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Sena is a well-known brand whose communication devices enable you to stay connected and in control on a motorcycle. Motorcycle Bluetooth communication devices from Sena will take you closer to adventure than ever before.
If you have a half helmet, you might wonder, can you put a Sena on a half helmet?
In a nutshell, yes! A Sena Bluetooth device is definitely something you can put on your bike half-helmet and enjoy your ride.
As a demonstration, our team installed it on a half helmet, and here is a step-by-step explanation of the installation and how it worked for us.
The SENA SMH10 communication system
On a half-helmet, we installed the SENA SMH10 communications unit. To date, the SENA SMH10 and similar models offer the best value among all Bluetooth communication systems.
To mount speakers on a half-helmet, we used Vega Echo Audio Ear Pad Pouches for Motorcycle Helmets. A product of similar nature would be needed to mount speakers on a half helmet. Once the speakers were installed, we began testing them.
The installation process
Vega pouches feature a rigid plastic piece that fits in between the shell and the liner. As this hard plastic piece measures approximately 3 inches wide by 3/4 inches high, it should fit into this space by about 3/4 inches.
Velcro (the hook part of velcro) is attached to the outside of the foam pad in a V-pattern. This should align with the fluffy fabric inside the half-helmet v-straps and hook into them. The principle behind this is sound, but there are a few issues in practice due to the nature and shape of different helmets.
Installation issues
The following issues may arise here:
- The helmet surface must be smooth for the 3/4″ insert to fit in. The surface must be flat with a flat bottom, like that of an upside-down cereal bowl. We also had a curvature in our half helmet, so the 3/4 inch flap did not attach to the joint as deeply as it should have.
- A second problem is that the velcro hooks on the ear pouches may not always line up with the helmet’s V-strap. Poor alignment will only result in the velcro hooks being attached at some locations rather than all. This weakens the attachment to the v-straps and makes them look bad from the outside because they show where they are not attached.
- There is also a possibility that the velcro hooks won’t stick to the fluff on the inside of the V-straps. With our helmet, we like the way the Velcro hooks stick firmly to the V-straps.
In helmets with non-smooth edges, velcro on the ear pouches that didn’t match the v-strap, and the v-straps fluffy fabric did not hold velcro hooks well, ear pouches would not attach.
It appears that we each had at least one feature that allowed these ear pouches to fit adequately. Attaching the SMH10 backing plate to the helmet and inserting the speakers into the ear pouches was very easy.
The wire was sufficient and it fit into the seam between the shell and foam lining of the helmet. There is velcro on the back of each speaker, which snaps onto the inside fabric of the ear pouches.
We adjusted the speakers and the ear pouches slightly. As a whole, the installation of the Sena Speakers on a half helmet went smoothly.
The Use of the SENA SMH10 System
Pair the unit with other things such as smartphones, GPS units, and other Sena headsets via Bluetooth. We had no problem pairing the SMH10 to our phone. It offered three very useful features.
- You can listen to music through your smartphone
- While riding your bike, you can make and receive calls
- The SMH10 allows you to pause, play, and skip songs on your smartphone
I love how well the intercom system works between bikes. In tests on a straight level road, we separated the bikes by about a half-mile and the intercom still worked.
When there were houses and trees in between, the signal was lost after less than a quarter-mile. This demonstrates that the intercom connections between units work best without objects obstructing the way.
With our phones, we can connect to music, pause, play, and skip tracks. Even with gloves on, it is easy to use the SMH10. Also, the sound seems quite good.
It is very easy to have a phone conversation with this system. Wind and motorcycle noise are not audible on the other end. A GPS is also compatible with the SENA unit.
SENA’s SMH10 system is an excellent Bluetooth communication system, and I highly recommend it. Having read this article, you would have known that you can easily put a Sena on a half helmet.
