Cheap Bike to Bike Headset Solution

This looks interesting.......

www.cool-talk.co.uk/

£25.00 throat mic for mobile phones & cheap PMR radios. At the minute they're only doing single-pin plugs, so the likes of Cobra/Alan/Icom etc radios won't work with it, however I am reliably informed that the "standard" twin jack connector version will be made soon.

A cheap way to do bike to bike on a budget.


Rgds,

Neil




See www.cool-talk.co.uk/compatibility.php for the radios that are currently compatible.

Should give a reasonabable performance for the price.

Neil




Has anyone tried these?? I am tempted, as I already have two walkie talkies that are compatable... Just wondered if they are worth it?




Greeny had one on the Derby Run - might be worth asking him for a review?




Not worth much asking me lol....

I can't hear what I sound like as im transmitting at the time... Trev how was it on saturday when we got the radions working??

i am thinking of making a different neck strap for it as it was slipping about on sat which wont help the functioning of it.

As far as i can tell they seem to work ok, but it also comes down to which radio its being used with

Peter




Radio's .. Radio's
WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT..

I have the Cobra 525 .. I get great reception .. Im told I transmit great and I just use the standard maplin kit..

Also Maplin do a 2-1 convertor thats fits .. it costs around 5 quid..

www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=29198&doy=24m7




Radio's .. Radio's
WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT..

Agree. I've just use 3-5 basic hand signals and enjoy the uninteruted ride.

Each to their own though.




You know I do like a bit of music when im going along .. but I'd rather listen to the noise of the bike or bikes around me.. the rush of air as it filters through me helmet..

you know when you pull up outside the house after a run and you hear . Oh I thought summin had happened to you .. your late .. we were meant to be out in 20 mins .. your mum has been on the phone .. bla bla bla

I love having the excuse I was on the bike .. .
sod having your MP3.. Mobile all plugged in .. dont you just want to get rid of all that noise and fluster and escape ..




Peter,

Did you have them working with Cobras?

Neil




Yeh the 725 ones i think.




Trev how was it on saturday when we got the radios working??

It was a bit tricky deciphering what you were saying, but I don't know how much of that was because of the mic and how was much down to the radio.

Sounded a bit "Battle of Britain" if you know what I mean!


Trevor




Would have been the mic.

All throat-mics sound the same.....it's because they're working on picking up the vibrations caused by your voicebox through contact with your throat, rather than picking up just what comes out of your mouth and trying to "do battle" with the wind noise.

The rear crew in SAR Helicopters often use them as having the door open below a ruddy great fan (trying to keep numerous tonnes of heli / fuel /kit airborne) does tend to create a bit of downdraught / windnoise.....

It takes a bit of tuning of the ear to get used to it - you lose a lot of the voice frequencies with a throat mic - but at least there shouldn't be the wind noise opening vox all the time?

Would appreciate a further update after a bit more time getting familiar with them.

Did they work well with the radio's VOX?




It seemed to me to work OK on the vox, and you're quite correct Neil. I think a little more time getting used to it and I would be able to decipher it OK.

It's like when we have the French visitors come over to work. Day one we can't tell a word they're saying, but it gets better as you get tuned in to it.

There may have been some extra distortion being introduced by the radio. We'll have to see if we can try the throat mic with an A80 sometime.


Trevor