Schuberth C3 Pro and SRC System Pro...

[Phmode]

Er, well...

My old (as the hills) Schuberth C3 is getting a little, er, tatty and is well past it's sell-by date so I have been looking at replacing it (since about 2015...).

The C4 was a total failure and a PR disaster for Schuberth so we'll forget about that, even though it was vastly improved in its re-vamped form.

The C5 is luvverly and has the ability to slip the Sena (rather than Cardo in the C3) integrated i/c in in about 60 seconds; but it comes with Mesh as stock and that pushes the price up and reduces talk time and is not needed by 99% of riders. And anyway, my head isn't worth the total price of a C5 and integrated intercomm.

So, how about the C3 Pro, still the best selling flip-front helmet in the world. I had intended to upgrade to the C3 Pro a year or so ago and bought the Schuberth SRC System Pro intercomm system, which integrates the whole shebang except the antenna into a replacement neck collar, in anticipation because it had been discontinued by Schuberth.

Fast forward to last Friday when I popped into Sportsbike Shop in Bristol to try, and buy, the C3 Pro. Lovely, stuck it in the boot and weebled my way back home.

This morning I decided to move into the helmet and pulled off the neck collar to connect up the SRC System Pro. All it needs is the speakers sticking in (with the option of using my moulded ear-plugs as well/instead of) and connecting up to the already-installed-as-standard antenna.

So, the antenna will be where? Search around inside the helmet, nope. Search online, not much there. Look in that drawer in the kitchen where everything ends up at some point, not there either.

A quick phone call to Sportsbike Shop didn't get me far beyond 'we have another one in Birmingham if you want to pop in and let them look at the one you bought'.

I suggested that rather than wasting my petrol they could look in the one they have and see if indeed it does have the antenna ready installed as it states in their description of the thing. Or did Schuberth discontinue fitting the antenna into the helmet when they discontinued (for no apparent reason) the SRC System Pro and just didn't bother telling anyone?

Sitting here twiddling my thumbs now waiting for a reply...

[farmer]

not much help for you but i looked at the c5 myself, the change to senna comms put me off....the price didn't help either...all my squad have cardo systems so that is kinda set in stone and buying a dear helmet with existing wiring to butcher a different comm into it does not make sense to me.
i believe the c5 has the antenna built in but thats not what you were asking.
from reading the internet...not experience the c3 pro should have a built in antenna, the c3 does does not.
i'm interested in your views on the c3 built in scala set up as this has tempted me on a couple of occasions but i just never bit the bullet.

[Matt]

I really want a Schuberth at some stage, in my quest for quiet.

Anyway, this ten year old video with hilarious auto translated German shows quite unclearly him digging it out from the back somewhere. Can you see any empty channel where it should/would be? The crappy artwork on SBS implies some channel at the rear.

Bugger. Can't find anything saying it's gone.

[Phmode]

There are two vertical channels down the back of the inner hard'ish foam liner which 'could' have been something to do with it...except that my old C3 has identical, perhaps even deeper channels and I am sure they are exhaust channels for the warmed air coming in the front and top and passing over your head to keep you cool.

Apart from the age of my old helmet, the main reason for the change was the dizzying double vision I had in Wales last year which I sort of put down to the helmet doing something weird with my glasses. I haven't had this problem with the new glasses so, meh!

Interestingly, the additional advertising bumph that came with the new C3 Pro, was for the current'ish SC10UA i/c which I am certain has an external antenna poking out the back and only two buttons for operating the thing.

As for wanting a Schuberth 'at some stage', there is no time like the present, the C3 Pro I have cost me the princely sum of £299.99! As long as you want the no-brainer gloss white. That's less then 2/3 of the price of my old C3 and I think I paid for that in pounds, shillings and pence...

[Phmode]

not much help for you but i looked at the c5 myself, the change to senna comms put me off....the price didn't help either...all my squad have cardo systems so that is kinda set in stone and buying a dear helmet with existing wiring to butcher a different comm into it does not make sense to me.
i believe the c5 has the antenna built in but thats not what you were asking.
from reading the internet...not experience the c3 pro should have a built in antenna, the c3 does does not.
i'm interested in your views on the c3 built in scala set up as this has tempted me on a couple of occasions but i just never bit the bullet.

The SRC System Pro was discontinued some time ago. I bought mine second hand from Germany because there were none in UK. I wish I had waited as some did come up. There is one new one on flea-bay at the moment for £180'ish.

The big criticism (apart from the missing antenna) I can find is that the buttons under the collar are not the easiest to find and operate in gloves, particularly winter gloves.

