Great video. I just bought the HJC RPHA 70 ST Sampra last month. Love the very snug fit and i also plan a on buying the cardo packtalk slim. This walkthrough will help out alot. Thank you for making this vid.
For guys like me new in this domain your video was spot on, learn a lot of things in just a few minutes. Thanks, subscribed. Keep up the good work, and ride safe.
Hey, this is a great video. Entertaining and informative even though I don't have the helmet or a Cardo system I watched right till the end. Well done and a BIG thumbs up.
Hi Andy, great video. Just found your channel. About to start vlogging my adventures here in Germany as well. Nice to know there are other Brits on Bikes in northern Germany as well.
Think sales of Sugru are about to go through the roof, I hadn't heard of it but definitely going to invest now. Set up looks sleek and new lid looks ready for some big miles. See you out there soon
Well-done! I've been using this helmet/BT comm combo over the last two years and absolutely love it. (Same color, too.) Once you've experienced using Cardo's voice-controlled system, there's no going back. Hope you get on well with it.
Cameras are a massive faff! Sadly vital for what I do! 😆 The best thing for me so far about the PT Slim is that it catches no wind and the weight at the back balances way nicer than at the side.
As soon as you start looking, there are LOADS of things that didn't even need fixing before!! I've got it strengthening cables, holding cables, as speaker feet, as bump stops, grip upgrades....
I got a 3D printed gopro chin mount for my RPHA 70. Was about £20 to have it printed and shipped? Files are available on the web. Much cleaner, very strong.
ha, have the same helmet intercom combo :) they fit and work really well togheter. And tnx for the how to on the gopro, if I ever want to attach one in the future. Ride safe
Could help when the camera isn't on, but then I don't ride very often without a camera, so it probably wouldn't help very much. Plus larger round holes tend to whistle in the wind. TBH that vent is a bit pointless in my opinion as it's so close to the wide open bottom of the helmet anyway!
Good helmet set up video, you made it look so easy, the head phone cut outs on the HJC are well made so you have some adjustability. Glad to see you back after the op
@@AndyManCam I am from Ukraine and I tell u take off.U have no idea what's going on.Check how much cost one kWh to make and check for how is selling...ok?Or I take to see people from there and u will see ok?!
I have the same bike, the same helmet, and the same Cardo headset. The headset was a bad choice, though. Watch what happens when you plug in the micro USB to charge it while it's on the helmet. The pressure it puts on the connecter causes so much stress internally that it will likely prematurely fail like it did with my unit. All that money down the drain in less than 2 years! We've made a video about the problem with the headset, and it will be coming out one of these months.
I guess we'll have to wait and see with that. It doesn't really look like there's any pressure so far and hopefully I'll never need to charge it while riding. What have Cardo said about the failure?
3 года назад
I got the same helmet man. It's awsome. I can recommend you bespoke 3d printed gopro mounts for your helmet. Looks better and easier to use. and Ulanzi case for the gopro has a place to put the mic adapter too. Its way cleaner to use.
Thanks. I already have the camera mounted. You watched me do it! 😂 I think I’ll leave it as it is. I’m not a fan of 3-D printed stuff. It always looks unfinished.
3 года назад
@@AndyManCam Yeah it definitely looks rough. Awsome to see your setup.
Looking slick there, my friend! I love a silver visor! Bit gutted that my Spartan Carbon GT doesn't have one, but coming round slowly to the Iridium one. Good to see your chops, mate. Cracking vid.
I don’t like the Ulanzi brackets as it puts too much stuff sticking out the front of the helmet. Plus I’m trying out a different approach that doesn’t need the mic adapter at all.
Compared with earlier versions, I find the “sleeker” RPHA 70 is more than challenging to wear with glasses and next to impossible with thicker “protective” riding classes. Anyone else out there have a similar experience?
That's a shame. Sorry I can't comment as I haven't reached glasses state yet. But at 40, I'm sure it'll be along soon enough! Hopefully I'll have moved on to a more accommodating lid by then!! 😆
Just and FYI, RideTech Moto make a nice 3D printed GoPro mount made specifically for the RPHA 70ST helmet. It even comes prepared with the 3M VHT tape ready to stick. I'm using one on my 70ST and it's a really good solution and no need to mold the Sugru.
