# Best Value (Hands Free) Radio/Walkie Talkie?



## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

*See Post #21 For 1st Report*

My wife rides trails W/me & sometime falls behind.

If I could communicate upcoming trail conditions to her, it might give her more confidence so she would not fall so far behind & staying in touch would make me more @ ease when I loose sight of her.

I would like to have a radio system that has a voice activated microphone & ear bud that can be used hands free while wearing a helmet.

Please be advised that I am on a limited, fixed income, so price is of utmost importance as long as the unit is durable & gives good service. Long range would not be needed, perhaps 1 mile @ most, 1/2 mile would probably be suffcient.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Motorola is pretty reliable and affordable there are so many to choose from. If you are on the trail then you are going to need a decent range. The number they give you is very different than the actual performance. I have one at 5 or 8 miles radius but at about a mile or 2 I sometimes having problem with signal already.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> Motorola is pretty reliable and affordable there are so many to choose from. If you are on the trail then you are going to need a decent range. The number they give you is very different than the actual performance. I have one at 5 or 8 miles radius but at about a mile or 2 I sometimes having problem with signal already.


I have already experience the "range" discrepency using handheld radios when hunting.

In thick cedars, range can be cut to just a few hundred yards on the older PTT models like I have.

The range I cited was for real world performance, not advertised range.

My main objective is to be able to relay trail conditions such as the best line through roots, rocks, loose sand, mud, etc. so she can keep up.

Right now I try to turn & yell back info when Wifey is still in LOS, but I always get the "what?" reply.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

I have a few "Costco" set one is motorola they both work ok with headset and VOX feature. It's pretty cheap too like $30. Check Amazon I'm sure you can find one with VOX cheap(er). That's a good idea I might start taking it to the trail.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> I have a few "Costco" set one is motorola they both work ok with headset and VOX feature. It's pretty cheap too like $30. Check Amazon I'm sure you can find one with VOX cheap(er). That's a good idea I might start taking it to the trail.


I found this set-up for $61.97 a pair shipped.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/618181-REG/Motorola_MH230R_MH230R_Talkabout_Two_Way_Radio.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/173528-REG/Motorola_53725_53725_Headset_with_Microphone.html * (X2)*

I checked out the specs on Motorola's site. The headset is VOX compatable W/this radio even though the retailer's site does not list it that way.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

XCSKIBUM said:


> I found this set-up for $61.97 a pair shipped.
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/618181-REG/Motorola_MH230R_MH230R_Talkabout_Two_Way_Radio.html
> 
> ...


Good find, I have a similar motorola however I don't know if the headset would be comfortable to wear with the helmet. I have the earphone type it's more comfortable.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> Good find, I have a similar motorola however I don't know if the headset would be comfortable to wear with the helmet. I have the earphone type it's more comfortable.


Got a model # on the radio/earphone?

I assume it has a boom mic and is VOX?


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

motorola talkabout 53727 earbud with microphone for all series

Midland avph3 transparent headset with ptt/vox

Sorry I don't have the link I'm using my iPad amazon apps and there's no URL address.
The earbud is push button but the other one is not. Google it may be it'd work for you.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> Good find, I have a similar motorola however I don't know if the headset would be comfortable to wear with the helmet. I have the earphone type it's more comfortable.


I just ordered the Motorola combo that I linked above.

The headset is designed to fit over the helmet so I think it would be handy as everthing would be one unit that would stay together when the helmet was removed.

From Motorola's Website:










* Talk and listen conveniently and clearly
Enjoy hands-free communication when The Motorola Talkabout® Headset with Swivel Boom Microphone is used with Voice Activated Transmission (VOX) capable Motorola Talkabout ® radios. The headset allows you to hear messages clearly in high noise areas or in quiet environments without disturbing others. The boom microphone rejects most road noise, and soon becomes forgotten in the course of routine use. You'll have the flexibility to transmit messages without removing the radio from your belt or carrying case. Good news cyclists -- the band actually fits OVER a safety helmet. The closed-foam-cell rubber pad grips the plastic shell securely. It doesn\'t use batteries and it doesn\'t cost a lot. Compatible with MH series. *.










*The Motorola Talkabout® MH230R is the must-have communication tool for each and every outdoor enthusiast. With a powerful range of up to 23 miles,* this radio is perfect for family and friends to stay in touch whether you're tackling a back country trail, or trying to brave a crowded shopping mall. The MH230 doesn't stop at just exceptional range. This lightweight unit comes packed full of essential features.

Features and Benefits**NOAA WEATHER CHANNEL
Want to know where the best conditions are for your rocky climbing outing? Tune into one of 7 NOAA channels (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on your MH230R for continuous local and regional weather broadcasting. And when you are out having fun, weather alerts will provide you with warnings of incoming weather to protect you from the danger of a sudden storm.

