INTERCOM ADVICE?

[Hornet]

Hi

Do any of you have any experience of intercoms when your out on a blat?

I have a full face helmet for racing, but much prefer to use an open face helmet when I'm out on public roads. Consequently, I am worried how much an intercom system would be effected by the wind noise on the mic when using the open face helmet? It would be used when I'm out with other friends in their cars and also when its just myself and my partner in the car. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Fury1630]

There's several threads on this, mostly under the title of "Radio"

We're using Baufeng UV-5R radios which are quite cheap, they come with a earpiece / mic with a press-to-talk button, which seems to work OK (I have a full screen so wind noise is less of an issue) but compatible headsets for open & closed helmets are about £10 on Ebay.

I've only used it once so far, but it worked well.

[Hornet]

Thanks for the info

Have you been using these for just yourself and passenger, or for between a group of cars? If between a group of cars, what sort of range are you getting?

[greenwoo]

Ian, the range for car/car varies so much due to atmospherics/sight lines etc. Under optimum circs we've had a cple miles, but reality is more like .5 mile, none of us have sorted out the perfect antenna, and unless we all do, there's little point in 1 having the 'perfect' set up....

as for pure intercom - starcom/autocom etc allow driver-pass chat and can plug in radios/modules to then allow for car to car....
am sure there are other options as in reality they are fancy hubs.....

[Hornet]

Thanks for the real-life info

0.5 mile range would be adequate for what I'm looking for, and the price of those radios is reasonable. Essentially, I am just looking for a basic reliable set-up. Don't need to be able to listen to music, satnav, make phone calls etc, and not worried about having to use a PTT button as I think a reactive mic probably wont be any good with an open-face helmet. Not bothered about blue-tooth either because if I'm having the hassle of a 5 point harness whenever I get in and out of a car, then wires for the headset isn't much more of a burden.

Does anyone have any experience of a reliable mic when using an open-face helmet with just an aero-screen? I could use a full-face, but find it restricts my views at junctions. I find the open face with a large drop down visor is much better, so would like to use a mic with that?

Regarding aerials, where do you usually stash your radios? I was thinking of mounting it next to me but vertical on the roll cage so it was away from the bodywork, relatively high, and with the aerial positioned correctly.

[Fury1630]

The aerial screws on with an SMA connector, I bought an SMA male to SMA female extension lead & mount the aerial high on the roll bar with the radio down low.

[Hornet]

Thanks very much for all the info.

Subsequently, looking at getting similar or same radios but getting a Intaride Nexgen XL-2 headset which is supposed to have a very good noise cancelling mic. Its £28 but means I can still use the open face helmet

[Rob E]

Regarding aerials, where do you usually stash your radios? I was thinking of mounting it next to me but vertical on the roll cage so it was away from the bodywork, relatively high, and with the aerial positioned correctly.

Ian, have you ever been on a Sunday run/breakfast meet ?? There a good start for this sort of thing, testing, asking questions and also meeting people.

[Hornet]

Hi Rob, would love to make it out to a Sunday run/ breakfast meet but I live about 25 miles north of Cambridge so its a long way to travel. I have been out with Chris and a few others as he is only about 30 miles from me.

[Hornet]

I was just wondering what you do regarding transmitting, do you use the PTT button on the radio, or do you have a remote PTT button?

With the Baofeng radios is it possible to use a single radio as an intercom by using an adapter to run two headseats from the same radio?