Hi Nashvillian, a boom mic may be the better alternative but there may also be other options as well. If you could give us a call directly at 1-800-584-1445 or go to our live chat at http://www.buytwowayradios.com we can get more specifics and provide you with the best option for your needs at the best price.
I did that and the person I talked to gave me several suggestions, but didn’t seem to have any personal experience with headsets. That’s what I’m trying to get from this forum.
Does anyone have any experience with good or bad headsets?
I use headsets… but those are designed for use with motorcycles. A cheap headset (retail: 200.00) gave me sound, but not what I was expecting. I finally ponied up for the best set I could find. AWESOME sound.
Several folks I ride with took the speakers out of the cheap headset and replaced them with speakers from a cheapy Radio Shack stereo headset with great results.
A great alternative to your headset issue may be molded ear plugs with a speaker in the molded plug. Many guys I ride with use this instead of the helmet wrap type speakers. They get no wind noise that can offset the volume in the molded plug.
Now the question and my answer: I have no idea who makes a molded ear-plug that has this type of FRS/GMRS radio connectors… However, if you don’t mind cranking up a soldering iron, you can get the plugs made and substitute those molded speakers for the cheapy headset systems that are out there now…
As for mics??? If wind noise is an issue, try different foam noise reducers on the end of a boom mic… Again, you get what you pay for…
It really depends on your application and how “bulky” you want to get. The noisier the enviroment, the more I would suggest a noise canceling microphone kit. Therefore your voice is picked up and transmitted, and not the wind or other noises. However, those high-end microphones usually come on high-end pieces that typically come with good hearing protection as well. Some people don’t want the bulkyness of a headset, but if it’s what you need to get the job done then I would look at that for an option.
Big Size and Big Price are usually enough to deter me from going for the best. The best headset I ever had was an expensive one that I got a discount on. Since then, I have had to settle for less, but everything functions okay one way or another. I have come to get very used to wind noise.