Shop Sena ST1 at Sportsbikeshop… bit.ly/SenaST1 Superior mesh comms technology at a much lower price than its competitors, you say? Yup, but you really should check out the full story first. Here it is…
Got to say sports bike shop have to be the most informative bike accessories shop going, love the RU-vid product demonstrations, also love the shop another fantastic review 👍🏻👊🏻
This is as an excellent review, thank you! I didn’t know that Sena has a a cheaper Mesh unit, which was something I really needed. Almost bought Cardo 2x not knowing this!
Tony, it is a great review. End up i bought two after watching your video. Just one thing i put it on a test on the mountain but i find the range is very limited (less then few hundreds meters) not as described by the product using group mesh. Do you know why? Any suggestions on the settings i can try? Thanks Tony for the great video 👍👍
Hi Tony, nice review. I like to use a dedicated satnav for directions when on tour, will this unit allow me to pair it to BOTH a satnav and my phone at the same time? I presume it would need two bluetooth channels for this to work? Many thanks.
Hi, yes this unit will allow connection to a phone and a dedicated sat-nav at the same time. The full user guide explains how to do this, and that can be downloaded from Sena's website here... www.sena.com/eu-en/product/spider-st1/documents Thanks for getting in touch. Cheers, Tony
Just installed this in my wife's helmet - I have a Sena 30K and they connected instantly and sound crystal clear. If anything, her St1 sounds quite a bit louder even though I have the upgraded speakers in mine. Very pleased with the price too.
I have a Cardo Freecom 4x and it’s interesting weighing up the differences between these two as they are essentially the same price. Have you tried the 4x? How does it compare to you? Obviously I know the 4x is Bluetooth only, but in your experience in a rider group of only 4 would you go for this or the 4x?
I've not tried a Freecom 4X, sorry. Everything I'm told suggests that trying to keep groups together with a Bluetooth connection is harder than if you use mesh technology like this one runs. Thanks for getting in touch. Cheers, Tony
if you like your sena bluetooth communication but would also like to add mesh. Sena sells a unit called mesh+ that will easily allow mesh communication
Have you updated the firmware to see if it would fix the audio multitasking? A friend and I got a pair of these today and couldn't seem to get it set right
Hi Troy, thanks for the recommendation - yes, the firmware update was one of the first things I did. I hope you get some success with the settings, and I'd be interested to know what makes the difference for you. Cheers, Tony
I have no knowledge of the UClear systems and can't say for sure, but our technical team tell me that Sena mesh systems like the ST1 will only communicate with other Sena mesh units, or now with Interphone's mesh systems, so our view is that you wouldn't be able to join your group with a Sena ST1. Cheers, Tony
Cant the unit be taken off of the helmet to charge, update or anything else? Do you have to disconnect the wires? Or is it more like a click on click off system like my old model cardo?
You have to unplug the cable to remove it from the lid, then slide it off the clamp so you can charge it off-lid. It's a little slower than some units, but not really a big deal. Cheers, Tony
I didn't do a measured range test, but found it to be around half a mile separation on a straight, open road before the connection dropped out. It's covered at 03:20. Cheers, Tony
Am I the only one experiencing static noises after turning it on only lasting for some seconds and ongoing static noises listening to music? Its not that bad but can anyone confirm or is it only my device?
Hi Tony, I'm thinking of buying the Dual intercom to connect with my wife (pillion only). We are currently using an Autocom hard wired system which is on its last legs! We both want to hear the Satnav (which is possible with Autocom). Is it possible for us BOTH to connect with the Satnav with the ST1?
It's not possible to connect two wireless headsets to a motorcycle sat-nav, which is an issue at the sat-nav end. A search around online suggests that, on some units, switching on music sharing will allow the sat-nav instructions to be sent from rider headset to pillion headset. I've tried this with the ST1 and it doesn't work in this way. Sorry it hasn't solved your issue, but I hope it's answered your question. Cheers, Tony
Hi Tony et al. It’s really frustrating that I can’t find in Sena website whether this intercom supports music sharing or not. I’ve bought a twin pack from Sportsbikeshop but I can’t make the music sharing work. Tony can you help me confirm whether this model is music sharing compatible?
Hi Yannis, music sharing isn't a feature on this model. We believe it's because the music sharing function on intercoms is performed by Bluetooth, which is not available on the ST1. Thanks for getting in touch on this and apologies for being the bearer of bad news. Cheers, Tony
You can pair this with later Interphone Mesh-enabled units within the Ucom range. They are not compatible with Mesh comms from other brands at the moment. Cheers, Tony
No, any connection between Sena and Cardo units has to go through Bluetooth and the ST1 doesn't have Bluetooth intercom capability (only to connect to phones and sat-navs etc). Cheers, Tony
Hear's 'Sena insist on this for returns'... and thinks, best find a supplier who take responsibility for their own support as they're legally obliged to do in the UK.
I just got the Spider RT1 and it's great. Only bad thing: You cannot disconnect it from the speaker/mic cable so it always has to be on your helmet. Even when charging etc. Firmware update works over the air through the app. No usb cable needed :)
Agreed. More and more intercoms and helmets are now demanding on-helmet charging. Worth carrying an extra-long charging cable on riding trips to give more flexibility on where you can charge. Cheers, Tony
This unit is mesh-only and hence incompatible with all other brands. Sena's Bluetooth-only, or mesh/Bluetooth units are compatible with other brands when used in Bluetooth mode. Cheers, Tony
Yes, you can mute the microphone. Press and hold the Mesh Intercom button for 1 second to enable/disable the microphone during communication in a Mesh conversation. Cheers, Tony
Yes, you can. From the configuration menu there's an option for 'second mobile phone pairing'. Choose that and you can then select 'Spider ST1' in the list of Bluetooth devices available on your phone. Cheers, Tony
Hi. So if I have understood well, these units are more easy to pair than the BT units and it is much easier to pair with each other We have a girls karting team and go to endurance races and I need a system that I can communicate with three girls at the same time. This looks like it is a better system, and cheaper, than Sena 20s and higher models
Hi, yes - that is the case. You'll find it easier to connect four units (three drivers plus yourself?) when using Mesh. With Bluetooth, the third unit would use the second as a 'bridge' into the chat and the fourth unit would use the third in the same way. Then you've got a daisy chain and if one link drops out you lose the whole thing. I'm also told, but haven't discovered this for myself, that everyone has to stay in the same order when riding bikes on the road. I have no idea what chaos this might inflict on your plan for kart races. With Mesh, if one unit drops out the chain between the others will remain, and they don't need to stay in the same riding order. And yes, as things stand, this is the cheapest Mesh-equipped system we have. As for whether it'll work in your circumstances I can't say, but I'd be interested to know the outcome. Cheers, Tony
@@sportsbikeshop thank you for a good answer. I know now what I needed to know and that is if one drops out, all others are still connected. That is the most important thing So, looks like it would be those headsets One more thing. As teamleader, I need some overhead headphpones with mash to communicate with the three girls. Do you have a suggestion for me? Thx in advance
I've had a quick look on the Sena site and the only product I can see that would work how you want is about $500 US, and listed as unavailable. You could contact Sena to see if they have anything suitable: www.sena.com/eu-en/support. But in your position, I'd look at making my own headset by fitting an ST1 unit to a pair of ear defenders. Some intercom firms have made these up as demonstration units for customers in shops. There are videos on RU-vid that show how to do something like that, with different degrees of complexity/bodgery involved. I hope you can find a way. Cheers, Tony
