• Serj
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

yes, our crew chief/spotter just talks into an open walkie with a medium-volume, even tempo'd voice, and even if someone's talking over him, I can generally get the gist of what he just said. that, however might be subject to background noise. i guess a lemons-style way of doing it would be setting this all up in an open, used motorcycle helmet you got off CL for $20 and getting the boom mike model to plug into it. $75 for a pair of GXTs, $20 for a helmet and $40 for a headset sure beats $200+ for some setups. I guess at worst you'll look more goofy wondering the paddock that way though.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

This is Lemons, can u really look goofy then my team wearing wife-beaters, white track pants, a fedora, a fat cigar hangin out of ur mouth and a huge, diamond incrusted vw emblem around ur neck.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Also, seems like most of the Midlands kits come with a headset. Thinking about just buying a pair of workmen earmuffs things and sticking the ear piece inside and attach the boom to the outside. Maybe something like that.

I think if we dont have the best in-car comms, it would be best for the spotter to wearing something that will really help hear and decipher what the driver is trying to say. Like, "the exhaust fell off" or "fuel is low" so to better prepare the crew standing by.

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  • Serj
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

how can your spotter tell your car has low fuel? does it sit in the pit that much or can he measure the gallons splashing out as it passes while not being noticed by corner workers? big_smile

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

no, I mean the driver can talk to the spotter. As the driver, we can hear what the spotter is saying or the most part but the spotter cant hear the driver at all. I think if we got an OK helmet setup and then had the spotter wearing something that allows him to REALLY listen well to the driver, we will be in better shape.

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  • From: Fort Worth, Texas
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Has anyone found a noise cancelling mic that works with your typical FRS/GMRS radio?

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Essentially, that is exactly what this thread is all about. Cheap, usable comms.

I have been looking all over the place from something to use. You get what you pay for, for sure here is what I have been hearing. Looking around, the prices seem to be 20-40 80-100 and then whatever the big league stuff runs. I have to think that most of this stuff is all made in the same factory somewhere in this sub 100 field. Midland seems to come up a bit but (like most of these I'm sure) they are fragile and you need to take care of them to get any more then 1 race out of them.

My brother just came across a few Cobra MicroTalk GMRS radios for free so I am going to try and find a suitable headset for them. Then, per above, reinforce the hell out of them and add an inline connection to help reduce the risk of breakage.

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  • sergio
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

How many times have you heard during a Pro race that the the driver is having radio problems? I mean if those guys with unlimited budgets have radio problems, what the heck can we expect?

We use Uniden radios with a Uniden headset because they use a proprietory plug. And even new out of the box the headsets don't work right. We are lucky to get more than one race from one headset. I'm sure there's a way to wire a different headset to the Uniden plug but I haven't tried yet.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

That is very true. Actually makes me feel a bit better for going the cheap route:-)

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35 Reply by BoB

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

We are using the same setup as Serj.  Worked well for us, although the way the one guy placed it in the car and ran the wires might be why we didn't have any issues with breaking it.  The radio is on the passenger side by the door and then the wiring for the PTT is wrapped and zip tied so many places that it isn't going anywhere, then the headsets plug in right next to the seat and there is enough a bit of slack so there isn't any problems with you moving it. and the wire going into the helmet had lots of slack so the driver can move.

The only thing I can think of that we had a problem with was that one of the drivers didn't get that you had to hold the button in to talk.  He would push it let go and then talk.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Which Uniden are you guys using? Interested to see that and the headset. I really feel like if you secure everything really well and place everything it the right place, you should be ok.

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37 Reply by cpchampion (edited by cpchampion 2011-02-10 03:37 PM)

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

We've used the Midlands for many races and had only one of the helmet kits fail -- as with everyone else, it was wear & tear on the DIN plug. Volume isn't quite enough for the driver so I will eventually add an inline amp (like the Boostaroo someone else has used-- do a search for that thread).
For the pits/spotter, we just use the headset that came with the radios and add earmuffs if too close to the track noise.

Edit: forgot to mention that good strong batteries are very important. While the rechargables that come with the Midlands are fine for caravanning to the track with your buddies, for race days we drop in lithium AA batteries instead.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Great info. Thnx

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  • From: Merrick, NY
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Anyone tried a throat mic yet?  (Like the FBI, SWAT and stuff uses??)  You can get them on ebay for like $30

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

RogueLeader wrote:

Anyone tried a throat mic yet?  (Like the FBI, SWAT and stuff uses??)  You can get them on ebay for like $30

Yes. See posts 1 and 6, above.

