Last year there was an extensive discussion about helmet communications including the Schuberth helmet and the SRC system -- This is a follow-up to that discussion
I purchased a pair of Schuberth helmets in the spring of 2011 with the SRC system for Jane and me. We both love the helmets and initially found the SRC system to be quite good. We only used it for internal comms when we are riding 2-up and found that the SRC was far superior to earlier Cardo Scalar units. But after about a year we started to have battery problems in that my unit did not seem to hold a charge very well. I complained to my dealer (Bob's) and true to their reputation that stood behind their products and replaced the unit. I was pleased with their response, but about 15 months later when we took a tour of the American Southwest using the units daily started to have charging problems again. We got through the trip and as it turns out did not use the SRC systems until just last week (I only using when we ride 2-up and we had not done so for quite a while). So I got both helmets on the charger and gave them a good charge. Alas, the next morning when we got ready to leave for a trip to Harpers Ferry, I found that me unit would not turn on -- apparently the battery was fully discharged. I tried the next day to charge the unit again and found that it just would not charge
So today a took a road trip to Bob's to inquire whether or not there was some way to repair/refurbish the battery/electrical system. I did not expect Bob's to take care of the problem -- I was perfectly willing to purchase a new battery, etc. But Bob's service department found out from Schuberth that they do not service the SRC unit. The person at Bob's then called Cardo and found out that they license the technology to Schuberth, who manufactures the SRC system so they could not provide any service information.
I realize that batteries are not "forever technology" but Schuberth should also realize that and provide some way to recover from a dead battery other than to buy a replacement (or get the dealer to provide a freebee). Based on my experience, one should treat the Schuberth SRC system as a limited life product (1 - 2 years usage) with a throw-away maintenance policy. While I really love the C3 helmet itself, I will be unlikely to purchase another when my unit reaches the end of its life since I consider the passenger to driver communications an important aspect of my riding.
In the meantime, I will try to fix the unit myself -- I can't make the situation any worse and I might have a slight chance of resolving my problem.
Howard