Looking for in car communications advise (Page 2 of 2)

Yes,it actually worked, the problem was we had no clue how to set up a helmet kit so there was a loud speaker aimed at the driver, you could hear the echo if the car drove by while talking, everyone at the PBIR 24 heard us LOL

If a helmet kit could be made up it could do it.

Hmmmm what are we talking more expensive? Couple hundreds more or Tens of Thousands more? You could theoretically have what 255 users?

The Blue Goose guys down here use a cell phone system in their car hooked up to a bluetooth stereo. The drivers have bluetooth kits in their helmets, so they are wireless to the stereo, and then the stereo just hooks up to the phone. They also have the comms on a speaker system as a backup (i think). The problem with that setup is that it's ok for less immediate comms (since there is a call that has to be initiated and completed each time, they don't leave the line open nonstop), but it's not ideal if you need to get info to your driver RIGHT FREAKING NOWl, which is a big advantage of the handheld/mobile radio. Also, cell comms can be sometimes flaky at a lot of the rural tracks.

Call Troy he will hook you up.  Excellent C.S. and he builds good stuff at a reasonable price.  My team has been using his stuff for 3 years with no issue.

We use the Baofengs. I like them because they are cheap and I can program them for any of the FRS/GMRS/MURS frequencies. I've been using MURS 1-3 because I figure less people use it and maybe the VHF will carry farther outdoors. I program them for a mix of MURS and GMRS frequencies with non-standard DCS codes so we can change channels if anyone is on our frequency. All that we use is the alarm button so the driver can let us know that he's ready to come in or so we can let him know that we're ready for him to come in, although the latter never happens because we like drivers to stay out until they are fuel-starving in the corners. If we ever put speakers/mic in the helmets, then it will probably be the Rugged Radios kits. Maybe I'll get that set up for CMP in May. Or maybe not; right now the front ball joints are all sloppy, rear upper arm and toe adjuster bushings are loose, and the transmission won't stay in 4th gear, so helmet audio is not near the top of my priority list.

On the legal/illegal subject, the Baofengs do not have Type Approval to operate in the US on any of the unlicensed/family-licensed bands that they operate on, so they are illegal to use except on part 90 commercial frequencies, which are licensed. That makes them effectively illegal for us to use. That said, since cheap GMRS radios have become available everywhere (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.), the FCC's ability to police the band is overwhelmed, so I don't see any risk in using the Baofeng's for GMRS operation and minimal risk for using them on MURS frequencies. I stay away from MURS 4-5 because there is still some commercial use of those frequencies and I don't feel like dealing with any interference.

So, a word of warning on the Baofengs, it is possible to transmit on emergency services frequencies with these, it's actually easy. So if you don't understand the stuff that I typed in the preceding paragraphs, then you may want to do some reading before using the Baofengs.