5

Not rain proof! ????

david haseldine

5 settembre 2014 17:49

Nessuno

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I have just been informed by the sena help desk that my new sena 20s is not waterproof and should not be operated in the rain! It was my understanding that the units are not water proof but are water resistant so should not be submerged? The reason I got in touch with the help desk was because I was experiencing difficulties after riding in the rain although the unit seems fine now. I would imagine most the units sold in the uk will see at least some rain considering our poor weather. It seems crazy to sell something that many bikers in the uk would like to use but not even make it weatherproof! I shall continue to use mine in all weathers as living in the uk I do not have the luxury of sun only rides. Anyone else have any information on this?

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33 commenti

• 0
  
  Josh Bonfield 2 ottobre 2014 11:51

  I was under the impression it was water resistant, but I have since searched the PDF of the docs with no mention of water resistance, moisture resistance or anything like that.

  What happened when yours got wet? Was it soaking wet or just damp? Bit gutted.

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  Pablo Motta 2 ottobre 2014 18:59

  The 20S is water resistant and can be use in rain. Make sure that rubber cover for the USB port is tightly sealed. 

• 1
  
  Michelle Halcrow 3 ottobre 2014 14:00

  I've been trying to arrange return of our 20s since August as one of the units (we bought the duo pack) completely kn@ckered while we were on holiday in Europe and worst part is, I wouldn't say it rained - more like a bit of a light mist.  Sena have refused to refund and have only offered to replace.  To say their customer service policy is unsatisfactory is an understatement!   I wouldn't buy Sena again, who makes an external unit that's not waterproof?!?!?   

• 1
  
  Sean Dring 3 maggio 2015 08:13

  My unit is bricked after getting caught in the rain. I'll start looking for another unit from another brand.

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  Steve Goyette 5 giugno 2015 23:32

  Mine just died after a ride that ended up having a bit of rain.  Have contacted Sena for warranty replacement.

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  Bill Henning 22 giugno 2015 19:02

  I have a pair of 20S units and recently in a rainstorm one malfunctioned, making a loud staccato chattering noise before I shut it off. The other unit did not malfunction. After drying it out the next day it worked fine until I got in another moderate rainstorm where it malfunctioned again. I reported this to Sena and they have graciously offered to replace it under warranty.

   

  Anyway, in wondering why one would fail and the other would not I started thinking about how water might enter and screw the unit up. Looking it over it I see:

   

  1. Around/under the jog dial

  2. Where the antenna connects

  3. Through any of the rubber plugs or buttons

  4. Where the unit connects to the shoe with all the little pins and a rubber gasket

  5. Through the speaker connection (I use earbuds and taped over mine)

  6. Through my earbud plug, which does not seal nicely like the Sena supplied cables do.

   

  I think the most likely culprits are my earbud plug and the multi pin connector seal. I think I can seal the multi pin connector a little better with some dielectric grease around the pins and seal the earbud connector with a homemade gasket, perhaps an o-ring.

   

  I was wondering if anyone else had encountered rain problems and if they had isolated and solved them in some other way. Thanks!

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  Ken 24 giugno 2015 19:04

  I think our 20S units are probably is built  to work while riding a motorcycle in rain.  The Sena rep said so in one of their now-rare posts on this forum.  

  I'm looking at mine closely right now.  The unit itself appears to be totally sealed, right down to the connector on the bottom.  Can only assume that there's an o-ring  on the shaft of the jog dial; but believe it's there.  But really, the pointy nose shape and attention to repelling water tells me that they're engineered to work in the rain while riding. 

  The base, on the other hand, has points where rain can get in.  The most obvious is the earbud jack; but appears to seal well when the plug is inserted.  The release button on the back may have an o-ring to keep out wetness.   But obviously, the spring-loaded connector pins can get wet.  I'd be surprised if water cannot travel down some of the pins and into the works of the mount.  

  So maybe some dielectric grease on the pins (worked down into the recesses) would solve that possible water ingress point.  If nothing else, it would stop cross-conductance between pins.  At such low signal amplitudes, cross-conductance might be an issue.  

  So I'm going to smear a small amount of Silicone dielectric grease on the pins, just as I did on my Zumo mount.  I imagine that in the next 2 weeks, we'll be doing some rain riding.  I'll probably pop the earbud connector out and close the rubber flap during ran.  I'll report back in a couple of weeks. 

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  Bill Henning 24 giugno 2015 21:30

  I have found that I can jam a small o-ring into the earbud hole around the plug, and it doesn't interfere with the sound connection.  I think it can't hurt sealing the earbud plug a little better. 

  Maybe that'll help, if that's even a rain entry problem point.

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  Kiwi Brian 27 giugno 2015 04:04

  @ken, keep us informed if the  dielectric grease  worked. thanks

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  Ken 9 luglio 2015 15:17

  I didn't get around to applying any dielectric grease before leaving on my almost 2 week motorcycle tour.  Returned home last night.  But, I can report that we rode in heavy rain several times during the trip and the 20Ss of my friends and me did not falter.  My Zumo did falter (XM radio antenna) . . . I suspect because of the little spring pin connectors in the mount getting wet , but the Senas worked well in all conditions.  

