the_wes
Grey Hound
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
- Messages
- 8,751
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Brackenfell, Cape Town
- Bike
- Harley Davidson (all models)
Those who know me know that I love my music - my shelf is lined with numerous CDs ranging from Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine and P.O.D., all the way to A-Ha, No Doubt, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and Feeder. I also regularly rip my CDs to MP3, so that I while I work I can just open up my library and hit "play". Ahhh, bliss.
Then of course, recently I got myself a Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic. With Nokia's OVI suite, getting those mp3s onto the phone is painless. Plus did I mention the phone came with 6 months license for Nokia Maps? So now I have a phone packed with music, and voice guided navigation, that I can't operate at all while riding. Plus of course, I tend to miss important calls while dashing from meeting to meeting.
What can I do to ensure I can take those important calls, enjoy my music, and listen to my voice-guided navigation, all while riding?
Enter the StarCom1 BT-GO. Retailing at R1 795, the BT is StarCom's compact Bluetooth communications system. It boasts a host of features, such as being able to pair with up to 5 Bluetooth devices (it prioritises which to switch to and switches automatically) including phone, GPS, music player, etc, and can act as a rider to passenger or rider to rider (within 150m) comms system.
Hermanator is the StarCom1 agent here on the forum and will be able to chip in with more on the BT-GOs host of features, but first, let me give you an overview of my experience so far (since I now own a BT-GO of my own :thumleft: )
To start off with, there's plenty in the box. Bluetooth unit, USB cable to charge it (VERY handy) as well as a traditional charger (that has a USB port on the side and uses the same cable), stereo headset with mic to fit into helmet - including 3M adhesive velcro patches (which ensures you can remove it again easily) and 2 different clips to mount the unit to your helmet (depending on which tickles your fancy)
The unit itself is well rubberised with a simple button layout which is easy to operate with gloves (I tried). It's totally waterproof and I must say, it looks tough as nails. Good for me!
Charging didn't take too long - and like I said, pretty painless (plug into laptop and off we go). The only trick was figuring out how to access the USB port on the unit - it is well protected with a thick rubber flap. Once I got it open I was pretty chuffed at the protection - dust and water should stay out without hassle.
Once it was charged (confirmed by a single LED which can flash or shine blue or red, telling you everything you need to know) I managed to pair it with my phone in no time. I generally hate pairing Bluetooth devices but this was really simple and quick - switch 'em on, activate Bluetooth on phone and voila, we're up and running. I then hooked up the headset and flipped my phone into music mode and within an instant I had crystal clear sound blasting through the earphones.
That is unfortunately where my review ends. My Arai is old, dusty and tattered and I don't want to subject the headset to that sort of abuse, so once I've bought a new helmet (round about the time I buy a new bike) I will proceed to install it and report back on my findings. The headphones and microphone, as well as their foam covers and velcro patches, all look to be of top quality. There's also enough cabling to help everything reach the right spots in the helmet, and well detailed instructions on how to position everything properly, so I imagine it will go well.
Until then, the BT-GO gets a thumbs up on pairing and audio quality :thumleft:
(I'll post some pics when I get a second)
Then of course, recently I got myself a Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic. With Nokia's OVI suite, getting those mp3s onto the phone is painless. Plus did I mention the phone came with 6 months license for Nokia Maps? So now I have a phone packed with music, and voice guided navigation, that I can't operate at all while riding. Plus of course, I tend to miss important calls while dashing from meeting to meeting.
What can I do to ensure I can take those important calls, enjoy my music, and listen to my voice-guided navigation, all while riding?
Enter the StarCom1 BT-GO. Retailing at R1 795, the BT is StarCom's compact Bluetooth communications system. It boasts a host of features, such as being able to pair with up to 5 Bluetooth devices (it prioritises which to switch to and switches automatically) including phone, GPS, music player, etc, and can act as a rider to passenger or rider to rider (within 150m) comms system.
Hermanator is the StarCom1 agent here on the forum and will be able to chip in with more on the BT-GOs host of features, but first, let me give you an overview of my experience so far (since I now own a BT-GO of my own :thumleft: )
To start off with, there's plenty in the box. Bluetooth unit, USB cable to charge it (VERY handy) as well as a traditional charger (that has a USB port on the side and uses the same cable), stereo headset with mic to fit into helmet - including 3M adhesive velcro patches (which ensures you can remove it again easily) and 2 different clips to mount the unit to your helmet (depending on which tickles your fancy)
The unit itself is well rubberised with a simple button layout which is easy to operate with gloves (I tried). It's totally waterproof and I must say, it looks tough as nails. Good for me!
Charging didn't take too long - and like I said, pretty painless (plug into laptop and off we go). The only trick was figuring out how to access the USB port on the unit - it is well protected with a thick rubber flap. Once I got it open I was pretty chuffed at the protection - dust and water should stay out without hassle.
Once it was charged (confirmed by a single LED which can flash or shine blue or red, telling you everything you need to know) I managed to pair it with my phone in no time. I generally hate pairing Bluetooth devices but this was really simple and quick - switch 'em on, activate Bluetooth on phone and voila, we're up and running. I then hooked up the headset and flipped my phone into music mode and within an instant I had crystal clear sound blasting through the earphones.
That is unfortunately where my review ends. My Arai is old, dusty and tattered and I don't want to subject the headset to that sort of abuse, so once I've bought a new helmet (round about the time I buy a new bike) I will proceed to install it and report back on my findings. The headphones and microphone, as well as their foam covers and velcro patches, all look to be of top quality. There's also enough cabling to help everything reach the right spots in the helmet, and well detailed instructions on how to position everything properly, so I imagine it will go well.
Until then, the BT-GO gets a thumbs up on pairing and audio quality :thumleft:
(I'll post some pics when I get a second)
