Has anyone used any radios etc to chat while riding? I have looked at a product called Portocom but it seems very unreliable. I understand that Kenwood and Motorola both have portable two way radios but a pre-requisite for me it that one should be able to talk while riding. The Portocom units have VOX (Voice activation) as well as throat microphones which in theory are ideal but the units I got were faulty so I have yet to try them out correctly.

One of the guys I rode with a while ago rode with radios with a finger activated microphone which seemed to work pretty well but VOX would be even better.

Has anyone tried anything that works?

 

HJC has a system we used to use while streetbike riding and it works pretty good. Also, my parents use the same system on their quads and they haven't had any problems with it. They told me it has about a 1 mile range.

 

Thanks for the info chasman. Do you have a URL for the site? Is it VOX enabled or must one push a button to be able to talk?

PS : How do you like your Biggun exhaust? A mate of mine is looking at geetting the Biggun or the CT.

 

MY WIFE AND I USE TWO MAXXON COMMUNICATORS (EBAY 35.00 EACH NEW)THEY ARE GREAT.DONT EVAN TRY TO USE THE VOX FUNCTION THE NOISE OF OFF ROAD BIKES WILL MAKE THEM STAY ON CONTINUSELY AND ALL YOU CAN HEAR IS THE OTHER PERSONS BIKE.KIND OF COOL TO WATCH THEM 1/2 A MILE AWAY AND HEAR IT LIKE YOU ARE RIDING THEIR BIKE...WE USE THE PTT(PUSH TO TALK BUTTONS).IS CONVIENT WHEN WE ARE GOING DOWN THE TRAILS AND I CAN LET HER KNOW OF A DIP DROP OFF OR RUT BEFORE SHE GETSA THERE..AND BOY IS IT FUN TO TALK ABOUT EVERY ONE ELSE YOU RIDE WITH SINCE THEY DONT HAVE THEM.IF WE GET SEPERATED ITS BETTER THAN SITTING ON A HILL LOOKING OUT LIKE AN INDIAN SCOUT FOR HER.
YOULL WONDER HOW YOU EVER RODE WITH OUT THEM.

 

Hello,
I've used FRS radios quite a bit while riding and fishing, and you don't want to use VOX (Voice operated). If you do, they will transmit on and off all of the time because of the noises that occur when riding. I have used various push button mike/earphone setups that work fine. I have also seen setups where people glue an earphone in their helmet right next to their ear and a mike in front of their mouth that worked great. They leave a short piece of cable handing out of the helmet, wear the radio on their body, and plug the cable from the helmet into the cable from the radio after they put the helmet on.

Good luck,
Lorrin

 

I have a pair of the HJC Chatterbox FRS-PROs with the VOXBOX on the helmet. You can adjust the VOX so it doesn't come on from the sound of the engine. I have the speakers and microphones glued inside the helmets. The problem is that you have to talk continuously for about a second before it activates and make sure you keep talking or it will deactivate again and then you miss part of the conversation again.

Then, we went to pushbuttons mounted to the bars. This works much better except you have a wire dangling from your helmet down to your bars. I've had to repair this about four times.

The other problem is we have the one where the radio is separate from the helmet. It is hard to secure this to your body so you don't loose it off a jump.

The advertised range of two miles must be in a vacuum. We are lucky to be able to communicate 100 yards apart.

We don't use ours any more. I like the idea of having them though if they worked 100% of the time. I am one of those people that either it works or it doesn't. I not have much tolerance for products that you can't be sure is going to work.

My advice if you move forward is:

1) Buy a set that connects totally to the helmet except for the mic button. Wearing the radio on your waist plus having the antenna hidden reduces the communication distance even more.

2) Get the set that transmits for 5 miles. You have to register it with the FCC so you can't say the seven dirty words I guess.

If you take my advice and get the 5 mile units, let me know how it works out.

 

My friends and I use HJC "Chatterboxes". We have been really impressed with them overall, despite a few problems. Many HJC helmets are made with places inside the liner where the ear piece is placed, and the mike is held on the front with 2 way tape. The unit itself is held really securly on the side of the helmet with a clip. The VOX feature has a sensitivity adjustment which helps avoid the sound of the bike accidently activating the transmitter, however when I have the silencer core out of my FMF pipe, I find it easier to use the push to talk button, rather than adjust the VOX sensitivity every time I want to talk. The range is only about 500 feet, although they claim 2kms, but I've found that when you are out riding with someone, 500 feet is plenty. They claim that they are water repellent, but just to be safe, i keep a baggie wraped around mine. I absolutly LOVE having them. In fact, when I ride without it now, I feel almost lonely and get bored. It also saved my a$$ last year when I fell off a cliff on my bike into the dark after my buddy had already turned to leave. He heard me call for help as I was going over and he turned around right away and found me. They are also good when riding in a group. What we usually do, is one of us with a chatterbox will take the lead, and the other person will follow that last bike in the group. That way, if anyone in the group has to stop for any reason, the guy in the rear tells they guy in the lead, and he stops the whole group.
The only real complaint I have, aside from the $200 canadian a piece price tag, is that they seem to ruin their rechargable batteries for some reason. They use the same type of battery as a cordless phone, and they hold a charge for a really long time, but so far this year, 3 of us have had to replace them.

 

Thanks to everyone for the information. The HJC system certainly seems to be an option - can one use it with multiple users on the same channel so you can all chat as a group?

I have the URL for HJC Helmets but there doesn't seem to be a mention of the chatterbox on their site. Does anyone have the correct URL for the official chatterbox site?

 

The Chatterbox has 2 channels, so if everyone in the group is on the same channel, you can all talk together, however if too many people have them they tend to walk all over eachother (talk at the same time). Another feature I forgot to mention about the chatterbox, is that you can hook a walkman or diskman up to it too, so you can listen to tunes in your helmet when you ride, and if you talk, or are talked to, the music cuts out and only the voice is heard. Here's a link I found. Good Luck.
Chatterbox

 

derekjes thanks for the update. I found the site HJC - click on chatterboxand there are a few products listed - which ones do you use?
Have you ever used the unit in a bag or have you left it clipped onto your helmet?
If it is in a backpack (I use a Camelbak) does it affect the range?