Summary Loaded
with features, the new Scala Rider
G4 intercom is leagues ahead of previous Scala Rider
intercoms in performance and sound quality.
Introduction
Continuing our foray into "3rd Generation" motorcycle
intercom systems, we finally acquired a pair of the new
Scala Rider G4 intercom, in the "Powerset" guise.
The Powerset version is simply a paired pair; i.e., two
G4 intercoms already paired at the factory.
But pairing is a cinch, so even if you buy one now
and another later, it will be no problem to turn them
into a high-performance motorcycle intercom set.
Pairing and controlling Bluetooth intercoms used to
be a hit-or-miss proposition, with much frustration in
the "Gen 1" intercoms we reviewed only a couple of years
ago. And just because the early Bluetooth
intercoms were paired didn't mean they were going to
stay that way -- dropped calls, signals and pairing was
commonplace.
Well, that was then and this is now. As we
mentioned in the Sena SMH10 review, this is a new dawn
for motorcycle intercom systems and we couldn't be more
pleased. With systems like the
Interphone F4
(review), the
Sena
SMH10 (review) and now the Scala Rider G4 "Gen 3"
systems having all been announced in rapid succession,
it's comm heaven for motorcyclists...and their
pillions...and their riding buddies!
We're going to follow the same format here as we did with the Sena
intercoms -- the Scala Rider G4 intercom will be
described first and
our initial impressions and evaluation, then off they go
to HBC, who is currently on an extended motorcycle tour
with his wife and two motorcycles and friends, for an
extended follow-up evaluation which will be reported
back in a Part II.
Cardo Systems Scala Rider Intercoms
The G4 is aptly named, as it is the fourth Scala Rider
intercom we reviewed on webBikeWorld. I'd like to
think that the G4 means "Generation 4" for Cardo
Systems, but perhaps not.
Nevertheless, the new G4 is so far evolved from the
original Cardo offerings that the only thing they have
in common is that they are called intercoms. It's
like comparing a 1909 Royal Pioneer to a
2010 BMW
S1000RR -- they both have two wheels, but are otherwise
live in a different universe.
Well, maybe that's overstating it a bit, but the G4
is packed with features and does represent the latest in
intercom technology and thinking.
The G4 uses Bluetooth 2.1 Class 1 and the lithium
polymer battery has a recharge time of about 3 hours.
The claimed talk time is up to 10 hours and standby time
is 7 days. Also, the system uses Digital Signal
Processing (DSP) for advanced audio capabilities.
Using the Scala Rider G4
The G4 is surely the most advanced motorcycle intercom
system ever developed, no doubt. However, with all
these features, it's going to take some
roll-up-the-sleeves time with the owner's manual.
Pardon me while I go into rant mode here for a
minute, with a suggestion for all motorcycle intercom
manufacturers regarding the operating manual for these
devices.
The owner's manual or operating manual should, of
course, start with a description of the basic parts of the
intercom and an explanation on how to give the units
their initial charge. But then the very first
thing that should be described is the most commonly used feature: the intercom.
For some reason, every intercom owner's manual we've
read starts by describing cell phone connectivity, GPS
connectivity and every other type of connectivity before
getting to the most important topic -- how to use the
intercom.
The G4 manual is an example; it seems to have been
printed almost completely in reverse from the order in
which the features will be used by the new owner.
It starts by describing the spoken status announcements
(that are not turned on by default); then how to mount
the device to the helmet; then how to connect to a cell
phone; then how to connect to a GPS device; then an MP3
player; then how to use the FM radio; then how to
connect the cable for non-Bluetooth devices.
Finally, in Section 9, it describes how to use the
intercom. Surely the first thing any new owner
does when the intercom box arrives is to turn on the
units and start talking to see if/how it works?
Nobody is going to mount an intercom before first
turning it on and trying it out. So the helmet
mounting section can come last, along with optional or
advanced features like how to turn on the spoken
announcements.
