Cardo Scala Modification

[magellan]

Two months ago I bought a pair of Cardo Scala Rider Q2s for my wife and me. I was mildly irritated by a couple of things, and severely disappointed by a couple of others, but hey, the price is right ($160/unit on eBay) and much cheaper than the best bluetooth communications system out there.

I was irritated by the fact that the system isn't stereo and that the helmet speakers are wired solidly to the comm bracket. You can't unplug and swap in your favorite molded phones or off-the-shelf earbuds. But I was really disappointed that there's no way to attach a bluetooth adapter to an iPod and pair it with the headset. All the iPod adapters use the A2DP profile (for stereo), which won't pair with the mono-based Cardo. I actually tried a couple of different ones and couldn't get them to pair. However, I've been in touch with customer service at Cardo and they say that their own bluetooth adapter (a design several years old) will plug into an iPod and pairs with a Q2. I may try that, but I'm getting tired of buying stuff and sending it back when it won't work.

The only other way to listen to recorded music (the Q2 has an FM receiver, but...blecchh) on a Q2 is via a bluetooth-enabled GPS unit like a Zumo, but I've heard there are glitches with that pairing too (reportedly being worked out).

So I've put the iPod idea on hold for now until I hear of something that works without a hitch, but I decided to do something about the fact that I can't hear the helmet speakers very well at anything above about 60 mph. I have a favorite set of Skull Candy earbuds that I always used before buying the Q2, and I really wanted to be able to plug them into the Q2. So I went to Radio Shack and got a 3.5mm headphone cord extension, cut the female end off, and then (with a nervous lump in my throat) cut the speakers off the ends of the Q2 headset cables.

PROBLEM: after stripping wires and twisting them together, I learned that Cardo uses some kind of super-thin space age film on the bare wires instead of insulating them with plastic. That way they can twist what look like bare wires together in direct contact, get a thinner cable, and have no short circuits. Only the very ends are conductive where they're soldered to the speaker and at the circuit board inside the bracket that holds the removable Q2. I even tried soldering the Q2 wires to my female headphone jack and got nothing through my headphones. Crap!

Finally, I buckled down and opened the case to look at the circuit board, which was nicely labeled with L/R +/- at the soldered terminals. From there it was fairly easy to heat the solder, remove the OEM wires, and solder in my cable with its female jack. Once I screwed everything back together, it was time for a test with the earbuds plugged in. Whoa...so loud it could make you deaf! Good thing the Q2 and my earbuds both have volume controls!

I think I'm going to be much happier now. I can't recommend this mod to anyone who isn't comfortable with tiny wires and very cramped little circuit boards, but if you want your favorite buds with a great bluetooth comm system, this is the way to go.

S7000869.JPG Final Product

[Guest]

Magellan,

Thank you for being the guinnea pig on this one!! The biggest reason I quit using my Scala is because I can't hear it for @#$% when out riding. I'll have to look into doing this, or finding someone close who can. +1 on the skull candy earphones....they work great for Ipod's or any other listening device. I even use them as earplugs sometimes; work so good that they drown out a DPS officer's siren!! :laugh:

[magellan]

Magellan,

Thank you for being the guinnea pig on this one!! The biggest reason I quit using my Scala is because I can't hear it for @#$% when out riding. I'll have to look into doing this, or finding someone close who can. +1 on the skull candy earphones....they work great for Ipod's or any other listening device. I even use them as earplugs sometimes; work so good that they drown out a DPS officer's siren!! :laugh:

I hear ya. I hate buying something with high hopes and finding that it gets me only halfway to nirvana. At least now I'm 3/4 of the way.

I wonder if anyone make a two-input splitter with a single female headphone jack and diodes to prevent backfeeding from one input device to the other. If so I could plug in my iPod and just turn it down if my wife or another rider talks to me :idea3: Time to Google...

[magellan]

BINGO! Radio Shack has these. Two inputs, one out. I don't know if it cancels one signal over another or merges them, but I'll give give this a try. Out of stock at the moment, though.

[Guest]

i have an iPhone and it does not work with the stereo bluetooth spec... which has been pissing me off because I purchased a bluetooth headset not knowing.

Has anyone used a Scala setup with an iPhone? I'm thinking it may work since the scala is mono and not stereo. the iphone doesn't use that A2DP stereo spec.

