Driver/passenger intercom January 11, 2021, 08:08:11 pm I'm not sure if our RV is getting noisier over the years, or if it's our definitely diminishing hearing, but it'd sure be nice to talk to each other more easily while driving. And, a connection to the radio would really be nice, too. It's easy to find headphones that connect to the radio, but I can't find any that also provide an intercom function. Well, there those commercial headsets with 100's of feet range at $250 a pop, but those are way more than we need. Motorcycle units intended for use with a helmet abound, but we don't want to wear helmets; same problem with bicycle units. Hiking units are headsets that plug into walkie-talkes, so still not what we want, and don't seem to accept a radio input.Does anyone know of products that would work? Wireless would nicest, but even wired would be quite acceptable.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #1 – January 11, 2021, 09:54:27 pm Not to steer away to an intercom solution, but have you tried using just walkie talkies?
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #2 – January 12, 2021, 06:48:10 am Are you both sitting up front? I was surprised at how hard it is for the wife to hear me if she is at the dinette. Most of the time she is in the passenger seat and can hear me.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #3 – January 12, 2021, 08:39:02 am Eric, The one thing I would caution you about is considering any type of wireless devices used near your head for an extended period of time. Electromagnetic radio frequency radiation can be detrimental to your body especially the eyes (think frying eggs) if the transmit power is constant. Not so much so at lower energy levels but over a lot of time it can be a concern. This is why using cell phones next to your ear for long periods is suspect in the cellular damage around the head. I try to use the phone speaker or earbuds whenever possible to avoid any future problems. Short term usage of a walkie is not so problematic even though the transmit antenna is directly in front of one's face. I would be concerned if it was being used that way all day long. If there was a voice activated walkie with a headset available, that would be the better route to consider. 1 Likes
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #4 – January 12, 2021, 11:30:29 am Quote from: Mike Coachman - January 12, 2021, 08:39:02 amEric, The one thing I would caution you about is considering any type of wireless devices used near your head for an extended period of time. Electromagnetic radio frequency radiation can be detrimental to your body especially the eyes (think frying eggs) if the transmit power is constant. Not so much so at lower energy levels but over a lot of time it can be a concern. This is why using cell phones next to your ear for long periods is suspect in the cellular damage around the head. I try to use the phone speaker or earbuds whenever possible to avoid any future problems. Short term usage of a walkie is not so problematic even though the transmit antenna is directly in front of one's face. I would be concerned if it was being used that way all day long. If there was a voice activated walkie with a headset available, that would be the better route to consider.The power radiated from Bluetooth radios is so small - far less than a cell phone - I have no worries at all about it.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #5 – January 12, 2021, 11:32:40 am Quote from: StevenJill - January 12, 2021, 06:48:10 amAre you both sitting up front? I was surprised at how hard it is for the wife to hear me if she is at the dinette. Most of the time she is in the passenger seat and can hear me.Yes, we are both up front, and while we can hear each other, it is much harder than in our car. With a tail wind and a smooth road, it's not a problem at all, but that happy situation is rare.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #6 – January 12, 2021, 11:57:24 am Quote from: majortom - January 11, 2021, 09:54:27 pmNot to steer away to an intercom solution, but have you tried using just walkie talkies?I haven't tried it, and while I think it might work for talking, it's not clear how to connect to the radio. It does seem clumsy, for a situation that needs just a bit more than wires between the headsets and the radio. My airplane has the functions I want: an "intercom panel" that accepts two headsets plugged into it, plus an audio input from satellite radio, so the pilot and passenger can talk to each other and listen to entertainment. Of course, it also connects to the aviation transceiver and audio alerts from the aviation instruments so the pilot can do more, but isn't needed in the motorhome. The panels are expensive and would require some modification to my situation, unfortunately.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #7 – January 12, 2021, 12:47:33 pm Eric, since you have the aviation headsets, maybe a portable aviation intercom system would work. Sigtronics makes a model, powered by a cigarette plug or batteries. Has separate volume and squelch controls.Search for “portable aviation intercom”.Bill
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #8 – January 12, 2021, 03:01:03 pm I had a thought to your problem and did a quick search on the Google Play Store. What I found was the Android Intercom app that uses Bluetooth or WiFi to allow two Android phones to act as walk-talkies. I have no experience with this app, so I cannot give any recommendation. I also did a quick search on the Apple App Store but I didn’t see anything close to the Android app. A more exhaustive search may produce results though. If it works as advertised, this seems like a low cost solution... given that you both have cellphones. A set of cellphone earbuds for the driver should be used for safety too.- John 1 Likes