Start with how to use the intercom,
then run exactly backwards from the G4 manual and
you'll have a much better manual, in our opinion.
All of the relevant information is in the G4 owner's
manual, but it will definitely take some back-and-forth between pages
and probably several read-throughs to rearrange the
correct order of operations before it all starts
to sink in.
The Scala Rider G4 Intercom Module
The G4 intercom module slides and snaps into the
headset mount -- almost a bit too easily. So far,
it has remained in place, but we do have some concern
that the module could come loose from the headset if the
helmet is banged or even during an unconscious move by
the rider's gloves.
The module weighs 49 grams and the headset with the
module installed weighs 126 grams. Although the G4
is narrower and sleeker than the Sena SMH10 recently
reviewed, both of these are big intercom units compared
to intercoms of the past.
The size of these newer systems is probably a correlation to the
capabilities of the new systems though, and since the
mounting brackets on these newer systems are much
sturdier than anything used in the past, the size
doesn't seem to make much of a difference and in fact
makes them easier to use when wearing gloves.
Pushing the Buttons
The good news is that once the manual is deciphered,
everything works as described. The unit has 5
buttons, but they're laid out in a logical manner and
fairly easy to access while wearing gloves.
The center button on top turns the unit on or off.
It's called the "Mobile Phone Button" because
it is pressed once to answer an incoming call.
This button is flanked
by the volume up and down buttons; volume up in front
and volume down in the rear. These buttons also
control forward and rewind for connected AVRCP devices.
The two buttons on the side of the intercom module
bracket the LED status light, which is bright and can't
be missed. The button marked "A" in front connects
to another Scala Rider intercom and controls a connected
MP3 player. The "B" button in the rear connects to
a second Scala Rider intercom and controls the built-in
FM radio.
The trick is learning the correct series and
combination of buttons and pushing to access all the
features, but it's actually pretty easy after a few
trial runs. The buttons have decent tactile
feedback, so the correct button is usually easy to
locate and operate when wearing gloves.
Connecting the Intercom
Although the G4 system shown here is the "Powerset"
package, consisting of a pair of G4 intercoms that were paired
at the factory, we had to pair ours again
to get the intercom system to work as expected.
Not a problem though;
simply turn on each unit by pressing and holding the
center button on top. Once the units are on, press
and hold the A button until the LED flashes rapidly,
then do the same for the other unit, and they'll pair.
Multiple
Intercom Connections
Although we haven't tried connecting multiple G4
intercoms because we only have one
pair, the system is said to have the
ability to allow four riders (two drivers and two
passengers), three riders (three separate bikers) or two
riders (rider-to-rider or rider-to-passenger), to
conduct intercom conversations at distances of up to one
mile, depending on conditions. Cardo says this can
be done in full duplex (simultaneous talking/listening),
which is also a first, but again, we can't confirm this.
Looking through the
owner's manual, setting up more than two systems to
communicate this way may take some head-scratching and a
little practice, so
follow the instructions carefully.
wBW
Flash Slide Show: Scala Rider G4 Intercom
VOX
The G4 intercom units apparently default to VOX mode; I say
"apparently" because the VOX mode seems to work so well
that we couldn't always tell whether we were in full
intercom connect mode (available by pressing the A or B
channel button once on each of the two paired intercoms
to open an always-on channel)
or not.
One thing's for sure: the
manual suggests that the VOX mode "is designed for use
in loud environments", and this is correct. If you try using VOX mode
in the living room, chances are it won't work because
it's too quiet and you'll
think something's wrong with the system. Burn and
I were fooled by this for a couple of hours before we
found that paragraph, and once we stood outside next to
a running bike, it worked fine.
VOX mode also works to
make voice-controlled hands-free intercom calls and
phone calls with answer, voice dial and call reject
functions.
(L to R): Close-up views of the microphone;
comparative thickness of the G4 speakers.
Bluetooth Connectivity Besides the standard types of Bluetooth
connections, like an MP3 player, cell phone and GPS, the
G4 has a can connect with
non-Bluetooth MP3 players or GPS units via its embedded
jack.
