Communications between cars and passenger?

[Bster13]

Couple of questions...

 

-How often do you find yourself on a day-ride or touring with other 7s? Would it be worth having (FRS most likely, possible CB) communication ability between cars to sort directions, road hazards, planned stops etc.?

 

-Communicating w/ passenger... w/ no doors or roof in use, no wings on the windshield, etc. how difficult is it to communicate with your passenger around town? What about 40-50mph on a twisty backroad? Highway?

 

-If you do communicate w/ other 7s while driving. How do you do it? Simple hand-held FRS radio in each car if you're not using speakers?

 

-I would enjoy talking with my passenger or other 7 owners while driving, but my passenger and I will be wearing helmets/earplugs with speakers inside. To join the iPod/FRS Radio/GPS turn-by-turn instructions together I was considering some of these:

 

http://www.mixitproducts.com/

[/url]http://www.cellset.com/Motorcycleitems.html

http://www.electric-avenues.com/amplirider.html

 

Maybe one of these would be the central place to tie things together...or I could go my old school motorcycle route and purchase an Autocomm/Motocomm/Starcomm device to join everything together in my helmet speakers. Thoughts?

[Al N.]

Having tagged along for part of a longer tour last year, I can say that having predetermined stops and rendezvous points is perhaps the most critical part of the communication stream. That and hand signals (I'm not entirely joking).

 

My wife and I both use helmets for anything more than a run down to our local ice cream store, and I have to say that while we've considered a driver to passenger intercom system, I can't say I've missed not having one.

 

Mostly because I don't want too many distractions chirping into my helmet when on the road at speed....whether from my passenger, another convoy member, or a GPS. Just my preference.

 

FYI, I think there are a few companies who do Bluetooth enabled helmets now (for phone connectivity).

 

Interested to hear Gert and other PNW tour veterans give their opinion on this.

[Bster13]

I have toured for years on a motorcycle solo... I quite like it, but it's no longer in the cards for me. I am fortunate to have a GF who wants to ride along, but she'd get very bored not driving the car herself and having no music or me to listen to.

 

Does your wife suffer from the same boredom encased in a helmet all day in the 7? Or can you talk to each other at various speeds w/ the helmets on still?

[Croc]

On a Sevens run last year, Jon (Boxologist) brought along these nifty little walkie talkie thingys. Great for communicating between cars especially at an intersection when there is a debate on which way to go....

 

We only used them sporadically - it was not a tool for chatting - just to keep the group together on back roads. None of us were wearing helmets so no problems hearing them.

[Al N.]

At certain speeds (throttle openings, actually), you can hear each other if you yell. ;-P

 

She hasn't seemed to get bored. Of course, the tour we joined was passing through Montana and Wyoming, so the scenery was entertaining enough (Thanks again for the wheel time, Skip!)

[jbanker]

My wife and I have toured a lot and have never found the need to use any kind of radio to communicate. However, if one or both wear a helmet it is a different story.

 

We have only worn helmets once and that was the first time that we drove the Dragon in 2004....Have not worn helmets since and that was over 20,000 miles ago.

 

Exhaust exit location and DB level of your exhaust is the key. I am about 92 DB at full throttle. Cruising DB level is much less...slightly more than in my Miata.

 

I find very little noise difference between the Brooklands and full wind screen. Oddly enough there is less buffeting with the Brookies. However, good eye wear and a helmet would strongly be recommended with the smaller wind screens.

 

We did the whole 7-7-7 event and the following week long Stalker Ambush with the Brooklands only.

 

Jack

[Boxologist]

Did we ever upload the hemmings article from 7-7-07? Consider DTA and I were driving 20 hours, I think he did have some printed input on the conversation level.

 

I can't really comment on how the noise inside a Stalker will be. In a 7 w/ teh sidescreens it was fine though u would have to raise ur voice.

[Bster13]

I think with perfectly place "winglet" on a windscreen, I might be ok with cruising on backroads with no earplugs, but without them, I could feel it getting to me throughout the day when I was a passenger. Also, over time I bet I'd go horse with all the questions I like to ask of the drivers () if I talked all day. hehe.

 

So I guess when I get my stalker I'll check things out and see what works for my passenger and I. Was more wondering if you guys like to talk between cars on a trip and if I should plan for it. (I'm actually a big advocate. My motorcycle touring buddies do it all the time and it's really nice) Thanks!

[S1Steve]

Just ear plugs, I think Jon( BOX) lent me a radio last year on the blat with the NJ LOG. But i never used it. Half the fun is being lost !!! LOL

[slomove]

I would not mind having a convenient and functional intercom solution with the passenger (95% of all drives it will be my wife) but I have not found one. Some of the brits from USA2005 had very nice full isolating headphone intercom but I hate getting sweaty ears in our hot climate and be tethered with a cable.

 

For a while I tried a sound isolating cellphone headset made by Etymotics with a motorcycle intercom which worked in principle but still had the cable hassle and a lot of wind noise in the mic (in spite of my half doors). I am still waiting for a sound isolating Bluetooth headset that communicates to another of its kind. But nobody made such an animal yet (that I know of).

 

So, for the last few years we just wear earplugs and yell at each other when something really important comes up. Normally, that can be heard.

 

Otherwise, it is probably helpful to be married for 27 years. In most cases we just point at something and the other knows already what that means. No intercom needed.

 

Communicating with other drivers when touring has never be a real problem. There is actually rarely a need to communicate unless something is broken or the group gets lost. In that case we just stopped and discussed while having a break. And if somebody really is separated from the group an intercom does not have the reach anyway. Then it is cellphone time or just searching. That is part of the touring adventure. I remember the PNW2007 folks checking in for me at the courthouse because they thought I might have lost my way in the county jail (Which I did not. Only a serious verbal ragging by the sheriff)

Edited July 17, 2010 by slomove

[pierats]

I've done a fair share of touring miles. I have a starcom intercom wired into the car. I've used various headsets.

 

The over the ear headsets are convenient, but as Gert says they can get sweaty/sticky on hot days - they are GREAT when it's cold out!. They can also squeeze your head after a few hours of wearing them.

 

A member of se7ens.net worked with Sensorcom to create an in ear solution. They did a group buy but now it seems like they have made it a product: http://www.sensorcom.com/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=346 They work best if you have custom molded earpieces made for them. This is a very nice solution as it does not get hot and it's unobtrusive. It also transfers less wind noise (the aviation headsets transmit wind noise from their body because it is in the slipstream). The downside of the in ear guys is that it takes a little while longer to put on and they are a bit pricey.

 

I found that the headset does two things: #1 it reduces the ambient noise - which is fatiguing on a long tour, #2 it allows you to have a nice easy conversation with your passenger (instead of having to work at it). Both of these add up to a more pleasurable touring experience. You can also connect it to a cell phone, a gps, ipod and/or wire in a car-car radio, but these are really secondary reasons to the above items.

 

All in all I would not drive for a long period of time without some kind of hearing protection. If I'm not wearing a headset, I'll be wearing foam earplugs.

[pureadrenalin]

For those of you who like a headset, but don't want to be tethered to the car..a manufacturer of intercoms we have on my fire trucks at work now makes a wireless headset. And, they are super, super comfy. Coupled with a good wind baffle if you have the VOX, it would make for an awesome setup. And IIRC you can wire in external audio for iPod's and the like.

 

http://www.setcomcorp.com

 

Also, this company (FireCom) make wireless headsets, as well as bone conduction with earpieces for a lightweight, non-muff style option. http://www.firecom.com

Edited July 19, 2010 by pureadrenalin