[magellan]

i have an iPhone and it does not work with the stereo bluetooth spec... which has been pissing me off because I purchased a bluetooth headset not knowing.

Has anyone used a Scala setup with an iPhone? I'm thinking it may work since the scala is mono and not stereo. the iphone doesn't use that A2DP stereo spec.

It's a crap shoot, but you're welcome to send me your iPhone and I'll try it out for you! :unsure:

[Guest]

Magellan I have sent you a PM. I would like some more detailed info on how you did this mod if possible.

[Guest]

I bought my Q2 about a month ago. I also bought a bluetooth adapter for my iPod and was very disappointed with it. For the most part it works great around town for phone and radio. I have not had a chance to pair with another Q2 but would like to. I also just bought an iTrip to see how that would work with the iPod and Q2 but so far not very good. Looks like the iTrip is going back.

[Maddog Hoek]

So far I've used an older Belkin fm transmitter, the Griffin Itrip(last years model), and the Macally FM cup. So far the Macally has been pretty strong with it's FM transmission. I can walk away about 15 feet from the bike. I liked it because it also has a line-in that I plugged my Garmin C550 into. Now that I have a Zumo, I'm going to look for something else. The bad thing about the Macally is that it is a dock and might put extra stress on your ipod's bottom connector. I also have the Scala Q2 headset. Stereo would be nice but doesn't make too much of a difference on the road.

[NorthernVFRDave]

i have an iPhone and it does not work with the stereo bluetooth spec... which has been pissing me off because I purchased a bluetooth headset not knowing.

Has anyone used a Scala setup with an iPhone? I'm thinking it may work since the scala is mono and not stereo. the iphone doesn't use that A2DP stereo spec.

If the iphone doesn't use A2DP it maybe only Bluetooth v2.0 compatible. The Q2 is Bluetooth v1.2 only.

Not sure, I have an HTC touch and it pairs with the phone fine, but when I go to the MP3 player, it will only play from the phone speaker. Emailed HTC support and they told me because the phone looks for the A2DP support for the MP3 player, with out it, it defaults to the phone speaker. Which is dumb because its a mono speaker :pissed:

What I did with mine, was to got get a Bluetooth adapter for non-Bluetooth cell phones. You'll need to make a stereo to mono adapter, but it worked for me. Use it on my Sirius radio with no problems.

Oh ya and the speakers that come with the Q2s work fine, just put some ear plugs in and you'll hear them just fine at 80+mph.

[magellan]

Magellan I have sent you a PM. I would like some more detailed info on how you did this mod if possible.

In response to a few PMs now on this mod, here is some further info:

I can't recommend this mod for anyone who's never soldered, so definitely find a friend who is comfortable with soldering on a circuit board.

1. Take the clamp-on base loose from the helmet (the part with the attached boom mic and speakers) and remove the clamp and its screws.

2. Remove the small screws from the back, behind the 4 small copper contacts. Inside you'll find a circuit board with +, -, and "ANT" printed in tiny lettering next to 6 different solder joints on the board. Heat the solder to melting, pull the wires free of the board, then solder in the wires for a female 3.5mm jack at the terminals for "+" and "-" (right and left won't matter, as the Q2 is mono). You'll probably have to figure out which wires in the female jack cable are "+" and "-" by trial and error, but usually positive is red and negative is black.

3. Use fine-strand speaker wire to replace the antenna leads at the circuit board, then split the wire and run the ends up into the back of your helmet. You won't believe how good the reception is. However, I can't stand FM, so the idea for me was to get an iPod into the game.

4. As for sealing the wires where they come out of the clamp-on base unit, use some black automotive silicone sealant at the holes, clean up the excess carefully, then let it dry for a few hours before allowing the wires to be tugged on.

5. Re-install the base unit in your helmet.

NOTE: If you'd like to include an MP3 player, Radio Shack carries a splitter with two male 3.5mm jacks and one female output. Plug one male jack into the female jack you've installed on the Scala Q2, the other into the MP3 player, tuck the splitter away in the helmet lining, and put the MP3 player wherever it's most convenient. For me it was the chin bar of my helmet, as pictured below. Hope this helps!

S7000870.JPG

PS: Turn the volume down on your Scala and Mp3 players before you use earbuds with this setup. It's LOUD!!

And dweese, I don't know what magic helmet you wear, but at 80 mph my wife and I could barely tell the other was talking before I got rid of the helmet speakers. I want your helmet!

