I was looking for some Bluetooth (BT) communication and most recommendations online are either Sena or Cardio Scala. There are 2 reasons why I did not get either or because 1) it has the boom mike and 2) the price of either or are very expensive. A few years ago in Facebook there was a shop in Singapore which was promoting a boomless BT communicator from the UClear company. Since MegaBike has stock for it I decided to give it a try and bought a set.
Packaging:
Step 7: This is where I tested the snugness of the speakers without using the adhesive. They feel snug enough to not drop off when then helmet is placed on the table. The ear flap on the helmet chin strap covers the speakers perfectly. If satisfied with everything, attached the BT unit to the mount and connect the speakers to the unit
Packaging:
| All 4 sides of the UClear box. Listed at the side of the box are the features of the BT unit |
Unboxing:
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| The first thing which greets you is the BT unit |
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| The entire unit has a nice soft felt feeling to it. The buttons are the membrane type and it feels solid to press with or without gloves |
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| Removing the BT unit, the quick start guide can be found below |
| Remove the quick guide and all the accessories for the BT are neatly packed in their individual zip lock bag |
Quick guide:
| The quick guide is printed on 2 sides of a cardboard. It shows the functions of the buttons, installation guide (which needs some updating as the newer models has the mic integrated with the speaker) and installation guide and to pair them with each other |
Installation:
| Step 1: Remove both cheek padding and the interior lining. The interior lining does not have to be fully removed as we only require access to the back of the helmet |
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| Step 2: Determine the location of the BT unit before any installation. The BT unit will always be placed on the left side of the helmet. You do not want to be going down the highway at maybe 130 km/h and releasing the throttle to either adjust the volume or skip a track. I will be using the permanent mount. If using the temporary mount, skip step 3. |
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| Step 3: Clean the area of the helmet to get rid of all the dust and dirt before attaching the mount. I took this opportunity to try out the Ipone helmet exterior cleaner from MegaBike |
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| Step 4: Attach the mount to your desired location. Make sure to firmly press down the double sided tape if using the permanent mount. For those who are using the temporary mount, it works like a huge paper clip. The only problem you will be facing will be removing the inner clip |
Step 5: Find the ear pockets in the helmet. This is the reason for removing the cheek pads in step 1
Step 6: The speaker with the longer wire will be installed in the right ear pocket and the one with the shorter wire will be installed in the left ear pocket. There are also adhesive tapes for the speakers but I did not use them. The speakers fitted snugly in the ear pockets. For helmets which have bigger ear pockets, it is advisable to use the tapes to prevent it from moving too much. Tip: Make sure the 'Mic' is facing outwards towards the mouth
Step 8: Wiring clean-up. Most of the wiring are free in the helmet. This does not cause any issue as the liners will be holding the wires in place. The only wiring which needs more attention would be the back wire. Extra care would be needed when attached the liners to the helmet. Make sure the wires are clear of the clips
BT Unit:
It is recommended to charge the BT unit before use. When plugged into the charger, the led will show red when charging and blue when it is fully charged. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge a completely flat unit
Features:
All the function of the BT unit is controlled by the 3 buttons with different combination. There are a lot of combination but I find myself only using a couple of them. I would recommend downloading the app as it has a more detailed instruction and some models are able to connect to the app to show the battery status. Unfortunately the Amp 200 does not support this function. It is a shame really.
To power on and off the unit, all you have to do is hold the power button for at least 5 seconds. The turning on and off has a different type of music and once you are more familiar with them you will not wonder if the unit if on or off. If the unit is turned on accidentally but has nothing connecting to it, it will automatically turn off after a few minutes (cannot remember the exact duration).
To answer a phone call, one can either press the power button once or use the voice command "Hello". The voice command works but sometimes it takes a while to detect and connect. The line is clear and the person on the other side of the line will not believe/will not know that you are on the bike. To end the call you will need to press the power once or wait till the other person hangs up.
I am happy that there are no boom mic. Somehow a boom mic makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and a bit weird talking into it. It is great that the newer models have the mic integrated into the speakers. It makes the installation process so much easier.
The intercom is a godsend and it makes communication between rider and pillion so much easier. We no longer have to shout at each other to be heard or when we are riding 2 bikes, it does make giving directions easier. There are some minor issues with the intercom. 1) it does have some delay to connect. Sometimes when either of us starts talking when the intercom is in sleep mode, we end up missing a few of the earlier words. 2) When there is an incoming phone call, the intercom shuts off completely leaving the other person wondering if the BT unit has been shut off. So far I did not have any opportunity to connect to more than one unit or pair it to other brands.
Listening to music is fun. It is loud and clear and this is with the lowest volume. Double press the power button to on the music app installed on your phone and it will automatically play the song. Pressing the up/down button once to either increase or decrease the volume. Double press either button to skip or play back the track.
Speaking of pressing buttons, it can sometimes be hard to locate the buttons with gloves on especially with the up and down button. You will need some time to get use to the placement of the buttons. Just feel around and sooner or later you will get it.
Mentioned earlier that some function which requires a combination of more than one button is not recommended to be used on the go. One example is to redail the last number which requires you to press and hold the power button and top button simultaneously which can be a bit of a challenge on the go.
Connecting to phone for the first time is a bit of a hassle. After the initial pairing, the pairing is fast provided you turn on the Bluetooth on the phone before turning on the unit. I always leave the Bluetooth on because of this. If there are some distance between the phone and the unit, the unit will give out a warning beep at an interval of 10 seconds.
Pairing with another UClear unit is a breeze. Just follow the instruction and you cannot go wrong. Once the unit is paired to each other, just press than hold the top button for 5 seconds to activate pairing. It does take awhile and there is a bit of a "white noise" sound when it has been successfully paired.
When battery does run low, the unit will give a warning on selected interval. As the battery gets lower and lower the warning interval increases until it completely shuts off. It takes a few hours to fully charge the unit.
Conclusion:
Been using it for 3 months now and I am very happy with it. For those who are looking for a cheaper alternative to the Cardo Scala or Sena you cannot go wrong with this. The sound is very crisp and clear and the installation is a breeze.
Remember to ride safe, be vigilant and keep the rubber side down
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