Awesome video, mate! I've got pretty much the same setup, apart from helmet brand (Shoei GT Air) and a clear visor (which I will probably switch out for a silver tinted visor now, because THAT looks really good). Great tip for the microphone. I'm using an even cheaper noname mic with just the standard foam-ish wind muff. Gonna replace the muff with a deadcat to reduce noise spikes, which is currently an issue for me.
Run the speaker cable over the top of your head _under the lining_ as, usually, one of the antennas is in that cable so better range. Well, that's the theory... 😀 Don't forget the white reflective stickers if you're visiting France. (That'll screw up the nice looks of the helmet)
I would be inclined to believe that the antenna is in the blade that slides into the helmet. It seems a bit over-wide and thick for the purpose it performs. In any case, first test of the intercom with TLR showed no problems with range, so that's good. I'd also be worried about the cable over the top causing some discomfort. YOu know the story of the princess and the pea? that's my head!
@@AndyManCam The stubby aerial is for the Bluetooth and Mesh system. The aerial for the radio is usually in the speaker cable. If you don't use the radio then it's not necessary. Yeah, it was something I only found out about very recently and now my radio reception is much better.
I would've loved those elongated cutouts in my Hornet ADV - ended up having to butcher my comms unit just to get it to fit properly. Even considered making the cutouts bigger before coming to my senses!
@@AndyManCam Quick question which isn't to do with ear positioning - in the past have you tried recording the audio separately and adding it back in post?
@@ontheroad103 You mean with a separate audio recorder, so that it’s not on the camera. Or do you mean record the audio at a complete other time? I’ve done the first, not keen on the second.
Hello nice to see you Andy, what a lovely helmet you have! Still struggling with my setup. Tea pot one has been coaching me so hopefully get there soon!
Even the lesser expensive hjc helmets are pretty decent, the Mrs (who ride her own bike) both use hjc with silver tinted visor, but its nice to change the visor if you get caught riding after dark (as old people we try to avoid this)! We use the packralk bold, I'm just curious if the separate battery of the slim lasts longer, maybe more capacity?
I'm really impressed with the quality and the price I got for this lid was fantastic at 279€. I've found that the silver visor is a great half way between full tint and clear, so i don't need to change it quite so quickly as the sun sets. But who really wants to ride in the dark anyway! For me a ride is a success when I didn't need to change the visor at all! As far as the marketing blurb goes, the battery life is exactly the same on the Bold and the Slim. The only advantage is the slimness and the only disadvantage is 300 odd metres range. But I can live with that. I just have to ride faster to keep up!
Andy just be careful with the USB charging socket on the Packtalk slim. They have a habit of breaking and the socket falls out. Ok if under warranty but still a pain in the arse. My broke just after the warranty expired. Common issue, but great intercom otherwise.
I know it doesn't help now but I use a Motomounts GoPro mount on my RPHA 11 and it works a treat. May help for the next helmet though. Good instructional video though. motomounts.co.nz/collections/hjc/products/hjc-rpha-70-mount
Looks good. Bit expensive for what it is though 🤭 The Sugru was in the fridge already and cost 12€ for a 5 pack! Less chance of buggering up the motomounts one though I suppose!! Cheers Steve!
I had the RPHA 70 but sent it back because it sucked so I went with the Nolan N80-8 which for me was much better . I have the Packtalk edge and the go pro 10 , but to be honest . I use the gopro very little , only use the intercom when my wife is on the bike the rest of the time I leave all the junk at home and just enjoy the riding . The JBL 45mm speakers are better than the 40mm ones that come with the bold / edge and slim by the way , I put them in mine and the difference is definitely noticeable .
I don't have the 70 any more either. I liked it, but it was just too tight for my recently operated ear! I have an RPHA 90s Carbon now and mostly loving it. Looks like I'm also switching back to team Sena soon too. I miss having the camera and intercom in one unit!
I’ve now flipped the camera over, so that the mic adapter is on the other side. There were too many cables and devices hanging around by the visor lever, so every time I raised or lowered it, it felt like i was going to disconnect something! The speakers i have to reposition with the foam spacers to bring them closer to my ears. As they are, I’m not blown away by the sound. But they’re supposed to be close to your listening pipes to get the full effect. Having just had surgery on my ear, I’m holding off on that adjustment for a little while though!