Each headset can be paired
to one active Bluetooth connection (e.g., GPS, MP3
player, cell phone) and up to two other G4 units
simultaneously. Since we don't have four G4 units
to experiment with, how this capability works with the
claimed four unit full duplex communication capability
is unknown.
The jack port is located in back of the headset, rather
than in the front or rear, so the right-angle 3.5 mm
jack cable sticks out 14.5 mm from the back of the unit,
placing it just about even with the back of the helmet
mount. This may cause some interference with some
helmets.
The G4 connects with GPS units that feature a headset
profile and Cardo Systems claims that the G4 is
compatible with most major Bluetooth GPS devices.
When connected to a GPS, the instructions from the unit
will take priority over the FM radio and intercom
conversations. Also, the system can be set up to
have a conference call between a cell phone call and
another G4 unit (pillion). Please -- don't try
this while riding! Let the passenger take the
calls.
Stereo
Sound The G4 has excellent quality sound and the speaker
volume can be made much louder than previous Scala Rider
intercoms.
Thinking back, we should
have used our decibel meter to compare the sound levels
of the Sena and Interphone F4 with the Scala Rider G4
but the other units are presently out on the road.
The G4 speakers are smaller and lighter than the
speakers on the Sena SMH10 (7 g vs. 10 g and 35 mm in
diameter by 2.5 mm thick vs. 40 mm in diameter and 6 mm
thick for the Sena), but they
provide about the same excellent sound quality and
volume.
Built-In
FM Radio Owners of previous Scala Rider intercom versions had
mixed opinions on the quality of the built-in FM radio,
but we had no problem pulling in the major radio
stations here; they come in loud and clear with
surprisingly good quality sound
The G4 has a scan and seek feature,
and it did take some experimentation to fully understand
how it works. The system has a six station channel
memory. Note that FM radio reception will vary,
depending on the riding environment.
The FM receiver has a frequency range of 87.5 MHz to
108 MHz; RDS functionality (adjusts to best frequencies
according to zones); a six station memory; search for
next station function and the radio will automatically
mute when a call comes in on a connected cell phone.
But you never ride with a cell phone connected, right?
Mounting
the Scala Rider G4 The G4 helmet mount is strong and durable, which
also means thick. It's 7 mm thick including the
rubber pad. This is similar to the robust mounts
used on the Interphone F4 and Sena SMH10, and we have
received several emails from readers indicating that
these mounts are a bit too thick to fit between the
liner and shell of some helmets.
The new Shoei RF-1100 (review) was singled out as a
particularly difficult helmet to fit an intercom, so
owners had to rely on the stick-on helmet mount instead.
We usually use gaffer's tape to mount the intercoms
during evaluations, because the systems are on and off
multiple helmets and, in this case, will be sent to
other evaluators for more detailed follow-up.
Note that the stick-on
helmet mounts used by most intercom manufacturers are
one-time use only, so make sure you get everything lined
up perfectly before tearing off the backing on the tape.
It's a good idea to temporarily mount the intercom with
duct tape or similar, then install the wires for the
speakers and make sure the microphone boom is correct.
then permanently mount the intercom bracket.
Wall charger unit connects to the supplied USB cable.
Other
Features Automatic Gain Control Technology: The G4 automatically adjusts the
headset volume based on ambient noise and driving speed. The G4
is also claimed to provide improved audio quality in
dense urban surroundings, but since all of our riding is
done in a very rural area, we can't confirm this
capability.
Firmware Updates:
Cardo Systems has
a website
for owners to download firmware updates if necessary,
although at the date of publication there are no updates
available. The system will currently work with
Windows XP or Vista (and, we assume, Windows 7) systems
only.
Spoken Status Announcements: This
mode can be enabled by pressing and holding the A and B
buttons simultaneously. Different languages can be
chosen, and a clear voice will come on that provides
some spoken feedback regarding the different modes.
