Topic: Bulletproof, nearly free Pit-to-Car Comms
We tried an experiment in the Rambler this weekend and it worked like a dream. Incredibly cheap too.
I downloaded an app to my regular old, daily-use smart phone called "Auto Answer" that lets you designate certain contacts in your phone that the app will auto-answer without you having to touch the phone.
I also wore a pair of wireless ear buds as pictured below. These ones in particular are about thirty bucks but I already had them so they were "free". I put them on before I put on the helmet and Necksgen v2, and they did not intefere with Necksgen or belts or helmet. Cell phone stayed in the pocket of my fire suit.
My teammates were highly, highly skeptical but it worked flawlessly when they needed to share information with me from the pits during a couple of extended cautions. I totally forgot they were in my ear. I didn't even hear a ring because I had it set up not to, I just heard Frank's voice loud and clear say "Hello Dave." And I believe they could hear me loud and clear as well, note the location of the mic hole on those things is pretty close to your mouth.
The noise of the car was a non-issue and i would say the earbuds helped reduce some of the unpleasant loudness of the Rambler at full tilt boogie.
The only limitation is that we didnt test the driver initiating the call by pressing that "handset" button on the headphones but even if I can't sort that, I'm using this as primary pit-to-car comm system at all races going forward.
-Dave
Scuderia Ignorante // Modena / Dearborn / Aichi Prefecture / West Texas