Hi Andy. Excuse the stupid username! Quick question,do you wear ear plugs,if not,do you think wearing them would adversely affect the sound from the speakers? Thanks,Tim
I tend to wear earplugs on the motorway and they do make the intercom a fair bit quieter. Though to be honest, I need to reposition my speakers with the foam spacers as they're too far from my ears anyway.
I don’t like the way that the Ulanzi mount stacks the adapter underneath / on top of the camera. Plus another bracket means more weight. I prefer the simplicity of a bit of send adhesive velcro, plus the weight is spread out a bit more.
How is it with the Sugru and insurance companies? As far as I know, they accept the action cams on helmet because they are hold by the 3M stickers on the adapters, which apparently should brake off in accident, but do they accept the Sugru as well?
I’m not saying that’s not the case, but have you ever tried to remove a gopro mount in a hurry?! Unless you’ve got a hairdryer and some fishing line handy in case of an accident, that mount ain’t going anywhere!! 🤣 I think the clip on the camera will certainly break off very easily, and probably snap the tabs away from the mounting part (I’ve had this happen on bike mounted clips). But the base part is 100% staying on the helmet. In which case, it’s exactly the same as the Sugru.
I just got the Cardo dual pack because of all the videos I’ve seen on them. Went for our first ride today and man was I so disappointed. Music share would cut the music on and off and back on in both modes, sometimes there would be so much static and wind noise then the mic would blast you out of the helmet and then go very low. Voice command worked when it wanted to and the distance in mesh mode was not that great. We came back and actually took them out and installed the cheap old units that actually sounded better with less noise and static. I wanted this to work for the music share and was disappointed from the start and it just got worse through the ride.
Why are these things so expensive? I can get a Chinese ham radio for $30 with a bluetooth helmet mic that will run circles around these things and a line of sight range of 25-30 miles.
If that would work for you, then why not do that? Your ham radio would of course be a fair bit bigger, and probably need new batteries relatively frequently. Also it would be a shame that you couldn’t control it or change anything without taking it out. I guess maybe that explains why these are so much more expensive…
Nice setup bud, the helmet looks nice, I might consider one when I get another as my current (£40) helmet is so noisy, it is safe though as it actually has a decent Sharp rating. I like how aerodynamic that Cardo looks too, that's another thing that causes a lot of noise for me. I always use Sugru too, used it for other things too, great stuff and never fails, can be removed and cleaned off too although some people don't think it can be.
Cheers HDR. Safe is good. My first proper lid was a 4 or 5 star lid, but wow was it noisy! Sadly the RPHA 70 is only a 3 star, but hopefully improved comfort and less fatigue will equal safer riding! 😜 I've also had no trouble removing the Sugru. Takes a little effort, but it works!
@@AndyManCam Yea the three is due to poor side protection, but I honestly think in most cases side impact would be less severe as your shoulders take the brunt of the impact, and your head would then hit higher up the helmet anyway. Hopefully I'm right and we don't crash anyway, I ended up finding a 40% off deal on a Saravo Blue RPHA 11 and managed to borrow the money to bag the last one in large, had it about a week now, great helmet 👍
I totally agree. Any certified lid is going to be better than nothing! I was very tempted by the 11, but was sold on the sun visor! I'm getting old and lazy now!
@@AndyManCam The only reason I chose the 11 over the 70 is that although it's fine for all bikes, it's more designed towards sports bike riding. It would be nice to have the sun visor, but I rarely used it really on my last helmet. At least it came with a free light smoke visor so that helps a little.
sorry mate just a wee questions how are you making sure the battery isn't falling out?!?! Amazing set up compared to the ones I've seen but that was just the one query i had
Where did you hide the 3.5 mm headphone socket ? It will hurt my head due to it's size. You have to make a long hole to the inner pastic... The inner liner is ot thick enough to take the diameter of the socket.
I sandwiched it between the head liner and the cheek pad. For me it was plenty thick enough to make it so that i don’t know the connector is there. All depends on how much padding you have though, i suppose.