It is somewhat helpful and perhaps this feature will be
enhanced with future updates. The spoken status
announcements are in addition to and do not replace the
typical beeps that signal the enabling of the various
intercom connectivity features.
Charger: The
modules are recharged by a USB cable that connects to a
wall outlet. Two cables and two outlets are
provided with the Powerset kit, rather than a single
outlet with a dual USB cable.
wBW
Video: Scala Rider G4 Motorcycle Bluetooth Intercom
System
Conclusion
The Scala Rider G4 is yet another example that motorcycle intercom systems keep getting better and
better, and the rapid improvements in technology and
availability now offers many different choices to the
motorcyclist.
The G4 is a feature-rich motorcycle communications
system, and although it may take more than a casual
glance at the owner's manual to understand how
everything works, you'll end up with a highly advanced
intercom and lots more.
The G4 has excellent sound quality and volume, good
connectivity with Bluetooth devices, other G4 intercoms
and even previous versions of Scala Rider products,
Our units are now going off on tour with HBC, who
will report back in a Part II with his impressions.
We'll do the same for the Sena SMH10 and the Interphone
F4 intercoms, then possibly wrap it up with a comparison of these
three systems.
List Price: $279.95 each or $489.95 for the Powerset pair.
Color: Black and Silver
Made in: Korea
Review Date:
March
2010 Note: Products provided by the manufacturer for this
review (more).
NOTE: The webBikeWorld intercom evaluators always wear properly fitted ear
plugs while riding during the intercom evaluations and this is reflected in their opinions on sound quality and speaker volume.
Your experience may and probably will differ. Always wear high-quality,
correctly fitted ear plugs when riding a motorcycle (more).
Please
send
comments to
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (details). Comments may be edited for
clarity prior to publication.
From "H.H.H." (7/10): "G4 -
Everything works great so far except my mic won't stop
my iPhone music and start a conversation using the VOX.
I have to push a button on the side "A" to stop my and
her music and go into talk only mode then, push it again
for our music to continue.
I think I may have my VOX turned to off (I suspect, it's
always in double blue light mode, not single blue
light). Others have experienced the same problem
but time usually irons out these quirks (along with
street noise)."
From "T.W." (6/10): "I am from
Germany and I found your review about the G4 very
interesting and helpful. My wife and I bought the
G4 Powerset and in general we are satisfied with the
intercom function, but we have some issues found (not
clear if it is our fault or a problem of the G4):
1. Riding over 90 km/h the G4 starts sending some
background noise, which makes you angry over a while.
I hope Cardo found a solution by providing it via a
software update. I am not sure, if this happens by
the driving noise through the helmet, because we are
using mostly a always on intercom connection.
2. The VOX function is great, but how to get it working?
(When) riding the bike, we must scream very very loud to
start an intercom connection. Even here we would
like to (be able to set) the VOX level on our own.
(Note: See the final comments of A.S. below; apparently
the microphone must be kept very close to the mouth for
VOX to work).
3. We are looking (at how to use) a GPS with the G4, but
the manual does not say clearly what happens when the
GPS is connected by Bluetooth and has the highest
priority and also using a intercom connection between 2
riders. As far as I understand the GPS voice will
interrupt the intercom connection, but when the GPS
voice is ended, will the intercom reconnect
automatically or must it be done by pressing the Button
A again? Any hints? (See also the final
comments of A.S. below).
4. The German translation of the manual is awful and has
some mistakes, which costs me some hours to become the
G4 working and understanding the different buttons
working. Always use the English one.
5. The FM-radio is in Germany working very poor.
Even strong (stations) have a lot of noise, so I am not
using it any more. The RDS option seems not be
working or very helpful. A better antenna should
work.
In general the system is good and as others say it is
very impressive for a Bluetooth connection even when the
1.6 km range will not be reached. We found the G4
working up to about 1 km, that is enough for our
purposes.
For our requests it does the job and one main point to
bought the G4 and not the Q2, was the feature to update
the software.
