Mike_wth

(1) Maybe I should really upgrade the sena... (2) I tried to build something like that. Even tried to replace the entire padding with something self-built. However, when I build something that really applies pressure around my ears to create some sort of seal, I have a hard time getting my head into the helmet without hurting my ears. I did consider using the padding of earmuffs. But these are made out of the leather-like material which does not breath (for obvious reasons). This however would be disgusting during summer. On top of that, I did not find a way to get the speakers and the audibles in together, when I tried to build such a padding. (3/4) I did consider this too. Super interesting that Shoei finally built something like that. I was looking for this for years. If I had still a bike, I would immediately buy one of these. For skydiving however, our helmets are quite different. Motorcycle helmet have this big free space under the chin. That is simly a safety feature. They should be easy to take off in case of an accident. This would not work in skydiving (e.g. sitfly). Therefore, our helmets close that gap already and provide fabric under the chin. I know that some helmets (cookie) often leave a lot of space. My Skyhelmet is designed around the head. There is not really anything that could be filled up / streamlined. @the.Legend I will try that, thanks a lot! @mccordia Thanks a lot! How do you deal with this little stand-off antenna of the Mesh-Senas? A friend told me, that the antenna needs to be up for the mesh to work. I imagine that would rip off quickly. What is your experience regarding range (roughly)? In 2-way flights that is usually not an issue. But I'd love to keep the connection up under canopy.

Hi! thanks for your response! I am aware of mesh. If I'd buy a new solution today, mesh would be on the list. However, I am mostly looking for 2 way communication. So this falls under "nice to have". I currently use a Skyhelmet, which - in my opinion - is the best choice available (a feature discussion / personal priorities would need a different threat). A sound amplifier is a good idea, but I also agree with you, that this would not be a healty choice. I placed the speakers without padding directly on top of my ears. I set them to max volume right before exit, simply because they are too loud. I don't want to hurt my ears more than reasonable. This is a point I cannot really imagine. The earplugs should reduce speaker and surrounding noise in the same way. You really get a practial advantage by that?

Hello everybody, I've been using a communication system in wingsuiting with my friends for several years now (Sena 10Rs in my case). It really transformed training for us. We instantly doubled or even tripled the moves we did per jump. It is quite sufficient for low speed flights, XRW and similar stuff. However, the moment the airspeed (and therefore noise) goes up, the usability drops signifcantly. If we go to have fun - which is usually quite fast and steep - it is hard to understand anything. I did some sewing to place the speakers perfectly on top of my ear. There is no thick padding on top, just a very thin layer of fabric. We also simplyfied the communication itself: Preferred single words, repeated three times. Microphones are properly placed. At high speeds this is still not good enough. Friends of mine tested on of the latest Cardo systems. But it does not seem like a significant impovement. From the latest Senas I have also not heard about any improvement significant enough. The goal: Significant improvements on the microphone or speaker quality. Improved range would be nice as well. Ideas considered: Active Noise Cancelling Speakers: To my understanding, the technology requires a sealed environment (sealed speaker cups, or sealed in-ear headphones). - A seald earcup like any of the ANC headphones out there will not fit into a helmet. - Sealed in ear headphones do not equalize the airpressure Bone conduction speakers: - Cannot be integrated in the helmet, since the mount would need to press them against the head. - Would require the use of earplugs to work in a lound environment Throat Microphone: - Cannot be integrated in the helmet - Would require additional cables to the helmet - Was tested by a friend (in the vertical tunnel) without success. (Vertical tunnel may be a more challanging environment, but the goal is to have something that works at high speeds) Chinese communication systems: The range of Sena/Cardo systems seems quite limited. I would consider it "good enough" to train acro in a two way. But could be improved. I assume that some of the chinese units just do not care about western regulations and just dump much more energy into the radio unit to send a stronger signal. However, when it comes to noise reduction I'd assume that the quality of these units will not keep up with Sena/Cardo. Stuff Pilots use: The headphones used by pilots work with great insulation supported by great ANC (for modern ones). I had some old ones on my head once (pre-ANC). Just the insulation does most of the trick. There is a (still quite bulky) in-ear system from Bose. However, the issues described in the ANC chapter still apply. The noise reduction of the microphone is actually done by the plane's hardware, not by the headphones themselves. I discussed this topic with quite a lot of people in the wingsuit community. I am a little stuck and just out of ideas. Any solution should not come with cable chaos that has to be controlled every time we put on the helmet. I need something user friendly enough, so my friends actually use it :-) Any ideas, also weird stuff, are much appreciated. Just throw it in here, maybe we can figure something out.

Here is my experience: WinX: Great openings, great performance (glide, flare, easy on fronts), very low pack volume in full ZP. My personal choice. OM7: Great openings (somehow gives you a super safe feeling). Little slower in openings compared to the WinX. Pack volume probably a little higher. Good over all performance. Is an easy recommendation. Kraken: Quick openings, solid canopy. By far the most responsive on any inputs amongst all WS-canopies I tested. If you want something that feels "sporty", this is definetly your choice. It is heavier on the fronts compared to the other canopies. And the design choice to go for short lines is a little weird for a WS canopy. Pilot7: Solid canopy. I had to get used to the fact that it requires basically no force to flare it. That felt a little weird, but the flare is solid. Openings as well. Some Pilot7s however do not fly straight (inaccurate production). Horizon: Solid openings. But that is it. It is non-ZP but it does not even pack very small. Glide ratio is shit. It does not bring you home. It does not flare well compared to any of the ZP canopies. Epicine: Solid openings. Packs small. Performance is shit like the Horizon (Glide/Flare). Dakker: The opening is OKisch. It is incredibly affected by any kind of crosswind. Needs to be controlled to fly straight. Omicron is missing on my list. The only one I did not have the opportunity to try out myself. I have heard that is is an Epi with a little more performance. The basic design seems to be quite similar. I would therefore expect it to still be a less performance oriented design than the other ZP WS canopies (Glide/Flare). But this is a very rough assumption. Maybe it will surprise me. So make up your mind yourself. I would love to hear more opinions on this canopy. As a personal opinion: I see no reason to go for a canopy that is not ZP. If you do, just expect bad perforance in anything other but the opening. And we do have ZP canopies that open great and even pack small. Beeing able to make it back to the DZ, and having a proper flare if you need to land in some shitty spot is saftey relevant in my opinion. Also the durability of a non-ZP canopy suffers in comparison to a ZP. Your personal priorities might be different, that is just how I see it. My recommendation would be to choose amongst the first three of the list. I personally go WinX, which in my opionion is the best overall package. If having maximum fun under the canopy is a high priority, go Kraken. 9-Cells by the way are not "out of the race". Sabre3 opens wunderfully. I just didn't like its flying characteristics a lot. Safire2 is a solid choice often seen amongst Wingsuiters. I presonally just do not like the very slow openings compared to any wingsuit canopy. Some people love this however. Personal preferences are just a big point.