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audio communication

879 views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  mli35 
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#1 ·
I was just wondering, when you guys go out riding with others, do you have some sort of audio communication set up? I mean...when you're riding with someone else and you want to say something...like...holy shit a bolt just flew off your bike, you're gonna die...

I was thinking of grabbing my FRS's and taking out the button mechanism and mounting a new one onto the handlebars of whatever bike i plan to get soon. Good idea? has it been done? can i buy something like this online that'll save me the hassle and time?
 
#2 ·
Most people use hand signals.
When something was loose on my bike, my buddy rode right up next to me and motioned to pull over. Given that's not a regular occurence, I pulled over right away.
I just don't understand people's need for FRS or any other kind of communication system while on the bike. I love the fact I CAN'T talk to people. If you want to chatter the whole time, pick up a slower two-wheeled sport, like riding a bicycle.
 
#3 ·
Highly sophisticated communication device:

What youll need:
- 2 Tin cans, preferably tomato soup cans
- 1 thin peice of high grade string

Instructions:
Cut one side of each can off, then puncture hole in centre of other side of cans. Insert each end of string into can puncture hole and tie knot to keep secured. Then insert can under visor of both passenger and driver.
 
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#4 ·
we tried frs with ptt and / or vox a long time ago. it just never worked right. the keyup delay was frustrating. we even tried using cel phones already connected, and got nothing but wind noise.

spide's recommendation works best. develop a set of hand signals for the group you ride with. there are some pretty obvious ones, like need gas, cops, frank has to pee, go ahead of me, pull over, switch lane positions, slow down, watch for that object on the road... the rest come as you ride more with your group.
 
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#5 ·
i've always been tempted to wire up some walkie talkies between me and my buddies. not for everyday banter but just the one thing that i've been wanting to do for a long long time when riding with buddies. hoot and holler to each other pretending to be in top gun chasing migs(slow moving cars) and buzzing towers(cops at radar traps). of course this would require the naming of each of us to correspond with the movie and that's where the plan has always died. nobody wants to be goose or cougar and too many people think they're iceman.
 
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#6 ·
with hand signals...its harder to communicate with the person if you're behind them..they would have to look at your with their mirrors constantly...

doug, you've tried using a FRS and it didnt work? what exactly was wrong?
 
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#7 ·
Ratzilla said:
with hand signals...its harder to communicate with the person if you're behind them..they would have to look at your with their mirrors constantly...
you should be doing that anyways. it's basic riding. if you really need someone's attention, you ride up beside them. they should see you coming. obviously pick your time and place to do it -- not in a deep lean corner, or when he is doing his standup in the passing lane.


doug, you've tried using a FRS and it didnt work? what exactly was wrong?
wind noise was the worst aspect. frs has no noise cancellation. even with an earbud that doubled as a mic, the sound was just muddy at speed. we tried vox, and it wouldn't start transmitting because of the ambient noise being so high. even in testing, vox cut off the first 3 or 4 words spoken, unless you started with "uhhhhhhh" to get vox to catch. ptt needed a button mounted somewhere easily pressed. we tried mounting them on the bars, which meant you were tethered to the bike, and usually forgot, snapping the wire. i tried having it on the side of my index finger, to be pressed by my thumb, but it was awkward. the volume of the mic and the frs speaker were simply no match for the ambient noise. we could yell at each other while stopped at lights far better.

frs was better suited for the geeks to converge at the bike show. channel 22, or was it 25?
 
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#11 ·
wow, I guess I won't invest time in taking my FRS apart then...the wind is that bad even with helmet closed eh? dang, i thought it'd be nice to be able to say things while riding like..watch out for that pothole or..lets change lanes...

oh well, I guess I'll either stick with hand signals or look into this some more :D
 
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#13 ·
I just got a pair of these the other day
http://bikeintercom.com/products/motorcycle_headset_sport.htm
Havent tried them out yet because we don't have the radios but the speakers/mic are super easy to mount in the helmet and you can't even tell they are in there. The stupid thing is it's not a simple headphone jack that you could plug into an mp3 player when riding alone but you might be able to get an adapter. The push to talk button straps onto your handlebar (haven't tried it yet and honestly have no idea where it'll be convenient) and there's a quick release so you don't have to unstrap it everytime you hop off. We mainly bought these incase we split up or maybe long highway rides (I'll be really surprised if they work at highway speeds though). Came to about 50 bucks canadian each and a decent set of motorola 1 pin radios are about 100 bucks for a set so it isn't really cheap but if it works decent it should pay off in the long run. Anyway I'll let everyone know how they work out if you're interested.
 
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#14 ·
cbvroom said:
I just got a pair of these the other day
http://bikeintercom.com/products/motorcycle_headset_sport.htm
Havent tried them out yet because we don't have the radios but the speakers/mic are super easy to mount in the helmet and you can't even tell they are in there. The stupid thing is it's not a simple headphone jack that you could plug into an mp3 player when riding alone but you might be able to get an adapter. The push to talk button straps onto your handlebar (haven't tried it yet and honestly have no idea where it'll be convenient) and there's a quick release so you don't have to unstrap it everytime you hop off. We mainly bought these incase we split up or maybe long highway rides (I'll be really surprised if they work at highway speeds though). Came to about 50 bucks canadian each and a decent set of motorola 1 pin radios are about 100 bucks for a set so it isn't really cheap but if it works decent it should pay off in the long run. Anyway I'll let everyone know how they work out if you're interested.

Definitly tell us how it goes!!! 50 bucks is not that much especially for something like this!
 
#15 ·
Ratzilla said:
wow, I guess I won't invest time in taking my FRS apart then...
One thing to note... FRS radios, to meet the FCC requirements, are very difficult to disassemble. The FCC wanted to be sure that people wouldn't buy them and hack them to increase range or add features that the FCC couldn't regulate. So all of the FRS radios are ultrasonically welded or perimeter-bonded (ie. with adhesive) closed so you basically have to destroy the case to get them open.

Best thing you can do is buy a set of the GMRS radios instead. They're not legal for use in the US or Canada without a license, but they can be purchased here at some stores and nobody will ask to see one.
 
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