Automotive gps and Sena 20s

raptorman13 · Jul 13, 2017

Hello folks. I am looking for an inexpensive option to the m/c specific gps that will communicate through Bluetooth with my Sena 20s. I have been to the Sena site, I believe it says the Garmin 785t will work with the sena. I have found a few on Amazon, used for sale but am hesitant to pull trigger without some more info. Anybody want to give me their 2cents worth? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would really like to be able to get a Tomtom rider v5 but cant find any used other then the "outlet" store and have already had a unsavory experience with them. ????

Lee

Ignacio · Jul 13, 2017

Tomtoms suck IMO. Garmin is simply better IMO.

Any device with Bluetooth (not just GPS) should be able to communicate with any other Bluetooth device (not just Sena). However, a matrix of every single model, of every single device, and every single situation is virtually impossible. I've had three different Garmin GPS units and always found a way to get them to work with two different Sena model units I've had (including a 20s)...one way or another. They are best-in-class IMO.

raptorman13 · Jul 13, 2017

Thanks for your response. I have tried to pair a Garmin automotive gps with Bluetooth this weekend and the sena and garmin would not link or pair. I have also tried previously with a tomtom and garmin with my old scala headset, no go.

maybe I am missing something?

lee

Ignacio · Jul 13, 2017

raptorman13 said:
maybe I am missing something?

Very likely, yes. Sorry, just saying "would not link or pair" won't really help much.

If you want help with that you would need to post up exactly what you're trying, models you're using, and what's happening, what specific Sena and/or Garmin directions that you tried (i.e. copy and paste direction you tried or link to the directions), as well as whether you've patched the devices to the latest firmware levels, etc.

Welcome to techno land.

thompsonian · Jul 13, 2017

My Garmin 660 and Sena 10U have issues paring on occasion. It usually gets so annoying that I don't bother doing it anymore. especially if I'm talking to another rider and the GPS butts in without an excuse me or anything like that.

Uncle Hud · Jul 13, 2017

raptorman13 posted: Thanks for your response. I have tried to pair a Garmin automotive gps with Bluetooth this weekend and the sena and garmin would not link or pair. I have also tried previously with a tomtom and garmin with my old scala headset, no go.maybe I am missing something?

lee

Gotta agree with Iggy. In theory, any Bluetooth device will pair with any other Bluetooth device, despite having different 'versions'. My Sena 20S was a bitch to pair with my iPhone and Garmin, although the two non-Sena devices paired easily with other Bluetooth thingies.

Now the Sena automatically pairs with the iPhone within milliseconds of booting, and in the hi-fi mode. (And the Garmin is turned off and relegated to my port-side hardcase because it sends me on stupid detours.)

Read the Sena manual carefully, and make sure you have all the details in your head when you start the pairing process.

Let us know how the automotive GPS works after a few hundred miles of serious vibrations. I'm curious; honestly.

flars · Jul 13, 2017

I haven't tried to pair my two Garmin Nuvis (2597 and 2797)to the Sena yet, but I will say that I have got about 40,000 miles with them on the bike with no problems (other than when I got caught in a monsoon in Alabama. The only problem I have is the Ram mount I use for the 2797 won't tighten down enough to hold that heavy bastid upright, and I have to constantly have to rotate it back upright. Probably need to put some non-slip stuff on the mount...

HotRodZilla · Jul 14, 2017

The first Garmin I paired to my Sena was an automotive unit I got from work. Used that until I got my Zumo600. It was straightforward using the manual as a guide. Bluetooth devices are glitchy enough that I carry my Sena manual in my tank bag.

sapest · Jul 14, 2017

OP

FWIW

(I am no expert, but have used Garmin 6xx GPS's with Sena products for more than 5 yrs)

If the first time pairing has failed, its often necessary to (master) reset the Garmin in order to clear out the bad info. The SENA will keep trying, but it aint gonna work.

If they paired once properly; what I find works best is

Turn on the Sena, then

Mount or turn on the Garmin

Wait until the Garmin displays the map showing your position before doing anything like starting music, making calls etc.

If you purchased your Sena retail, take it and the gps to the store and have them pair it.

Or call Sena, I have found their customer support to be excellent.

Good luck

-Steve

art miller · Jul 19, 2017

Uncle Hud said:
raptorman13 posted: Thanks for your response. I have tried to pair a Garmin automotive gps with Bluetooth this weekend and the sena and garmin would not link or pair. I have also tried previously with a tomtom and garmin with my old scala headset, no go.maybe I am missing something?

lee

Click to expand...

Gotta agree with Iggy. In theory, any Bluetooth device will pair with any other Bluetooth device, despite having different 'versions'. My Sena 20S was a bitch to pair with my iPhone and Garmin, although the two non-Sena devices paired easily with other Bluetooth thingies.

Now the Sena automatically pairs with the iPhone within milliseconds of booting, and in the hi-fi mode. (And the Garmin is turned off and relegated to my port-side hardcase because it sends me on stupid detours.)

Read the Sena manual carefully, and make sure you have all the details in your head when you start the pairing process.

Let us know how the automotive GPS works after a few hundred miles of serious vibrations. I'm curious; honestly.

I have been using a Garmin Nuvi 1490 for a number of years with no issues. I am a low tech guy and do not have it paired to anything. If I happen to run into rain I put a zip lock bag over it and good to go. The voice commands are probably a nuisance to pedestrians as I have the volume at 80% due to my ear plugs.

Fred W · Jul 19, 2017

I'll disagree with some who say that if the device has Bluetooth capabilities it should work with your Sena headset. That is not always true.

