Jan 31, 2012, 5:08 AM
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Student radios
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Hello,
we are getting new student radios for our students and I have some questions about the setup.
First which radios would you recommend? I've seen the many threads recommending motorola minitor, but I'm not interested in that.
I was looking something like this or this. Anyone have any experience with these?
And what about mounting options? We've been using headphones until now, but they keep falling out of the students ears or the sound quality is crap. I've seen some mounted on the chest strap and some directly into the helmets. Does anyone have any examples for helmet mounting?
We have about 30 in my business and my employees abuse them 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. They just work and work and work. Yet they are cheap enough to throw away when they fail, whereas the next model up is 3X the cost.
At my home DZ, we put the more expensive radio by motorola on the student's cheststrap in a custom sewn case. I know some people that mount radios to helmets, but I wonder, if a GoPro is a snag hazard for a student, would not a radio be the same?
I would love a blue tooth speaker that could be mounted in the helmet that would connect to the radio... But then again, it would be just one more thing to fail.
The challenge is to carve out the foam liner of the (e.g. Pro-Tec) helmet so that the radio is completely internal and the helmet presents a smooth surface to risers, suspension lines, RSL's, static-lines, door handles, etc.
... I would love a blue tooth speaker that could be mounted in the helmet that would connect to the radio... But then again, it would be just one more thing to fail.
The challenge of any Blue Tooth, etc. system is to minimize interference from other - similar - nearby radio systems. For example, when I taught in Nova Scotia, our student radios were on a similar frequency to a local trucking company. It was distracting listening to truck drivers talk to each other. But we all ways feared that some "joker" would tell a student to "cut-away" below a survivable altitude (e.g. too low for the reserve to inflate).
This reminds me of the system that Perris Valley Skydiving School (California) used to use. The radio receiver was hidden (inside the jump-suit) with two wires leading up to separate speakers. The speakers were mounted in the ear holes of Pro-Tec helmets. Keep in mind that any wire is a "weak point" prone to accidentally disconnect at the worst possible moment.
I was looking something like this or this. Anyone have any experience with these?
We wont use them. Have been involved already in a lawsuit where the radio was blamed and despite resolving that claim successfully it still cost us a bunch of money. That was with using high quality professional grade radios already, which is part of what got us out of the claim.
I own about 8 of the radio you linked in the second link for use as ground coms for staff and they are ok, but the reliability just isn't there when you are considering that someone is listening on the other end of that thing like a hawk to every word you say because they have panicked in freefall and don't remember what to do anymore.
We use the Minotaur radios you mentioned because they simply are very very reliable being that they were designed and tested as EMS/Fire paging units.
Also please keep in mind that a GMRS unit may not be legally used on GMRS channels by a business if you are in the states unless every person has a GMRS license.
I know there are a ton of people out there using radios like that successfully, we just weren't willing to take the risk and deal with the crappy (comparative) quality.
There are lots of options for professional commercial radios that work much better. I would suggest finding someone who sells two-way business equipment and get them to explain the differences. It goes outside the scope of what I can personally explain.
When I was teaching at Elsinore I suggested putting the radios in a pocket sewn to arm of the jumpsuit. Basically, in the bicep / tricep area. So that when the student had their arms up holding onto the toggles, the speaker would be in very close proximity to their ear. The idea never caught on (nor was ever tried) so it's probably not worthwhile. I was never satisfied with the speaker in the ear or the radio on the chest strap solution though.
So do you think that these radios should be loud enough without an additional earpiece either on the cheststrap or inside the helmet? How about the audio quality? Is it clear enough And is the range at least 1.5 miles?
When I was teaching at Elsinore I suggested putting the radios in a pocket sewn to arm of the jumpsuit. Basically, in the bicep / tricep area. So that when the student had their arms up holding onto the toggles, the speaker would be in very close proximity to their ear. The idea never caught on (nor was ever tried) so it's probably not worthwhile. I was never satisfied with the speaker in the ear or the radio on the chest strap solution though.
This pocket is the way the radios are done at Skydive Orange, so it is being used at least one place.
our DZ uses radios that go into a pocket which hangs around the neck and is tucked into the jumpsuit. then a pair of headphones are plugged in and placed in the ear with the helmet over it. you wouldnt know it was there
>This pocket is the way the radios are done at Skydive Orange
Interesting. Any idea how it is working out for them?
Well, I'm a fun jumper but not an instructor but it appears to work great. Very easy to hear since it is right next to your ear (from my experience). looks like much less of a snag hazard than the radios on the outside of the helmet I have seen on videos or at a few other drop zones
I believe you may be confusing Jumptown in Orange, MA with Skydive Orange in Orange, VA. Skydive Orange has been around a while but not the oldest dropzone in the U.S.
Not the first person who has confuse the two either.
