Helmet communications?

[DadF]

I know-I haven't been in here for awhile but I'm still around just haven't been doing any posting here. But I got a question that I figure someone here can answer. Do any of you have two way radios mounted for use in your helmets? If so what kind and where did you get them?
Yeah I know that good ground signals should be part of the everyday job but working on the campus we have to put up more stupidity than you would ever want to know about. Doesn't make any difference how many warning signs, barriers, etc we put up there always has to be that one student or idiotic professor that is their own little world that will walk right by/through what ever is put up(their usually plugged into their iPod, Bluetooth, Blackberry,etc.). We've even had them blankly look right at us while they walk right under the tree and through piles of branches. Usually we can stop what ever until the Darwin waannaabe bops on through but there is an ever increasing thought on our part that we need to able to communicate with the guy on the chainsaw when he can't hear and is too busy making his backcut to watch that last couple of seconds when the Murphy Law student will make their attempt.
I thought I had remembered seeing something in Sherrills a while ago but am not finding anything now. Did a search on here and the only real thing I found was a system that Treemachine was working on back in '02 but nothing since then.
Thanks for the help!!

 

[jomoco]

I know-I haven't been in here for awhile but I'm still around just haven't been doing any posting here. But I got a question that I figure someone here can answer. Do any of you have two way radios mounted for use in your helmets? If so what kind and where did you get them?
Yeah I know that good ground signals should be part of the everyday job but working on the campus we have to put up more stupidity than you would ever want to know about. Doesn't make any difference how many warning signs, barriers, etc we put up there always has to be that one student or idiotic professor that is their own little world that will walk right by/through what ever is put up(their usually plugged into their iPod, Bluetooth, Blackberry,etc.). We've even had them blankly look right at us while they walk right under the tree and through piles of branches. Usually we can stop what ever until the Darwin waannaabe bops on through but there is an ever increasing thought on our part that we need to able to communicate with the guy on the chainsaw when he can't hear and is too busy making his backcut to watch that last couple of seconds when the Murphy Law student will make their attempt.
I thought I had remembered seeing something in Sherrills a while ago but am not finding anything now. Did a search on here and the only real thing I found was a system that Treemachine was working on back in '02 but nothing since then.
Thanks for the help!!

Hey there DadF

I use the Peltor Pro COMM Lite system,

This system works very well for me because it has the push to talk feature so I don't have to listen to 7 men grunting and breathing.

Effective means of communication between crew members is one of the most important ways of increasing both efficiency and safety.

Work safe

jomoco

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I have a Peltor system on my Pacific helmet. It's kinda heavy, but it works on FRS bandwidth, so any dimestore walkie-talkie can talk to it. Though it does not have fractional channels like they do it does have noise suppression and stereo pickups so you can tell who is talking where.

PTT is clumsy, but VOX runs fulltime when saws are going. Very good tool for huge trees and crane work. I like it for big jobs where people are all over the property and I may need to get some help when a ground man is not in my work area.

I adapted mine from an aviation model.

 

[DadF]

Thanks JPS and Jo! I had also sent an email to Petzl since we use the Ecrin Roc for our safety zone work. I got a response back from them which if I can still remember how to C&P I'll try to add on here:
Hello,



Thanks for the question regarding our Ecrin helmets. I am sorry to say we do not know of any company that makes hearing devices for the Ecrin. Because of that issue we developed a new line of helmets for the work and rescue industries. The Vertex helmet was designed to accept hearing protection. The company that makes the 2-way radios and protection is Peltor. Their website is www.peltor.se If you have any other questions please let me know.



Thanks,



Peter Mahoney
Work & Rescue Account Specialist

EDI & International Service
Petzl America
tel 801.926.1500 x7269
toll free 877.807.3805 x7269
fax 801.926.1501
[email protected]
www.petzl.com

Freeport Center M-7
PO Box 160447
Clearfield, UT 84016

 

[jomoco]

Thanks JPS and Jo! I had also sent an email to Petzl since we use the Ecrin Roc for our safety zone work. I got a response back from them which if I can still remember how to C&P I'll try to add on here:
Hello,



Thanks for the question regarding our Ecrin helmets. I am sorry to say we do not know of any company that makes hearing devices for the Ecrin. Because of that issue we developed a new line of helmets for the work and rescue industries. The Vertex helmet was designed to accept hearing protection. The company that makes the 2-way radios and protection is Peltor. Their website is www.peltor.se If you have any other questions please let me know.



