mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Must have had wide side-decks!
Two way intercom for use on boat
- Thread starter john_morris_uk
- Start date
Sticky Fingers
Well-Known Member
This is exactly my experience too! Excellent thing.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Strangely enough, if we want to whisper sweet nothings to each other, we make sure that we are together.
jac
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the Sena gear. Totally transforms the way we work.
We both have phones and could use a headset so if budget is tight and one is just going from marina to marina in the UK then fine to use those but their is a risk of dropping an airpod over the side if you rub past a jib sheet with your head whilst getting off and of course they are dependent on their being a signal.
The Sena gear just works and has good range so normal conversation can be held whilst the engine is on and SWMBO is bustling around the boat - About £170 per unit
We both have phones and could use a headset so if budget is tight and one is just going from marina to marina in the UK then fine to use those but their is a risk of dropping an airpod over the side if you rub past a jib sheet with your head whilst getting off and of course they are dependent on their being a signal.
The Sena gear just works and has good range so normal conversation can be held whilst the engine is on and SWMBO is bustling around the boat - About £170 per unit
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
It’s not such a problem but our communication when anchoring or raising the anchor is a bit more than depth etc. If Mrs M is going to work the foredeck. Will usually have a chat before she goes there about where we’re going to anchor and likely spots within other boats or within the anchorage before she leaves the cockpit. When she is on the foredeck we often talk about the proximity to other boats in the place that looked as though it might be possible, and then when we come to drop the anchor, she’ll be telling me about whether we’re over weed or sand or coral as best as she can tell, looking down into the water from the bow. When the anchor is setting and I’m motoring astern we’ll talk about how it feels, and whether the chain is jumping or has come up bar taught to show that the anchor is set correctly and appearing to hold. When we raise the anchor she’ll normally pointed in the direction of where the rode is lying so that I can motor forward and take the strain of the windlass. Picking up a bouy can be similarly complex. Lots of chat about positioning the boat from bow or mid ships to helm. Etc
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010169
New Member
We use a throat Mike and a silicon ear piece with curly vacuum hose that fits well into the ear from Amazon. We feel like bodyguards. They connect to our mobile phones via a duplex walkie-talkie app so no charges at at. The phones stay down below on the dry and the throat mikes connect to the phones via Bluetooth. About £20 per Mike from Amazon who seem to deliver everywhere now. They can’t fall off our heads like earphones could do. That would be expensive. The quality is good but not having used earphones I cannot compare how good.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
Does the vacuum hose remove your ear-wax as well? ;-)
010169
New Member
No still have to use cotton buds for that. Apparently the vacuum hose instead of wire gives better hearing . At least that is what I was told by many. We really like them but I don’t know if the quality is better than earmuffs because we never tried them. I would want a lanyard attached to the expensive earmuff ones so they didn’t end up on Davy joneses head. I forgot. We did have to have the jack plug cut off and have one soldered on that fitted the phones Bluetooth bit but that was only like £5 beer tokens for a small job
Plum
Well-Known Member
Interesting. Would you post a link to Amazon product please as well as a link to the app. Many thanks.
Binnacle
Well-Known Member
Any chance of posting some definitive information and source rather than a passing comment please ?
010169
New Member
We tried 2 apps Intercom and walkietooth. Had them for some years. Our phones are old so I hope the apps are still available or improved ones exist.
Amazon have lots of throat mikes. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=throat...hroat+mike,aps,143&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_11
We settled on this one. But it is in desert camo colour. Webbing strap with Velcro keeps it snug on voice box. The press to talk button was ditched because the app was duplex and there was no need to press to talk either. The app was always listening. It has gone up in price Amazon.co.uk
Amazon have lots of throat mikes. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=throat...hroat+mike,aps,143&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_11
We settled on this one. But it is in desert camo colour. Webbing strap with Velcro keeps it snug on voice box. The press to talk button was ditched because the app was duplex and there was no need to press to talk either. The app was always listening. It has gone up in price Amazon.co.uk
mm42
Well-Known Member
If you want the best, a company called IWCS make them for the boats I work on. We've got two VHF sets, a private comms set, a mobile phone and full duplex intercom running through the wireless headsets. Underway we chat away as if we were in a quiet room together despite doing 50 knots, and they've got enough range that you can go ashore to put lines down, whilst still being connected to the boat. Headsets - IWCS
SimonKNZ
Well-Known Member
Because changing your yacht is so much easier than spending 100 quid on a pair of headsets. Why hadn't I thought of that?
[70521]
Well-Known Member
I find that hand signals work extremely well on a boat of over 30 metres. When it is dark we use a torch.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
But you do have to be looking at each other rather than crucial features of the environment...
Seastoke
Well-Known Member
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Good point. However when Mrs M is driving and I’m working the foredeck I sometimes have to say things like, “Can you put the wheel hard to starboard and give a burst of ahead please” or some sort of similar request. The other day it was because I was trying to get a round turn on a mooring eye with the line I’d set up as our first line to the mooring. Then I was trying to get a second line on as a back up, also with a round turn to avoid chafe. Back at the helm you can’t see what’s happening so a conversation is necessary.
Zing
Well-Known Member
They are also known as marriage savers. The brands producing for motorcycle use by Sena or Cardo are the thing to get and they also do the same thing with non-motorcyling headsets. Their equipment is designed to connect riders with live coms as much as a half mile apart. I have a Cardo set. It is excellent kit. I previously had a Chinese knock-off device, which was dirt cheap EJEAS brand. That said, for occasional and undemanding boat work the cheap stuff will almost certainly serve you well enough and they come complete with headsets and communicators.
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FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
I'm interested in saving my marriage 
so these seem a good idea. However I use hearing aids and wonder if anyone takes hearing aids out prior to donning headphones, or uses the bone conductor headphones as they work better than conventional headphones (I have no idea)? I tried a phone call with my wife with us both using ear pods (ear pieces you stick in your ear after hearing aids removed) and she could hear me fine but I was struggling.
so these seem a good idea. However I use hearing aids and wonder if anyone takes hearing aids out prior to donning headphones, or uses the bone conductor headphones as they work better than conventional headphones (I have no idea)? I tried a phone call with my wife with us both using ear pods (ear pieces you stick in your ear after hearing aids removed) and she could hear me fine but I was struggling.
westhinder
Well-Known Member
I had no problems with my hearing aids when using professional headphones that completely cover the ears. When sailing I remove my hearing aids, the wind noise is too bad, even when I adjust them.