Greetings from good old Germany."
Editor's Reply: Here's a tip: it's
important to make sure the microphone isn't picking up
wind noise or turbulence noise, which can be a cause of
background noise or poor VOX actuation. It helps
to have a helmet with a good chin curtain or wind block
under the chin, to help decrease air and wind noise that
comes up from under the helmet.
From "A.S." (4/10): (In response to the
comment from M.A. below) "I recently
purchased a G4, and also use the BMW Navigator IV.
The G4 is able to handle the input from the Media
player. I played with the settings for a while and
suddenly it worked.
I currently have a slight issue where the G4 will not
react to the GPS when I have a passenger set working.
I have contacted Cardo help desk for assistance, of
course it could be that I have done something wrong!
Thank you for your review it was useful in assisting me
to choose between the G4 and the Q2 versions."
Follow-up from A.S.: "I now have an
answer why I managed to get the MP3 working, and why it
does not react when I have a passenger. I had
paired the Nav IV as an MP3 player! If you pair it
as an MP3 player then you get music. The downside
to this is when you have a passenger you cannot hear the
directions! Unfortunately when paired with another
headset, the hierarchy means the intercom takes
precedence (so the other comment was completely
correct!)
I have another slight issue which I am waiting for a
response from Cardo – if I use the media player function
from the phone after about 10 minutes the G4 shuts down!
It seems as you want to listen to music with a passenger
then you must use a corded system. However I
wonder why anyone would have music when they can
communicate with the passenger – that is why you bought
a dual intercom set isn’t it? I hope this answers
the mystery of music with a Nav IV."
And Final Follow-up from A.S.: "I
had a number of issues with the set, and they seem to
have been taken care of with the upgrade. The
music via the Phone remains an issue, but I think it is
more with the phone rather than the intercom.
I would like to make a few comments regarding “TW”’s
comments (above): In point 2 he is commenting
about getting the intercom connection to work. I
(would) ask how close is the microphone (to his mouth)?
Many years previously I had an Autocom intercom which
was fantastic but you needed to have the microphone
right on your lips for the noise cancellation to work
correctly. We have followed in that manner with
(the G4) and it seems to work.
While it is designed to work in a noisy environment it
also needs to be able to distinguish between background
noise and your voice, I think having the microphone
right on the lips helps with that, so you do not have to
scream – speak up yes but then the helmet wind noise is
significant (my helmet does not have a chin curtain).
In point 3 he is querying about the mix of GPS and
rider/pillion communication. I have some personal
information regarding this – If you have the GPS
correctly connected then when it does speak the pillion
is cut-off from the rider.
It takes about 30 seconds before the rider/pillion
connection is restored. The rider gets a beep but
apparently the pillion does not get a similar message.
The only indication they get is if the speak during the
black-out time they will receive an engaged tone.
I must confess I find this period a little too long, and
I think it should be reduced. I recently had a
situation where my wife was cut off from me for about 5
minutes because I was taking a route which needed
constant directions (from the GPS)!"
From "M.A." (4/10): "The Scala
Rider
G4 does not support the media player in the BMW
Navigator IV. The Scala Rider G4 is only equipped
to handle mono from GPS and not AD2P Stereo. The
Nav IV media player will not recognize it.
Though the G4 will handle the voice prompts and link
successfully to GPS, when the user tries to use the Nav
IV media player, the user is prompted to connect a
headset or a AD2P enabled Bluetooth headset.
This is especially frustrating since it is advertised
stereo. Though it does handle stereo MP3 player,
it does not handle stereo coming from GPS. Scala
Rider says they are working on a solution.
Please let your visitors know if this problem also
exists with the Sena SMH10 and the Interphone F4
intercoms."
HBC's Reply: I am working on the G4
Part Two evaluation, which will have more detailed
information on peripherals and performance, but
hopefully the information below might help.
