In September 2023, I wrote about Cardo’s claim that it had solved cross-brand mesh intercom compatibility with Sena’s mesh devices. After the long holiday delay, I set my sights on proving this, one way or the other. My first try failed, and the helpful tech support at Cardo worked with me on a solution. The techs were very responsive, and making this connection work required them to update the Cardo firmware.
Cardo’s new v3.8 firmware update did the trick. Now, my Cardo Packtalk Edge (with v3.8) and my Sena 50R (with firmware version 2.4) are connected without the Sena-paired smartphone losing its ability to play music or make phone calls.
Before this firmware update, Cardo could connect to many other brands, though only via Bluetooth. Because this connection utilized Bluetooth, the other unit’s phone lost the ability to make calls or play music when the intercom was connected. That is no longer the case, and kudos to Cardo for moving in the direction of making the inter-brand intercom a real solution.
Here’s how to make this happen:
1. On the Cardo Packtalk Edge, press the top (intercom) and bottom (mobile) buttons for ten seconds to put the mode to Bluetooth intercom. The announcement Bluetooth intercom will play, and the LED will blink blue.
2. Press the top (intercom) button for five seconds to initiate the pairing.
3. On the Sena 50R, you must activate the Audio Multitasking in the Sena Motorcycles app.
4. Initiate the intercom pairing on the Sena 50S by pressing the wheel (middle) for five seconds. On a 50R, press the middle button for five seconds.
The units should pair quickly, and you can communicate without further actions. Unfortunately, I must repeat the procedure if I turn off the units and power them back on. However, once you know the process, it only takes a minute or less.
While I would prefer to see one agreed-upon standard all manufacturers use, Cardo’s effective new firmware-implemented workaround gets the job done until that happens—or if it never happens.
