USER INSTRUCTIONS
Put the headset on as if it were a ball cap with the wire hoop behind your head. See pictures of the kids for a visual.
Pull BOTH sides or the entire unit rearward so the speaker rests and stays next to the auditory canal for optimal hearing.
Adjust the microphone so it is kissing close to your mouth. Please note that the microphone is not ideally positioned when the photo was taken.
Make sure the actual microphone under the foam wind screen is pointed towards the mouth and not into the wind. Pull the foam cover back one time to visualize which way the microphone faces after which you will be able to tell by feeling it. You may also want to mark it in some way for easy visual reference. The microphone is directional and noise canceling and works considerably better pointed towards the mouth rather than into the wind!
With some helmets it works better to put the headset on prior to the helmet and with others it is best to put it on after.
You may find it beneficial to slightly bend and shape the hoop of the headset to optimize fit and hearing ability. Before bending it, we recommend finding the optimal speaker position for your ear. Visually look at the speaker and then with the aid of a mirror see where it rests in relation to the auditory canal. A second way to determine optimal positioning is to find the position that provides maximum volume by moving the unit around on your ear while the microphone from the other unit is positioned near a constant sound source such as a stereo speaker. Once the loudest position is found, hold it in place and go to a mirror where you can shape and bend the hoop to hold it at that level and flat on your ear
After the ear and microphone positions are optimized, with the unit "OFF", plug both headsets into the mic/earphone jack on the right side of the unit. Be mindful not to try inserting it into the charging jack as forceful entry WILL cause damage that is NOT covered under warranty. If you have trouble reading the port labels, we recommend marking them for easier reference.
Turn on both units by rotating the Volume/On/Off switch downward. The Master will display a green light while the Remote will display a red light, both adjacent to their respective Talk buttons. Push the 'Talk' buttons on both radios. Both 'Talk' lights will change to Amber, a must for duplex communication between the radios.
There are also hundreds of channels available by setting the dip switches located beneath the battery to like positions.
Adjust each volume control. Pushing the rotary volume dial up lowers the volume and turns the radio off, contrary to typical conditioning we have all received from various types of radios in our lives. Raise the volume by pushing the rotary dial downward while saying test words like the commercial, "Can you hear me now?" or like our 4 year old got us to doing, "Blah, blah blah!", in a normal voice as if speaking to someone in the same room. Strive for low but satisfactory volume settings which will reduce or eliminate wind and traffic noise except during extreme conditions.
The captain and stoker generally carry their respective units in a jersey pocket. Single bike riders often carry them the same way. However, when riding single bikes, if one person seems to always be away and out in front and increased range is desired, it would be best for the 'leader' to carry the unit in their rear jersey pocket with the 'follower' carrying the unit in a small handlebar bag. This provides for a line of sight antenna signal between radios.
Charging Instructions1) If your unit is 'brand new' make sure the batteries are plugged in.
2) Turn the unit 'Off' by rotating the dial upward with your thumb.
3) Carefully plug charger into 'Charger Jack' (NOT THE HEADSET JACK!) making sure the connector aligns with the pin. Use caution when aligning the plug so the pin does not bend.
4) Plug charger into an AC outlet
5) A red light next to the antenna should come on. If it does not, check to make sure you did not plug the charger into the headset
port!!
(If forcefully done, the headset jack may be damaged.)6) Charge depleted NiMH batteries for 6 hours, no more than 12 to prevent battery damage. A good rule of thumb is to charge them 1 to 1.25 hours for every hour you have had the units on. A simple wall timer works very well to prevent accidental over-charging.
* It is normal for the radios to feel warm to the touch during the rapid charge process.
|
Optimizing Your
System & Troubleshooting |
The Tandem-Com Digital Wireless is very easy to use and intuitive thanks to the simplicity of the unit and comfort of the Ultra Headsets.
Is it normal to
experience extra noise, garbled sound and difficulty hearing when going down a hill at 30
mph into a 20 mph headwind with heavy traffic going by?
