems! On the new one's it appears just the slightest noise activates both Intercom's. I was hoping there was a way like on the CB where you could dial the Squelch up or down to make reception cleaner. When we use them off the bike - I am at gas pump getting gas and wifie is wandering around they work like a charm! Clear as a bell - no interference nothing!

[skeeter]

Excellent report. I've got my eyes on every bit of it. Scala, Zumo, Bluetooth, etc....
Rewindgy- hope you get the bugs worked out. Nice to know potential problems also.
CheriAnn- been hoping for a closer look at that helmet. I have a Shoei ff with the same colors but dragon design. Looks cool.

[taranis]

Ours had the same problem with the intercom being live the whole time. I could reach up and shut it off, but it would come right back on once we got up to speed. Anything under 50 mph and the auto-standby worked fine. To use it in town I just reach up and hit the button.

Since the mic has holes on both sides, I'm going to try putting a small piece of tape over the outside holes to see if that fixes the problem.

[gghost]

I have had similar problems with the Q2. I got it to pair up with my wifes' then the Zumo but it kept trying to tie into her cell phone, then it would not connect as an intercom....I reset them and now only use them paired to each other. I may try and connect to the Zumo later. They do work pretty well once the noise level increases. I just need to find a way to recharge them on the bike.

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by skeeter

CheriAnn- been hoping for a closer look at that helmet. I have a Shoei ff with the same colors but dragon design. Looks cool.

Thank you! I bet yours looks sharp!!
I really like mine because its so colorful...I am hoping that it helps people see me better!!!

I don't know if you can really see it here, but the back of my helmet has a big flying bug of some kind....like a wasp!

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by Taranis

Ours had the same problem with the intercom being live the whole time. I could reach up and shut it off, but it would come right back on once we got up to speed. Anything under 50 mph and the auto-standby worked fine. To use it in town I just reach up and hit the button.

Since the mic has holes on both sides, I'm going to try putting a small piece of tape over the outside holes to see if that fixes the problem.

That's a great idea! Please report back and let us know how it worked for you

[waterman]

Thanks for the write up. I have been toying with buying these this winter. Probably will now.

[Netnorske]

This past summer I was leading a large group ride (15 bikes) up to Mt. Baker. One of the couples that was with us has been married for 30 yrs and were high school sweethearts. I went to school with them both and they truly do love each other.

While sucking cold ones at Mt. Baker, a group of riders were all standing there when Alyson asked Paul about getting a set of those so they could chat.

Paul...without blinking an eye...said "I have to listen to you all the time at home, do you think I want to listen to you when I'm riding too..??"

It was classic, but Alyson took in in stride....

[Top Cat]

Cindy and I have the Q2 set. We only use the bike to bike feature but it is like we are sitting in the truck talking. Clear as can be. I would recommend them.

[dougster]

Glee and I got the Scala Teamset system last spring.
Overall, I like them, except that above 50 mph it is hard for us to understand each other. It might be the speaker placement, or just the helmets. I need to play around with them.

BTW, make sure you have the microphone facing toward your mouth correctly. It makes a big difference in clarity.