Listening to music and communicating while rippin" and roostin"

[fugget1]

Alright, Ive been searching through and have not found anyhting specific to this question. So I want to know how everyone else listens to music and if anyone has come up with a cost effective way for the front rider to communicate with the rear rider when there are a bunch of us riding in a line. We usually have about 8 to 15 people in our wagon train, and at least 5 are kids from 8 to 12 years old. This stopping and starting and continously turning around, and trying to get little chinese rearview mirrors to sit so you can see them is getting old. I am curious aboout trying the Motorola radios with a VOX setting and headphones with an attached mic for the first and last rider. Has anyone else had success or failures with ideas like this? I'd really love some good answers. Thanks guys!

[twitch101]

cheap walky talkies or some of the bluetooth helmet sets dont look too bad.

[Chazz of Blades]

I wish I still had them, but once upon a time I had a walkie talky(one of the ones that voices which channel your on) with a snug headset(fit under my helmet), managed to take the walky apart, and wire in a small box with two buttons for up and down, clipped the walky to my belt, hooked the remote to my handlebars, and used the up/down to select channel. Only one was made though, but you could direct multiple people that way if you were on point.

[xsrock]

Went on a 6 week motorcycle trip some years back with four friends. We used the Chatterbox units which clip onto your helmet. They worked great for us. It was great for in the evenings when we were looking for a hotel. We would all split up, get prices from different hotels, and then all meet at the one with the best price. I think they would work good for what you are doing.

[cattle-dog]

i like to listen to my engines in everything cars ,trucks, trikes,and bikes i dont even listen to a radio in my truck, something about the sweet sound of a engine just relax`s me

[hang&rattle]

I just looked this up & found JC Motors is having a sale. It might as well be in Egyptian Hyroglifics because without a trike with a battery, hard to see what head sets etc. need to be ordered to work together. Also, the price. It would be around $300 minimum for me and 2 kids (+1), for communication. Excellent Idea. Does anyone know of the self-contained unit, for around 2 mi., what all needs to be ordered? I don't know where to start. Here's a link because I really don't know what I'm lookin' at here-http://www.jcmotors.com/m-205-chatterbox.aspx

[hang&rattle]

http://www.jcmotors.com/m-205-chatterbox.aspx Sorry, wouldn't paste on first post.

[ironchop]

I use some Motorola sets I bought for hunting that have VOX and headseats....supposed to be good up to 22miles on the Hi-power setting (which requires FCC license) but the low setting up to 2 miles

Not so true....2 miles line of sight on low power is what they meant. Unobstructed....so trees, buildings, and whatnot reduce the transmission and reception capabilities and if there`s a cell tower nearby, the distance gets shorter.

real world trail riding in the woods, they`re still good for a couple hundred yards minimum which is enough that you`ll know if someone wipes out or drops off before you get out of range.

I paid like $60 for the pair.

[hang&rattle]

Ya, I have a couple of those Motorola. The federal permit was too much of a pain in the behind to renew. It was great on the property to get in touch with the kids to make sure nothin' wild was around untill the renewal came up, then I got tired of the b.s. and didn't want to release all the info. Montana is such a pain for that stuff I think because all of the radio waves are secure for the thousands of missle silos and military installments. IDK, shoot, seemed like a good idea, I'll keep and eye on this thread, some one's gotta have something cookin'.

[bigbadktm]

there was a discussion on glamisdunes.com a while back about this for buggies and riders out in the desert. someone had brought up throat mics like special forces guys use, no need for the mic in your helmet just an earset

[fugget1]

The Motorola idea was something we were thinking about. I have been all over the internet loking, but unles you want to drop the cost of another nice three wheeler its really kind of moot. My main concern is turnig around to constantly look on the trails. 99% of the time its fine, but every once in a while you turn back around and your way off course. I have tried the mirrors, and its just as goofy as you would think. always vibrating, getting caught on stuff, or helmets hung on em and they break. I think the best thing so far for low cost and simplicity are the motorola units. Hopefully sooner or later someone will come along with the simpliest idea, and we will all kick ourselves!!!