Total Motorcycle Community Forums

me and a couple buddies have bikes, you can obviously communicate when you are stopped at a light, but when we are on the road for a while; i was thinking about getting some sort of voice activated helmet communicator;
Wanted to know if they worked well at all?
i've been looking at the Nady [MRC-11X] Bike to Bike Radio Communicator; there are others but this one seems to get the best review for the price. I'm just worried about the microphone and earpiece fitting in my helmet, and wanted to get some experienced advice. This is the site i've been looking at:

http://www.eenid.us/mrc-11x.html

I have a scorpion exo 700 helmet; my buddies have shoeis.

Thanks

Here are some options:

http://www.airrider.com/store/electroni ... check=true&

http://www.autocomamerica.com/docs/home.cfm

http://www.baehrusa.com/

http://www.hjc-chatterbox.com/

http://www.collettcommunicators.com/

http://www.jmcorp.com/

http://www.softline-online.com/

https://www.rflimited.com/Default.asp

I personally use the J & M handlebar system which have awesome sound at high speeds. This system is expensive, but worth it if you want great sound and communication.

I also use a pair of headsets from RF Limited and use them with my own GFRS/FRS radios. You purchase the type of headsets based on the radios you have. This is a much cheaper system, since the headsets are about $60 each and the cost of the radios you use. The sound is nowhere near that of J & M, but does a well enough job to communicate. RF Limited indicated they a new headset to accomodate stereo sound, but as of right now, nothing.

The others, I have no first hand experience with, but from what I have read/heard, Chatterbox and Nady aren't worth it. The two top performers are J & M and AutoComm.

When my friend and I went on the trip to niagara we just used those walkie talkies with the VOX option. They actually worked really well until the batteries died (he forgot to bring a charger LOL). For $50 it wasn't bad.

I'm not mad keen on vox myself:

1) it doesn't work if one of you has a noisy helmet

2) It doesn't pick up the first word you say

3) If the other person starts absent mindedly humming a tune they have stuck in their head, It's gonna really annoy you

Yeah, I don't want VOX, whenever I get around to getting the helmet-mounted system I want. I sing to myself too much.

For $50 it sounds pretty decent. Who sells them?

You can get vox radios just about anywhere. walmart, best buys etc. Always start the conversation with the word hey or something and it will pckup the rest of the conversation.

The chatterbox works OK if you're right on top of the mic, but if not, the voice activation lags (It's the Chatterbox FRS X2). Not terribly cheap, and not terribly effective. We even considered talking them to the local CB shop to see if they were defective. Decided to write it off to experience.

I had no problem fitting the chatterbox system into my Shoei RF model helmet. I would guess that if you have a bigger size head, your mouth might get close to the mic, but the earpiece should be fine.

Okay facington, heres the lowdown on comm systems. There are 2 and only 2 Id reccomend, chatterbox and autocom. Chatterbox is a little cheaper, and works fantastically, only problem in that if a passenger is listening to music, its not interrupted when you talk, you need to hit a button like a walkie talkie, but if there is no music than its all voice activated, very clear easy install and fits all helmets.

The autocom is the real thing, its the good stuff, cream of the crop etc. etc. Autocom makes all of the com systems for Formula 1, there wires are thicker and more durable, the audio quality is phenomenal, and just about everything you could want it to do, it does, just a little pricier, like they say "you get what you pay for"

Both systems have capabilities to hook to your GPS, radar, cell phone, FM/Satellite radio, etc. etc. etc.