IMC Motorcom CAMOS BHS600 Stereo Bluetooth Intercom Report

[owrstrich]

camos intercom report...

so we have 2 bhs600 units... have not tried them with another device... just intercom... after two short weeks of service im thinking the camos intercom is a quality unit... thats the main purpose our purchase... the intercom... plus the future addition of stereo music and bike to bike radio... we will be adding these additional devices as we acquire them...

the camos comes with 2 clips... 1 clip is for double side tape which can go any where on the helmet... 1 clip is to go under the lip of the helmet... it fits fine except the camos sticks down below the clip which means it would get pretty beat up from just setting the helmet down on hard surfaces... especially beat up when considering its the cord end that would be sticking down past the lip...

we used the double side tape on the side because the camos and the cord are free and clear of damage on the side... we could have clipped or tapped the camos on the back of the helmet because there is plenty of cord for the speakers and the mic... we chose the side so we could run the cord under the lip by the chin strap...

the battery took 2 hours to charge... we turned them on and paired them up... we were constantly on the intercom for about 8 hours... the battery never got weak and the low battery alert never went off... we left them on for another 4 hours... not being used... just sitting out and they still had enough charge to work and still no low battery alert...

of course the sound was outstanding in the parking lot... at 30mph she could understand me but i could not understand her... we aligned the speakers to our ears a little better and we were good to 40mph...

then i looked at the mic thinking it was directional... pulling back the foam i discovered a little nub on the mic... i was thinking it was for aiming the mic to the mouth... we both set the nub to our lips and there you go... excellent sound...

having the speakers aligned to the ear canal and the mic aligned to the lips provided sound just like a good office intercom... no tin can... no echo chamber... no hollow cave... no distortion... it was crystal clear and there was absolutely no wind noise...

so we opened our modular helmets to see if we would pick up any distortion or wind noise or any other noise... there was none... just our voices in our ears... so im thinking this unit would be good for open face helmets too...

so we bump it up to 50mph... still good but i could have used some more volume at this point because we wear ear plugs to minimize hearing loss... no volume control on the intercom... cell and music have volume control... but the intercom does not...

so we bump it up to 60mph... no change... all is good but still wanting some more volume... a few more db would be perfect all the way down the line...

so we bump it up to 70... big change... still no wind noise from the mic... could barely make out what was said... the speaker volume could not overcome our noisy hjc symax helmets... at 80 it was impossible to hear anything except a distant voice through the speakers...

after our ride i took a closer look at our speaker install... there is nothing between the shell of the helmet and the speakers... actually the speakers are as far away from the ear as they can be... and they are right against the shell... im thinking if i put the hjc noise pads back in between the speakers and the shell that the volume will be good... its either the pads and moving the speakers closer or there will never be enough volume above 60mph...

i will update this report after i get the pads back in... seriously hoping the reinstall of the pads is the solution...

webbikeworld review... i agree... the instruction manual sucks...
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-intercoms/imc-camos-bluetooth-intercom/

my photos...

camos system in box...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/IMG_0603.jpg

camos from top...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/IMG_0604.jpg

camos from side...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/IMG_0605.jpg

charger and 2 clips with mounting tape...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/IMG_0606.jpg

speakers and open face helmet speaker... there is full face speaker too but not pictured...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/IMG_0607.jpg

looking at a back install...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/bluetooth004.jpg

looking at a side install...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/bluetooth003.jpg

speaker install without noise pad... thinking that is part of the problem...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/bluetooth005.jpg

the speaker is located right against the shell... thinking that is part of the problem...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/bluetooth006.jpg

camos on helmet...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/IMG_0670.jpg

camos on helmet.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/IMG_0694.jpg

camos on helmet.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/IMG_0692.jpg

camos on helmet.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/IMG_0693.jpg

update...

i messed around with various foams between the shell and the speakers... i finally used foam tape to build up the ear hole part of the cheek pads... my xxl took 3 layers of foam tape to get the speaker right next to my ear... my wenches xs took 6 layers of foam tape...

the foam tape fills up the ear hole in the cheek pad inserts and provides a good base to align and mount the speakers... there is a noticeable difference now in wind noise... the foam sealed it up and really helped a lot... which makes the volume good up to 70mph... acceptable to 80mph... beyond 80mph... forget it...

