Topic: Radio Issues

Been having an issue. We have a NERDIE NASCAR harness in our car which seems to work fine with us and our NERDIE helmet rigs with molded ear plug speakers.

It seems like however, any A&D we get has an IMSA Helmet setup and use a NASCAR adapter, one with earplugs one with helmet drivers. and they can always only barely hear us and we can barely hear them. We're running a Terra on FRS/GMRS to Talkabouts and an iCom scanner and it's no diffrent. quiet mumblemumblemumble ear right up against the radio then *SCRAUNCH!!!!* at a million dB when the carrier drops before the squelch.

Is there a known impedance incompatibility between NASCAR and IMSA? Anyone else have a problem like this?

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Radio Issues

I wish I could provide you with my source, but I very recently read an article by a distributor of radio components, and their strong suggestion was to always install IMSA in the car and to use adapters for people with NASCAR helmets because they have run into unsolvable issues running adapters the other way.

Electric Mayhem Racing

Re: Radio Issues

My understanding is that an IMSA radio rig will adapt to a NASCAR helmet but your can't go from NASCAR rig to IMSA helmet.  Which is probably why the above advise to install IMSA in the car and adapt as needed.  I believe that IMSA stuff costs a fair bit more which is why NASCAR ends up being used by most of us.  But if you have 45 minutes to kill, you can ask Troy directly.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Radio Issues

Why should the OP have to adapt his stuff to the needs of an A&D?  I think more people run the NASCAR vs. IMSA so it's kind of like Blu-Ray vs. DVD-HD.  Get on board with the masses.

FWIW, we also use Troy's stuff with the NASCAR setup and have had an A&D with an IMSA helmet, but his adapter worked just fine.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: Radio Issues

VKZ24 wrote:

Why should the OP have to adapt his stuff to the needs of an A&D?  I think more people run the NASCAR vs. IMSA so it's kind of like Blu-Ray vs. DVD-HD.  Get on board with the masses.

FWIW, we also use Troy's stuff with the NASCAR setup and have had an A&D with an IMSA helmet, but his adapter worked just fine.

My helmet is setup for IMSA.  I did an A&D at Sonoma with a team that used the NASCAR spec.  I bought an IMSA -> NASCAR adapter in the pro shop and had no problems other than the $40 I paid for a $5 cable.

By the way, I've also discovered that the IMSA plug can be wired two different ways.  The off-road guys switch the speaker and mic wires on the plug.  Not sure why, but, like, the more you know.

10x loser (Arse-Freeze '11 - Vodden '15) 1x WINNER! Arse-Freeze '14 in the Watermelon Volvo Wagon
Swedish Knievel Skycycle('90 Volvo 740 Wagon)

Re: Radio Issues

VKZ24 wrote:

Why should the OP have to adapt his stuff to the needs of an A&D?  I think more people run the NASCAR vs. IMSA so it's kind of like Blu-Ray vs. DVD-HD.  Get on board with the masses.

FWIW, we also use Troy's stuff with the NASCAR setup and have had an A&D with an IMSA helmet, but his adapter worked just fine.

This is the further weird thing. Some adapters do work better than others from what I've heard. What's going on?I know the good adapters don't have like an impedance matching circuit in them or anything. Are some not wired right?

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Radio Issues

gump wrote:
VKZ24 wrote:

Why should the OP have to adapt his stuff to the needs of an A&D?  I think more people run the NASCAR vs. IMSA so it's kind of like Blu-Ray vs. DVD-HD.  Get on board with the masses.

FWIW, we also use Troy's stuff with the NASCAR setup and have had an A&D with an IMSA helmet, but his adapter worked just fine.

My helmet is setup for IMSA.  I did an A&D at Sonoma with a team that used the NASCAR spec.  I bought an IMSA -> NASCAR adapter in the pro shop and had no problems other than the $40 I paid for a $5 cable.

By the way, I've also discovered that the IMSA plug can be wired two different ways.  The off-road guys switch the speaker and mic wires on the plug.  Not sure why, but, like, the more you know.

Oh for chri-sakes. Don't tell me the speakers were acting as a crappy mic and the mic was acting as a crappy speaker.

