Author Topic: radio communications  (Read 5067 times)

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Offline barryadam

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radio communications
« on: May 28, 2009, 10:36:16 AM »
My son & I have ridden together for the last 6 years.  We have tried just about everything available including desert, dry lake beds, trails, single track, fire roads, streets, mx tracks, sand, etc.
We have always tried to communicate with each other on the ride, although there are times we get separated or both lost and we wished we had a way to talk on the bike.  Last year I tried using low-cost 2-way radios.  We had some old FRS/GMRS Unidens from a sporting goods shop and added a headset with an integral push-to-talk switch (PTT).



We liked being able to communicate about trail conditions, paths to take or not take, ?where are you?, alerts for upcoming traffic, needs to stop, etc.  However, the radios had some serious shortcomings.  The headsets were pretty uncomfortable in the helmets, the radios were not powerful enough to give much range, the sound quality and level were barely usable (most of the time we were saying ?WHAT DID YOU SAY??), the PTT was a pain to find, and the wiring snagged a bush and ripped the headset right out of my ear.
But the basic communication ability proved a worthy goal and justified further investment.
After some research, I got advice from a TT forum member that knew his stuff.  He had desert racing experience and was offering to share.
The radio quality is key to making this work.  You need professional equipment.  I chose these



as they were reasonably priced, popular choices and weatherproof.

The other key element is a specific noise cancellation microphone.  PCI Race radios and Baja Designs both have the right stuff.  There are others that use the same mic, but PCI is about 20 minutes from my office, and I have bought stuff from BD before.  They both make a helmet wiring set that includes a plug for using earbud speakers.  This is the way to go to make the best quality audio, plus it blocks a bit of the ambient.  You can still hear noises from your bike and of course, outside sources.



I wanted to make my own radio harness, but gave up trying to solder mini shielded cable, and ended up with the full PCI harness.



With the radios in our backpacks, helmets wired up, and PTT on the bars, the end result was fantastic.  We had clear, loud communication that could cover significant distance and it worked around the corners significantly better than the old system. I was leary about having a tether to the bike, but it proved to be no problem.  I was leary about the helmet connections, but they, too, proved no problem.

Bottom line, it cost a lot more than I wanted to invest initially, but now that I have got it, I wouldn?t want to ride without it.  If you have used something like this, you know what I mean.  If you have not tried it, you really should find someone that has one and can let you use it.  If you are not happy with your radio setup, there?s a better way.  It really changes the riding experience.

Barry
« Last Edit: May 28, 2009, 10:45:46 AM by barryadam »
"I hate heli-coils. They are like hospice for motorcycle parts."- BDI

Offline BDI

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2009, 06:09:37 AM »
Very cool  8-) thanks  :-D I have wanted to do the same thing for a while but I figured it would be hard to get it right. I didn't want to spend a ton of money trying stuff. This realy helps
Smoke every cigarette like It's your last and ride like you stole something!!!

Offline blueoval

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2010, 09:23:55 AM »
barryadam, are you still using the PCI radio?  If so, how is it working after 8 months now.  Have you found any problems with it?  Do you think it would work good with 3 or 4 users?  thx
If some is good, and more is better, then too much is JUST RIGHT!  B.O.

Offline barryadam

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2010, 09:31:27 AM »
Works great.  However, we've only had about 2-3 rides with it, then my son had wrist surgery in July.  Have not ridden since.  But planning to go again in Feb.  After riding with them, we won't go without.

Last time out, had myself, son & daugther all on radios (KX500, KDX220, KDX220).  Whatta blast.  Kids loved it.  Gave them a lot of confidence (safety-wise).  The biggest problem, is you have to keep buying more setups for all the people you want to talk to.   :lol:

Gonna try the same equipment this weekend on a street ride with my pal.

If you wanna try it out, we'll have to plan a trip to see you and get a private tour of them sss.
"I hate heli-coils. They are like hospice for motorcycle parts."- BDI

Offline Purpletj

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2010, 02:14:01 PM »
I do alot of street riding and use a headset called Scala rider made by Cardo. The battery life is excellent and all the features make it a very good unit. I really love the phone feature. I can be riding 90mph and answer the phone simply by speaking into the mic. The person on the other end won't hear any hint of wind noise.  Most of the time I have to inform them Im riding.

http://www.cardowireless.com/MultiSet

I also have purchased in the past the chatterbox units. These units are just ok. The greatest advantage is being able to talk to as many riders as you like. They operate on the GRMS frequencies like most walkie talkies. The worst thing about the chatterbox is the shear size of it. Adjusting the mic to cancel out wind noise is a pain as well.

"When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." -- Albert Einstein

Offline KXcam22

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2010, 02:18:01 PM »
Barry,
 
Thats cool.  I used a similar setup for street riding.  The main issue I found was that the voice activated mike would turn on due to the wind noise and eat the batteries.  I had to wire them to the street bike battery, which is not an option for most dirt bikes.  I'm lucky that I have great cell reception in all my riding areas, although its not the same as a radio. Cam.

Offline jfabmotorsports.com

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Re: radio communications
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2010, 03:06:59 PM »
Barry,
 
   I'm lucky that I have great cell reception in all my riding areas, although its not the same as a radio. Cam.

Put a Blue Tooth in the helmet, dial your buddy and put the unlimited plan to work.
Don't just float through life, make waves!