we dont have any other devices to pair at this time... the intercom is good... just wish i could bump up the volume... a few more db would be perfect all the way down the line...

follow the link below to a pdf manual which is way better then the german to english babblefished one i got with the camos...

http://www.benchmarkhelmets.com/Cam...600%20Bluetooth

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[owrstrich]

yesterday we pulled out for a ride at 11am and got back at 9pm... using the camos intercom the whole time without turning it off... so at least 10 hours of continuous intercom use with no battery issues...

i went without ear plugs for about 1/2 hour just to see what it sounded like with absolutely no hearing protection... wow is it loud... almost too loud going slow and really good to 100mph without ear plugs...

i did notice an intermittent echo at slow speeds... and very slight intermittent wind noise and intermittent swooshing sounds at high speed through the mic... this is without the ear plugs...

but with the ear plugs it was almost perfect...

still looking at other bluetooth devices to pair it up too...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[messenger13]

Thanks for the detailed reports! Bluetooth is my number one priority this winter.

[owrstrich]

you know there messenger13...

i waited all last winter... then all this summer... for the stereo models... and pulled the trigger on this thing because of the 3 device expandability...

i got a feeling there are lots of stereo bluetooth helmet devices in the pipeline... perhaps this year or next... who knows...

but this camos is the real deal though... we messed around with the foam tape and the speaker location again today... we got it nailed down now... the speakers are exactly aligned to the ear canals and they are as close to the ear as they can be without touching the ear...

we dont need any more db from the speakers... its good up to 90mph... that is as fast as we went today... 90mph... and that was to test the new speaker location at high speed...

while wearing 33db noise attenuating ear plugs we experienced near perfect intercom sound with no wind noise and no feedback or other negative audio issues all the way to from parking lot speed to 90mph...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[owrstrich]

i scored that wirevo unit... d1000dv...

http://www.scootershop.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=103_656&osCsid=cc067ac061ce299e46c31ff468784344

i hooked it into a cd palyer by the headset jack and paired it with the camos...

oh my... this is wireless bluetooth high fidelity... and the music temporally mutes when i talk so the intercom is not talking over the music...

i also discovered the intercom volume is adjustable... i just had it all the way up... so the music and the intercom volume are independent of each other... and music mutes during intercom conversation...

i gotta say the camos and the wirevo is for real as far as a true stereo intercom and stereo music system...

im gonna have to score a bluetooth phone or a bluetooth gps to test the remaining capabilities... im the guy that usually gets stuck with a less than perfect purchase... even after many hours of due diligence... but this system is perfect so far... crazy aint it...

owrstrich

[danstl]

Thanks for the reports. I ordered both a couple days ago and am awaiting their arrival. I am $5 short to pay for them though....could you loan me...oh nevermind!

Thanks again.

[bmwhd]

Thanks for the detailed reports! Bluetooth is my number one priority this winter.

Finally! Something we agree on! :histerica

[carl_k1200]

BHS 600
so far i am happy w/the unit i paired it up to my cell phone , and new zumo GPS w/no problem . i went on a day trip saturday everything worked great it was nice to have the voice prompts from the gps go right to the helmet speakers . That was my biggest issue w/ my old gps couldn't hear the voice promts. Not that i talk alot on the phone it was nice to have that feature its still kind of new to me still learning after pairning up the phone and gps w/ camos your phone book goes in automaticly . talked on the phone up to 70 the wife said that it was clearer than the uconnect in the truck.

[Steve_R]

Joe, I know you use the Intaride system. Have you seen the Liberty System (http://www.intaride.com/liberty%20main.html) from them. For you it would just be an add-on.