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #9 – January 12, 2021, 07:47:58 pm Quote from: bhoads - January 12, 2021, 12:47:33 pmEric, since you have the aviation headsets, maybe a portable aviation intercom system would work. Sigtronics makes a model, powered by a cigarette plug or batteries. Has separate volume and squelch controls.I am considering this as Plan C, but I would try to use lighter, cheaper headsets than the ones that are neccessary in a very noisy aircraft. It would work, but not sure how much we'd like it.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #10 – January 12, 2021, 07:59:03 pm Quote from: JohnR - January 12, 2021, 03:01:03 pmI had a thought to your problem and did a quick search on the Google Play Store. What I found was the Android Intercom app that uses Bluetooth or WiFi to allow two Android phones to act as walk-talkies. I have no experience with this app, so I cannot give any recommendation. I also did a quick search on the Apple App Store but I didn’t see anything close to the Android app. A more exhaustive search may produce results though. If it works as advertised, this seems like a low cost solution... given that you both have cellphones. A set of cellphone earbuds for the driver should be used for safety too.We were thinking alike, as I just looked for Apple apps before the digest arrived! I think it might work, it's cheap to try, and will tell us if noise-cancelling mikes are needed. It's not clear how to connect to the dash radio, but possibly by Bluetooth if wired earbuds are used. I already have an Android phone for non-phone purposes, so buying another used one for $50-$80 is OK with me, just in case the Android units work better.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #11 – January 12, 2021, 08:26:15 pm Quote from: Eric Greenwell - January 12, 2021, 07:59:03 pmWe were thinking alike, as I just looked for Apple apps before the digest arrived! I think it might work, it's cheap to try, and will tell us if noise-cancelling mikes are needed. It's not clear how to connect to the dash radio, but possibly by Bluetooth if wired earbuds are used. I already have an Android phone for non-phone purposes, so buying another used one for $50-$80 is OK with me, just in case the Android units work better.The Android app doesn’t need a cellular connection or for that matter a cellular contract either. The walkie-talkie connection is done by Bluetooth between the two phones. There’s no need to include the dash radio at all. Maybe you can borrow a friends Android phone to test it out first before spending $50-$80 on a used phone.- John
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #12 – January 13, 2021, 08:48:35 am Quote from: JohnR - January 12, 2021, 08:26:15 pmThe Android app doesn’t need a cellular connection or for that matter a cellular contract either. The walkie-talkie connection is done by Bluetooth between the two phones. There’s no need to include the dash radio at all. Maybe you can borrow a friends Android phone to test it out first before spending $50-$80 on a used phone.- JohnWe want an intercom to make it easier to hear the dash radio; currently, when it's loud enough to hear, it interferes with conversation so much, we have to turn it down or off. With a good intercom system, we'd hear the radio in the headset, and talking would either cut off the radio, or diminish the volume. That's how the aviation system works, and I'm hoping the phone "intercom apps" will provide the same function. It's not obvious from reading the description in the App store, most of which seem to focus on duplicating the "walkie-talkie" experience.I'll test the iPhone versions first, and if that is unsatisfactory, I'll try the Android solution. Borrowing a Android phone to try with my Android phone for that is a good idea.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #13 – January 13, 2021, 02:06:03 pm you might look into how cruiser bikes solved the problem. My brother has speakers in his helmet that will allow him to talk with others. Maybe using something like apple pods. I am sure that android phones have something similar, I just don't have an android phone.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #14 – January 13, 2021, 02:42:53 pm Quote from: John DaCrema - January 13, 2021, 02:06:03 pmyou might look into how cruiser bikes solved the problem. My brother has speakers in his helmet that will allow him to talk with others. Maybe using something like apple pods. I am sure that android phones have something similar, I just don't have an android phone.The motorcycle units are attractive, but intended for helmets. It might be possible to mount the pieces on cheap hearing protection muffs. It wouldn't cost much to try the idea - I'll look into it.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #15 – January 13, 2021, 03:36:36 pm As a solo traveler, my conversations while driving are limited to an occasional and usually one-sided chat with the dog, but I do wonder about the advisability of wearing headphones or anything else that might block road sounds that might indicate a "safety" issue, e.g., sirens, truck horns blaring, brakes screeching, weird engine noises, etc. Maybe this isn't a concern for some, but I know that I have been warned of quite a few traffic issues through audible "outside road noises", and prefer to keep what hearing I have left attuned to what's audibly going on around me when I'm driving . As always, YMMV. 1 Likes
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #16 – January 13, 2021, 03:46:56 pm Quote from: Joan - January 13, 2021, 03:36:36 pmI do wonder about the advisability of wearing headphones or anything else that might block road sounds that might indicate a "safety" issue, e.g., sirens, truck horns blaring, brakes screeching, weird engine noises, etc. I think those sounds should be heard at least by the driver. If using the motorcycle intercoms, my plan is the driver's headset will have the sound reduction material removed from one cup, and holes drilled in it as needed to hear noises in the motorhome and outside. The passenger ear cups could be left intact, but also modified if desired. If the iPhone intercom works out, earbuds may be satisfactory, or single ear cup headsets might work.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #17 – January 13, 2021, 03:51:15 pm Hi; in California it isn't legal to wear headphones, hearing protection 'muffs', or ear 'pods' while driving. It is condidered to be a safety hazard, to not be able to hear what is going on around you. Even if you could hear outside sounds, even that would look wrong, and might get you pulled over. A google search yielded this: A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, earplugs in, or earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both ears. ... (d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels....Law section - California Legislative Information RonB
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #18 – January 13, 2021, 04:13:58 pm I didn't realize that headphone/earbud/ear covering wearing by a vehicle driver or bicyclist was illegal in California, but Ron's lead suggested a look-up attempt in the Byzantine mash-up of thousands of rules that comprise the CA vehicle code. Finding relevant sections can be daunting; thanks for the lead, Ron.
Re: Driver/passenger intercom Reply #19 – January 13, 2021, 07:02:40 pm Often in states it is ok to have a device on one year but not both - driver needs to be able to hear sirens, but likely also horns honking, train horns sounding, etc. Jane
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