A lot of Static Noise in intercoms
During intercoms, either 1 to 1 or in a group, there is always a lot of static noise.
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I don't encounter this; however, I noticed when one of the mic booms are moved there is static and crackling. I will check tomorrow to see if it is loose; otherwise, it may have to go back.
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I just encounter this problem on one of the sena units. I took the mount off and place a small piece of the extra mounting pads on top of and next to the mic, then used the two allens to install the mounting plate...once tight on the base the mic port does not move around....I will test tomorrow and report back. My unit to my knowledge is fine...it is the passenger unit.
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Do you have both Antennas sticking out?
I have my boom mic pressed right up against the inside of my helmet in front of my mouth, me and my friend have had no issues regarding to such noise. :)
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We didn't experience any static at all in Intercom usage unless key people in the group would go over a hill or around a cliff in a curve. If that key person was in the middle of our group, it provided Intercom communications where line of sight was absent. But if he was first or last in the group, we'd all lose each other when the key person wasn't in line of sight.
One of our group has a full-face Aria helmet. He used the wired microphone. His chin vent, when open, would cause a little crackling and static-like noise. When closed, there was always dead silence between all four of us. Also, with his microphone velcroed to the chin guard of his Arai, his voice audio was down maybe 12 - 20 DB. The rest of us had boom mics, touching or almost touching our lips. Everyone's audio in our group was very strong except the one with the wired microphone. If that person spoke loudly, we could all tell that he was forcing his voice. Best communication was with the microphone within 1/4" of the user's mouth.
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When using 1 to 1, it sounds great without any static... when we add a 3rd unit, there tends to be a lot of static a lot of the time....
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Sound I from a SMH10R to my Sena 20S sounds like someone popping the old Jiffy Pop corn on a stove or someone rustling paper continuously.
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I have the same pop corn noise, from our 20s to SMH10 - but ONLY within 100 feet of our house. I think something is not insulated right and it's picking up interference. I had a similar issue in my first 20s (was already replaced under warranty) with incorrect insulation internally, causing statis and noise when using any bluetooth and earbuds.
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In our group we have this when SMH10's are conferenced in. 20s to 20s is clear.
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We have the same problem when a 3rd person is added. They work fine with two people or single listening. One of our group has an older S20 model. We are still trying to figure it out.
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I am having the same problem with static but only when an SMH10 is involved. 20S to 20S it is super clear, and then my friend connects with his 10 and it just has random popping with static and he is always way quieter too, even when he tries shouting, it just won't transmit louder (has mic boost on). We all are using boom mics. Plus, not sure if other people who are having the issue when a 10 is conferenced in, but audio multitasking doesn't work either with a 10. Even if its just my 20 to his 10, not having that 3rd person tied in, it still doesn't work. The music is just super choppy and never goes fluid, whether people are talking or not.
I've done fault resets and factory resets on all 3, updated to the latest firmware and nothing. It really is annoying as the person with the 10 is my main riding buddy and when its just the 2 of us the popping and static is annoying. At least in the case of just the two of us, I can just turn him up to hear him, where other times when another person is connected its impossible because then they're blowing my ear drums.
Called Sena tech support, and the guy pretty much said "I have no clue what it could be either." and just told us to all send in our devices. He just kept saying to factory reset and fault reset. But from what it seems like, a lot of people are having the issue when intercoming with a 10. We haven't tried messing with his settings, like the packet loss or whatever it is and that other setting that Sena says to turn off only if you have an issue, but not sure what issues would constitute those being switched off.
Please Sena, fix this, please!!!
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we get the popcorn noise at any random time when paired 1 to 1 or in a small group (of 3 or 4) it doesn't seem to matter, but we have noticed that it has to be the intercom connection, because if we drop the intercom, the noise goes away, then if we pick it back up the noise will come back. we have noticed that there are some areas that we ride where the noise seems to appear all the time, and other areas where it might just be intermittent, I'm not sure if this is just coincidence or not.
we also seem to have an issue where if my buddy turns on his music, not only can I hear it in the background, but I also suddenly get a lot of feedback in my helmet, I mean that I can hear myself talking with a 1/2 second delay(which is extremely annoying!) and sometimes it sounds like he is talking in an echo chamber. he uses earbuds (the kind that are custom made) and I use my speakers, but somehow I still hear his music in the background very low volume, and if he tries to actually share the music it does not work. that is a minor annoyance, the echo of my voice in my helmet is way worse to deal with, but if he turns off the music it goes away instantly, I have no idea why this is. he uses an android phone, and I use an iPhone, he does not get the feedback in his helmet, when I turn on my music, but I get it if he does.
if not for these couple of extreme annoyances, I would be super happy with the sena 20s units, but because of this I am considering making a change yet again, I was real happy with my chatterbox xBi units, and the scala G9's had some merit, but when we found the 20s with the audio multitasking we thought it would be the best of all we had tried, and so far that is not the case. I really wanted to buy the 10c, but until I know that it wont have the same issues I cannot bring myself to shell out the money for it. not to mention that there is no information on if the 10c has the audio multitasking that the 20s does, all it says is smart mixing audio to the video, but says nothing about audio multitasking.
if Sena can fix the popcorn noise, and the echo in my headset because my riding buddy turned on his music, then I would shout it 's praises all over the place, but for now I have to just say they are just ok units, nothing special, nothing that separates them from any other unit out there, not the hardware, the software, or the support, (factory reset is not the answer to everything!)
