Dongle confusion.

[TheMike]

I haven't picked up my bike yet(Thread here) but will next week. I have a rapid long ride home so I won't have much time to play and figure out some things before I MUST head home.

Specifically the Bluetooth Dongle.

I know the over all idea of what it does. Sends bike audio directly to the Sena Headset. Easy enough. The questions come into using my iphone.

I use my iphone for GPS, music, phone, and iRadar when it's on the bike. All goes through the headset when it's paired with the Sena.

If I understand the documentation for the Dongle, you pair the Sena with the Dongle first then the phone. Does this mean pair dongle to phone or Sena to the phone?

If I setup/pair my phone as a PHONE ONLY (per the Sena instruction) to my SENA headset then the phone features (calls) will pair to my headset, and all other audio comes out either the phone speaker or what ever is hardwired to it for sound (like a speaker docking station).

Quesions:

As I have the ipod connect kit on the VV, will all the audio from the phone go through the bikes audio then to my BT headset from the Dongle?

The Dongle instructions state to pair the Sena to the Dongle first then the phone (as stated above), does this mean the phone no longer gets paired to my headset? It all goes through the dongle only?

Another way of putting it, If I pair the phone to the Sena as a PHONE ONLY, then connect the phone it to the bike via the ipod kit for all the other stuff, do I still pair the phone to the dongle?

I'm so damn confused.

Pair Dongle to Sena, then pair phone to Dongle

OR

Pair Dongle to Sena, then pair the phone to SENA

The connections are fuzzy but here's what I am hoping happens:

Phone audio sources are heard through bike's Dongle OR bike's speakers. Phone calls are done through the Sena headset. If I on a intercom chat, music and such through dongle is still heard in the background, or out bike speakers?

Am I completely screwed up. Help me get an understanding of what needs to be done and what to expect?

Thanks!

[Napoleon]

There are a lot of older threads on this topic and you might want to search back a ways to check them out.

Anyway, to answer your question, you pair the Dongle to the headset first. Then you pair the phone to the headset. This establishes the phone as the highest priority in the headset. That means you can be listening to music via the Ipod over the Dongle bluetooth and, if you get a phone call (or GPS instruction or any other output from the phone), the headset automatically mutes the Dongle and switches to the phone. When the phone call is done, the music comes back automatically.

The Sena Dongle uses an older bluetooth spec, 2.1 I believe, and this limits its connectivity. Consequently, if you want to share music with a passenger through his/her headset, you would need another Dongle. That Dongle must be paired with the passenger headset separately.

It is a confusing thing and I wish that Victory would make it easier for those that want bluetooth on their bikes. Even some of the dealers have trouble figuring this out. I also wish that the bluetooth options were better but that's the subject of many past threads.

[Pckrfan]

Forget the Dongle. Ancient technology..... Get the Sena SM10. I think it would solve your dilemma.

[Napoleon]

I've looked at those but don't have any personal experience with them. That said, it looks like you need to connect the bike's audio system's AUX to the line in on the SM10. But wouldn't that, in turn, require disabling the Ipod connector?

I may be completely wrong about this because, as I said, I have no experience with them at all. I would really like to see one of these hooked up in a way that didn't require disabling/disconnecting the Ipod interface.

[half_crazy]

Here's what I do...

Throw the IPhone in the saddlebag, start the bike and ride off. Half the joy of riding the motorcycle is to "unplug" from all the world's background noise and technology. All I wanna hear is that glorious engine and the wind.

[TNXR]

Originally Posted by half_crazy

Here's what I do...

Throw the IPhone in the saddlebag, start the bike and ride off. Half the joy of riding the motorcycle is to "unplug" from all the world's background noise and technology. All I wanna hear is that glorious engine and the wind.

I with you on that. That is why I chose the XR over the CC (radio on a bike is not for me). I 've got some buddies that I get together with a couple of times a year for a week or more road trips and most of them have to have their phone, gps, stereo, and whatever other whistle going all the time. I ride my bike to get away from those things.

[SteveYacht]

Originally Posted by half_crazy

here's what i do...

Throw the iphone in the saddlebag, start the bike and ride off. Half the joy of riding the motorcycle is to "unplug" from all the world's background noise and technology. All i wanna hear is that glorious engine and the wind.

exactly!!!!!!!

[Lostintexas]

Take a look at this. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...m10/review.htm
From what I understand and have read from here and another Vic board, the set up from Ma Vic is crummy. It only goes to ONE headset and is expensive. The only gain from it (if you can get it to work) is the radio going to the headsets. If you have a passenger you either get a second set up, or they are SOL.
Vic figured out the high price tag and like to chest thump about how much better they are than HD, but for the pricing and what you actually get they are lagging.
I hope this helps and Congrats on the bike, enjoy it.

[Pckrfan]

Originally Posted by Napoleon

I've looked at those but don't have any personal experience with them. That said, it looks like you need to connect the bike's audio system's AUX to the line in on the SM10. But wouldn't that, in turn, require disabling the Ipod connector?

I may be completely wrong about this because, as I said, I have no experience with them at all. I would really like to see one of these hooked up in a way that didn't require disabling/disconnecting the Ipod interface.

The only thing I can think of is plug the 3.5 mm cord into the earphone jack on you phone/iPod and the other end into the SM10. Since the SM10 would be paired to your headset, theoretically it should work. Just be sure to shut off you faring speakers...and yes there are times when only the road, wind and engine noise is all I wanna listen to as well.......

[Pckrfan]

Originally Posted by Lostintexas

Take a look at this. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...m10/review.htm
From what I understand and have read from here and another Vic board, the set up from Ma Vic is crummy. It only goes to ONE headset and is expensive. The only gain from it (if you can get it to work) is the radio going to the headsets. If you have a passenger you either get a second set up, or they are SOL.
Vic figured out the high price tag and like to chest thump about how much better they are than HD, but for the pricing and what you actually get they are lagging.
I hope this helps and Congrats on the bike, enjoy it.

that is why the SM10 appears to be better than the Dongle according to Senas web site anyway.....