INTERCOM ADVICE?

[greenwoo]

no idea if you can use a splitter/connector - give it a go - we'd love to hear - boom boom...
and yes, most use an external PTT not the one on the radio.....normally the external PTT is on the headsets that most have purchased.....

[Hornet]

Hi, a quick update on how I have got on with radios/intercoms.

Bought a pair of Cobra radios so I could use the intercom facility (two headsets into one radio) but cant find anywhere that knows about or stocks the adapter mentioned in the instructions

Tried a two into one jack adapter from Maplins but that didn't work.

Anyhow, its simple enough just to use the two radios, so put the headsets into the helmets and set off to test it. Turned out it was inaudible over 30 mph I use open face helmets, so put this down to wind noise and then tried bits of foam and plastic to stop the wind noise, but without any luck.

Tried again yesterday with full face helmets and it was the same! So put a bit more thought into it, and it now seems as it if it is interference (sat stationary speech is fine, but then speech becomes more and more garbled as you rev the engine higher). It is the same for my car and also my friends Tiger (both cars have Zetecs, with supressed spark plugs and HT leads, coils as Ford intended).

Have any of you had /suffer the same problems?

[locost220]

I tried a cheap communication unit a few years ago so could talk to mate in passenger seat of track day car and exactly the same. Suppression might have helped but switched to another better brand and worked fine.
Rich.

[locost220]

I tried a cheap communication unit a few years ago so could talk to mate in passenger seat of track day car and exactly the same. Suppression might have helped but switched to autocom and worked fine.
Rich.

[DJ.]

I read loads of comments on intercoms online and on Lotus seven club, and all the cheap options seem to suffer with wind noise. I ended up buying a Stacom Digital intercom with two open face headsets from Ebay for £230, two green peltor optime ear defenders and fitted the boom microphones/earphones into them.

The digital noise suppression works well, with a screen we can talk at normal volume at 80mph and voice activation means it's easy to chat without any annoying buttons to push as it also cuts any music playing as well. I haven't noticed any interference problems at all. The one big drawback, is when I wanted to join the Baofeng radio club, it cost me £50 for a cable and push to talk button

[Hornet]

Thanks for the replies, do any of the people using the Baofeng radios have problems with interference?

[Larkingabout]

Not so far and worked very well in France when I got myself sorted as to where all the wires could be put whilst driving.

[Hornet]

Thanks for the added info, I had a go with the radios last night away from the car (sat running on a fast idle) so that they were working ok and then moved closer till the distortion started. It seemed to be bad when about 6ft or nearer from the car and then moved around the car trying to find a better position for it, but only a marginal improvement. I then tried the radios in my normal car, which was fine and then tried again on the normal car with the bonnet (steel) open and the radio close to the engine, which caused some distortion, but not as bad as the kit car.

I have borrowed a set of Midland radios from a friend (they work fine on his TVR) to see if they are affected, which I will try out tonight. However, current thoughts are to replace the HT leads, so will give that a go at the weekend.

[Hornet]

Tried my mates Midland radios and they were distorting as well, so decided that the HT leads could be breaking down and have fitted some new ones. This has not fully cured the interference problem but has significantly improved it