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My husband and I both have the 20S and we started to have crackling noise on and off, then became so bad they are virtually useless.I have tried a total reset and update on both units and still have crackling so sending back both units.Hopefully the replacement will not have this problem. I had high hopes for Sena because they had good reviews but are having doubts about this product. 0 -
I love the 20S... until a third unit is added to the intercom, or a group intercom is initiated. The static, and popping noise is enough of a distraction to only use 1 to 1.
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That could be it, Sam. I'm trying to think back if I've ever experienced the static, popping, drum noise when 1:1. Although, Karen noted that it was so bad with only her and her husband that they returned theirs. The problem is so prevalent that it sure seems that Sena would be doing something about it. It'a a bug that needs to be resolved.
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And we thought it was only us!!....... thank you everyone for making us realise we we're NOT going crazy......... it's popcorn/ rustling paper for us to
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Same problem. Going crazy in a group intercomm session with a lot of noise. 1 on 1 works fine. 0 -
We experienced the popcorn the other evening when my friend and I were in my Family room indoors with our helmets on to test the new Phone2 A2DP profile. We were in intercom while testing; and occasionally, the static popping would commence briefly (from just a few seconds to 15-20 seconds at a time).
So it's bearable most of the time with just 1 on 1 Intercom. Throw in a 3rd person and it's worse. My maximum experience is with four users in Intercom. Sometimes it would start and go for 15 minutes or maybe even up to 30 minutes before we'd turn them of for some silence.
This is one issue that Sena should really be working on very hard. It's so easy to duplicate in a lab situation. They don't even have to go out and ride.
Ken
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I have two of the Expand headsets and the intercom static is quite annoying. If we speak loudly we can hear each other but this is far from satisfactory. I've updated software, reset, factory default all to no avail. We got them for use on our boat and until this is solved, I cannot recommend them to anyone. We use them for comm during docking maneuvers which can be critical and we are both afraid we cannot understand each other. Paired to the phone it works fine and playing music through it sounds great. But, for their principal use for our safety, we are not happy. 0 -
We've had this same problem for a while. We really didn't notice it for a long time because it was just myself and my wife. The only real problem we had was range (no where near the specs). Since we are typically fairly close to each other, it's usually not an issue. It does suck if one of us hits a red light and the other doesn't. Have to keep watching and try to connect again. But, that is a range issue.
The popping noise we really didn't notice until we added a third 20s to our existing (2) 20s setup we had for more than 6 months. As soon as we added our daughter's 20s, we started noticing the popping noise. It's extremely loud and very annoying. She didn't ride with us very much, so we didn't think much about it. We bought another one for our other daughter. Now, with (4) in a group intercom, they are practically useless 85% of the time. The static is so bad, I usually just cut off the intercoms and only connect when I need to tell them something.
So, a bit upset as I have almost $1,000 worth of intercom equipment (4 - 20s devices) and effectively can only use 2 at a time for an intercom which was the primary use. I had (3) Uclear HBC200 units before, and although the sound wasn't as clear, the range and no popping may have been worth not replacing them.
Sena should fix this or at least own up to it. I've done all of the things everyone else on this board has done with the same results. I've kinda given up on fixing it. Thinking about putting a YouTube video up so others can confirm they have the same issue. On a side note, when doing multiple intercoms, it's almost like it reverts to bluetooth range vs the real intercom range. One car could be between us and we can't hear each other from the static even if we are only 50-75 feet away.0 -
A quick update ... Since I was already in troubleshooting mode from posting yesterday, I tried a few things with just 2 of the units. If you turn off the HD intercom mode (which only works on 2 units connected and not more) you will get very similar noises and sounds with just 2 units connected. Basically, really crappy intercom audio and crackling noises. Sounds like these are great for 2 people, but unless Sena can make some improvements on the group intercom mode, it's basically not worth it due to such a bad experience. I'm already looking at Cardo PACKTALK that seem to do the same things as the 20s intercom and music wise. It's a shame because I really do love the Sena with just myself or one other person. But, what's the point of a group intercom that doesn't work well at all in a group of more than 2 people. 0 -
I've also read complaints about what sounds like the same noises from Scala users. Packtalk looks really neat . . . I'm betting that Sena will come up with their own version; else lose share of market to Scala.
