Sena Helmet Battery Self Discharge

[GazelleRider]

We have two Sena M1 helmets which are great but they have a noticeable quirk. When left turned off, the helmets self discharge quite quickly. After a week or two on the shelf they have little battery power left. This means that you have to plan ahead to charge them before a ride.

Anybody else having the same problem with them?

Another minor issue is the lack of cancellation when you are next to your buddy. The radio link interferes with the direct sound if you are nearby. There must be some latency in the radio link as its out of sync with the direct sound which is very annoying, meaning that you have to volume down to talk if you pull up next to your companion and want to talk.

 

[6zfshdb]

This also happens on all three of my Sena X1 helmets. I'm not sure why but it really isn't a problem. The battery life under normal use is short enough where it's necessary to charge before every ride anyway. If I forget to do it at home, I'll charge them in my vehicle during transport to the ride destination. In a pinch, I can also charge one via the USB port on my bike's display.

Yes, that "echo" effect can be annoying. We just remove our helmets when we talk in person.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your Sena's as much as my wife and I do.

 

[HCooke]

I do not haver this problem with our two Sena R1 helmets.

 

[ruffruff]

I haven't noticed this with my two either. I wonder if you have older versions with NiMh batteries?
NiMh are notorious for self discharge over time.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I have three R1's, no problems.

 

[Bicyclista]

We have two Sena M1 helmets which are great but they have a noticeable quirk. When left turned off, the helmets self discharge quite quickly. After a week or two on the shelf they have little battery power left. This means that you have to plan ahead to charge them before a ride.

Another minor issue is the lack of cancellation when you are next to your buddy. The radio link interferes with the direct sound if you are nearby. There must be some latency in the radio link as its out of sync with the direct sound which is very annoying, meaning that you have to volume down to talk if you pull up next to your companion and want to talk.

We have two R1 helmets and have not experienced self-discharge when turned off.

The second issue is a feedback loop. Sound from the speakers is picked up by the mics, is amplified again and sent out through the speakers, again and again. This will happen with virtually any mic and speaker combination unless there is circuitry (and possibly a processor and software), that will cancel the feedback loop, such as in smartphones.

 

[AlanDB]

I have 5 Sena R1 Evo helmets and have not experienced battery drain, although to be honest, I might not know because I generally charge them before every ride. The only time I have experienced the feedback squeal is when two helmets with intercom turned on are placed fairly close together (within a couple of feet of each other). We have never had the feedback problem while wearing them, although I can see how it could happen if two riders were within a few feet of each other.