Any intercom system open to the environment that amplifies sound is prone to picking up a combination of ambient sound and wind noise. To minimize the potential and or eliminate it, check the following in this order:
-
The microphones are directional. Make sure the mic faces your lips and does not point in any other direction. To determine the directionality, slip the windscreen back one time to see where the mic points. Now that you have seen the shape you will be able to tell its position by feeling through the foam. You may also want to mark it in some way for easy visual reference.
-
Eliminate unnecessarily high volume settings with optimal headset positioning. Make sure the headsets are pulled back on BOTH sides so the speaker is as close as possible to the auditory canal and position the microphones kissing close. You may find that putting on the headset after the helmet works better than before. Once headset positioning is optimized, the volume can be on a low setting providing clear clean sound. You may find it beneficial to slightly bend and shape the hoop of the headset to optimize the fit. Before bending, we recommend finding the optimal speaker position for your ear. Visually look at the speaker and then with the aid of a mirror see where it rests in relation to the auditory canal. The wire loop for most is shaped for the optimal position. A second way to determine the optimal positioning is to find the position that provides maximum volume by moving the unit around on your ear while the microphone from the other unit is positioned near a constant sound source such as a stereo speaker. Once the loudest position is found, hold it in place and go to a mirror where you can slightly shape and bend the hoop to hold it level and flat on your ear. Also try moving the hoop or down where it loops behind your head as this will rotate the speaker changing its position.
-
Low battery voltage may also cause this problem. You should try recharging your batteries.
We are now getting pops, snaps and crackle
sounds in our system. What causes this?
99% of the time this is resultant of a poor connection from either dirty contacts or a broken headset wire. Clean the plug on each headset with rubbing alcohol and see if this solves the problem. A bit of dielectric or "bulb" grease helps maintain a good connection available from any auto parts store. The most vulnerable component of any intercom system are the headset wires as they are handled a great deal over time and receive inadvertent tugs and pulls. To help eliminate this problem and to provide a superior product we use a special sheathed wire with reinforced ends. If the wire has been broken, the headset needs to be replaced unless you are handy with a soldering iron. We offer replacement headsets on units we have sold at a discount to our customers to help you. Headsets are subjected to a harsh environment in our application and sometimes take a beating until folks go through the learning curve of not catching them on everything in sight and out of sight.
Why has my volume dropped
even though it is turned up all of the way?
If your headset and microphones are properly positioned, suspect low battery voltage. You may recharge your batteries.
Why don't our units communicate with each
other?
If your batteries are fully charge and you are within a reasonable range, check to make sure that both units have the red and yellow lights illuminated. If a green light is visible, press the Talk button on that unit. If the red light is off, the power is turned off or the battery needs to be charged. Lastly, there are dip switches below the battery that must be set to the exact same sequence as the other radio.
Why won't one or both of our batteries charge?
Make sure the battery is plugged into the radio. New units are often shipped with the batteries unplugged as is common with new electrical devices.
As silly as it sounds, also make sure the charger is plugged into the wall. You can imagine the 'true' stories we have heard over the years!
Make sure the charger is plugged into the port on the left side of the unit. More than one person has plugged their charger it into the headset jack which if forcefully done will damage it.
Our batteries don't last very long. Why?
The most common cause of this situation is not having the batteries fully charged before starting to use them. Fully charged batteries do not stay charged when allowed to sit without use. The charge will naturally deplete about 3% per day so. The warmer the temperature the faster the natural discharge rate too. If your batteries have been dormant and off of the charger for more than a day or two, top them off by plugging them in for an hour or so before your ride, longer if it has been a few days. You should get ~4.5 - 5.0 hours out of new fully charged batteries while in the full duplex mode.
We ride single bikes and get intermittent
bleep outs when getting close to .2 miles apart. Is this normal?
Yes, especially when carrying both units in rear pockets given line of sight is lost between antennas . To increase your range it would be best for the 'leader' to carry the unit in their rear jersey pocket with the 'follower' attaching their unit to the handlebar via a small handlebar bag. This provides for a line of sight situation between radios. The radios essentially work like a home cordless phone in that certain objects, bodies, high tension lines, etc. will all interfere with the signal. A 1/4" range advertised by the manufacturer is under ideal conditions. We have attained an unbelievable near 1 mile range with two radios being on top of hills across an open valley. It is NOT supposed to work that well!