bridge comms between crew

What is best comms between crew from the bridge? I am wanting a wireless headset but can only find a walkie talkie with corded headset. Really was looking for wireless. Does anyone have suggestions? Wanting to stay below $150 price.

I've heard best recommendations for Comstar/Eartec duplex units. No first-hand experience, though. They're on my list, but in the meantime, hand signals usually work fine.

We occasionally use a pair of Motorola simplex family radios, with voice-activated mics. They work, sorta. Usually there's a time delay before voice actually activates a mic... so the first three syllables are at risk.

-Chris

We yell and wave our hands. It seems to work but I suppose for larger boats it might not. I would be afraid the wireless headsets would end up in the water.

Simultalk 24G. Very reliable.

OBTW - It cost about $300. I didn't read all the OP.

Simple hand gestures and no yelling.

One of the easiest things to do is number your lines bow to stern 1-4. 1 being the bow line, 4 being the stern, 2 & 3 are your springs. That way using simple hand signals you can tell each other what line you want on/off or what line is on/off. If your using lines on both sides you just point to the right or left and hold up the corresponding number of fingers to indicate the correct line. Same goes for anchoring. Use prearranged hand gestures.

Nothing beats our headphone radios. Cant give the brand because they are on the boat. AM I believe and simplex. I wish they were duplex.
Do not get voice activated because wind will keep on on all the time.

When docking and something changes from the original plan they are great. I also feel more comfortable in being able to communicate when either one of us in out of sight.

We have a 44 footer and don't have problem getting out or in but underway with me on the bridge and wife below where it is too noisy to hear me yell.

Standard Horizon VLH-3000 Loud Hailer-VLH-3000 Standard Horizon - Star Marine Depot
read up on this unit, it has two way loud hailer and intercoms.

I have no doubt that my wife and marina neighbors would not look kindly on me calling crew instructions over my PA system. The intercom feature only works when crew is stationed at each radio. We use that sometimes when communicating between helms, but it's no help when crew is attending lines.

This is double your budget, but I found this set on Craigslist.

FlyWright said:

I have no doubt that my wife and marina neighbors would not look kindly on me calling crew instructions over my PA system. The intercom feature only works when crew is stationed at each radio. We use that sometimes when communicating between helms, but it's no help when crew is attending lines.

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This unit has talk back through the speaker, no intercom needed.

Eartec works for us about 6 years experience. There is on occasion a lot of static somewhat annoying.

windmill29130 said:

This unit has talk back through the speaker, no intercom needed.

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And how does your crew/wife hear you when she's on the bow side deck tending the lines? Through the PA/loudhailer speaker?

Try using your cell phones with earbuds and mic.

We got a set of duplex headsets called "marriage savers". They work well, especially in adverse conditions and/or docking in a strange location. No miscommunications, yelling, confusion etc. the only negative is they don't hold to your head well. I suggested sheet rock svrews, but that was not well received. Also, only ~$60.

dach side said:

We got a set of duplex headsets called "marriage savers". They work well, especially in adverse conditions and/or docking in a strange location. No miscommunications, yelling, confusion etc. the only negative is they don't hold to your head well. I suggested sheet rock svrews, but that was not well received. Also, only ~$60.

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Great idea. Here's a link.

Marriage Saver Headsets

Try Earl Tec, they have some great options. May be a little more expensive than $150.00 but well worth the cost and they are good quality. They are a voice activated system, which is important when using during docking monuvers.
Capt Don


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Capt. Don

Ah, those Marriage Savers used to be a $19.95/pair toy - Amazon even had them.

They are OK, not great - and the little antenna is a pain inside the boat (some fold it down under headband. Wife wouldn't wear them because, well, the styling. We how have the EarTecs with the odd fitting over the ear headsets. Better, still not perfect.

FlyWright said:

And how does your crew/wife hear you when she's on the bow side deck tending the lines? Through the PA/loudhailer speaker?

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yes, and she can talk back to through the loudhailer speaker. Watch Deadliest Catch, that's how they do it.

On the bigger boats we mostly use Standard or Icom compact VHFs with the optional corded mic/speakers. You clip on the radio to your hip and run the mic cord up your back out of the way and clip the mic/speaker to your shoulder near your ear on your shirt collar.

Some boats use the Eartecs.

We use flares for an attention getting device. Then move to cans and string after camp fire an blankets with smoke....the rest of the time main radio to hand held...all crude but at least one seem to work

windmill29130 said:

yes, and she can talk back to through the loudhailer speaker. Watch Deadliest Catch, that's how they do it.

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Yes but they are at sea and the captain needs to talk to multiple people all of which may be very busy and have their hands full in a very noisy environment.

Talking back and forth on a hailer works. It's just not an elegant solution in my opinion. Nor very subtle in some cases that I've seen/heard over the years.

But YMMV.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Yes but they are at sea and the captain needs to talk to multiple people all of which may be very busy and have their hands full in a very noisy environment.

Talking back and forth on a hailer works. It's just not an elegant solution in my opinion. Nor very subtle in some cases that I've seen/heard over the years.

But YMMV.

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why do you need elegance? Subtle?

windmill29130 said:

why do you need elegance? Subtle?

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OK how about graceful and quiet.

In most cases where I've seen the hailer used for deck communications it comes off as loud overkill.

But again, YMMV.

We went with Eartec and it's been a blessing. There's been no yelling, no stress, and my better half's confidence level has risen dramatically.

Eartec for us also.

I use change of rpm as a signal to come to the bridge. A drop of rpm means the crew needs to wake up and contact brige. Works for most people, but not all.

We could never get the EarTechs to work very well, between the pairing issues, the weird battery charging regimen, and the thing not clipping on to a belt very well (float tested one) maybe the newer ones are better. We also had a set of these "marriage savers", which I'd rate as OK. Radio Headset Communicators & Intercoms
but still prone to falling off.

We ended up with hand signals and routine for anchoring and docking, plus the benefit of having a lower helm with a full door on each side.The boat had a very nice Charles intercom system, which I ended up effectively replacing with a Panasonic cordless phone system that allows you to tie your cell phones into it, and has very nice intercom capability. You can hook a headset up to the handsets or use the speaker phone setting.

http://www.costco.com/Panasonic-DEC...gital-Answering-System.product.100115378.html

what I meant to say is that VOX, voice activated, is taken over by wind or engine noise and if simplex you cant do anything about it to talk the other way.

dach side said:

We got a set of duplex headsets called "marriage savers". They work well, especially in adverse conditions and/or docking in a strange location. No miscommunications, yelling, confusion etc. the only negative is they don't hold to your head well. I suggested sheet rock svrews, but that was not well received. Also, only ~$60.

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