Customer Reviews

VCAN Blinc M1 Bluetooth 2.0 Integrated Communication Module Add On for All Helmets

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Just got the M1 in today and had to hook it up right away. I have not rode with it yet but testing it out around the house I noticed these points:

1. There is a slight static in background

2. The volume is GREAT for listening to music

3. The Music continues to play when using Vlingo (Droid Incredible) when it reads txt messages to me so I can't really hear what the "voice" is saying.

4. Tried calling another person and it worked great...they heard me fine and I can hear them perfect (again have not tried this on the road yet).

5. I mounted mine via the clip and holds tight. Might switch to adhesive mount for cleaner look at a later date.

6. Nice Matte Black finish

7. The cord length is fine...had extra I had to tuck into the helmet.

8. I found the user interface a little annoying to get used to...sometimes holding the button down for the "5" seconds didn't turn off and that type of thing...just have to get used to it.

Will update review upon first ride and test with product.

***4/11/2011 Update***

Product is GREAT!

1. You can't hear static when riding.

2. At 80mph could still hear when calling and person on other end could hear perfect. (I did not have wind blocker on helmet)

3. Once I got used to Blinc M1 the user interface works better.

4. Awesome part of product is that when synced to phone (HTC Incredible) the knob on side can be used to switch between songs!! Great for shuffle option on phone!

5. Clip mount works great...has not moved yet!

6. At just $100 I would highly recommend the purchase...can't beat the convenience.

PROS:

Paid $99 with free shipping. That's the cheapest one I've seen so far.

Controls are easy to use with gloves on, the dial for changing music tracks is very nice.

Loud. I can hear music at freeway speeds inside my full-face helmet.

People could understand me on the phone at 40mph.

CONS:

No dedicated plug for the charger, shares the same plug as the speaker/microphone assembly. You have to unplug one to plug the other in.

Proprietary charger plug.

The "clip" fastener was useless for me because the plug for the headset wiring sticks out pretty far and it would hit my shoulder and unplug. Using the stick-on mounting plate to place the unit higher on my helmet solved this.

OTHER:

Volume buttons could be bigger but they're adequate.

Play/Pause is handled by holding the "volume down" button for 3 seconds. Odd but acceptable.

It comes with a boom mic, it would have been better with a mic made specifically to go inside a full-face helmet.

I've owned the M1 for about a month now and have done about 250-300 miles using it. It does what it claims to do, which is why I gave it 4/5 stars but there are a few things that are really annoying.

Setup is easy, however, if you own a SHOEI RF1000 Helmet don't expect this unit to fit as easily as you see in the videos on Youtube. Unlike most of the helmets you see portrayed in the demos online the Shoei RF1000 does not allow you to pop out the rear padding of the helmet. I had to shove (with a pencil eraser) the wire between the helmet and the padding till it got stuck up there. So Shoei owners, and people who own helmets with a permanently attached rear padding, beware.

The microphone works great (I can only speak as to full-face helmet use)and up to 60 miles an hour the person on the other line doesn't really notice any difference. You can carry a conversation at 70 MPH but you will be straining a little. The speakers work great but I have a constant low buzz/squeaky noise coming from them when I get a call. I have yet to use this device to listen to music but I imagine you could hear music just fine no matter the speed. I ride a Honda 919 with Sato pipes so if your bike is quiet you could possibly get even better results.

I wish that there was some kind of clip holding the usb cables from the wiring to the unit as over time, I can definitely see the cables just falling out of the unit while going fast.

This is easy to use and setup and works pretty well. I will update this review once I get another m1 to communicate with my wife.

For the most part, this was a pretty good project. It took a while to install the microphone and ear pieces in my helmet, but sounded great once I got it *just right*. Pairing with my android phone was simple. It was a little confusing at first that you press the side buttons to change the volume in "music" mode, but you have to turn the knob to change the volume in "phone" mode. I could hear just fine, but the person on the other end said I sounded kind of muffled when I tested at home.

For my first ride with it, I was using it to hear voice directions from my phone. When the directions were starting, I could hear some static, but the static stopped when the talking stopped. I didn't listen to music while I was riding because I wanted to keep my attention on the road, but it seemed to work fine testing at home. I didn't have anyone else to try the intercom with, and I didn't make or receive any phone calls while on the road. Unfortunately, that is the extent of my testing. When I got to the end of a long (8 mile) road, I noticed that my GPS wasn't giving me directions anymore. After I stopped, I realized that the bluetooth unit had fallen off somewhere in the last 8 miles! I only went a maximum of 45mph on that road and there weren't any hard turns or bumpy maneuvers. I followed the directions while installing... the clip-on attachment seemed a little loose so I used the stick-on one. The attachment stayed on the helmet, but the bluetooth part didn't stay on the attachment.

Based on my limited experience, I would probably rate it four stars, but unfortunately I can NOT recommend a product that may get lost the first time you use it. At this price, it is hardly disposable... I was very disappointed that it fell off but was unable to find it again despite my searching. The little tab that holds it in does not hold it tight. At the very least, it should have a loop or something so you can attach a safety cord to it in case it slips loose. Others may have better luck than I did, but I STRONGLY recommend using a second method to secure the device for anyone who is considering buying one- it is too expensive to lose it on your first use.