1. I cannot qualify the abilities or limitations of the
BMW Navigator IV as I am still trying to get my hands on
one for evaluation. But, using the zumo 660
(software version 3.50) which is the Garmin product used
in the Navigator IV (with some changes and the cradle
enhancements), my results are:
a. Sena SMH10 - the 660 media player streaming is in
full stereo and the navigation audio in mono - they
overlay without any issue (ie discrete muting and
restoral of audio). The Sena streams full stereo
from all other compatible A2DP devices directly or via
an A2DP Bluetooth Adapter;
b. Cardo G4 - the 660, when paired using either the
Phone button (for mobile phone/stereo (A2DP) capable
devices) or the Volume Up button (GPS), only offers up a
mono connection - media player or navigation, which
validates the issue with the BMW Navigator IV. So
far, the G4 has worked with most of the A2DP device
offered up, but its not as seamless as the Sena;
c. F4 Interphone - I cannot comment on this yet, until I
have the units on hand for their Part Two evaluation.
2. On a (possibly) related note, if I use the GPS
pairing (Volume Up button) on the Cardo G4 to pair with
my HTC Touch mobile device, the G4 announces that it has
paired with a GPS, with the only audio streamed being
from the phone application in mono, even though both the
Hands-free and Stereo options are ticked and activated
on the mobile device. Pairing the HTC Touch via
the Phone button restores both hands-free and stereo
media player functionality.
3. I have not yet seen any firmware updates from Cardo...so
also hope they address the issue(s) and provide an
update soon. More details on G4 interoperability
are forthcoming in Part Two, which is almost ready to
go.
From "A.M." (4/10): "I have the Q2
TeamSet which I connected with my iPhone last summer via
the mp3 cable. This setup has three problems I'm
hoping the G4 will fix:
Q2 is mono.
The volume wasn't loud enough a lot of the time.
I want to get rid of the mp3 cable and be able
to use GPS, phone and music via Bluetooth with my
iPhone 3GS all at the same time.
Questions:
1. Is there anyone using the G4 who had a Q2 before and
can comment on whether the audio in the G4 is louder?
2. Is there anyone using the G4 with an iPhone for GPS
and music audio? Do they both work at the same
time (I have TomTom for iPhone)? Some people say
the voice call for iPhone works and others say not.
Which is true? Does the voice activation for music
work on the iPhone 3GS via the bluetooth?
3. From what I've read, except for the distance, the
biker to biker com is about the same as the Q2? Namely,
using the button is the most reliable way to activate
it?
Editor's Reply: I can answer 1. and
2.: Yes and Yes (See the "Stereo Sound" section above).
Regarding the other questions, the number of device
combinations is so great that it's impossible to know if
any particular combination will work or not, so I'll
leave that up to our readers to chime in.
From "J.A." (4/10): "First, as
others have said, thank you for your excellent product
reviews ... this one is no exception! I've made
several purchase choices (both for and against) based on
your reviews.
My wife and I purchased the G4 Powerset for an
upcoming trip. We actually pre-ordered them in
February with our fingers crossed that they'd live up to
all the hype. While our outings so far have been
few (thank God spring is FINALLY here), we've had
opportunity to do a bit of testing.
Unlike your set, ours were paired out of the box, so
nothing to do there besides cut em both on. We may
have to play around with speaker placement a bit more,
but the actual mounting process (using the bracket, not
the adhesive) was easy. Nice solid mount. We
have identical setups on both our bikes - iPhone paired
to Zumo 550, Zumo paired to headset - and these
secondary pairings went flawlessly as well.
As for the actual performance and functionality of
the devices, we've had a few hiccups that we haven't
ironed out yet. For one, even though VOX is
enabled (I verified on both headsets), I can't seem to
get it to work as described in the manual for initiating
intercom conversations.
If one or both of us are listening to music - via
built-in FM or an attached MP3 device at 3.5 mm jack -
no amount of screaming into the microphone will stop the
speaking party's music or interrupt the music of the
intended recipient. I'm sure we're doing something
wrong, but I'll be curious to see how your tests go.
