Headset for radio comms between helm and anchor?

[oleman]

We use what is basically a police radio held held with VOX an ICOM IC-F60 reprogrammed for GMRS frequencies. The remote mike is a wrist mic the ear piece is small in the ear. The whole setup is weather proof. Yea, you talk to your hand to transmit with the transceiver belt mounted.

[Mithril Bham]

Use your phone with earbuds. If no cell connect can be done with bluetooth.
Too simple?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Mithril Bham

Use your phone with earbuds. If no cell connect can be done with bluetooth.
Too simple?

Tried that, worked, sorta-kinda. Crew usually wears no pockets; had to solve that. Hands-free voice may or may not work through the phone mic, depending on comditions (wind, other noise, etc.), and we never really could get straight phone-to-phone Bluetooth to work all that well.

Tried VOX on a pair of good Family Radios, too. VOX has a time delay, so we each had to start a sentence with One, Tow, Three, Four, stuff follows here... and then those are a one-way-at-a-time (simplex frequency) too. Slightly better than push-to-talk since it was hands-free, but still not great.

Still, both are inexpensive, could well be the answer for many.

-Chris

[john61ct]

Check out Beartooth

https://www.google.com/search?q=bear...no+cell+signal

[StuM]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

There are times when something goes pear shaped. The signal for "Belay! Secure and stand by!" is the time-honoured sign of the finger drawn across the throat by the person who has the con and who therefore has the right and the duty to make such a decision when s/he deems it necessary.

So the person on the anchor is constantly watching the helm and not what they are doing?

[Peeew]

I have found that prearranged hand signals work well.

[sailcrazy]

After 20 yrs without, we just bought Sena SPH10s. It will be nice to stop shouting (and cussing! 'cuz the helm didn't do what you wanted???)

[geauxcruise]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

You are talking about a distance of 30-odd feet. What is it that you need to communicate that is so complex that it cannot be done by pre-wireless means?
Anchoring? There are standard hand signals that have been in use for a couple of hundred years to initiate and to report each step in the evolution of anchoring. Coming alongside? Ditto. Singling up and slipping? Ditto. Reefing and shaking out sail? Ditto. Striking sail? ditto

MyBeloved and I work essentially in silence because each evolution has been practiced so each element of it, and the sequence in which the elements must be performed, is well known and practiced to the point of being second nature. We do, of course, speak to each other when we are both in the cockpit at the same time and therefore next to each other.

There are times when something goes pear shaped. The signal for "Belay! Secure and stand by!" is the time-honoured sign of the finger drawn across the throat by the person who has the con and who therefore has the right and the duty to make such a decision when s/he deems it necessary.

Messing with radio communications aboard a small boat seems to me to be merely a (dangerous) distraction from performing essential evolutions promptly and proficiently.

TrentePieds

TrenetPieds, I am really perplexed by your mindset! Do you own a Vehicle? Do you own a Cell Phone? Hell, on what "EVOLUTIONARY" device did you even write this response to the OP?? Why didn't you write it out on a piece of parchment paper with a quill and a bottle of ink, then give it to a guy on horse to hopefully deliver your response in the next month or so? I bet your vessel has one of those large bulky chunks of iron called an Engine!! Why would you want an engine when the true and tried way to get somewhere on land or water before the combustion engine was created, was to walk, ride a horse, wait on the wind or row your a$$ off!!!

My wife and I have the Marriage Savers and I will never be without them again. They TRULY are marriage savers AND a huge safety item on our boat. And yes, we can and have communicated without them. But why would you not embrace this? Get with the times!!!

Geauxcruise

[tml]

The Eartec headsets have been a great investment. The difference was beyond expectations. Calm discussion in a complex moment is important. Also have used them with a rigger aloft; we both were impressed with the difference.
No matter how practiced hand signals are not as nuanced as conversation.
No one practices hand signals more than Special Operators in the military and can certainly operate with hand signals alone. However they have earbuds, use them, and are not likely to give them up.
I wish we had bought the Eartecs years ago.
Tom

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Check out Beartooth

https://www.google.com/search?q=bear...no+cell+signal

Interesting device but reviews are pretty mixed

https://www.amazon.com/BEARTOOTH-Tal...ews/B078B3K361

[john61ct]

Good to know, too bad

[Mithril Bham]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Tried that, worked, sorta-kinda. Crew usually wears no pockets; had to solve that. Hands-free voice may or may not work through the phone mic, depending on comditions (wind, other noise, etc.), and we never really could get straight phone-to-phone Bluetooth to work all that well.

Tried VOX on a pair of good Family Radios, too. VOX has a time delay, so we each had to start a sentence with One, Tow, Three, Four, stuff follows here... and then those are a one-way-at-a-time (simplex frequency) too. Slightly better than push-to-talk since it was hands-free, but still not great.

Still, both are inexpensive, could well be the answer for many.

-Chris

Most people already have phones so the expense is none. Don't need to carry the phone. leaving it inside the boat works just fine on my 44 ft steel. I use Apple ear buds which work great. There is a significant expense there but worth it for many reasons. You can figure out blue tooth with a little effort.
One less piece of equipment to keep track of.

[Leviathan33]

On my boat, the helm and anchor are handled by the same person!
(did I put that in writing?)

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Mithril Bham

There is a significant expense there but worth it for many reasons. You can figure out blue tooth with a little effort.
One less piece of equipment to keep track of.

Wasn't disputing efficacy. Good solution for some. I know a lot about BT; not a matter of "figuring it out," just mentioned sometimes the sucker doesn't work.

-Chris

[frozenhawaiian]

on small, even medium cruising boats I've always found headsets kind of stupid. I've worked on sailing yachts up to 120ft we've never used headsets for anchoring, on the bigger boats whoever is at the windlass will grab a handheld VHF and whoever is at the helm will use the fixed VHF at the helm, but even then we're talking about 100ft + boats and we don't feel like yelling. anchoring really isn't that complicated an operation. but to each their own I suppose, but I do get a laugh when I see the couples on their 40-50 ft cruising sloops with their headsets making some huge production out of anchoring.