Got Rpha 70 for two years now, I like it a lot, great aerodynamics, good thing for a naked bike. Only minus is quite narrow visor. For go pro I use dedicated 3D printed central mount, costs like 10€.. don't cover any vents. I would paste a picture here but I cant do that :D
That's very good to know, thanks! The narrowness of the visor doesn't bother me too much top to bottom and the width seems pretty good for a 'normal' full face. I considered the 3D printed options too, but decided to go with what was already sitting in the fridge and waiting for a project! 😁
@@AndyManCam The Carbon HJC are compatible with the smart HJC Senna systems so the battery pack goes inside a camber in the helmet. Which is nice and neat as well. The volume/control part is a bit sleaker on yours.
Not with the RPHA 70 though. It surprised me, but there isn't a battery compartment in the rear. Which is sleeker is a matter of opinion. The Sena one is certainly more pointy, but I find the Cardo Slim far lower profile on the helmet.
It’s very good stuff! I’m actually in the process of a change. I’ve got a Cardo Packtalk Edge and a DJI osmo action 3. so same same, but different. Still using Sugru though!
Note that the JBL speakers are quite a bit larger than the stock ones. The speaker inserts in the Scorpion EXO R1 are too small for them, for example. No problems in a Shoei GT Air or Shoei NXR on the other hand. I ended up using a set of Shure 315 in-ear monitors instead of speakers. It's a bit of a faff but so far 100% worth it for me. Loads of noise dampening and clear sound. Have to run the Cardo at minimum volume in order to not blow out my ear drums, though.
If you go custom, be aware that some IEMs are quite large. I also have a set of custom Ultimate Ears UE 4 PRO that stick out too much for me to use with my helmets. Some IEMs might be smaller and/or it might be easier with a flip-up helmet like a Neotec. Hope you will soon be allowed to ride again. Recovery from surgery can be a pain in the butt.
They're a revolution! When I was in the Alps in 2014, if I'd had a pinlock, laminate textiles and Avon Spirit ST's, I would have had a FAR more enjoyable trip!! 🤣🤣
Many thanks mate! I agree. I'll be keeping it as it is for the foreseeable future! The Slim has an integrated base, so it can't be removed. This does make it a bit annoying because you can't remove it from the helmet to charge it. But I guess that's how they've made it so small, so swings and roundabouts really.
Not really Lee. I just try to keep the connections dry and well connected! Obviously protecting the mic from the wind is also incredibly important. TeapotOne did just release a video about it though, in which he changes something in the mic settings and swears by the results.
Loved the video and the thoughts behind the components and the installation. Consider lowering the volume of the music or even dropping it completely, as it (at least in my opinion) doesn't add anything to an already great video. :-)
The sun visor and the smoked visor together are about as dark as a full on dark visor. So this way I have several grades of sun shielding available! Plus it looks cooler! 😬
I've tried a splitter in the helmet before, and had all sorts of problems with level ducking and generally quieter audio. That was before the splitter broke from the constant pressure and rubbing from my head! XD
The RPHA70 was on my shortlist for new helmet and has now shot to the top of the list! I use a Cardo Freecom 2+ and the recesses in my AGV K3 SV are too far back so, the speakers dig into the cartilage of my ears, very uncomfortable on long rides. Thank you for the informative video showing interior of helmet, visor and pinlock fitting.
Thanks for the video. Did you find there was plenty of space (diameter wise) for the Cardo speakers? I have the HJC IS-17 and the speaker recesses aren't wide enough for my Cardo ear piece so end up with mild concussion after a few hours of riding.
I have a the same helmet different colour, , gopro hero 8 with mic adapter , sena 10r, and everything fits inside chin guard, sena on the left adapter on the right, both inside.. except for camera. people spin out how slick everything is . I just took a dremel to a couple of gopro parts to get come angle on cam, and so it sits at the perfect angle with the top of the camera, touching the guard.. happy to email you images. it will change ur life lol
Cheers Michael. I have actually considered selling the Sena, but TBH it's a bit beaten up! Check out the slow mow rotatey bit of the video. It's got some battle scars!
I don’t think there are any metal screws there. Those are the mounting points for the top vent. If there are screws, they are very short and deeply recessed into the EPS. I’d like to think that HJC aren‘t putting sharp spiky things into the products that are protecting our brains!