Well it works... It's loud enough to hear even with straight pipes, but it's super weak when it comes to picking up the blouetooth signal from my phone. It cuts out a lot once you put the phone in your pocket (very annoying) and if you sweat while you ride then you're gonna hear a lot of static from the headphones. Maybe I just used it too hard cause when I first got it it seemed to function way better, but I don't think I've been rough on it. It does charge quick and lasts a good while. My biggest problem is the fact that it doesn't pick up the signal from my pocket, and if it does pick it up it cuts out as soon as you turn your head to look over your shoulder. Pay a little more and get better quality.

I bought this mainly for playing MP3's on my Iphone and for turn by turn GPS directions on trips, but it is also nice to have the ability to answer a call especially on long trips from the wife. I have experimented with this a bit and found that while I can hear my music just fine, with decent enough sound, the phone function is useless. I can not hear my phone ringing and more so I can not hear my wife at all if I called her (while pulled over). I can barely hear it at all wearing my helmet in the living room experimenting with all the settings on my phone. I will be returning it and looking for something better.

in brief, the design is really dumb- The headphone cable sticks down too far down and hits me in the shoulder when I turn my head- the thing is going to break off soon. The only benefit over the cheap chinese ones (available on ebay for $50) is the jog dial to jump to the next song.

Testing it inside I don't think it is going to be loud enough for highway travel, but we'll see. Also the rubber plug cover it came with had already broken off and fell out as soon as I opened the little flap door. there is also static.

Basically, for half the price (although a 3 week wait time) you can do better with the cheap chinese version.

I read the reviews, and I wanted to like this. I had convinced myself that the bad reviews were wrong and the good reviews were correct. But mine arrived today. I charged it while I worked and after work I took it out for a ride. Boy was I disappointed. I live in a rural area, so I thought I'd take a short ride to a small town about 25 minutes away and get some dinner. Good part? Pairing was easy, both with my Nexus S and my iPod Touch. I opted to play Napster on the Nexus S and also turned on GPS on the Nexus S, just to see how everything worked. The volume of the music was plenty loud. In fact, my first complaint is that every time you start the music the volume goes back to maximum volume. I was almost deafened when trying the headset out before even getting on the bike, but assumed I wouldn't find the volume at maximim every time. When I got on the bike and started the music again it was again at maximim. When the GPS cut in with directions, the music paused, but volume from the GPS was barely audible and couldn't be understood. This even though it came from the same device as the music. About 20 minutes into my ride, the music abruptly stopped. I pulled over, assuming the Nexus S had lost it's internet signal and Napster had quit. Not the case. In fact, Napster was playing from my pocket. The bluetooth headset's battery was dead. Yes, after 20 minutes the battery was completely dead and the thing had stopped. The controls are about as non-intuitive as you can get. Track advance and back are a dial, but volume is buttons. Why? Who knows?

I have no use for a headset that only works for 20 minutes. I almost never ride for just 20 minutes, and in fact I'm often out for many hours. This is completely useless, and since the clip wouldn't fit on my helmet I had to use the adhesive mount. I doubt it can be returned. I don't recommend this device.

UPDATE: I just talked to Amazon customer service, and this is why I keep shopping with Amazon. They are truly the most "customer-centric company in the world." They believe that my unit is defective, and are sending a replacement by next-day air (as my original order was next-day). It's late tonight so it will arrive on Thursday. Hopefully the replacement will work better. I will update when I know--Thursday, if it doesn't rain.

Got this as an xmas gift, so I havn't rode with it yet. It was easy to install and it can get very loud, so I imagine it should work like other reviewers have mentioned. Easy to use, handy and I was surprised at the sound quality from the speakers.

I bought the Blinc M1 cold with no background check at all. I figured if I didn't like it I would take it back. Anyway, no offense to the negative reviews but, it sounds to me like most of the problems are taken care of if you read the directions. Maybe I got a good one Idono but mine works like a charm. My range is over 20' its clear as a bell and phone calls work as they are supposed to. The only fault I can find so far is it is a little cumbersome to make an outgoing call while riding and listening to music. The unit has to be at idle to place an outgoing call. Safety measure, again Idono. I have only used it for about 2hrs but music, phone calls in and out, work great. It's plenty loud to hear over the bike even with aftermarket exhaust. I don't think I have it turned up as as loud as it will go. I haven't tried it with my gps or the intercom. I ride mostly solo so I really won't use the intercom. As of now would I buy another. Yep. I can't imagine one any better and for the price I'm very happy with it. Everything fit great and the wires tuck into the helmet with no problem. Like one reviewer said you do have to get the ear pieces just right but it only take a few minutes of trial and error. This seems to be what I have been waiting for at a very reasonable price.

I would like to see a battery indicator and a way to charge the unit from 12 volts. These things would be nice but I like the low price better.