(*Note: I will concede that the latest attempt was done
sitting in our room ... not exactly the noisy
environment called for in the manual.)
The other thing that was only slightly disappointing
was the range. With line-of-sight, the claimed
range may be accurate, but throw in a few hills, some
trees, or few turns and it shrinks quickly. Now
don't get me wrong, it's still VERY impressive for a BT
connection as far as I'm concerned, but I'd hoped it
would be a bit less affected by obstacles.
Honestly, I don't know exactly how far apart we were
when the connections were dropped the two times it
happened, but I'd guess just shy of a 1/2 mile.
Like I said, still impressive and certainly not contrary
to their claims ... just not quite what I'd hoped.
Other than the pure range issues I just noted, we've had
zero instances of BT connectivity dropping as others
have mentioned.
We'll know more once we put in some serious miles and
hours on that trip, but overall we've been very
impressed with the G4's to date. The battery life
has been good, ease of use is good, and the multitude of
features is excellent!
So far the biggest bummer we've encountered wasn't
even the fault of the G4 ... for some reason I had it in
my head that our Zumo's supported A2DP for streaming
music. WRONG! And (wow) does mono music over
BT suck!
The other "gotcha" with the Zumo is that the stupid
thing beeps anytime you press a soft-key. And
since GPS gets the highest priority on the headset, the
result is that pressing a button on the GPS immediately
halts any other audio stream. ARRRGH! :( But I
digress ...
Still though, not being tethered to the bike with a
wire AND having the ability to communicate clearly and
immediately with each other should make all our future
trips much more enjoyable! Anyway, I thought I'd
send my thanks and my impressions of the device so far.
I look forward to hearing what your testers have to say
about them!"
From "L.S." (4/10): "I’ve used my
Scala G4 with two Q2. It will enable true full
duplex intercom between all three headsets with only one
G4.
You are limited by the range of the Q2. If you
keep the G4 rider in the middle of the pack of 3 riders,
you will have good distance since the G4 relays
communication between the two Q2. This is great
since the three way communication between the Q2 is not
true 3 rider intercom, only two riders. You must
switch riders by pressing a button to change channels on
the Q2.
Also, I have paired three G4 together and they work
flawlessly with full duplex between all 3 riders without
pushing buttons or channels. Perfect for 3 riders.
I called Scala about the 4 way duplex only being
available to 4 riders on two bikes and 3 riders on 3
bikes but not rated for 4 riders on 4 bikes. They
stated it was a power issue. I will put that to a
test to see what the range is.
If it is only ¼ mile between the 4 riders instead of 1
mile, that is still acceptable like it was on the Q2.
They did not give me a range for 4 riders on 4 bikes.
PS. I use them for ATV riding on trails."
From "D.B." (3/10): "I've had my
Scala Rider G4 now for a couple of weeks. First,
as far as your comment about intercom pairing as the
priority, it is third on my list after phone and music.
The most important feature is the fact that the speakers
can actually be used in my helmet which was untrue for
the first third generation system that I had to return.
I was able to try the intercom feature with a friend
that has an earlier Cardo model. What I
experienced was that the G4 worked over a fairly good
distance as an intercom, but when the intercom
connection was made, it dropped the connection to the
phone. I don't know if that was because of
something I did or it was the fault of the G4.
Finally, overall I really like the product and can now
listen to music on my daily commute."
From "D.H." (3/10): "I've had and
used the Scala Rider G4 system for a couple weeks now.
I too got the Powerset, and as you indicated, it did not
come factory paired.
However, unlike you, I have had a lot of trouble making
and maintaining a Bluetooth connection, either with the
phone or as an intercom. You could mention in your
review that the charger is used as a way to reboot the
G4 when it goes into the weeds -- this is a feature that
I am sadly too familiar with.
You might also mention that their website was "recently
rebranded" and the G4 content is not there yet.
This includes (apparently) the ability to receive
technical support via the website. I don't want to
bash the G4 because when it works it is marvelous."
