Not yet.

 

RiderX & Ken,

" He also said that the 50S does not allow for mesh communication with devices from other manufacturers. However, he did say that there is something in the works that will include a universal mesh mode standard. "

This sums up the entire problem with the whole industry. There is no universal standard modes between mfgers. Then you have Harley throwing in necessity of buying and installing a WHIM or Freewire to even get communication to the Boom System, and adding the caveat that it has to be a HARLEY Sena device to get the STEREO sound from the BOOM. And after all that money you spent, you STILL can't have all the functions you desire. Then you get a workaround, and you have to pay ANOTHER $75 to have a MIC turned OFF or BACK ON?

And now we find that if you have a Sena 50S you can't communicate with others in a Group Ride that may have a brand different from SENA?

And people say I'm an old out-of-date tech codger because I plug in a headset and talk to other riders with a CB, and I have full Functionality with the BOOM SYSTEM on my bike? And they're calling ME crazy? LOL!

I would love to go wireless, but only under certain conditions. Unfortunately, there is no universal standard at this time. Manufacturers are still trying to produce their own "superior to the rest if the market" products that only work well within their brand. Then you have Harley adding in their "superiority unit" that you need if you want stereo sound, further adding complications to the mix. But it doesn't end there.

After you've run your wallet empty buying all this EXTRA gear to get FULL functionality (that you thought you got when buying the bike, because Harley advertised it that way), you NOW find out that you MUST "pair" everything in a certain order, or YOU STILL can't get everything to work! Man, you GOT to be kidding me.

Rider, KEN, you have put in FAR more effort than I or MOST would have, so I applaud you. YOu have established a communication channel with SENA and Cardo, so please tell them to BOTH make their units be able to function with each other in ANY combo a rider needs. Sena and Cardo need to understand what Harley and Honda, the two top companies with these INFOTAINMENT systems, offer with their Infotainment systems and how their customers want to use them. (And also to understand that HONDA doesn't use or make a WHIM. The CONNECTIVITY Feature of the bike is already built into their Infotainment System.) That just makes common sense. The Motorcycle Market has evolved WAY past just putting a device on your helmet and talking to another rider in your group. And that was what the original purpose of the wireless systems were designed to do.
I hope they listen to you!

 

In the meantime, I have mounted my Sena Freewire into the tourpac. I used a mic cable accessory from Harley (intended for putting a mic jack on the tank of a StreetGlide which doesn't have one).

Unplugged the WHIM (maybe forever) and plugged the mic cable into the connector. Routed the connector under the tank to behind the rear seat. That's where the Freewire cable meets it and makes connection.
I'm powering the Freewire from the 12V power outlet in the Tourpac.

Now, when I turn on my PackTalk, iphone, ignition, BoomBox, (IN ANY ORDER),

• I get stereo music from the BoomBox whether from the phone MP3, XM Radio, FM radio, or any other source.
• I can use Siri to make commands.
• I can hear the BoomBox navigation
• I can make phone calls directly from the PackTalk to the iPHone (which is connected as Channel 2)
• AND! I have full PackTalk DMC operation with audio multi-tasking.

That's it! Everything works! All wiring hidden. Simple as pie.

This is the way I'm leaving it until something better comes along.
Some members of my group are talking about going Sena whe the Harley Motor Company puts out a branded Sena device. I will follow them if that's the consensus. Harley hasn't announced a new headset and they refuse to comment. Sena won't comment, either. But really, the Cardo Scala Packtalk is vastly superior in almost every respect to anything Sena has marketed, in my opinion . . . .starting with being waterproof.

DFWKen

 

Thanks, man.
I really don't have anything against the wired microphone. It's CB that I dislike; what with all the squealing, squalling, other people sharing the channel, trying to keep the squelch adjusted to hear your weakest friend without allowing everything else in, simplex operation where only one person can talk and everyone else must listen, etc. etc. etc. I've been a ham radio operator since just before my early teens (60 years and counting) and I struggled to hear intelligibility from weak sources in crowded ham bands. It was part of the allure. But on a motor, I just want crisp, clear duplex communications between my friends and me and be fully connected to enjoy the BoomBox features.