[Guest]

I understand your not recommending this for anyone who has not soldered. However, I am going to give it a try as I dont know anyone that has done it before. Any tips on soldering?

[magellan]

I understand your not recommending this for anyone who has not soldered. However, I am going to give it a try as I dont know anyone that has done it before. Any tips on soldering?

[Guest]

Two months ago I bought a pair of Cardo Scala Rider Q2s for my wife and me. I was mildly irritated by a couple of things, and severely disappointed by a couple of others, but hey, the price is right ($160/unit on eBay) and much cheaper than the best bluetooth communications system out there.

I was irritated by the fact that the system isn't stereo and that the helmet speakers are wired solidly to the comm bracket. You can't unplug and swap in your favorite molded phones or off-the-shelf earbuds. But I was really disappointed that there's no way to attach a bluetooth adapter to an iPod and pair it with the headset. All the iPod adapters use the A2DP profile (for stereo), which won't pair with the mono-based Cardo. I actually tried a couple of different ones and couldn't get them to pair. However, I've been in touch with customer service at Cardo and they say that their own bluetooth adapter (a design several years old) will plug into an iPod and pairs with a Q2. I may try that, but I'm getting tired of buying stuff and sending it back when it won't work.

The only other way to listen to recorded music (the Q2 has an FM receiver, but...blecchh) on a Q2 is via a bluetooth-enabled GPS unit like a Zumo, but I've heard there are glitches with that pairing too (reportedly being worked out).

So I've put the iPod idea on hold for now until I hear of something that works without a hitch, but I decided to do something about the fact that I can't hear the helmet speakers very well at anything above about 60 mph. I have a favorite set of Skull Candy earbuds that I always used before buying the Q2, and I really wanted to be able to plug them into the Q2. So I went to Radio Shack and got a 3.5mm headphone cord extension, cut the female end off, and then (with a nervous lump in my throat) cut the speakers off the ends of the Q2 headset cables.

PROBLEM: after stripping wires and twisting them together, I learned that Cardo uses some kind of super-thin space age film on the bare wires instead of insulating them with plastic. That way they can twist what look like bare wires together in direct contact, get a thinner cable, and have no short circuits. Only the very ends are conductive where they're soldered to the speaker and at the circuit board inside the bracket that holds the removable Q2. I even tried soldering the Q2 wires to my female headphone jack and got nothing through my headphones. Crap!

Finally, I buckled down and opened the case to look at the circuit board, which was nicely labeled with L/R +/- at the soldered terminals. From there it was fairly easy to heat the solder, remove the OEM wires, and solder in my cable with its female jack. Once I screwed everything back together, it was time for a test with the earbuds plugged in. Whoa...so loud it could make you deaf! Good thing the Q2 and my earbuds both have volume controls!

I think I'm going to be much happier now. I can't recommend this mod to anyone who isn't comfortable with tiny wires and very cramped little circuit boards, but if you want your favorite buds with a great bluetooth comm system, this is the way to go.

S7000869.JPG Final Product

I am glad this worked out for you. i was thinking of doing the same thing, so i googled i and found your post. now i need some help. i am no stranger to soldering. i removed the OEM wires and left clean holes and pads cut the female end off an extension cable, soldered the leads in and nothing. no sound. i havent had time but i am going to reverse the process next to see if i can get sound again.

Can you give some details on exactly what leads you soldered to what terminals? i know this sounds like a stupid question but i only had three leads in the female connector. they were Right, Left and ground. so i soldered the left to L+ the right to R+ and the ground to L-. i know i didn't run anything ti R- but i just wanted to see if it would work "so far". so I expected the left side to work at least, but nothing.

any suggestions?

thanks in advance

[magellan]

I am glad this worked out for you. i was thinking of doing the same thing, so i googled i and found your post. now i need some help. i am no stranger to soldering. i removed the OEM wires and left clean holes and pads cut the female end off an extension cable, soldered the leads in and nothing. no sound. i havent had time but i am going to reverse the process next to see if i can get sound again.

Can you give some details on exactly what leads you soldered to what terminals? i know this sounds like a stupid question but i only had three leads in the female connector. they were Right, Left and ground. so i soldered the left to L+ the right to R+ and the ground to L-. i know i didn't run anything ti R- but i just wanted to see if it would work "so far". so I expected the left side to work at least, but nothing.

any suggestions?