We may have to wire up our own bulletproof adapter for the imsa guys and their fancy HiFi separate Speaker ground.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Radio Issues

Guildenstern wrote:

Oh for chri-sakes. Don't tell me the speakers were acting as a crappy mic and the mic was acting as a crappy speaker.

We may have to wire up our own bulletproof adapter for the imsa guys and their fancy HiFi separate Speaker ground.

Maybe Troy needs to start building IMSA adapters!?  I've never a problem with Troy's stuff, and I'd buy his over anyone else's overpriced junk.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: Radio Issues

http://trackpedia.winhpde.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/e/e1/Molded-Jacks-Explained.jpg/400px-Molded-Jacks-Explained.jpg

10x loser (Arse-Freeze '11 - Vodden '15) 1x WINNER! Arse-Freeze '14 in the Watermelon Volvo Wagon
Swedish Knievel Skycycle('90 Volvo 740 Wagon)

Re: Radio Issues

Hey Guys,

IMSA is wired quite differently from NASCAR, the plug is a different size too so just shoving it in won't work.

NASCAR car harnesses will ALWAYS support and IMSA helmet with the correct adapter.

IMSA car harnesses OCCASIONALLY support an NASCAR helmet with an adapter.

I make adapters but discourage NASCAR helmet to IMSA car harnesses do to the low probability of success.

Arrive and Drive guys are best to have an IMSA helmet and an adapter to a NASCAR car harness.

Teams are best to wire their cars for NASCAR and also have an adapter for an IMSA helmet.

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z

Re: Radio Issues

Well really it's on the A&D with the IMSA helmet to worry about the adapter. The question is why are we getting such varying degrees of success with diffrent adapters?

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Radio Issues

Guildenstern wrote:

Well really it's on the A&D with the IMSA helmet to worry about the adapter. The question is why are we getting such varying degrees of success with diffrent adapters?

I'd say there are two primary reasons for adapter problems:

1. Having the correct adapter:
          IMSA helmet to NASCAR car harness should always work.
          NASCAR helmet to IMSA car harness only works sometimes due to car harness wiring.

2. Quality: manufacturing or materials

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z

Re: Radio Issues

So just to be clear, there's no weird impedance conflicts between headsets and radios, it's just their crappy adapter?

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Re: Radio Issues

gump wrote:
VKZ24 wrote:

Why should the OP have to adapt his stuff to the needs of an A&D?  I think more people run the NASCAR vs. IMSA so it's kind of like Blu-Ray vs. DVD-HD.  Get on board with the masses.

FWIW, we also use Troy's stuff with the NASCAR setup and have had an A&D with an IMSA helmet, but his adapter worked just fine.

My helmet is setup for IMSA.  I did an A&D at Sonoma with a team that used the NASCAR spec.  I bought an IMSA -> NASCAR adapter in the pro shop and had no problems other than the $40 I paid for a $5 cable.

By the way, I've also discovered that the IMSA plug can be wired two different ways.  The off-road guys switch the speaker and mic wires on the plug.  Not sure why, but, like, the more you know.

Genuine military spec Nexus connectors used for IMSA retail for $20.00. I'm finding them for less now but the last batch I bought wholesale from Nexus were just under $20.00. A comparable good quality stereo jack or plug is a few dollars.

Most IMSA helmet kits are marked up compared to NASCAR yet use imitation parts.

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z

Re: Radio Issues

Guildenstern wrote:

So just to be clear, there's no weird impedance conflicts between headsets and radios, it's just their crappy adapter?

Impedance can be a factor.

The car harness is an adapter which adapts a radio to a standard helmet connector, primarily the mic. I consider the standard race comm mic to be a 150 ohm dynamic mic. There are other mics but I believe it's the original.

The car harnesses I make are tested with a 150 ohm dynamic mic up to a 2200 ohm electret covering a broader range than other car harnesses.

The two handheld radios I see impedance issues with are Vertex and Midlands. It's one reason I don't like them.

The most common connectors I see are the 2-pin Motorola or Kenwood. I'd say the increase in Kenwood accessories is Baofeng driven.

I personally use Motorolas.

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z