Bluetooth Headset

[Rhys Lewis]

Has anyone had any experience with Bluetooth headsets and
bicycle helmets? I would ideally like something that

- Can be taken from a pocket and used to answer a call
with one hand
- Will fit when I'm wearing a helmet
- Doesn't suffer too badly from wind noise
- Won't pick up too much traffic noise

It's hard to find a shop that has more than one headset on
display, and I haven't even bothered to ask for a test-
drive. I don't want to have to work through a whole series
of them at £75 a go.

I would like to use it with a P800, and the wired headset
that comes with the phone keeps falling out of my left ear.

Rhys

 

[David Kenning]

Rhys Lewis wrote:
> Has anyone had any experience with Bluetooth headsets and
> bicycle helmets?

I have a Jabra Bluetooth headset that I wear while cycling
- you have to tuck the mouthpiece in under the chinstrap
but it's no less comfortable than wearing the headset
without a helmet.

> - Doesn't suffer too badly from wind noise
> - Won't pick up too much traffic noise

I find my Jabra headset almost impossible to use while
actually riding - you can hear the other person all right
but they won't be able to hear you. I don't know how other
headsets compare but I suspect they're all much of a
muchness in this respect - you need one with a mike boom
that's as long as possible if you want anyone to be able to
hear you talk while you're riding. I mainly wear the headset
so I can actually hear when the phone rings and if it's
convenient I just pull over to the side of the road while I
answer the call.

And it's definitely best to put your headset on before
setting off rather than trying to insert it into your ear
while riding. Or stop then insert it - but to me that
would seem to defeat the object of having a headset in the
first place.

> It's hard to find a shop that has more than one headset on
> display, and I haven't even bothered to ask for a test-
> drive. I don't want to have to work through a whole series
> of them at £75 a go.

Try this site - it has a good selection of kit available,
prices are good and I generally find their information
reliable, ie if they recommend it, I trust them:
http://www.expansys.com

d.

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Rhys
Lewis ('[email protected]') wrote:

> Has anyone had any experience with Bluetooth headsets and
> bicycle helmets? I would ideally like something that
>
> - Can be taken from a pocket and used to answer a call
> with one hand
> - Will fit when I'm wearing a helmet
> - Doesn't suffer too badly from wind noise
> - Won't pick up too much traffic noise
>
> It's hard to find a shop that has more than one headset on
> display, and I haven't even bothered to ask for a test-
> drive. I don't want to have to work through a whole series
> of them at £75 a go.
>
> I would like to use it with a P800, and the wired
> headset that comes with the phone keeps falling out of
> my left ear.

I read a good comparative review of half a dozen brands on
the Web somewhere in the past three months but I can't find
it now. There's something more limited here
<URL:http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/hardware/btheadsets/>

I note Plantronics make 'em; in my experience their stuff is
usually quality.

Oh, whoops, yes, found the review. <URL:http://www.howardch-
ui.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=142>

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; 99% of browsers can't run ActiveX controls.
Unfortunately ;; 99% of users are using the 1% of
browsers that can... [seen on /. 08:04:02]

 

[David Kenning]

Simon Brooke wrote:
> Oh, whoops, yes, found the review.
>
<URL:http://www.howardchui.com/modules.php?name=Sections&so-
p=viewarticle&art id=142>

Ha! My headset gets 0/5 for performance! Great!

I have to say it is certainly comfortable and easy to use,
but I've not used any other headsets so I can't compare. And
to be honest I didn't actually choose this model - it was
given to me as a Christmas present - so maybe I would have
chosen something else if I had been doing the buying.

d.

 

[Chris Malcolm]

[email protected] (Rhys Lewis) writes:

>Has anyone had any experience with Bluetooth headsets and
>bicycle helmets? I would ideally like something that

>- Can be taken from a pocket and used to answer a call with
> one hand
>- Will fit when I'm wearing a helmet
>- Doesn't suffer too badly from wind noise
>- Won't pick up too much traffic noise

>It's hard to find a shop that has more than one headset on
>display, and I haven't even bothered to ask for a test-
>drive. I don't want to have to work through a whole series
>of them at #75 a go.

>I would like to use it with a P800, and the wired headset
>that comes with the phone keeps falling out of my left ear.

To reduce wind noise you're going to have to cover the mike
in some kind of open cell foam or hairy stuff, as used by
outside broadcasters. Any shop which sells expensive
microphones will be able to sell you a lump of the
appropriate stuff, if you're short of likely looking junk to
play with. I suspect quite a bit is needed. Alternatively
you could try the WWII pilot throat mike anti-noise trick,
and sellotape the mike to your Adam's apple, then wrap a
scarf round it.

You could try fitting one of those moulded jelly-plastic
things on to the earpiece, which are meant to improve fit,
bass response, etc., but incidentally are harder to remove.

What I do on a bike if expecting a phone call is stick my
wired headset in, set the phone to auto-answer, and no hands
are needed at all.
--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

 

[Paul]

In article <o7f6i1-
[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> I note Plantronics make 'em; in my experience their stuff
> is usually quality.
>
>
Ive got one of those. It's got the battery life of a thing
with the worst battery life I've ever come accross. And it
can't maintain a wireless link with the phone. And thats
when I'm sat at my desk!

.paul