  I will still put a little dab of the grease on the pins of the Sena mount; but after the past 2 weeks of riding, I don't believe it's really necessary.  

   

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  Airbeat117 14 luglio 2015 23:54

  We have since ridden in two torrential downpours with our 20S and it has worked flawlessly.   Maybe we just got lucky.  We did have to return the original dual pack that had mounting issues but rain has never been an issue.   Just to let you know that some of us are not getting those rain issues. (Hope I didn't put the whammy on me now)

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  John Langdell 17 luglio 2015 03:55

  I got hammered with rain two days ago, yesterday my 20 would not turn on after charging.  Upon inspection it looks to me like the silicone gasket between the shell halves is coming out.  Sena has not replied to my Customer Contact request for warranty service.

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  RBEmerson 10 novembre 2015 17:58

  After 300+ miles in anything from road spray to a near frog-choker rain, all on Interstate 95 (read "70+ MPH"), my 20S worked as it should. It continued to work for the rest of the ride (another 700 mi.) YMMV

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  Jonathan Bowles 20 novembre 2015 03:34

  Riding in light rain last night mine stopped working. My wife's works fine. Now I get a loud staccato chattering through earphones and nothing at all through the helmet mounted speakers. It wasn't even heavy rain. Both the covers were completely closed. Really annoyed about an expensive item like this not being up to the task.
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  J B H SMITH 15 gennaio 2016 02:45

  I was told the SENA 20S was designed to auto shut off it water penetrated the unit in order to save the electronics. Then after it was dry again, to operate normally. 

  I like the comment about the silicone dialectic grease and will implement on our 2 units. -JBHSmith

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  RBEmerson 15 gennaio 2016 23:54

  Do not put dielectric grease on the pins! It's an insulator. Probably there will be some contact as friction shoves the grease aside, but keep in mind the grease is an insulator.
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  Ken 16 gennaio 2016 00:24

  That's true, RBEmerson.  But it's commonly used just for that purpose.  It worked to ensure reliable contact between my Zumo 665 and the cradle.  The rain used to cause crosstalk or short out adjacent conductors.  Since applying a bit of dielectric grease on the pins, water doesn't get into the works; but there's enough contact  pressure for the signals to be passed to the ZUMO unit contact points.  

  It's also commonly used on tail light bulbs, turn signal light bulbs, etc.  There's enough contact pressure for electrical connection while keeping the contacts from corroding or shorting. 

   

  Ken

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  Jonwboyd 20 gennaio 2016 14:20

  I was told by a sens support person that they are not meant to be used in the rain and they should not be. He said they are only water resistant. I have been waiting three weeks for them to do something about mine that was only a month old. I would never own another sena product. My Nolan worked for ten years flawlessly and I thought the sena would be an upgrade. Massive mistake. I will be buying the waterproof Scala g9x.
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  Ken 26 gennaio 2016 00:16

  At the International Motorcycle Show yesterday, a company that is marketing several brands of  Bluetooth motorcycle helmet communication devices stated that our Sena units can get water in them if a port is open (without being plugged).  Now HE says that  they're designed to turn off if water gets into them and will begin to work again when the water dries.   

  I find that explanation extraordinary; and without confirmation from Sena, I think he was just blowing smoke; trying to appear knowledgeable where he is not.   I've never known any sensitive electronic circuitry that would repair itself if the innards got wet.  If they have that capability, maybe Apple could use the technology for their iPhones and other devices.   Maybe Sena could state the official company policy and ability of our 20S units with regard to rainwater getting into them and what the warranty policy might be should one be returned, damaged by water.  

  Personally, I've ridden many hundreds of miles in varying intensity of rain (from drizzle to gully-washers) and have never experienced a problem.  But the units were never advertised to be "waterproof" as some of the competing brands are.   Does Sena make a rain cover that can be slipped over the units in case of rain?  When riding in the rain, some important information typically needs to be communicated between riders.   I hate to think that the official policy is to remove the 20Ss from our helmets in case of rain; and lose important communication.  

  So far, all Sena has stated is that they're "water resistant".  But that statement doesn't really go far enough for users.  It doesn't tell us what we should do in case of rain or how our warranties are affected.    I'm not complaining, I just want to know. 

  Ken

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  John Langdell 26 gennaio 2016 01:25

  Ken, mine did not return to operating after it dried out. I couldn't get the battery to charge. Sena replaced the unit. My solution is to carry unlubricated Magnum Condoms to use as a rain cover. Looks dumb but seems to work.
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  Jonwboyd 26 gennaio 2016 01:32

  I can't get them to even get back with me. I just want my money back. If they do get back with me and replace it, I will be selling asap. I don't want to ever hear or see their name again.
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  Liam 17 aprile 2016 04:17

  Mine started experiencing all sorts of fault after a ride where I got a brief shower. The units are clearly not water resistant...you can blow through them easily. If you cover jog dial with your mouth and blow you will see that air escapes from multiple points of the unit. However if you read the warranty information in the manual supplied with your unit you will notice the operating the unit in wet weather is not excluded in the warranty. However on page 61 of the manual it states "Keep the product dry and away from water. It may damage the product. The Sena 20S headset is only intended for indoor riding in countries where it may rain. 

