My Cardo communicator on my helmet.

Cardo, the maker of helmet communications devices, has issued an update that they say will make connecting easier. Lord knows something like that is needed. I’ve used four different helmet communicator systems and the hardest thing about each of them has been getting connected. I haven’t had a chance yet to try this out but I’m looking forward to doing so.

The really interesting thing about it is they now have a “Public” mode where you just automatically connect with anyone in range who also has their Cardo set for Public. You might be riding along and hear some strange voice saying “Hey, you on that V-Strom, watch out for a speed trap two miles ahead.” Or “Hi. Hope you’re having a good ride.”

Plus, the way you set up a private group and connect everyone has gotten easier.

I saw an article on this upgrade on Adventure Rider and clicked through to see what it was about. The article had a video Cardo put out that explains the upgrade so I watched that. It looked simple so I pulled up the app on my phone and grabbed my communicator.

When I opened the app it told me an upgrade was available so I said go ahead and do it. Once I upgraded the app the video said to link the phone and the device, and when I did that the firmware on the device was automatically upgraded. Couldn’t have been simpler.

I was pretty tickled to do all this and know about this because I was getting together with some of the guys in the RMMRC the next day and I would tip them off about this. As it turned out, none of them had heard about it yet so that felt good to be the bearer of good tidings.

At this breakfast get-together only Dave and Gene and I had ridden and we decided to go for an impromptu ride afterward, plus they were going to be leaving for a bike tour in the Alps in a few days, so they wanted to be sure they had their Cardos connected. I figured while they were getting connected I would link in, too.

But ignorance triumphed again. We all have had these Cardos for a couple years now and we almost never succeed in getting everyone linked in. Oftentimes we have to reacquaint ourselves with the operation of the devices. In this case I tried to turn mine on and could not. I had just charged it the day before but I concluded I had not properly shut it off and it had run dead overnight.

In fact, as I learned later when I pulled out the manual, I was not properly turning it on. The device has three buttons, one on the left as you look at it and two on the right, one above the other. I was pressing the button at left and the top button. No. You need to press the one at left and the lower button. Duh. Maybe I’ll remember that now.

So we went for that ride and I’m sure they were talking along the way but I was just cruising along in my own world. Not a bad place to be but not what I had intended.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the next time we ride and seeing if it really is going to be so much easier. I sure hope so.

Biker Quote for Today

I know I ride like a girl, so try and keep up.