Thanks,



Peter Mahoney
Work & Rescue Account Specialist

EDI & International Service
Petzl America
tel 801.926.1500 x7269
toll free 877.807.3805 x7269
fax 801.926.1501
[email protected]
www.petzl.com

Freeport Center M-7
PO Box 160447
Clearfield, UT 84016

Hey there DadF,

Get some detailed literature on the Peltor ProComm Lite system and you'll see that they have the one that I myself chose that can be worn either under or over the smaller rock climbing helmets. My helmet is a custom made setup and the PCL system with PTT works great with it and allows me instant communication with my groundmen wearing the standard Peltor helmets with built in radios, both have multiple channels to choose from.

Good luck!

jomoco

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The suspension for the muffs will take the helmet clips so you do not need to wear it under the helmet.

 

[jomoco]

The suspension for the muffs will take the helmet clips so you do not need to wear it under the helmet.

Bingo, JPS the first model (without the helmet ) is the exact same model I use, while the second model shown ( with helmet ) is worn by my groundmen.

The controls are some what complicated to figure out at first. I love the multiple channels because I can signal any given groundman by hand to a different channel for a private discussion.

Nice work JPS!

jomoco

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The orange one is just a standard forestry helmet. I put them side by side to show that the connections are the same.

You can take the helmet clips and put them on the radio muffs and attach them to the Vertex helmet, or any one that takes a Peltor clip.

The problem with the Kiwi (Pacific) helmets is that they have metric clips and you have to pair the NorAm standard ones down to fit.

 

[fast*st]

A long while ago, working in a super high noise environment,
used to use this type of mic with great success, pretty standard
and will work for most radios. I picked mine up from ratshack when
they were actually selling useful stuff. Clarity is great, will work
with generic radios, just match the connector type. Noise from
the environment is eliminated and you just speak normally.

http://www.comtrexcommunications.com/earbone-mic-p-17383.html

Instead of a regular acoustic mic, its more like an instrument pick
up mic that just picks up the sound from your jawbone. Just another
option.

-Jason

 

[treevet]

Has there been any real recent new products in the comm. line?

There is Earmark, Peltor, those things in Sherrill you wear around your neck that are voice activated....but you have to wear walkie talkies somewhere else.

Some must cook your ears into roast beef, & I don't want anything where I cannot talk when the other end is talking.

My wife takes advantage of this all the time on my Nextel and fillibusters me until I want to buy a cream pie and put it in her face when I get home.

Anything new? How are they better? What do they cost? Where do you buy them?

 

[Grace Tree]

My wife takes advantage of this all the time on my Nextel and fillibusters me until I want to buy a cream pie and put it in her face when I get home.

An honest man is the noblest work of God-Alexander Pope.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Anything new? How are they better? What do they cost? Where do you buy them?

asside from the bluetooth models, not a whole lot.

Anyone look at the moto-helmet set-up for phones and CB radio?

 

[pdqdl]

I am just waking up an old thread.

I am looking into getting some of the Peltor radio systems, but no one has commented on the range of these things. JPS & Jomoco, your comments are encouraged, as well as anyone else who may have experience with them.

I believe these are still FRS radios, which means they don't really talk very far. They claim to have 22 channels, which suggests that they might be "FRS/GPRS" radios, but I can't find any real info on that. If they are GPRS, then the licensed power might be a bit higher with greater range.

I will need to have good, reliable range of about 1000 feet, and I would like to be able to use them in snow removal as well. That might increase the need for range.

How well do the noise canceling mics work? They would be used on tractors, loaders, and around a chipper.

How good is the hearing protection?

How well do they talk to the cheapo FRS radios?


Their published specs are not very good.
Peltor® Communication Headsets

 

[oldirty]

hey pd.

the answer you seek is eartec.

look no further.

anything else is a waste of money and or time. don't listen to any other advice on this topic.



Tree_Care

 

[pdqdl]

That looks like neat stuff alright.

What equipment are you familiar with? They don't seem to have a hard-hat version, so what works for you?

They advertise digital, full duplex communication. How does that work out around chainsaws?