FULL-FEATURED PRIVACY
The Talkabout® MH230R has full 22-frequency capacity with 121 privacy codes to reduce interruptions. The Motorola QT (Quiet talk) functionality allows the radios to be set so they can communicate with other compatible Motorola products, adding yet another level of distinction from other manufacturers.

HANDS-FREE COMMUNICATION
Is your child really going to take time away from the game to talk to you on the phone? No need with the MH230R. The iVOX feature allows them to speak hands-free. Acting like a speakerphone, the iVOX lets you chat without stopping what you are doing to ensure that there is never an excuse not to keep in touch.

EASY CHARGE - 4 WAYS TO CHARGE 
Designed to fit every lifestyle, the MH230R allows you the convenience of charging four distinct ways. Use the provided desktop charger at home or a mini-USB car cable on your way to soccer practice. Pack a mini-USB wall cable for recharge in the hotel during your family vacation or simply charge from your PC when no power outlet is available using a mini-USB PC cable. (Mini-USB car, wall and PC cables are sold separately.)

MH230R includes

• 2 radios
• 2 belt clips
• 1 dual drop-in charger
• 1 charging adaptor 
• 2 NiMH rechargeable battery packs
• Available in yellow

*How far can I expect my radios to communicate? The communication range quoted is calculated under optimum conditions, with an unobstructed line of sight. Actual range will vary depending on terrain and conditions, and is often less than the maximum possible. Your actual range will be limited by several factors including, but not limited to, terrain, weather conditions, electromagnetic interference and obstructions.

**NOAA radio service may not be available in all areas. Check with your local weather office for frequency and details, or visit www.weather.gov/nwr, (Canada: www.msc.ec.gc.ca/msb/weatheradio).*


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Cool it fits over the helmet and no push to talk, it looks good, let me know how you like the range. I may be in the market for it.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

mimi1885 said:


> Cool it fits over the helmet and no push to talk, it looks good, let me know how you like the range. I may be in the market for it.


In reviews I saw range claims of 2 miles in broken terrain. If I can get 1/2 of that it will be more than I am likely to need while riding.

I already got an e-mail that they have "shipped" which probably only means that UPS has recieved the paperwork. Still since they are coming from NYC, they should have no problem making the promised delivery on friday.

Wifey gets off early on saturday & is off sunday so we should be able to give them a try this weekend.

BTW: Since I live in NY state (13 miles from Canada eh?) & the vendor is in NYC, I had to pay $4.34 NYS sales tax. @ $66.31 total W/the quick delivery time, it's still a bargain IMO. :thumbsup:

Now, to find a cheap, reliable, waterproof, remote control helmet cam. I see so many wild & crazy wildlife episodes on my rides, it would be nice to get some videos.

Yesterday we got caught in a downpour while riding an abandoned RR grade. Over 5 miles in rain so heavy that there was standing puddles. The RR grade goes through remote areas W/lots of wetlands. I must have seen well over 100 frogs jumping across the trail in front of me!


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## cgol (Jul 14, 2011)

+1 on the motorola talkabout


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## erginguney (Dec 30, 2005)

I'm really curious to hear the opinions from users on the "hands-free" features in radios like these. Is there really any hope of acceptable performance for trail use between the mic getting prematurely activated due to heavy breathing, wheel/tire/suspension noise, wind noise, or the first syllable of each transmission getting cut off before the voice-activated transmission has a chance to kick in?

I used to own a pair of such walkie talkies many years ago, and they were almost a joke. So, I'm interested in hearing how well they work these days (especially in less-than-ideal conditions).


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Good post erginguney, I have similar experience on mine as well. When the reception is great then it's flawless. Wind can be annoying because it sounds like static. The bigger problems for me is ride and walkie talk at the same time. It's much harder than I thought riding thru singletrack and chat, it takes 2x the amount of concentration and on some trail it's just a bad idea.

It's more convenience than cellphone for sure.


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## erginguney (Dec 30, 2005)

mimi1885 said:


> The bigger problems for me is ride and walkie talk at the same time. It's much harder than I thought riding thru singletrack and chat, it takes 2x the amount of concentration and on some trail it's just a bad idea.


...Which should be the whole idea with the voice-activated models, right? If you're not going to be relying on the voice-activation feature for talking _while_ you ride, you might as well use a normal push-to-talk model.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Yep, you are right. The VOX delay is/was a problem. Personally, it does not feel like using a phone to me, I feel a bit odd not pushing anything while I talk on the walkie,10-4 I heard that the tech on the newer models are great and should work well. I'm hoping for a good insight user review from XCSKIBUM.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

erginguney said:


> I'm really curious to hear the opinions from users on the "hands-free" features in radios like these. Is there really any hope of acceptable performance for trail use between the mic getting prematurely activated due to heavy breathing, wheel/tire/suspension noise, wind noise, or the first syllable of each transmission getting cut off before the voice-activated transmission has a chance to kick in?
> 
> I used to own a pair of such walkie talkies many years ago, and they were almost a joke. So, I'm interested in hearing how well they work these days (especially in less-than-ideal conditions).