[owrstrich]

thanks the the report carl_k1200...

so far they work flawlessly as advertised on intercom on ch2 on both the master and the slave units... music on ch1 master with wirevo... music on ch1 slave with wirevo... the same music on both ch1 master and on ch1 slave with a simple music jack Y splitter and wirevo...

and im thinking carl_k1200 is saying they work as advertised with his phone and zumo...

so the zumo may be the device i investigate next... i have been waiting on some detailed reports from camos / zumo users on their functionality... i guess i better start saving...

just a note... im thinking the camos would be good for limited 1 bike to 1 bike communications using just the bluetooth... we distanced our selves the length of the parking lot here and the intercom was still crystal clear... it looked to be the distance of a football field... so i counted the parking spaces to get a better idea... 33 parking spaces and 4 landscaped areas... im thinking 33 x 8'@ + 4 x 10'@ = 304'... we were just walking with our helmets on... riding at speed may have an adverse effect on the range compared to walking at speed...

crazy aint it...

owrstrich

[Strega]

Ok, I have a zumo. So it will sinc and or supply XM,Cell phone,MP3 and voice prompts. This would count as one input right? The priority built in to the zumo would decide which one it mutes. Can it also be hooked up to the bikes on board radio system. This thing sounds like what I'm looking for. I just purchased a 2005 Lt and have been trying to figure out the way to go. I have been delaying the puchase of helmets untill I figured it out as well.Coming from the H.D. crowd all I have are beenies. You guys are a great source of information. I've read several posts on helmets and still am not sure on which one to buy. I like the sun shield option on some of them as I wear glasses. Any thoughts?
Steve

[owrstrich]

strega...

i think carl_k1200 and geezerbeemer66 and benchmarkhelmets can answer those questions... i dont have any of those devices...

i moved the camos from the side to the back to get it out of the air stream...

its up real high on my helmet... and its as low as possible with the connector sill exposed on my passengers helmet... the connector will fit it the cheek pad with no discomfort... just messing around with it...

i eventually moved my camos down lower like hers... and secured everything with velcro instead of double sided tape...

my helmet...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/CAMOS020.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/CAMOS019.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/CAMOS018.jpg

her helmet...
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/CAMOS017.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/CAMOS015.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/intercom/IMG_1347.jpg


owrstrich

[MikeBetz]

owrstrich,

When you played around with the wiRevo, did you have both headsets paired to it? i.e. Did you have driver & passenger listening to music and at the same time have the intercom function running between driver and passenger?

Mike

P.S. thanks for a great write-up

[owrstrich]

the camos has 2 channels... ch 1 is for any device except intercom... ch 2 is for intercom but can be used for another device if not using the intercom...

so... both rider and passenger on ch 2 intercom... then one mp3 device hooked to a splitter... splitter hooked to 2 wirevo units... rider ch1 paired with first wirevo and passenger ch 1 paired with second wirevo...

the mp3 feeds the splitter... the splitter feeds both wirevos and each ch 1 gets their own independent feed... the wirevo can only pair with one device at a time...

so 1 mp3 device and 2 wirevos paired on 2 ch 1s... but since using a splitter we get the same mp3 feed independently and simultaneously...

we could use 2 mps devices without a splitter and get completely different music if we wanted... that would be rider mp3 feeds wirevo paired with rider ch 1 and passenger mp3 feeds wirevo paired with passenger ch 1...

either way the intercom will mute the music...

here is a photo where you can see the camos velcroed to the back of my helmet... hers is on the back of her helmet but you cant see it in the photo...

just trying to keep them out of the wind stream... you can see their size here relative to everything else... mp3 and wirevo in tank bag... no wires in the wind... clean set up so far...

whats next... maybe a zumo... who knows...

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/owrstrich/Ride%20Tales%20CA%20SoCal/Duck%20Nov%2007/big.jpg

owrstrich

[jackd]

Is there a way to add a connection to any current intercom?

Like an AutoCom or a BMW intercom? What is the connection to the MP3 is that only bluetooth?

[deputy5211]

Is there a way to add a connection to any current intercom?

Like an AutoCom or a BMW intercom? What is the connection to the MP3 is that only bluetooth?

I realie that this response is about 10-11 months since the last posted in this thread, but...

I telephoned AutoCom USA/TopGear today and they say that their bluetooth interface device is not compatible with ANY bluetooth headset because their module plugs into port one; port one does not support music out, apparently.

Person I spoke with stated that they "are working on" a bluetooth headset/interface, but to trime frame available. This MAY be like some of their other "working on" products which never materialized, or MAYBE NOT.

I am going to order a wiRevo D100DV and see if I can get it to work in the audio port on the Autocom SuperAVI. I will update this thread with the results of my experiments.

Anthony...