[Matt]

not much help for you but i looked at the c5 myself, the change to senna comms put me off....the price didn't help either...all my squad have cardo systems so that is kinda set in stone and buying a dear helmet with existing wiring to butcher a different comm into it does not make sense to me.
i believe the c5 has the antenna built in but thats not what you were asking.
from reading the internet...not experience the c3 pro should have a built in antenna, the c3 does does not.
i'm interested in your views on the c3 built in scala set up as this has tempted me on a couple of occasions but i just never bit the bullet.

The SRC System Pro was discontinued some time ago. I bought mine second hand from Germany because there were none in UK. I wish I had waited as some did come up. There is one new one on flea-bay at the moment for £180'ish.

The big criticism (apart from the missing antenna) I can find is that the buttons under the collar are not the easiest to find and operate in gloves, particularly winter gloves.

Wait, Martin, is this why you never call me?!  Or is yours a different one?

Re me getting one: Yeah I tried one on a while back and I have the wrong head in default setup. So until I change my head setup I think my best bet is Motolegends and their "we'll try all of the different padding fronts, sides etc to get it right" offer.

[richtea]

Re me getting one: Yeah I tried one on a while back and I have the wrong head in default setup. So until I change my head setup I think my best bet is Motolegends and their "we'll try all of the different padding fronts, sides etc to get it right" offer.

Since you're using it every ride, getting the ideal fit isn't wasted money. Be glad someone in the world offers the service!

[corkboy]

There are two vertical channels down the back of the inner hard'ish foam liner which 'could' have been something to do with it...except that my old C3 has identical, perhaps even deeper channels and I am sure they are exhaust channels for the warmed air coming in the front and top and passing over your head to keep you cool.

I just had a look at my C3 pro, as I know it has the antenna built in. I don't use it as I installed a Cardo.
I would have donated it to the cause, but unfortunately it is installed between the outer shell and the hard foam/ABS. The last tail of it comes out and terminates in the connector plug. It isn't removeable.
So my guess is they stopped installing them when they discontinued the comms.

[Phmode]

Many thanks for that young sir. If it is as obvious as you say then mine doesn't have it. The hard liner 'will' come out (it went in after all) as I'm sure I had to take mine out to fit new bits when my sun-visor mechanism exploded but it isn't recommended on a casual basis. You could try pulling it, the antenna, not the liner, as it is probably only held in with cellotape. But then, how do I get into my helmet??? 

I'm about to call the importer cos they might know without relying on Sportsbike Shop who don't answer the phones in the stores any more as they are all nattering about last night's footie.

Well that didn't work. The importer, Tranam, only deign to speak to trade account holders and tell their end customers to speak with their supplying agent...

[corkboy]

Well, I had another look.

The antenna won't pull out by force. I tried but I'd say it's pretty long. 
The hard foam didn't give way to a bit of force either, and I don't want to start disassembling it.

I can certainly send you the connector, which appears to have 6 connections on it, if it's any good to you.  I won't be using it.

Another alternative is to find and savage an antenna from an old C3 pro.

[Phmode]

Many thanks and a very wise decision to not start disassembling. I nearly ended up with an inside-out helmet when I totally destroyed disassembled mine.

I think the gods of little things are desperately trying to send me a message here but I'm too stupid to understand it.

I could simply hack the siliconed and sticky pad attached Sena 20S off the side of my C3 and glue it onto the C3 Pro.

Maybe that's the message the gods are trying to send me...

[Phmode]

So, Sportsbike shop have peeked inside their entire stock of C3 Pros rather than just the boring white ones, just to be sure. And sure as eggs, none of them have the antefnna!

So, now I am trying to work out who to sue, Sportsbike Shop, Schuberth, and for what; fraudulent advertising, conspiracy to defraud, wasting my time and money...you get the idea.

To say I am mightily pi$$ed off is somewhat of an understement.

[richtea]

Its unused so take it back. They're pretty good on refunds.
Bristol is lovely on a Thursday. And petrol is less than it was 3 months ago.

[Phmode]

It's already in my local DPD pick up point on its way back.

There is no way I was wasting even more fuel driving 80 miles for a refund cos I would get into a punch-up with someone I'm so pi$$ed.

To be fair, although Sportsbike Shop claim to be experts, they know virtually nothing about their products beyond what the manufacturers publish, unlike say, Motolegends.

This is all down to Schuberth. Once I have calmed down a little I shall giving them some feedback, they say on their website that they welcome it...

[raesewell]

So, what is your next move/purchase Brian ?