Perhaps the technology has improved. There are 3 sensitivity levels for eliminating unwanted VOX activation from external noise.

Here is the text copied from the MH230R manual. Some button images did not copy, ( *X* substituted for button icons) but the text explains the proceedure.

*Note: There is a short delay between the time you start talking
and when the radio transmits. There is a short delay before the
transmission is completed.
Setting the Sensitivity Level When in or Mode
Adjusting the radio's sensitivity level helps minimize the possibility
of unintended noises triggering a transmission and helps the radio
pick up soft voices.
1. Press X until VOX/iVOX and the level setting (1-3) appear on
the display.
2. Press X or X to select the sensitivity level.
3. Press X to set or to continue set up.
3 = High Sensitivity for quiet environments
2 = Medium Sensitivity for most environments
1 = Low Sensitivity for noisy environments
Note: When you connect a headset, the radio is automatically set to
the last chosen sensitivity level.*

Here is the PDF manual link. http://www.giantintl.com/ContentMan...es User Guide USA 11-26-08 KEM-PK14190-75.pdf



mimi1885 said:


> Good post erginguney, I have similar experience on mine as well. When the reception is great then it's flawless. Wind can be annoying because it sounds like static. The bigger problems for me is ride and walkie talk at the same time. It's much harder than I thought riding thru singletrack and chat, it takes 2x the amount of concentration and on some trail it's just a bad idea.
> 
> It's more convenience than cellphone for sure.


I already have 6 walkie-talkie radios, 2 Radio Shack, 2 Motorola and 2 ICOM radios. I even have 2 earbubs W/lapel PTT mics that will work on either the Radio Shack or ICOM radios.

For sure it would be a major PITA using the PTT mics W/O stopping (on anything other than smooth, flat terrain)

That's why I want the VOX feature.

I'm not really expecting to "chat" much, I just want to be able to relay needed information.

I'm just hoping to be able to boost Wifey's confidence level so I don't have to spend so much time waiting on her to catch up.

The radios are in the E. Syracuse NY UPS terminal so they should be here by tomorrow.

Hopefully I can give them a good shakedown this weekend & post a report.


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## erginguney (Dec 30, 2005)

I don't think sensitivity level adjustments are unique to more recent models. And I'd rather base any buying decision on real-world feedback from actual users rather than any idealized description from product literature, if I were you. But, if the cost of the radios isn't anything you'd be losing sleep over, then there's no harm in taking a chance, I suppose.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

erginguney said:


> I don't think sensitivity level adjustments are unique to more recent models. And I'd rather base any buying decision on real-world feedback from actual users rather than any idealized description from product literature, if I were you. But, if the cost of the radios isn't anything you'd be losing sleep over, then there's no harm in taking a chance, I suppose.


Well, there's a 30 day satifaction return policy @ the vendor http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/ReturnExchange.jsp so hopefully all I would be out if these combos don't pan out is the return shipping.

They don't seem to be a halfA$$ed online vendor. They have a retail store too. I also talked to them by landline before I placed the order.

I'm willing to take a chance on that for sure.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

XCSKIBUM said:


> Well, there's a 30 day satifaction return policy @ the vendor http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/HelpCenter/ReturnExchange.jsp so hopefully all I would be out if these combos don't pan out is the return shipping.
> 
> They don't seem to be a halfA$$ed online vendor. They have a retail store too. I also talked to them by landline before I placed the order.
> 
> I'm willing to take a chance on that for sure.


I ordered many things from BH and have been very happy with the service. They sell many things. I bought cameras, hard drive, home recording components. Good price too.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

*Performance Report*

We've had a chance to test the radios several times over the last couple of weeks.

I've been waiting to perform a range test, and yesterday, Wifey went blackberry picking on our property. That made for a controlled range test under less than ideal conditions.

*Real World Range Test*

The place where she went to pick berries is about 2500' from the house W/dense foliage & rolling terrain in between. Despite the thick forest & small hills between us, the radios came in "loud & proud" W/O any break-up or loss of clear volume. As a further test, I went behind the house & proceeded down another slight hill to the river bank. W/a range of over 3,000' there were dense trees as well as a large barn, house & 2 story garage between us not to mention a significant elevation/terrain change. There was no decernable difference in performance.

For comunication on the trail between 2 riders under conditions likely to be encountered, the radios passed the range test W/flying colors.