In summary: for use in motorsports, they suck.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Mulry wrote:
RogueLeader wrote:

Anyone tried a throat mic yet?  (Like the FBI, SWAT and stuff uses??)  You can get them on ebay for like $30

Yes. See posts 1 and 6, above.

In summary: for use in motorsports, they suck.

Hmm the ones they used seem kinda cheap, I had seen these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Heavy-Duty-Mic-Moto … 1e5447883f

Almost cheap enough to try.... but I'm hesitant.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

cpchampion wrote:

We've used the Midlands for many races and had only one of the helmet kits fail -- as with everyone else, it was wear & tear on the DIN plug. Volume isn't quite enough for the driver so I will eventually add an inline amp (like the Boostaroo someone else has used-- do a search for that thread).
For the pits/spotter, we just use the headset that came with the radios and add earmuffs if too close to the track noise.

We still have some issues, but one thing we did to help with the DIN plug issue is this.  I plugged in each headset and used a Dremel to cut a small groove into each mating connector.  I put some paint on a toothpick and painted that groove.  I did this because those raised alignment "arrows" that come on the plugs don't always line up!  Once you jamb it together and bend the pins you may as well toss in the garabage.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Yep, they really do suck.

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  • From: Merrick, NY
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Ok I saw a kit just like this mentioned earlier which is sold for motorcycles:

http://www.planetheadset.com/motorcycle-headsets.php

These can easily be hook ed up to Motorola Radius SP50 radios which are plentiful on ebay and pretty good

However someone else mentioned this site:

http://www.clubracingradios.com/

and wow thats a great deal and marketed to "Lemons Racers" but it seems others have had problems with these midland headsets?

Based on some of the responses above the Midlands may not be too bad.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

The motorola headsets we've tried were spotty to say the least.  Anybody ever tried a plain old earbud w/ mic headset and a cell phone... clip the phone to the harness or seat cover... and just hit the redial button to call the pits or answer?  Thinking of trying that as a simple solution for NJMP, when it comes down to it, we actually don't need to talk that much and it would certainly be reliable.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Yep, the Midlands seem to be pretty good for the money. I was directed to that same site. Seems very good. Funny to see how little the actually radios contribute to the overall price. Its all about the headsets and the likes.

The cell phone idea has been tried I believe. The one thing people were thinking was that redial or answering would be tough. Most think that you would simply call and leave connected (unlimited minutes) but what if you got disconnected. Not the easiest thing to do with gloved on. Hell, my phone doesnt even have buttons:-)

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

We're just going to go the CB route and not worry about what the driver has to say. Right now we're trying to scrounge some used CB stuff.

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

WINWAR wrote:

Yep, the Midlands seem to be pretty good for the money. I was directed to that same site. Seems very good. Funny to see how little the actually radios contribute to the overall price. Its all about the headsets and the likes.

The cell phone idea has been tried I believe. The one thing people were thinking was that redial or answering would be tough. Most think that you would simply call and leave connected (unlimited minutes) but what if you got disconnected. Not the easiest thing to do with gloved on. Hell, my phone doesnt even have buttons:-)

If you use a cellphone, it is supposed to be out of reach.

So as long as it stays connected you'd be okay.  If the call drops, technically, you're screwed.

Troy

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49 Reply by RogueLeader (edited by RogueLeader 2011-02-15 05:42 AM)

  • From: Merrick, NY
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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

WINWAR wrote:

Yep, the Midlands seem to be pretty good for the money. I was directed to that same site. Seems very good. Funny to see how little the actually radios contribute to the overall price. Its all about the headsets and the likes.

The cell phone idea has been tried I believe. The one thing people were thinking was that redial or answering would be tough. Most think that you would simply call and leave connected (unlimited minutes) but what if you got disconnected. Not the easiest thing to do with gloved on. Hell, my phone doesnt even have buttons:-)

Considering how my droid eats the battery this may not go so well.  I could imagine losing the call, and then having to dial again (touch screen + gloved hand = not happening), plus I've used a million cellphone headsets, not one of them worked very well with a lot of noise. 

Also imagine your mom or boss calls or something.  "Hi mom, I'm a little busy right now, trying to avoid certain death.  I'll call you back if I survive!"

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Re: Cheap, Easy, and Usable In-Car Comm

Hahaha!!!! I never even thought of that part. That is all my wife would need to hear!

Radios with earbuds have worked great for us in the past. The drive had no problem hearing the spotter. If that is all you need, get a cheap set of radios and a regular earbud. Easy. Oh, and bring a little medical tape to secure the bud in your ear when putting on helmet.

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