Editor's Reply: We haven't
experienced any dropped Bluetooth connections on this
set. I do see in section 4.5 of the owner's
manual, "Resetting Your Headset", where it instructs the
owner to connect the headset to the charger for 10
seconds to reset the system. We haven't found this
procedure necessary at this point.
From "L.S." (3/10): "Hello!
Enjoy your product reviews but would like to request
making a note if the helmet speakers can be replaced
with speaker ear plugs, simply unplug and re-plug your
custom ear plugs and the pin diam.
I have a slight hearing lost and have found that the
speaker ear plugs have solved this problem for the past
11 years using an Autocom system on a Ducati ST2.
Thanks for your help and keep up the good work."
Editor's Reply: Two of the most
frequently asked questions regarding intercoms are: 1.
Can the speakers be replaced with the owner's earphones
or speakers? and 2. Are the intercom batteries
replaceable and if not, what is the battery replacement
policy and procedure? I'm hoping the manufacturers
will respond to these questions.
From "S.A." (3/10): "I've been
anxiously awaiting this review, and thanks for the usual
superb job. I'm tired of dealing with wires on my
current (Starcom) intercom, and I really wanted to buy
the Scala G4, but I guess I'll keep waiting. Why?
The battery is non-replaceable. Even the manufacturer
won't replace it after its two-year expected lifespan.
That, in effect, makes this a disposable $489.95
intercom. Didn't some engineer, during the design
phase, raise his hand and say, "uhhh, hey guys...."?
I've had my Starcom for 4 years, and would be upset if
it quit working 4 years from now.
As far as I know, only the J&M Bluetooth headset has
a user-replaceable battery - but it won't function as an
intercom! Uhhh, hey guys....isn't that the whole
idea?
Being endlessly optimistic, I keep hoping I'll wake
up in the land of common sense. Oh well, maybe
tomorrow."
From "T.B." (3/10): "Finally, the G4
is out! Yeah!
I’ve had my Scala-Rider for over 3yrs old now.
It is definitely a Gen 1 unit, but has always worked
well and is presently showing short battery life
problems especially in the cold and a crackly speaker.
This unit has seen sun, heavy rain, and a bit of snow.
The mount and transmitter still appear in great
condition. Often folks think I’m at the office
until I drop a couple gears (I really need to remember
to use that to my advantage).
Consequently, I have to disagree with the Owners
Manual rant. I ordered my unit primarily for cell
phone usage. It was a consequence of riding and
having a young family. It is interesting that in a
car, holding a phone to my ear or using a headset is a
similar distraction, which is not much worse than
conversing with a passenger, but a helmet headset has
always seemed to be a background function and never a
distraction. To correlate this, I am often less
than enthused to be driving, but riding is what it is:
everything else is secondary.
From this, the first thing I did with my Scala-Rider
was mount it while waiting for a good initial charge,
esp as I was excited that it didn’t use adhesive which
the other headset options at the time did. Then, I
paired it with my phone, which is all it could do and
all that I needed. For me, all other functions
would be secondary with the FM capability and GPS used
the least, if ever.
I’ve never rode with music and generally don’t use
the radio in our cars, but I could see myself someday
testing out my MP3 collection. From this I have to
ask, why would someone need pairing instructions for an
intercom when it can’t really be tested without the
helmet on? Especially the mic and speaker
positions. It took me a while to find a good
speaker location. I believe it took three or four
test locations to find the sweet spot for comfort and
sound clarity. I’m just sayin’. ;)
Given your reviews of the G4 and SENA units, I am
quite excited to replace mine. We’ve owned other
Cardo headsets and have been pleased with their features
and longevity. So, my loyalty goes toward them.
They’re also near my old stomping grounds in Western
Pennsylvania. That’s another good thing.
One final bit to mention, I always use earplugs
unless running 2mi to the grocery store at 30mph speeds.
My headset was always more clear at speed with earplugs
in. Even with the volume adjusted way done, it was
just a noisy, windy muddled din without earplugs."
