FRS radio headset

[timk]

I'd like to know some possible headset combos. Can't decide. Has anyone used a TORK with helmet speakers. Those are the ones I'm interested in, and wonderin if they can be heard at highway speed, or should I go with the ear bud/ throat mike setup?? The throat mic has gotten a rotten review on one site I was at.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Well, I can't specifically address the model you're inquiring about, but I can comment on FRS in general. I upgraded from FRS to GMRS because there's just waaaaay too much crap chatter on FRS. I got tired of listening to moms telling their kids to come in for dinner coming through my helmet speakers. Way less 'pedestrian traffic' with GMRS. Personally glad I made the switch.

 

[beerme]

I've used a moto-comm headset, which looks to be identical to the Tork sport headset. My experience was that it was useless for FRS/GMRS or CB communication at highway speed (because of noise), but wasn't too bad in town. Might be useful for ATV's out in the styx, but not for touring motorcycles. YMMV.

 

[bmwhd]

I've had good luck with these. I mostly use it for music (having replaced the speakers with Sony units broken out of a home headset) but the sound via radio was fine behind my Vstream windshield.

 

[ionbeam]

A few years ago we setup our helmets using Motocomm headsets with Motorola FRS/GMRS radios. The sound was good enough and the VOX from the radios was acceptable. But, once under way we quickly went to the PTT buttons in place of the VOX. We discovered that wind noise was a real problem but it was still a serviceable system. What was a real problem for my wife was all the wires, she and the wires, they no be it the good friends. To keep the peace I picked up some Scala Q2s (thanks to a forum member for a smoking good deal) and for voice communications they work great.

I currently couple my Garmin 2730 to the Scalas via the 2730 FM transmitter but expect to install a Jabra A210 bluetooth dongle and BT the 2730 to the Q2s next spring.

 

[Steve in Phx]

My brother and I have both used the IMC MIT100 intercom systems from Sierra Electronics for the past 18 months. They worked very well. It was a great deal for $199 as it came with all the cords needed to plug in everything we needed, including FRS/GMRS radios, cell phones, MP3, etc.

https://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=IMC-MIT-100U

Sierra also services them and sells replacement cords and stuff. I would buy one again.

 

[gatess]

My SO and I have been using a pair of the Chatterbox X1s for several years now. We use the VOX with pretty good effect. We had to learn to adjust the sensitivity of the VOX depending on speed though. But once the Chatterbox had trained us, it works well. We both use fullface lids. SO has a good Arai and I have a Scorpion. I have to play more with the VOX setting that her for obvious reason.

The only real complaint I have is battery life. Battery only last 3-4 hour ride for us. Maybe I should just tell SO to shutup though.

And we have the unit on our belts with the extension wire, not on the lid. Tried mounting to the lid at first, but weight and wind noise made them very uncomfortable to use. YMMV.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

The only real complaint I have is battery life. Battery only last 3-4 hour ride for us. Maybe I should just tell SO to shutup though.
And we have the unit on our belts with the extension wire, not on the lid. Tried mounting to the lid at first, but weight and wind noise made them very uncomfortable to use. YMMV.

WOW! I think you need a new battery! My X1 will easily go 12 -13 hours with music coming through it all day and average amount of chatter between the wife and I. I haven't had a chance to try out my newer X1 Bluetooth on an all day ride yet, but I expect battery life to be a bit shorter because of the B/T. I've worn mine helmet-mounted for years and could easily forget it's there. I've never considered the weight to be an issue. But you should definitely invest in a new battery.

 

[chrisflock]

I had some motocomm headsets, and although I bought them for CB radios, I tried them out with a couple of FRS radios once.

They worked about as well for the FRS as they did for the CB. Which was...iffy at best.

The units seemed to work at first, but from the outset, we had trouble with the range, which I blame on the CB. My wife had trouble picking up anything, which I blamed on the placement of the handheld CB and all that Jazz...I had extremely poor transmission range. Performance quickly degraded, by the middle of our first trip, my wife's headset would emit only a high-pitched squeal when she hit the PTT button. We tried swapping CBs, which made no difference.

Then at some point, my headset started acting up, and by the end of our trip, it had quit altogether. When we got home, I tried swapping various components between the headsets (basically each cord and PTT button) to try and isolate the problem, but I came to the conclusion that the same part must be bad on both headsets, probably either the cord that plugs into the CB or the headset unit itself.

All in all, they were a complete waste of money, and I'm extremely glad that I used a 'found' and a borrowed handheld CB instead of spending money on the midland units, because I'll just give the borrowed one back and keep toss the found one in the glove box of the truck.

I look forward to installing the J&M CB on my FJR once the glaciers recede.

 

[Steve in Phx]

I had some motocomm headsets, and although I bought them for CB radios, I tried them out with a couple of FRS radios once.
They worked about as well for the FRS as they did for the CB. Which was...iffy at best.

My experience with FRS/GMRS handheld radios on the bike has varied wildly between brands. I have a cheap set of audiovox radios that won't work on the bike at all. Step up to the Midland camouflage set and they worked better but one was weaker than the other and caused us problems. We normally used my Motorola T-series (yellow) radios, and they rarely gave us any problems at all. The batteries would last 1.5 days and reception was great. I recently bought a JM2003CB to talk with my brother's Goldwing and the frs/gmrs radios have much better reception than the CB I have now.

 

[chrisflock]

I had some motocomm headsets, and although I bought them for CB radios, I tried them out with a couple of FRS radios once.
They worked about as well for the FRS as they did for the CB. Which was...iffy at best.

My experience with FRS/GMRS handheld radios on the bike has varied wildly between brands. I have a cheap set of audiovox radios that won't work on the bike at all. Step up to the Midland camouflage set and they worked better but one was weaker than the other and caused us problems. We normally used my Motorola T-series (yellow) radios, and they rarely gave us any problems at all. The batteries would last 1.5 days and reception was great. I recently bought a JM2003CB to talk with my brother's Goldwing and the frs/gmrs radios have much better reception than the CB I have now.

What do you have for an antenna for your CB, and did you tune it with an SWR meter?

 

[Steve in Phx]

What do you have for an antenna for your CB, and did you tune it with an SWR meter?

I have a 36" antenna with a frame grounding strap. The JM2003CB with antenna and XM Radio was bought as a complete system. I never tuned it with a meter. I would if I had one but I'm lazy.