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  Dean Watson 15 luglio 2016 11:41

  Mine continually shut down even in foggy conditions. Also when the temperature was below about 9 degrees Celsius. Doesn't like BMW, doesn't like Apple. Poor poor poor design for a motorcycle product. Eventually got sick of it and lack of support and bought a rival product that has worked flawlessly through the cold and wet winter we are having.

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  Kiwi Brian 15 luglio 2016 15:35

  So I havent ridden much this year, and I have the first release of the Sena 20S. Ive been lucky it seems to work ok., definitely no where  near the reliability of the SMH10 which I used for several years in thunderstorm rain , humidity etc.  I've been watching the customer service and support as well in the past 2 years on the Sena 20s and its pretty piss poor. If I was to recommend a product to someone now, it wouldn't be from Sena.  

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  RBEmerson 15 luglio 2016 19:57

  Fog and 9C (48F) shuts down the 20S? Really? You've got, if it's still in effect, a possible warranty issue. Don't blame Sena for BMW's notorious "does not play well with others" BT system. As a former Apple devloper, ditto for blaming Sena for Apple's bad behavior.

  Have you used the 20S in bad weather and still had a working 20S (or not), or are saying your SMH10 was fine in bad weather, but you see stories about 20S' failing? The point is, if you're basing all of your opinion on what you heard on the Internet (this note included),remember just because it's in the Internet doesn't make it so, or not so.

  I've soaked my 20S and an SMH10 before it. I've frozen both, and I've cooked both. I suppose both are too dumb to know they should have failed. :-)

• 0
  
  Grant Brown 17 luglio 2016 06:37

  Hi there I purchased a Sena 20s universal helmet clamp kit with microphones from amazon.co.uk (http://amazon.co.uk) on the 21st of December 2015 for my crash helmet.
  where's the main 20s unit fixes, around the contacts there is a rubber which I assume is supposed to keep out water the problem I've had is it has not and has caused one of the contacts on the unit itself to start corroding also finding that the contacts on the Universal Helmit clamp have started to go Green I have cleaned this off several times I have tried to contact Amazon but there is no Avenue on their site for me to take any action

  this has started to affect the unit it's self when it rains and it has also as I've said started to corrode one of the contacts i get static and then the unit tells me that intercom failed, when i have not even touched the unit 

• 0
  
  Dean Watson 17 luglio 2016 07:13

  After more research, I have found that the early production models (the 1 40XXXXX serial #'s) were problematic wrt Batteries and cold. Sena never did a recall, but replaced all those without question if they were returned. Those models also had a plastic mounting and locking mechanism which was replaced with a metal one on the 1 50XXX series. This went a long way to sealing the unit onto the helmet mount, and as long as the rubber rectangular seal was good, a lot of the water problems went away. If your early model is still in warranty, get it replaced. Sena will do it no questions........

  And wrt Sena and Garmin not playing nice, I am a Beta tester for Tom Tom as well......they don't play nice either. 

   

• 0
  
  RBEmerson 18 luglio 2016 11:54

  Again, I strongly recommend using a coating of dielectric grease on the contacts  (see your FLAPS (friendly local automotive parts store) or larher hardware store or electrical supply house).

• 0
  
  Liam 28 luglio 2016 21:02

  Sena are appraently aware of and working on the issue as per this email below...

  Normally products such as this have a water resistent rating of IP 65 or IP 68. For example my Samsung phone and my electric tooth brush both have an IP rating of IP 68. Where as man products that are advertised as being splash proof usually have a lower rating of IP65. Sena does not advertise any water resistent rating for this unit which is very unusual.

  This is a linkt to a very simple table showing the IP rating standards.
  
  http://www.mpl.ch/info/IPratings.html

   

  HJ Jeon, Jun 23, 11:23 PM PDT:

  Dear Liam,
  
  Thank you for your update.
  
  Water resistant feature was one of our top priority in designing of 20S since the device will be exposed to harsh environment.
  So, we are monitoring the water damage issues and we will try to improve it.
  
  

  Please let me know if you have any additional questions and concerns.

  Thank you.

  HJ Jeon
  Sena Technologies, Inc.
  Technical Support Engineer

   

• 0
  
  Smyers2 21 agosto 2016 22:47

  I've been going around with online support.  Sometimes when I ride in the rain my 20s starts to tell me that it is starting a group intercom...over and over.  At that point I just have to shut it off.  I've found water around the pins in the mount when I've stopped.  Sena support says the gasket is porous rubber (yep, already figured that out myself) and to just dry it off and things will be fine.  However, I'm not liking that answer at this point.  I like the dielectric grease idea except I worry about it collecting dust and being hard on the pins.  However it should be sealed in there.  I'm wondering if a closed cell foam gasket could be fashioned to do a better job.