Some automotive GPS devices support only the Bluetooth protocol to connect your phone as an input to the GPS (handsfree protocol) but do not support connecting to a Bluetooth headset (headset protocol) or the output of stereo audio (A2DP). You need to know which BT protocols the device in question supports to know what it is capable of.

Laser Dude · Jul 19, 2017

I was a bit surprised to hear people saying they were able to pair them with the Sena as well. I bought my Sena to use with my automotive GPS. I didn't see anywhere in the advertising that it only worked with selected models. Had I seen that, I wouldn't have bought it. After buying it, and not being able to get it to pair, I contacted Sena and was told it wasn't going to work and that there was a list of compatible devices. The device list was small. There were only a couple models of Garmin automotive ones on the list. I'm running the 2689LMT which is pretty new.

Maybe I'll take another whack at it after seeing others say that they did get it to work.

MartinH · Jul 19, 2017

With Sena this may be different. With Cardo, the changed their BT driver to only work with the Headset specification. I had an old Garmin with BT. It would not pair. I found discussions on other sites where it did, then Cardo changed their software, and no more. So it depends if Sena is using a generic BT spec or the Headset spec.

As for the 765t. I'm pretty sure that is what I had, my daughter has it now. However, the last time I updated it, I had to use the expansion card to get the US maps on it. So I would check that first.

Uncle Hud · Jul 19, 2017

Fred W posted: I'll disagree with some who say that if the device has Bluetooth capabilities it should work with your Sena headset. That is not always true.
Some automotive GPS devices support only the Bluetooth protocol to connect your phone as an input to the GPS (handsfree protocol) but do not support connecting to a Bluetooth headset (headset protocol) or the output of stereo audio (A2DP). You need to know which BT protocols the device in question supports to know what it is capable of.

The latest firmware upgrade for Sena 20S includes HFP (Hands Free Protocol) and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). I would think that an automotive GPS would have at least HFP to pair with a car -- since cars pair with cellphones.

In fact, (and please correct me if I get it wrong) the latest 20S upgrade offers two A2DP channels. That means I get hi-fi stereo music and hi-fi stereo telephone.

List of Bluetooth protocols/profiles.

Fred W · Jul 19, 2017

Uncle Hud said:
Fred W posted: I'll disagree with some who say that if the device has Bluetooth capabilities it should work with your Sena headset. That is not always true.

Some automotive GPS devices support only the Bluetooth protocol to connect your phone as an input to the GPS (handsfree protocol) but do not support connecting to a Bluetooth headset (headset protocol) or the output of stereo audio (A2DP). You need to know which BT protocols the device in question supports to know what it is capable of.

Click to expand...

The latest firmware upgrade for Sena 20S includes HFP (Hands Free Protocol) and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). I would think that an automotive GPS would have at least HFP to pair with a car -- since cars pair with cellphones.
In fact, (and please correct me if I get it wrong) the latest 20S upgrade offers two A2DP channels. That means I get hi-fi stereo music and hi-fi stereo telephone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bluetooth_profiles]List of Bluetooth protocols/profiles.[/url]

The problem is not with the Sena. It is totally capable. Most automotive GPS devices do not have any Bluetooth "output" protocols built in. What they have is the handsfree protocol, which allows you to pair a phone to the GPS and use the GPS to make and receive calls handsfree. Most automotive GPS units do not have a headset protocol or A2DP, one of which would be needed to get the audio from the GPS to the Sena, either in mono with microphone, or stereo audio.

Uncle Hud · Jul 19, 2017

If the automotive GPS has hands-free protocol (HFP), it should pair with the OP's Sena 20s. The 20S comes with HFP, and that feature is not deleted through firmware upgrades.

The types of devices are unimportant (headset, phone, nuclear missle, sexbot) only that both devices have a shared Bluetooth protocol.

Fred W · Jul 19, 2017

Yeah, sorry. It doesn't work that way.

The sena's hands free will pair with a phone. The GPS's handsfree will also pair with a phone. A GPS's handsfree will not pair with a headset.

FJRLoonie · Jul 19, 2017

As Fred mentioned, my old Nuvi will only act as a bluetooth hands-free speaker/mic with my Samsung. It will not send voice directions to the headset.

Fred W · Jul 20, 2017

According to Sena's web site the following is a complete list of the Garmin GPS devices that will pair to their headsets:

dezl 770
dezlCamLMTHD
nuvi 765T
nuvi 775T
nuvi 785T
zumo 2201
zumo 3501
zumo 390
zumo 500
zumo 550
zumo 590
zumo 660
zumo 665

That list is a little old, but I think it is still accurate. The only regular automotive GPS devices on the list are the nuvi 765T, 775T and 785T. One of the big zumo features (you pay the extra bucks for) is fully functional bluetooth audio output to a BT headset.

The bluetooth output functionality of the 3 nuvis on the list is also different than on the zumos. On the nuvi models there is only one bluetooth audio output profile (A2DP). That will allow you to hear the GPS directions and any music you have stored on the device in your BT headset, but A2DP is not a bidirectional protocol, so you can't make a phone call through the nuvi using the BT headset. The only microphone is the one built in to the device, so all the other party would hear on a motorcycle is wind noise. You would have to pair the phone directly to the Sena headset using the handsfree profile.

The zumos all have (at least) the "headset" BT profile, which allows BT monaural audio output and the headset microphone input. Some, but not all, of the zumos also have A2DP, which provides the stereo sound from the GPS to headset, but no microphone audio return, so when you make a phone call on one of those devices it switches to headset profile during the call.

Automotive gps and Sena 20s

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