All the things on the Cardo Packtalk Edge carries over, however the latest Palktalk Professional provides bigger audio system, an automated crash notification system, and a movement-sensing on/off operate. Nonetheless, the Professional prices roughly 20% greater than an Edge, at an MSRP of $459.
Cardo invited me out to a media journey in Southern California to see if the brand new system is well worth the further cash. First, we quizzed Cardo reps about how the brand new options work, after which put in the Packtalk Professional, related our smartphone apps, and went out for a bunch journey. Testing the completely different microphone setups, helmet mountings, and app capabilities revealed the professionals and cons fairly rapidly.
Now, with the Professional lastly on sale in the USA, the query of whether or not to purchase the latest Cardo Packtalk Professional or persist with an Edge largely comes all the way down to security concerns.
In brief: The Cardo Packtalk Professional provides a crash detection system that targets commuter motorcyclists, which is a vital and worthy addition. The Packtalk Professional additionally comes with larger audio system and different minimal adjustments to justify a value bump from the Edge. However the Cardo person interface is simply as irritating because it ever was.
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Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2 -
Intercom
Dynamic Mesh 2.0 -
Group intercom most dimension
15 -
Group intercom most vary
5 mi. -
Voice operation
Sure
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New automated crash detection system -
Bigger audio system for music, telephone calls, and intercom -
Auto sensing on/off operate
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App, connectivity, and switchgear nonetheless balky, not fairly intuitive -
Crash detection system depends on cellphone reception -
Vital 20% value bump versus Packtalk Edge
Putting in the Cardo Packtalk Professional
Moreover being obtainable solely in black, the Packtalk Professional appears to be like equivalent to the Edge. It even rides on precisely the identical nifty magnetic “Air Mount” that may both be connected through an adhesive patch or clipped onto the facet of a helmet.
This made set up pretty simple, as I already had an Edge that I’ve used for years. So, I solely wanted to swap within the new audio system and pop the Professional proper onto the facet of my helmet.
The JBL audio system now measure 45 mm in exterior diameter however with the identical 41.5mm base that matches snugly in my 6D ATS-1R helmet’s ear recesses. Later, I swapped the setup into a brand new Alpinestars Supertech R10 helmet at dwelling, and the audio system additionally match simply.
Nonetheless, the R10’s extra aerodynamic exterior design restricted the situation of the stick-on Air Mount. So, I made a decision to maneuver the mount barely rearward to offer one of the best platform. Then I popped off the R10 cheek pads, routed the speaker and microphone wires, glued a mic to the internal chin space, and reassembled. The entire course of took perhaps half an hour.
Higher Audio system, however Nonetheless Struggles With Wind Noise
Earlier than we headed out for the group media journey, I instantly examined the brand new audio system with a few of my favourite tunes. The bigger JBL {hardware} works in live performance with a brand new era of Cardo’s music processor, which permits for a extra rounded sound with deeper bass in comparison with the Edge. However as soon as we pulled away, as typical, wind noise instantly rendered any enhancements to constancy considerably irrelevant.
At speeds as much as about 45 mph, my music sounded okay, and our conversations stayed pretty clear. However holding a dialog above 70 mph required yelling solely quick, staccato phrases.
Neglect having fun with music; doing so would require turning up the quantity to really painful ranges. And for anybody with an open-face helmet, microphone placement will likely be key in order to not anger buddies with wind noise that not solely drowns out dialog but additionally turns off any music.
Accident Notification System Testing
Fortunately, no person on our group journey actually examined the crash notification system. However Cardo reps available fortunately took a deep dive into the way it all works earlier than we hit the street. The system requires three components to work in live performance collectively: new {hardware} within the Packtalk Professional unit and a connection to the Cardo Join smartphone app, which then communicates through cellphone with the cloud.
The bodily {hardware} makes use of an accelerometer, which Cardo calls an “inertia measurement unit,” to file G forces and angular velocity. The info overwrites in a loop each 2 minutes and by no means transmits again to the cloud till it detects a crash.
If Cardo’s cloud software program detects and confirms a crash, an automated textual content message is distributed to the emergency contact within the Cardo Join app, studying “URGENT! [Name] could also be concerned in an accident & requires your consideration.”
The message additionally features a pin for a location on Google Maps. The system fixes that GPS location by way of the smartphone. Nonetheless, really sending the information again to the cloud as soon as a crash has been detected requires knowledge cell reception. Then, there’s a lag because the software program processes to find out whether or not the crash is actual or a false constructive.
Cardo’s testing largely targeted on accidents involving different motor automobiles. Reps available instructed us the system logged virtually 1 million km of driving throughout pilot testing in Spain, the U.S., and Israel. Cardo claims 95% accuracy at speeds over 30 mph and 85% accuracy beneath 30 mph.
