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rico1931

AFF Helmet Radio - Ghetto rigged

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Just came across this online and thought why in the world.. but I wanted to get other peoples feelings about ghetto rigging a students helmet to a radio like this picture. I'm just thinking how easily this could potentially snag when a student opens....

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Some people are just not very mechanically inclined!

That radio looks large enough to have a decent speaker in it and probably a decent audio circuit too, so I don't know why it wouldn't work well on the student's chest strap.

Some of the cheaper radios, like the ones used in the FRS band, have weak audio and would be better placed on the helmet over the ear.

Bu the one in the picture doesn't even look like it is over the ear! Strange.

Oh, well, duct tape is strong. What could possibly go wrong?

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or the normal mounting system broke during the day and they couldn't fix it that day... I doubt anyone is going to tape a radio to a helmet all season. My tandem pants had tape on the knee last weekend... the jumpsuit maker on DZ didn't have time to patch them during the weekend...

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or the normal mounting system broke during the day and they couldn't fix it that day...


So...it's OK to create potential problems for a student because they "couldn't fix it"?

Not in my world.


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I doubt anyone is going to tape a radio to a helmet all season.


One can only hope but OTOH, you can;t fix stupid.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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I do see your point but let's be real, taping a radio to the helmet for a day so a student can make a jump (as opposed to ground all students) isn't the most wreckless decision ever made... so which is the bigger hazard - a radio taped to the left side of the helmet or a student with no radio?


though I guess I am now wondering how small of a DZ it is to only have one student radio helmet (got help them of they have someone with a head other than that helmets size).... maybe they can't be fixed ;)

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They have only one radio.

And since they have 4 helmet sizes (S, M, L, XL) they found out that it was the easiest to just tape it
:)


"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

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for what they spend on tape a year they could buy the radios...



Depends on the amount of students per year. And they probably had a large roll of ductape in store already - No serious DZ can go without it since that stuff is specially made to keep skydiving planes from falling apart in midair.

Never ceases to amaze me that some skydivers don't even know the most basic facts of the industry. :P

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

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I do see your point but let's be real, taping a radio to the helmet for a day so a student can make a jump (as opposed to ground all students) isn't the most wreckless decision ever made... so which is the bigger hazard - a radio taped to the left side of the helmet or a student with no radio?


Well, call me a safety nut and I'll be happy with that.

There is a third option:
- think in terms of the student jumping some time when all is well. It's not mandatory to put a student in the air and sometimes keeping them on the ground is the best option.


Do some DZs mount radios to the outside of student helmets? Yes. Is it the best option? No...not by a long shot, IMO.

IMHO, radios inside the jumpsuit with small headphones into the helmet is a good option.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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for what they spend on tape a year they could buy the radios...



They have only one radio.

And since they have 4 helmet sizes (S, M, L, XL) they found out that it was the easiest to just tape it.

Depends on the amount of students per year.

Never ceases to amaze me that some skydivers don't even know the most basic facts of the industry. :P


And what amazes me is that some DZs and instructors would trade off student safety for "easier" or "cheaper". What's even more amazing is that the practice is so common.
:S:S:S
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

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IMHO, radios inside the jumpsuit with small headphones into the helmet is a good option.



Our radios are small enough (like a pack of cards), that I think some could be mounted right inside the shell of a ProTec. Seems even there, that would be a small modification anyway to slot them in. Or, for those rich DZO's (:D) - buy them built with a cavity just for the radio.

If one had enough radios to do that on all the helmets (with an easy way to recharge without disassembly) - that would be ideal.

Wishes and dreams.....

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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Old school Pecos Style ;)



Mr. HICKS!! Let's just turn the volume up just a tish on that ol' radio

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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I just don't like that antenna sticking out there on the head. Looks like a nice place to catch a pilot chute or bridle.
But I'm just an old fuddy duddy.
He who hesitates shall inherit the earth.

Deadwood
Skydive New Mexico Motorcycle Club, Touring Division

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The helmets I had doing my AFF were great. Radio was fully integrated inside the helmet and when you were done you would just chuck it on the rack and plug in the AC into the back so it was ready for the next sucker.

I would nearly walk away if I rocked up to my AFF and they showed me that.

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