*VOX Activation W/Hands Free Headset*

As stated in the owners manual, there is a slight delay in transmission when using VOX mode. This trait is easily dealt with by uttering something BEFORE you want to start transmitting conversation. Wifey & I would start our transmissions by saying "BREAK" to trip the transmission mode. After the verbal transmission, a tone would alert when transnission mode ceased after the last verbal action. That ceasation of transmission would happen perhaps 1 second later. All things considered, the VOX mode W/the hands free headset worked admirably & was reliable once you got used to it.

*Unintentional VOX Due to Background Noise*

We never set the sensitivity above the "quiet" setting. There was no accidental tripping of VOX due to background noise. There was however, some tendancies to continue in VOX mode after a conversation when heavy breathing was involved. This was minimized by placement of the microphone in front of the tip of the nose slightly above the mouth.

*Background Noise During Transmission*

The foam covered microphones do a good job of deadening background noise. There was never any wind noise heard during converstion.

*Headset Comfort/Security*

As advertised, the headset fits OVER a bike helmet & remains fairly secure under all but extreme riding conditions. IF you are going to encounter a lot of overhead branches, you might want to secure the band W/velcro cable ties. I never lost the headset when I brushhed overhead branches. I did have to reach up occassionaly to push the band back into place. Unless you are doing some serious bushwhacking, there should not be a significant problem.

*Covienience*

We clipped the radios inside our bike shorts or in a side pocket, running the headset wires under our jerseys/"T" shirts. The headset can be draped around the neck when the helmet is not worn or removed. Once the helmet is put on, the headset can easily be placed on the helmet & can be readily positioned in the proper place by "feel."

*Bottom Line*

For just a bit over $60 including shipping for a pair, these radios are a great value & make our rides much more enjoyable by allowing easy comunication. I would highly recommend these to anyone that is on a limited budget & wants an affordable comunication system for trail riding.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

That's an awesome review thanks XCSKIBUM, the 2 issues of VOX that I may have was wind and unintentional transmission, well it's nice to know that they work as advertised. I don't mind the delay as it's not exactly a cell phone conversation. 

Cool my man, nice rep for you.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

Don't motorcyclists use something advanced cause of the noise from engines and their helmets? It's bluetooth headset in their helmet that links to some wireless communication device.


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## XCSKIBUM (Mar 15, 2010)

Varaxis said:


> Don't motorcyclists use something advanced cause of the noise from engines and their helmets? It's bluetooth headset in their helmet that links to some wireless communication device.


I don't think that level of sophistication would be needed for bicycles as the speeds are not nearly as high to make wind noise as big of a factor. There is no "enmgine noise" to deal with either.


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## erginguney (Dec 30, 2005)

XCSKIBUM said:


> I don't think that level of sophistication would be needed for bicycles as the speeds are not nearly as high to make wind noise as big of a factor.


You'd be surprised at how little wind it takes to generate enough wind noise to wash out all other audio on some microphones out there, such as the one on my Contour HD helmet cam. If I had the possibility, I'd be willing to pay for all the sophistication available in order to get rid of that.


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## negrobeltran (Jan 6, 2011)

Bringing up an old thread -
I have a question, probably dumb, but still need clarification.

We are a group of riders, and were thinking of buying radios for each one of us (8 members), will the radios work being 8 transmitters?, how about the iVox system, is it design only for 2 devices, or doesn't matter the amount of radios added to the network? -

Your help will be greatly appreciated...
Regards,
Edgar from Baja Mexico


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## GreenCanoe (Oct 28, 2012)

As long as they are on the same channel, the radios should support as many riders as you have.


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## negrobeltran (Jan 6, 2011)

Great, thanks Green Canoe!


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## CactusJackSlade (Apr 11, 2006)

Again bringing up this old thread since I know technology has changed a LOT in a couple years.... anybody out there with new cycling specific communications devices having good luck?


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## cjsb (Mar 4, 2009)

To the OP:

"You left me behind and I crashed. get back here now!!". wife

"Uhh, you are breaking up, repeat, over". you

"Get back here right now, I am hurt! you jackass!". wife

"Uhhh, break 1, 9, repeat, static intense up here, come on.". you

"911, what is your emergency?". disptacher


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## slimphatty (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm interested!! anyone using these things?? hahha


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## TylerVernon (Nov 10, 2019)

I have about a thousand dollars of equipment including battery powered repeaters, FRS with ear pieces, handhelds, etc...but nobody I ride with ever wants to use them.


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## dexcom (Oct 12, 2020)

It's not a walkie talkie but is very effective, We use it for hiking when we going in groups on different times (same day) and or same surrounding areas.

https://gotennamesh.com/products/mesh


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