I was looking at a set that had speakers that install into the helmet and wondered if anyone had ever actually put them in one.. and if so, how did they like it? comfortable?

the alternative would be to use earbuds.. this particular kit happened to be a good deal though, so I thought I would ask..

 

For my communicator (chatterbox) I have the head phones and the mic "installed" in my helmet (really just velcro and tape) but I havent had any problems with it, other than needing to re-attach the ear peices in every few months. I dont know its there while I'm wearing it, just plug in and go

 

What are you asking about - a kit for radio communications with your pit crew, or for communications between occupants of the car?

I'm using the Chatterbox for in-car communications, when I'm instructing a student. Headsets are optional with the Chatterbox unit. You can get a conventional, removable headset (similar to the Nady unit, but more reliable, duh), or you can get a headset for your helmet, just like you're talking about, in which the earpieces and microphone are attached to the inside of your helmet using velcro. I've been using the latter for my own helmet, and the removable headset for my student, and the system has worked very well. (This is the same one that Ryan posted about while I was writing this post.) I don't know if the Chatterbox earpieces/microphone would be usable for other communications systems (like radio communications between the car and a pit crew).

You can purchase the Chatterbox here or here. Here is what the various pieces look like:

Chatterbox TandemPro HJC-50 (this contains the electronics and rechargeable battery, and comes with a battery charger and pieces to mount it on the side of your helmet):


Instructor headset for full-face helmets:


Removable headset for students:


Here is a picture of the Chatterbox electronics unit, attached to the side of my helmet:


and here is a picture of the two headset connectors plugged into the electronics unit (the wire from one connector leads to the earpiece and mike pieces attached to my helmet, and the wire from the other connector leads to a student headset):

 

I have a chatterbox that isn't permanently attached for instruction..

I was talking about radios for pit crew communications.. the kit I'm looking at is something like the one you pictured above:



but I've seen earbuds (for a lot more money) like these:



basically just trying to figure out if a) it's a pain to mount the speakers and boom and b) if there's discomfort enough with the "speakers" that mount in there, to make it not worth saving the few $$ on the cheaper non-earbud setup..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mstewar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">basically just trying to figure out if a) it's a pain to mount the speakers and boom and b) if there's discomfort enough with the "speakers" that mount in there, to make it not worth saving the few $$ on the cheaper non-earbud setup..</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can only tell you about the Chatterbox earpiece/mike combo. It's easy to mount the earpieces and microphone. They're very small (the mike is not on a "boom"). There is no discomfort whatsoever; all three are very small, and are placed in areas of the helmet where there is enough room between your ears/lips and the helmet so that they aren't in contact with your face at all. The only tricky parts are:

(a) As Ryan mentioned, they have a tendency to come off after using them a while. The helmet gets sweaty and the adhesive that holds the helmet piece of velcro needs to be re-glued.

(b) the pieces have wiring attached that runs to the connector. You need to tuck the wiring into the helmet between the padding and the shell. In some places, it's a tight squeeze, which means it's tough to shove in, but once it's in, it's in. In other places, it's somewhat loose, so it's easy to tuck in, but it comes out again from time to time.

If you're curious, and you're already using a Chatterbox, then I suggest buying one of the instructor type pieces (earpiece/mike) for $24. That way you can see if it's suitable for what you're considering. And (the bigger benefit) you'll also find that it's really much more convenient for you to not have to drag that second student headset around, to have it already in your helmet whenever you need it.

 

i put in a motorcycle headset in my helmet, works ok but cant hear well enough gonna be setting up a new radio system with ear buds this winter

 

loOk at that mural on the helmeT oO

 

There are a couple of different types of racing communications systems available. They will typically have a radio for the driver in the car and one for a crew member along with all the hardware to complete the system, like a helmet microphone and ear buds for the driver. The least expensive usually are based on the cheap and readily available FRS radio. The big problem with these radios are the range, very strict line-of-sight limitations and the fact that they are cheap and readily available. Everybody is using them for every thing, from talking with friends to parents giving them to their kids to play with. It is extremely difficult to find a frequency, or sub-frequency, that doesn't have kids playing on it. If you are anywhere near any civilization, double that difficulty.

If racing communications are important, step up to a higher end system that utilizes some real radios. These have more power plus a different frequency band. The frequencies are programmed in so you have a selection in a certain bandwidth and they do not even come close to FRS.

Howard Bennett
Racer Wholesale

 

that was the idea.. except it appears the same setup as the "kits" can be put together for quite a bit less if you find a reputable seller and buy the radios used, like on ebay or something..