zipity

my helmet to helmet communicator crapped out on me at my last event, making communication with my student more difficult. My wired system is at least 8 years old, so I am looking to see what others are using.

I would like to stay with a wired unit versus a bluetooth unit. One with a large flat ear piece so you can place the ear piece inside your helmet once you are strapped in.

Thanks

StreetSpeed

Chatterbox 2. It's a piece of garbage. I use it with an IMSA harness and in-ears and I still hate it. If anyone makes an actual good system, I'll pay whatever it costs.

Bill Dearborn

I have been using my Chatterbox since 2007. It works fine. Since then it has seen plenty of use averaging about 8 two day events per year. I have my instructor ear pieces and microphone velcro'd into my helmet so I can hear the students well and the microphone is directly in front of my mouth on the helmet chin piece.

I can turn the volume loud enough to make my deaf ears hurt. How it works with the student depends on how they place the student headset against their ear and where they place their microphone.

Bill

Corvee

Chatterbox Tandem Pro 2 works reasonably well. They updated the five-pin connections to the box with an RCA stereo plug a couple of years ago which helped. However, it comes with an instructor helmet headset with two "tape-in" earphones and microphone with flimsy connectors - worthless. I bought two "student" headsets with the single earphone and microphone on the single arm which operates but the connections on the bottom of the earpiece are again flimsy and prone to break and short-out the connection. The headset are not that expensive so I just rotate them out and try to keep the student from yanking the unit out from their helmet- which helps. I have a helmet with a built in headset and bought a microphone plug converter to hook-up to the box - this works.

The NADY PMC-3X motorcycle intercom also is a good unit and less expensive than the Chatterbox. It has a nice automatic mute function which cuts out the wind noise.

zipity

this is what I had been using and it worked well for the 8 years I had it. Perhaps I will go with it again, but I will check out the Chatterbox units mentioned above. Thanks for the input.


Nady PMC-2X Driver-to-Passenger Motorcycle Intercom

Last C5

I use the Chatterbox Tandem Pro with two student headsets. Small tie wraps hold the sponge mic covers on, the cords are partially tie wrapped to the mic booms, and the wires to the box are tie wrapped to the box. It's almost student proof and it works well.

Olitho

Why not use cell phone to cell phone using the student's own headset?

I used my Bose noise cancelling ear buds at my last race to chat with my spotters and it worked fine. Better than my $1,200 radio set-up and I had up to 32 spotters using my conference bridge.

The sound quality was every bit as good as my Motorola... probably better and no push to talk required.

PaConehead

+1 - same field mods

rocsvette

Same setup. Very important to tie wrap the headset cords and tell students not to pull the cord but grab the mic boom instead.

Bill32

My Chatterbox is over 15 years old, never broke a wire, never failed in any way. Works great,

Poor-sha

It seems like most everyone is using the Chatterbox myself included but the audio quality gets very bad if the student has a loud car or at high speed with a lot of wind noise. I really would like to find an alternative as well.

I'd also like something that works wirelessly so I can use it to coach my boys when karting.

Olitho's solution of using cell phones is interesting. I tried using that for a lead follow session with a couple C7s but the built-in hands free didn't work at all with the windows down. Which Bose headphones did you use and was the mic adequate for them to hear you? I assume you had to tape the ear buds in to get the helmet on?

StreetSpeed

The old ones are much better than the new ones. I have an old one around I think I might try and re-buy the headsets for. That way between the new one and the old one maybe I'll have at least one that works well 75% of the time.

Bill Dearborn

I find if I get the student to place the microphone directly in front of their lips it helps immensely with wind and car noise. They also have to turn the mic so the open end is the part next to the mouth if it is facing away from the mouth you will get a lot more wind and exhaust noise.

I also found I needed to have the proper cheek pads in the helmet if the instructor head set was going to work properly. My Impact helmet didn't come with any options but I found they had one in their catalog that opened up around the ears for racers to plug in their team radio headsets. Once I got the Y cheek pads installed in the helmet I had a short direct path from the Chatterbox speakers to my ears. That improved communication a lot.

Bill

Olitho

I was in error when I said I used my Bose noise cancelling earbuds. I use them in my diesel hauler since it can be a bit noisy when on the phone and it does great to quiet that down. I remember now I can use them because they have microphones on the earbuds themselves as part of the noise canceling system. Maybe it will still work I should try it.

What I did use was the standard issue Apple ear buds. I did not need to tape in the ear buds. I put them on and then put my balaclava over my head. I pull the helmets straps apart real well and slide my helmet on without disturbuing the ear buds. The sound quality rivaled that of my radio or perhaps even better. Coverage around Laguna Seca was better than with my radios.

spdislife

It feels fragile and cheap but works well.