Thankfully, the tried, tested, and described concept does it for me. I just installed a friends' Freewire into his Harley tourpac today. He's thrilled as well. His first word was, "WOW!" Yeah, I feel your excitement. Really!
Some day, Harley may make a fully-functioning WHIM that can connect to ALL headsets. But I'm not holding my breath.
But I much prefer the vastly-superior PackTalk to any Sena I've owned or tried. And now to have it fully integrated with my Harley is a Godsend!

Ken

 

Thank you for the kind words man! Really, I appreciate it. It is because of comments like yours that I keep trying to work with what we have been given and make the best of it.

I love H-D. However, it is because of what you stated above that H-D is in very dire straits right now. This isn't even debatable and if you think it is, you are so very wrong. I will try to remember to link a video from Fort Nine below that does a great job of explaining how bad off H-D is. Imagine things being tough and multiply it by 100. The reason for this is because people are tired of paying top dollar, meaning more expensive than any other brand in the world, for a bike that requires thousands of dollars more to get what you can on bike for about half the cost! Forcing vendors that want to make products for them to cripple their devices that requires you to buy additional H-D parts. This is insanity! I mean think about it. Sena said, "OK H-D! We did it! We make an awesome communication device for you! Here you go!" Then H-D says, "That's wonderful! Please make an identical device that doesn't fully function unless it has an H-D logo stamped on it." "Wait!", says Sena. "You want us to spend more time figuring out how to disable a fully functional device so you can force your customers to buy the exact same headset directly from you? Really?" "Well, you do want to mass produce our wireless devices right?", says H-D. "Of course we do!" says Sena. "Well, cripple it then!", replies H-D. "You got it!", says Sena. Keep in mind, this is just one small device in a sea of devices that comes under powered or under performs! Of course, for more money, you can install a better exhaust or put on something other than generic, black, plastic grips! Take a minute to add up all those little things you did to your bike after you bought it. How many thousands of dollars did you spend for parts and equipment that should have been included on your $25,000 (or more) bike? That's why I said F*** it this time and just bought a CVO; trust me, I still know I over paid. If H-D can survive, and it really is a big IF, they are going to have to completely shift their mentality.

Sorry, rant over!

One small correction to your comment above. You can communicate with devices from other manufacturers using a Sena 50S but not in mesh mode. All devices have to be in standard Bluetooth mode. As we all know by now, mesh mode is far superior.

You are absolutely correct! Again, H-D goes to the manufacturer of their BoomBox system, which used to be Harmon Kardon, and says, "Listen guys, I know it is 2017 and you guys built this amazing BoomBox system. However, for at least the next three years, we don't want you to include a Bluetooth wireless headset profile in the actual radio. Instead, we want customers to have to buy an additional piece of equipment called the WHIM! Customers will love it! Even the name sounds fun. This will allow them to pair the H-D wireless headset that we forced Sena to cripple unless it has our logo!" "What? ", says Harmon Kardon. "The industry has included a Bluetooth wireless headset profile in just above every audio device made in the last 10 years! Are you sure?" "Absolutely!", says H-D. "OK, Mike! How can take the BoomBox back to 2008?"

 

I have not tried this out yet. I am taking my bike to the dealership on Tuesday for the 5K maintenance. I have already updated my Boombox GTS system software and my PackTalk bold to the latest firmware. Oh, yeah... Did I mention that there is a PackTalk Bold firmware update that was released within a day or so of the BoomBox GTS system update? Check it out on their website (I have linked it below). Before I get sidetracked... I am going to have the dealership, enable the CarPlay microphone option and do some testing by pairing my headset and phone to the WHIM and BoomBox respectively. If it works, then great! If not, I am back to disabling the CarPlay microphone option again. I will keep you posted.

If anyone would like to test this out sooner and if you have not turned of the CarPlay microphone option already, please let me know. I am willing to share my phone number with you and go through some paces together.

Packtalk Bold Firmware Update (5.6)

W A R N I N G - Please be aware that you can no longer update your PackTalk Bold device by visiting the Cardo Community website. Also, when you click on the 'Get An Update' button on the site I linked above, you are taken to a web page with a button that says 'Install Cardo Update'. When you click on this link, you are taken to a web page where you are required to login before downloading and installing the Cardo Update tool. PLEASE, allow me to save you some aggravation by telling you that the login information that you once used to login to Cardo Community will NOT WORK on this login page. You must create an entirely new account. Why Cardo did not port the credentials to this login page to make it simple, I do not understand. Once you login and download the Cardo Update Tool, you simply plugin your PackTalk to your PC or Mac and it will automatically be recognized and the firmware update will install. If you are wondering what is new in this version of the firmware update, click on the 'Release Notes' button on the website I linked above.

