Testing the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo system in the remote regions of Peru
“Everybody through.” The clear, calm voice in my Cardo comms headset allows me to put my full focus back on the road ahead. My tail gunner, Chip Doherty, is giving me real time updates of our riding group as we navigate some heavy traffic during our 11-day ride around Peru.
Arriving in Arequipa a week earlier, we were greeted with a plethora of “to do” items as we got ready to take seven riders on their first motorcycle tour in Peru. With Chip having had a job launching the Space Shuttle in his previous life, I asked if he would install the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo units into our helmets. I was more than a little consumed with minutia as well as being a mechanical and electrical Muppet. I have a Klim adventure helmet and Chip wears a Bell Qualifier with built-in comms pocket.
Riding the wild places in the mountains of Peru.
From the huffing, puffing and swearing it didn’t take a rocket scientist (sorry Chip) to work out that it wasn’t the easiest job in the world installing the systems. It actually all went together fairly smoothly, and everything you need for the job is in the box as delivered, from parts to Velcro pads. It was just that no matter how hard he tried, Chip couldn’t get it to work with his Android cell phone. In a conversation with Cardo, they advised deleting the App and after re-installing to try pairing again.
Switching the systems on and off and charging batteries at night is all very straightforward, although there were a couple of mornings we would turn on our units and they wouldn’t pair. We would cycle them off and on, jump up and down and spin around, then all of sudden they would work.
Cardo PACKTALK EDGE elements. Photos by Cardo.
Once on the road out of Arequipa, we quickly ran into a situation that we would encounter a few times in our travels. I made it through a traffic light but most of the group didn’t, so Chip was stuck away back. Traffic was three degrees short of total bonkers and as I checked with Chip for information I lost him, as I had ridden over the brow of a small hill. Connection lost. In short order he was back online, and we fought our way through the clogged Peruvian city, making for the open road beyond. Here everything worked perfectly, and as the group stretched out there was no drop-off of quality. The audio is very easy to raise or lower with the buttons found forward of the adjuster wheel. And for keeping all our little ducks in a row, having the ability to effortlessly communicate was much appreciated. Cardo states the range is up to a mile on open roads. I’m not sure that we ever got that far apart, but they worked well across some of the longer stretches.
Of course, they only worked for us with an unobstructed line-of-sight, so in the tighter, mountainous sections we would briefly lose connectivity. It was pretty easy to figure out when we would be off-line, so it wasn’t a problem for managing the group, we just needed to pay attention. If you are smarter than us and do get the units to easily pair with your phones, just remember the units still only work with good line-of-sight.
In the congested city of Arequipa, Peru.
There is no discomfort from having the headphones or microphones in our helmets which is nice, and with the right positioning in the chin piece there was never any wind noise. The audio is really crisp and clear, with natural voice operation, so one of the highlights of the trip was catching up with my old buddy as we nattered away about life and Peru in equal measures when not dealing with the group. Sound is by JBL, and sound quality is superb.
We did encounter some static on occasion, but a reboot would quickly eliminate it, and I once picked up a local radio station as we left town. That was quickly fixed with a few scrolls of the roller wheel. All of this is very easily accomplished with motorcycle gloves and quickly feels intuitive.
Out in open country in Peru, the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo units visible and functioning on Chip’s and Neale’s helmets.
We had another couple of riders with earlier generation Cardos attached (BOLD and SLIM), but didn’t need them to be listening to us managing the group as we traveled, so they just chatted with each other in their own Cardo group. The PACKTALK EDGE Duo units will also work with other brands according to Cardo, and you can add up to 15 people to a group. Thankfully during our ride we didn’t encounter any precipitation, but fear not, the Cardo unit is fully waterproof for those times it does rain.
To wrap up, the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo set is a great communication system, as expected, even in a remote country like Peru. I think that the small problems we encountered were more operator error than any fault with the units. The quality of the sound, ease of operation is perfect and with the ability to communicate, connect to your phone or listen to music they are a fantastic addition to your traveling gear must-haves.
Neale Bayly
For more on the Cardo PACKTALK EDGE Duo setup, click here:
Oh to have been a fly in the helmet to hear your chatter LOL. Epic trip!!