I wish the GoPro would have some sort of in-built mic gain control. I use a Gopro 9 with the Media Mod, and I found the levels to be way too high picking my noisy breathing quite a lot. Do you not have this issue? I've already tried repositioning the mic, currently, the mic is actually inside the cheek pad.. lol. seems to be working actually a lot better than being outside together with the deadcat.
That would be good. I hate the overaggressive AGC too. even just a high and low setting would be good. On my last helmet I actually had the mic inside the cheekpad, facing directly upwards. I think after initial testing with this setup, I'm going to try that approach again.
Hemorrhoid cushion is a nice touch :D but is it ok to pull those "emergency" strings if it's not... emergency? I remember instruction against that, but maybe that was some kind of irreversible case...
I did think that to begin with, but all it is, is a single point to pull the whole thing out. of course you could maybe run the risk of weakening the tabs themselves. If anything, the poppers themselves could do with a few trial runs as they were quite stiff! You'd have to really steady the riders head to pull those pads out in a oner without twisting their head a bit!
I think a video would be to short! The way i do it, i just take the camera audio from the other riders gopro. Other people have done things with an extra intercom unit connected to an audio recorder, but I’ve never tried that.
They’re designed specifically for cleaning glasses. Which are often made of Polycarbonate. Finally enough, the same material that (good) visors are made of.
I wish I had saw this video on how to install a pinlock years ago. Lost count of the amount of times I've pinged the visor or pinlock insert across the room trying to get a flush fit lol
Obviously at 150, you want to be wearing ear protection, whatever helmet you’ve got. But i will say that this is easily the quietest helmet I’ve ever had 👍🏻
At night is a no go, although it is way less tinted than a black one so the need to swap it is never quite as urgent. I bought it through Amazon from a German reseller. There's a UK link in the description I think.
Yeah, the media mod adds lots of weight and size to the setup. Plus with the adapter, you can use blutac or silicon putty to waterproof the connection. Whereas the media mod is easily susceptible to water ingress.
Looking forward to hearing your impressions of the Rpha 70. I've owned one for close to two years now, and i find i get a lot more neck fatigue from it then my Shoei NSX/RF-1200. It's not much heavier, so i've always thought it's weird, and i wonder if you'll feel the same way. I use it for recording, as it is a lot more quiet then the Shoei NSX/RF-1200
Funny you should say that Roy. I have actually found that I have way LESS neck fatigue, compared to my old Nishua Carbon Enduro! It is definitely a lot quieter too. If the RF-1200 is even quieter and more aerodynamic, then maybe I should find one of those!! 😁
@@AndyManCam The RF-1200 is not quieter. The Rpha 70 is quieter. But the RF-1200 gives me a lot less neck fatigue then my Rpha 70. I can ride forever in the RF-1200, but after about 2 hours in the Rpaha 70, i start to get sore and tired muscles in my neck. I always though it was because the Rpha 70 has that extra long front/lower vent area that probably pulls the helmet down a little in the front. If you usually have a GoPro there, you may not feel the difference as much, as the GoPro does the same thing.
Ah yes, my mistake! Read that a little too quickly! I was surprised as I find the RPHA incredibly quiet! I also have the battery of the Packtalk slim at the back which certainly must balance out the weight a little. So with the better aerodynamics and the more balanced layout, it feels like a big upgrade to me. I guess it might have something to do with what you ride and how you sit too.
@@AndyManCam And most important (for safety) the Rpha 70 has the ECE R 22.5 safety rating. Which is a good indicator that it will protect you if you ever crash. Considering it's the main job of a helmet to protect your head, i'd say that's nr.1 on the priority list. It's a very good, safe helmet. Mine is matt black. 😎🏍💨💖👏🏼
Now then how’s it going? I’ve not long bought one of these. I use the pack talk bold. Looks to be the same speakers. I have a question for you. Do you find that the speakers press on your ears? I can only manage 3hours 😢. Love the look of the helmet and the quality. Keep up the great content
I actually did find that a little bit. In the end i had to have ear surgery and this helmet was simply too tight to keep pulling off and on over an operated ear!