By the way, there is no Scala forum that I can find on the Internet. To see what people are saying, I had to go to about a dozen motorcycle forums and search for Scala. I think it's good that Sena keeps this forum open for us. They take a lot of hits here; but it serves to improve their product as well as allow us to talk about our experiences. Almost all of my experiences are positive. There are only 1 or 2 remaining nagging problems; one being the popcorn/drumbeat noises that seem to be more prevalent when more than two are in intercom communications.
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Sad to say, Sena will never fix this issue or their quality control. I bought a dual pack, and have had to warranty replace BOTH I think 4 times already. A few were dead on arrival, the others wouldn't audio multitask, wouldn't hold a charge for long, it goes on and on.
About the issues with intercom, I can't handle it. Last ride with 3 people total, it was so bad randomly getting crazy loud and then perfect for literally seconds and then back to extreme popping, etc. For over $270 a unit, they should easily have the latest intercom technology to avoid this issue.
On the intercom note: HD intercom doesn't have this issue, which is why, like Slyicep said, when you go above 2 people or turn off HD intercom, the issue takes place. Now, the shady part is that Sena SAYS that HD intercom is for UP TO 8 RIDERS!! I've considered bringing this up and getting a full refund, but have not. Either way, this is straight out LYING. To quote from the Sena 20S product page:
The Sena 20S Motorcycle Bluetooth® Communication System helps you enjoy your ride to the fullest by keeping you in touch with up to eight of your buddies in crystal-clear HD audio, up to 2.0 km (1.2 miles) away, through the Group Intercom™ feature.
Then you buy the device and realize they're full of bologna. Or you read the user manual that says HD Intercom will be deactivated if more than 2 people join. Complete false advertising.
They honestly just don't seem to care what people say about them. There are a "few" people that like them (which a lot of people say those few are the majority), but those people, at least in my opinion, only use it by themselves or with one other rider. In that case, I think most of us can agree, it does pretty well. You still get the occasional fail with audio multitasking when you use it with one other rider, but for the most part it is a solid piece.
The fact that is BOASTS an 8 group intercom, and HUGELY fails to deliver, is just pathetic. I think I've gone through enough units and had enough issues, to be able to say that those that get an outstanding set are the exception, and not the rule. When the device is dead on arrival they actually pay for the shipping to them and back, so I asked if they could at least check to make sure the next one isn't DOA, they said they are not able to do that or communicate to the warehouse in any way to try and test devices. Low and behold I received two devices in a row that were DOA.
They really seem to have no quality control at all. The replacement devices are not even refurbs, they are brand new in the same box you get at a retailer. So it was really sad that both were DOA and Sena seemed to not care at all.
Regardless of their horrible business practices, I just want them to make the device work. I like listening to music, being able to answer the phone, why can't they just LISTEN to everyone and make this stuff actually awesome?!
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Well I have the same problem static between two smh10r units. Other than that they weren't great but let's hear it Sena how do you get rid of the static! -1 -
This problem is real and Sena needs to at least acknowledge it and tell us wether or not they are working on it and if they think they can do anything to fix it.
"Static" noise happens all the time when not in HD intercom or as soon as the communication is 3 way or more (as it disables the HD intercom). So they are certainly able to reproduce it. In fact there is no way to not notice it unless you don't use the units!
One good place to start I think would be to implement proper handling of the mic by only transmitting when talking. Right now, this is just a big party line with all mics open full time. That just can't work. Second thing would be to beef up the transmission protocols to make it more efficient. This noise sounds to me like packet colisions much more than static noise. This isn't external noise. It's a firmware issue.0 -
3 of us are getting the same problem, Sena 20s's, latest firmware, antennas up. Using HD intercom and only 2 people it is the best intercom system I have used in 17 years. It is outstanding it is so clear. Add a third or turn off HD and it is full of static or as some have described it like a "popcorn noise". Goes from best to worst in a heartbeat. I hope they fix this...
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After more than 2 years of the popcorn/drumbeat noise, we gave up on 'em, four of us. Sold 'em and bought another brand. Now, we're noise-free.
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I have recently brought a 20's for use, with a mate that already had a 20's . We have had the popcorn noise as well on occasions . I accused him of have something on his bike banging constantly. LOL after reading this, I have go apologise to him.
Mostly the units have been great , with a couple of occasions that we couldn't get then to pair . But they auto paired after being on the road for a few K's . ??? have no idea but was happy it paired in the end.
We have another mate we talked into purchasing a unit . I'm now concerned that it will stuff the quality of the Two
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I got a reply from the help desk within 24hours of me asking if there was a fix for my problem (2 up great, 3 up popcorn) and they stated that I should "enable eight-way intercom". I won't be able to test this in 3 way until at least Saturday and perhaps not for a week after that. I will post back when we have tried it out.
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That's kind of funny, as I know before they've said that having the 8 way intercom on when you are using the intercom for 4 or less people will actually have reduced quality. Hopefully some patch or something changed this. Good luck!
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Actually that makes sense to me after your statement Neil. Lower quality = less bandwidth required. Anyway I will post results as soon as I can test a 3 way which may be this Saturday or potentially the following weekend.
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