An vital element right here is the comparability to an iPhone’s innate crash detection software program, which is tuned extra towards passenger vehicles. In 20 simulated crashes that the Packtalk Professional picked up, the iPhone solely counted one, or simply 5% (in, albeit, a restricted run).
Very like the iPhone, this Bluetooth communication system can flip off the alert if it determines the crash was a mistake, equivalent to a dropped helmet. The person may use the Cardo Join app to point that each one is nicely.
After all, some latency exists, so the precise alert textual content will not be despatched to the emergency contact for a couple of minutes. And that’s underneath best circumstances. With out cell reception, equivalent to whereas canyon carving, the crash info by no means makes it to the cloud.
Cardo doesn’t advocate utilizing the system off asphalt since dust bikes create far more jarring, and the system could detect many false positives. I simply discovered the place to show off the notification within the app.
Some Person Interface Points
The auto on/off additionally depends on the accelerometer. In a handful of rides for the reason that media program, I’ve discovered that this characteristic works nicely. After I placed on my helmet and pulled out my telephone to open the Cardo Join app, the Professional was all the time on and related to my iPhone.
However this additionally meant that anytime I moved my helmet or put it in a automotive, the Professional switched on and began attempting to attach. This may lead to much less battery life, although I nonetheless solely wanted to cost it each few days.
Nonetheless, not needing to make use of the Professional’s buttons to show it on introduced up numerous missed alternatives to enhance the general person interface. First, as a result of I don’t all the time need to take heed to music or journey with buddies, I don’t all the time use my Cardos. This implies I usually neglect what every of the bodily buttons on the facet of the Professional and Edge really does. I prompt to Cardo reps {that a} diagram on the app’s homepage may assist.
As only one instance, this system is the one one I’ve ever used the place the Play button for music will not be the identical because the Pause button. As an alternative, as soon as the music begins enjoying, the identical button turns right into a Skip button to leap to the following music. In the meantime, the quantity adjustment knob is the Pause button — which was so delicate that when carrying gloves, I usually turned the music off as an alternative of the quantity up or down.
The three buttons and single knob required a number of combos of button-mashing to start out connections, reply telephone calls, and modify the quantity. So, I often ended up pulling the unit off the Air Mount to have a look at it. However then it was disconnected from the audio system, and I couldn’t inform if I answered a telephone name, was then talking with a pal through the intercom, or had the music quantity the place I wished it.
In the meantime, the app itself has a super-simple design. Often, it is a professional for person interfaces. However for Cardo, it meant that if one thing wasn’t working as supposed — which occurred frequently — I had no recourse however to strive the identical factor repeatedly. For instance, if I couldn’t be part of my buddies’ group chat, I needed to give up the app a number of instances and begin over reasonably than troubleshooting inside the app.
I additionally wished the Cardo Packtalk Professional had instructed me who was calling since I acquired about one million telephone calls a day from my greatest pal, Potential Spam. If I had my telephone in my pocket as an alternative of on a Quadlock or different handlebar mount, I by no means knew whether or not to reply calls.
The quantity hole between music and both intercom or telephone calls could possibly be excessive. It ranged from an virtually inaudible faintness to painful loudness, and there was no option to management every individually.
Conclusions on the Cardo Packtalk Professional
Generally, the Cardo Packtalk Professional labored completely. However as usually as not, the brand new Professional was simply as irritating because the previous Edge. An up to date app promised through the media program appeared to have made no distinction in my expertise for the reason that Professional went on sale on July 7. Each the Cardo Packtalk Professional {hardware} and software program might use additional refinement, although the Professional added enhancements and options over the Edge.
Surprisingly, the up to date app continued Cardo’s peculiar choice to not combine the Riser group driving app that the corporate purchased from KTM a couple of 12 months in the past. Riser goals to be the Strava of motorcycling, however even Cardo reps acknowledged it nonetheless has a protracted option to go to draw extra customers.
Is the Professional value an upcharge versus the Edge? From a security standpoint, the automated crash detection meant rather a lot to me. Although I largely journey canyons on the weekends, reasonably than commuting because the system is designed for, I appreciated the information that an alert may exit if I’m going down the place I’ve cell reception. It had barely higher sound high quality at low speeds, and the auto on/off didn’t matter a lot, in my view. I did desire the black end to my Edge’s grey.
Relying on the supposed driving, considerations about security, or cynicism about even needing assist after a crash, the Cardo Packtalk Professional is perhaps value the additional cash. In any case, the essential Edge nonetheless isn’t notably low-cost, and it’s onerous to place a price ticket on further peace of thoughts.