 

To be clear, you bought a mic cable accessory one end having a connector that plugs into where the WHIM is plugged in to the BoomBox GTS and the other end has the 6 pin DIN connector, correct? Would you mind providing the part number for this cable?

I am slightly confused what you did here. Then you plugged one end of the mic cable that you bought, into the BoomBox GTS where the WHIM was formerly plugged in correct - (I know, I am asking this question twice because of the way I quoted your comment)? You then routed the end with the 6 pin DIN connection under the tank and placed it behind the rear seat, correct? Then you plugged the Freewire cable into the 6 pin DIN?

Please let me know if I have that right! I think we covered this but I believe you mentioned that you get CarPlay, without anything else being connected, simply by plugging in your iPhone to your bike, right? If this is true, this means that you have the CarPlay microphone option already disabled. There is no way this would happen if this option was not turned off.

Lastly, would you mind providing a link for the Freewire?

The only problem I have is I do not have a 12V plug in my tour pack to plugin the Freewire. I do not want to install one since I would have to drill a hole in my tour pack to add it. I could use a very small, rechargeable battery pack that I have that would probably last quite awhile and just put it in my tour pack. I am not giving up quite yet but this is a good option when I finally rip all of my hair out.

I don't blame you! I do have it working the way it is setup now but the only issue is that I have to power things on in a certain order. We'll see where I end up in the next week or so. I am getting a little burned out on this though.

 

Yes. I unplugged the WHIM and plugged in the cable. The cable is from Sierra.

I did the whole shebang without drilling any holes. The Freewire DIN cable small end passes through the grommet into the right hand speaker pod through which the audio cable passes. Had to remove and cut the grommet and reinsert it with the Freewire DIN cable and the Harley speaker pod wire. Once in the speaker pod, it was easy to route the small end of the cable through the speaker pod air vent and into the tourpac. I had to cut out one web of the plastic air vent grille.

A CVO doesn't have a 12V jack in the tourpac? Why in the world would they omit such an accessory on their top-end model?
The wiring is probably in the tourpac, but just needs the cigarette lighter jack assembly.

Shame on the Harley Motor Company for making us have to go through all of this. The expensive WHIM should just work . . . and the mic option be programmable from the BoomBox display.

The whole task took a little over an hour since it was the second one I did. It took about 2 hours on my motorcycle the day before.

 

Yes, unfortunately, I do not have a 12V charger in m tour pack. Actually, my CVO Street Glide did not even come with a tour pack; I added it. I would like to find a way to mount the Freewire somewhere either inside the fairing but in a location where I could I still access it in order to remove it. This would allow me to power cycle it, put it in Bluetooth pairing mode, grab it for troubleshooting, etc.. This way there would not be any need to run cables anywhere else if they can be wrapped up neatly inside the fairing.

I also found learned that the Freewire is rechargeable and will work for up to 7.5 hours of talk time. I have a very small and portable charging bank that I could use to charge it if I was on an extended ride, or even plug in the charging bank while using the Sena. Hmm... this would eliminate the need for a 12V connector to plug it in. maybe I could mount it in a side panel and for easy access. Then all I would need to do is run the the small USB end of the DIN cable from the fairing to the side panel.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Rider, I was amazed at how long the Freewire stays charged. I wanted mine to run down completely to test it powering up and connecting to my PackTalk. Had to wait more than 2 days!
And I think I saw that with the on/off switch in the "O" position, that when 12 volts is applied, it turns on anyway; that maybe the on/off switch is only for battery usage. I failed to read that part of the little manual.
It would have been really nice to install the Freewire inside the Batwing, completely out of sight. But I don't know how reliably it's going to start up and connect. So for now, it's in the tourpac.
Might move it to the phone compartment in the instrument panel. Plenty of room in there for it. Enlarging the hole i drilled in the back of the compartment would be required. (I drilled a hole and routed my iPhone lightning cable inside the batwing to keep from having it show across the instrument panel to my iPhone mount on the left side of the handlebar.