I need a better bluetooth receiver

[twowheelstom]

My UGREEN CM596 5.3 bluetooth receiver with 3,5mm headphone jack is not working the way I want.
It's dropping the 1st and 2nd words on turn directions to my wired earbuds.
Hearing the full turn directions on the Zumo 396 unit speaker without the receiver works great, no words are dropped.

I like this little UGREEN receiver because I can keep it plugged into a small battery bank in my jacket pocket for longer battery life, but I need a better receiver that doesn't drop turn directions.

What are you guys using for bluetooth receivers?

[rbentnail]

Haven't we been through this before ? https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewto ... =bluetooth. I am still very satisfied with my Taotronics TT-BR06 receiver.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/revi ... e-adapters

[twowheelstom]

Well, I emailed Garmin on my problem with my 396 and they sent me a reply, saying,
This product was designed to work with a bluetooth headset instead of a bluetooth receiver.

So then I went searching for imformation on the difference between a bluetooth receiver and a bluetooth headset, to educate myself lol

Here is what Google says on the difference.

A "Bluetooth receiver" is a small device that allows you to connect non-Bluetooth devices like older speakers or stereos to your phone or other Bluetooth-enabled device to stream audio, while a "Bluetooth headset" is a pair of headphones that directly connect to your device via Bluetooth, allowing you to listen to audio and often make phone calls wirelessly; essentially, a receiver takes audio from a Bluetooth device and sends it to a wired system, while a headset receives audio directly from a Bluetooth device and plays it through its built-in speakers.

So, I think now that my problem is with my bluetooth receiver doing the switching in the audio between my 396 and my earbuds, while a headset receives the signals directly to headset built-in speakers. So I need to replace my receiver with a headset?
Looking at the Sena headsets and they are expensive vs my UGREEN receiver was cheap.

[twowheelstom]

I just bought this on Amazon, the Mii ML300 transmitter receiver.
Going to try this ML300 in TX mode like the youtube video discribes and see if the ML100 solves my problem with dropped 396 navigation audio from my UGREEN bluetooth receiver

[jfheath]

When I first got the XT1, I had wired autocom headsets.
I bought a module from a guy at Chainspeed that used to work for Autocom - a BTM-03. It sat there receiving and transmitting two way audio by BT - including stereo - and relayed it by cable to the autocom unit.

It worked perfectly. So what Garmin said gives the wrong impression. The BTM-03 is no longer available, but you might land on a second hand one or an equivalent. The Zumo sees the BTM-03 as a set of headphones. But BT headsets are much more capable than they were a few years ago and are trouble free.m

If your ears can cope with earbuds, you can get BT earbuds with mic very cheaply. A wire loop joins them, mic is in the loop. I use a set of these when testing out my setup, rather than sitting with my helmet on. If I could get them in my ears with a helmet on, they would work fine with the XT. But Buds never sit in my ears very well.

[twowheelstom]

The Zumo sees the BTM-03 as a set of headphones.

thanks jfheath,
Greetings
your comment is making me think if the Zumo needs to see a headset with attached speakers and a microphone?
or just a headset with attached speakers, just wondering,
I still don't understand why a bluetooth receiver adapter without a microphone won't work
now I am doubting if the ML300 bluetooth adapter with TX/RX without a microphone will work
thanks

[jfheath]

I believe that the BT module is seen by the Zumos as if it is a headset - because it sends and receives the sound to the Zumo. It then sends it elsewhere, but the Zumo doesn't know or care about that.

For me, my headset was wired to the Autocom main unit which was a mixer, amplifier and dealt with inputs and ouputs. My helmet headset was connected to this with a single, waterproof, 7 Pin DIN plug.

The BTM 03 module was powered by the bike battery and processed the BT signals in and out. It was plugged into the autocom unit by a 4 pole 3.5mm jack plug.

So sound from the XT was sent to the BT unit, and signals were sent back to the XT. That was then passed by 4 core cable - 3 + earth (2 stereo output to the amp, 1 voice out from the amp.

But the XT2 did not know about the Autocom amp, or the wired headset. All it could see was the BTM03 and it thought that this was the headphones and speaker. So it all connected up Ok without my helmet headset actually being plugged in.

I rarely tested that out because it gave me a sharp pain between my shoulder blades. If everything was already connected and talking to each other, when I plugged together the DIN plug and socket , the resulting crackle was a sudden very loud noise at full volume in my pillions headset, and she would thump me !

[twowheelstom]

the resulting crackle was sudden full, volume in my pillions headset, and she would thump me !

sorry, I guess I shouldn't laugh on you being thumped, that's probably no fun that lol, but your electronic setup sounds complex. I think I'm narrowing in my choice on getting a Cardo Spirit Headset, mainly because it's simple and has a USB-C charging port, the speakers have single 3.5mm jack end on the wire, meaning I can switch those speakers out and use my own wired earbuds, the bluetooth version on the Spirit is 5.2, I think that's higher than the 396 bluetooth version so that's ok, and I can unplug the mic wire on the Spirit since I'll have no passenger and I don't group ride. All I wanted was to hear 396 navigation audio without 1st and 2nd words being dropped. No riding here in Canada yet, too cold and today the snow and ice is just starting to slowly melt a bit. thanks for your post reply, this is a great Forum with great people.

[jfheath]

Yes it was complex due to having previously had a wired setup with a Zumo 590, and then getting the XT with no wires. At the time it was not possible to have rider pillion communication And Phone call and Zumo support. The Autocom was state of the art kit at the time. Bt headsets had been around long before that, but not with the facility to talk to pillion as well.

I now have a cardo packtalk edge rider and pillion. They connect perfectly - even without being clipped to the helmet - so no attached speakers or mic . Quite useless in that state, but the BT connects anyway.

The cardo has been very reliable and connects first time every time to the Zumo, and has never dropped out. Pretty good on phone calls too - except no side tone ie I cannot hear what I am saying through my own speakers. ut I have got used to that.

[twowheelstom]

I now have a cardo packtalk edge rider and pillion.

Greetings jfheath,
thanks for your post, and I did research just now on the Cardo Packtalk Edge, super great unit, and maybe you might know if a Cardo Spirit basic unit tucked into my jacket riding pocket with my 3.5mm earbuds connected and the Spirit microphone unplugged and removed would work? I mean, in your opinion would my Zumo 396 bluetooth be able to reach the Spirit unit when it's in my front riding jacket pocket?

If yes then I might not install any headset unit directly clipped onto my half-helmet and just have wired earbuds under my helmet just like using my cheap ugreen bluetooth receiver, but that dumb thing is dropping spoken words on 396 navigation audio to my also cheap earbuds. I love your comm setup. I did ride 2-up years ago but we had a fall and we stopped our 2-up riding meaning the reason I probably won't need a high-end Packtalk Edge for communicating with another, just need bluetooth between me and this 396 lol. I do think my problem is with this cheap bluetooth receiver not switching audio fast enough to the wired earbuds. I love your setup though, and you seem to be very experienced in electronics, you're very helpful for me, thanks