Bike to Bike communication systems question

[Stasch]

My wife Lori's ears are quite sensitive to pressure and we haven't been able to get Autocomm speakers situated in her newer snugger fitting helmet where it doesn't become bothersome after a bit. Her ear canals are also quite small. Even the smallest expanding foam earplugs for sleeping become uncomfortable after a bit.

Is there such a thing as a decent helmet mounted bike to bike unit that can transmit sound through the helmet, eliminating the need for ear speakers or buds? If it were GMRS/FRS compatible, I would only need to buy a single unit for her but this isn't an absolute must have.

Background: --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are doing more riding together again the past few years (woo hoo!) after not riding together much at all for a several years due to pressing issues with health and aging parents.

Riding is 2 up on the Concours and on separate dual sports after she took MSF and now has her own bike (double woo hoo!).

We still have a working 'Active' Autocomm setup from way back when, that has on bike intercom and interfaces with:

2600 - 2700 - 2800 (and others) Garmin GPS using 2.5mm 2 pole mono jack​

Older cell flip phone with 2.5mm 3 pole jack​

GMRS/FRS Push to Talk 2 way radio​

3.5mm 3 pole sound source (MP3 etc.)​

​

We especially miss the intercom feature when 2 up, but the other stuff not near as much (especially not the cell phone).

Now we want bike to bike capability.

Everything still works on the Autocomm, and I even have a separate unit that could be setup for her on her own bike that only needs a PTT adapter to get the GMRS/FRS radios to allow bike to bike . . . but . . . . the helmet speakers are troublesome for her.

 

[FTB530]

I wear West One AC20 ear buds , molded to my ears by a audiologist and sent to WestOne , they plug into my sena and bluetooth music or can talk to other riders also, my ears never ache wearing them and the wind noise is gone when in place.

 

[ONOBob]

Following

 

[fartymarty]

Is there such a thing as a decent helmet mounted bike to bike unit that can transmit sound through the helmet, eliminating the need for ear speakers or buds?

I don't know of nor heard of anything that will transmit through the helmet.

I've experimented with bone conducting headphones (Shokz, like I use successfully on my bicycle) inside a modular helmet but so far none worked acceptably for me. I think her only option at present are ear buds the she can tolerate. If she is hard to fit, then perhaps you'll need to spend some bucks and get some molded and fitted by an audiologist. Either wired or blutooth should be able to work with your Autocomm...but a Bluetooth Dongle may be needed for bluetooth.
Good luck, please report back if you find something that works.

She may just have to up her tolerance to discomfort (yeah ,right) I've had problems with everything I've tried....and I've tried alot. Sometimes I decide I just want as much quiet as I can get and will forgo entertainment and phone just for silence and I'll get the perfect fit from some -32db foam plugs...just when I'm really liking my decision (30 minutes or so) one of them will start to itch deep in my ear. I'll mess with it and eventually just pull over and take them out and go back to my ear buds which also work great for awhile until one starts working it's way out and helmet noise starts to work it's way in. I have yet to find a perfect solution.

 

[Konehead34]

I had a problem once fitting a set of speakers in the ear pocket area . Taking the lining out i discovered i could remove enough of the expanded styrene to fit the speakers perfectly.

No.i wasnt concerned about the small amount i removed compromising the impact protection at my ears...

 

[Stasch]

I had a problem once fitting a set of speakers in the ear pocket area . Taking the lining out i discovered i could remove enough of the expanded styrene to fit the speakers perfectly.

No.i wasnt concerned about the small amount i removed compromising the impact protection at my ears...

Time to take an even closer look at her helmet.

 

[2andblue]

Time to take an even closer look at her helmet.

I had a problem once fitting a set of speakers in the ear pocket area . Taking the lining out i discovered i could remove enough of the expanded styrene to fit the speakers perfectly.

No.i wasnt concerned about the small amount i removed compromising the impact protection at my ears...

To this point, our newer model year helmets came with pockets per-cutout for communication speakers. They’ll come with a cover over the cutout, pop it off and there’s your mounting location.

Wayne, Carol & Blue

 

[Stasch]

Thanks all, it has given me some good ideas.

She had said her helmet is already quite snug around her cheeks and jaw (the way its supposed to be) and was concerned about cramming speakers in there which would have created pressure except . . . . .

I got her helmet out and looked closely and lo and behold there are pockets cut out with a thin foam with a hole grid to allow sound through! Guess I should've looked first.

Going to set it up with speakers and mic and see what she thinks.

I hope this works because when I checked my inventory box of electronic stuff I found I have everything needed to go bike to bike, even a spare PTT harness for the GMRS I didn't think I had.