Seeing as how this thread has singlehandedly brought at least a couple of new members to VFRD and lots of extra page views, hopefully Cardo is paying attention and will make some adjustments.

I just got back from a 1700-mile trip with my wife and we used the Scala Q2s extensively. My only complaint was that we'd be actively talking and the connection would consistently drop after about 5-10 seconds, as though the units were programmed to do so to save power. Come on, Scala, when we want to talk, let us talk. We know the radio button cuts the comm when we're done...

As for your issue, MCFLHRSI06, I suspect you removed the speaker wires from the small circuit board where the traces were marked "+", "-", and "ANT", right? Then, when you soldered in the wires from the female jack cord, were you able to get the tip of each wire completely through the circuit board and immersed in solder? If so, I suspect the problem is with the jack cord. Were the wires red, black and uninsulated copper (ground) like on the Radio Shack headphone extension I used (P/N 4202559. Nice little unit with an in-line volume dial)?

If so, you should be able to separate the strands of the gnd copper equally, twist the ends together, dab a bit of solder on the tip, heat the solder at one of the "-" circuit board terminals, push the tip through, and get a good connection. If you do the same with the other half of the gnd and each of the "+" wires, you should have success. Keep in mind that I did say, "Don't try this at home, though!" :fing02:

It's pretty delicate work, and those little strands of copper like to break and fray and bend just when you don't want them to (as I'm sure you know). Give it another go and let us know what you find out.

[NorthernVFRDave]

And dweese, I don't know what magic helmet you wear, but at 80 mph my wife and I could barely tell the other was talking before I got rid of the helmet speakers. I want your helmet!

I've got an RF1000 for me and the girlfriend, we both use those cheap yellow foam ear plugs. The trick I found was to turn the Cardo uints on in a quite area. Not sure if they do some back ground auto cal test for the auto level control or what, but I find that helps.

[Normand]

Would it be possible tu use the mp3 jack to plg in some earbuds.

by disableling the mp3 and wiring the mp3 jack wires to the speaker wires

You guy's think that can be done.

[Beck]

.............and put the MP3 player wherever it's most convenient. For me it was the chin bar of my helmet, as pictured below. Hope this helps!

S7000870.JPG

That looks like a cool place to put those smaller MP3 units in..........do you have to have a tongue like Gene Simmons to operate the player?? :blink: :laugh:

But seriously, those smallest apple MP3 players would surely fit in that area, I would like to try that! Anyway, I don't think it can be too much of a factor in a crash if you do use the smallest/thinnest MP3 player you can find.

Beck

95 VFR

[Guest]

Hey all, just a quick update as I've been wanting to do this mod to my Scala Q2 for a while now! The current line of Scala q2's are shipping WITH an auxiliary in jack and the helmet speakers. I called the manufacturer, and he said it's a basic pass-thru, so you could simply plug in your headphones and tuck away the helmet speakers, or use a splitter and an extension cable and plug in your ipod. If you're buying them off ebay or some other site then call to verify it has the aux in.

If you already have one and don't want to be chopping into the important stuff, you can buy another base with the plug from scala for somewhere around 65.00 plus shipping or so.

Word!

[bear22099]

i have an iPhone and it does not work with the stereo bluetooth spec... which has been pissing me off because I purchased a bluetooth headset not knowing.

Has anyone used a Scala setup with an iPhone? I'm thinking it may work since the scala is mono and not stereo. the iphone doesn't use that A2DP stereo spec.

If the iphone doesn't use A2DP it maybe only Bluetooth v2.0 compatible. The Q2 is Bluetooth v1.2 only.

Not sure, I have an HTC touch and it pairs with the phone fine, but when I go to the MP3 player, it will only play from the phone speaker. Emailed HTC support and they told me because the phone looks for the A2DP support for the MP3 player, with out it, it defaults to the phone speaker. Which is dumb because its a mono speaker :cool:

What I did with mine, was to got get a Bluetooth adapter for non-Bluetooth cell phones. You'll need to make a stereo to mono adapter, but it worked for me. Use it on my Sirius radio with no problems.

Oh ya and the speakers that come with the Q2s work fine, just put some ear plugs in and you'll hear them just fine at 80+mph.

On you HTC Touch you can run an application that will port the sound out the bluetooth connection... BlueTooth Audio is the name of it, freeware. http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-downlo...audio-v1-0.html