Paragliding Kit Considerations: Comms Part 4 - Headsets

Motoring along.

We have a radio, we have a satellite tracker, and we've decided on a mounting platform.

Now time for augmentation.

Can you hear me now?

On the ground, everything on the radio comes through clear and concise. But once in the air, we can't make out a thing. The 30+ kph relative wind has a tendency of messing with the best laid plans.

If after experimenting with location and orientation we find that things are still not to our liking, then we need to look at additional technology (which of course comes with additional cost, complexity, and the opportunity for Mr.Murphy to visit).

Hand Held PTT Speaker Mic

A Hand Held Push To Talk (PTT) Speaker Microphone is the simplest, most flexible, and most reliable addition we can make. The unit can be moved around on our webbing, even positioned post launch on the riser. The cabling and connector will be fairly robust and capable of accepting the abuse from the typical paragliding day (including retrieve).

A quality Hand Held PTT Speaker Mic is a good place to start if a stand alone radio is just not working in terms of TX and RX clarity while paragliding.

Side note: I have a PTT unit that I take with me on courses/trips just in case one of my more complex (and seemingly failure prone) headset configurations acts up. It has saved me more than once.

Headsets

Wind noise still interfering with our ability to hear what is being said? Time to explore headsets.

Paragliding headsets come in one of two flavours:

1. Wired.
2. Wireless.

Wired Headsets

A wired paragliding headset is a good place to start when moving beyond the Hand Held PTT Speaker Mic. 

Motorcycle Headsets

At the lower end of the spectrum are units developed for use in motorcycling such as those manufactured by Tork, retailing around $50 Canadian. The sport model can be used with a full face helmet, while the open face model can be mated with a snowboarding helmet that has ear flaps designed to accept a sound system. 

But keep in mind, one gets what one pays for. These units will not last long - especially the thumb mount PTT switch and the open face boom mic. I took a similar unit to Annecy for a pair of SIV courses, removing the boom mic and PTT switch. Jocky Sanderson's voice came through loud and clear, even in a full on spiral. But the unit failed shortly after completing the second week.

Airsoft Headsets

Don't. Just don't.

Except ...

The Code Red Battle Zero Bone Conduction Headset. The unit relies on vibration through the jaw/skull for both TX and RX. The 'headphones/mic' sits on the upper most contact point between jaw and skull, leaving the ears completely unobstructed. Inbound voice has a 'voices inside your head' quality to it (though a little on the faint side) while those on the other end have noted that the users voice comes through loud and clear.  The cabling is kevlar lined and the connectors fairly robust. The headset, PTT unit, and radio connection cable are all separate and all individually replaceable.

The one catch (aside from RX voice being faint) is that the connectors are screw on, which precludes any chance of a quick disconnect in the event of a water/tree landing. It is highly recommended that users of this headset move their radio mount to a Chest Harness.

The vendor supports multiple radio variants (including the Kenwood connection used by Baofeng) but does not support Yaesu (and has not indicated there are plans to).

Paragliding Headsets

Dedicated paragliding headset solutions exist and certainly should be on the pilots radar for examination.

Two examples are the Thermal Tracker and the Gidercom Cloudbase.

Reviews of both have been fairly positive and they have options for both full and open face helmet form factors. 

Thats said, be wary of thumb mount PTTs as the wiring on even the high end units will fail given the amount of bending it typically experiences. Often times a thumb mount PTT with a broken wire will lock in the transmit position - quickly killing the radio battery and earning the wrath of any pilot in transmit range.

Wireless Headsets

At the cost of increased complexity and price, wireless solutions improve configurability by removing the need to consider cable routing restrictions.

Off label usage of snow/power sports solutions such as the since discontinued UClear HBC100+ and WT300 can provide for a reasonable cord cutting experience. 

The UClear HBC100, mounted using 3M Dual lock (mitigate entanglement risk).

Toggle mount of the WT300 BT PTT switch.

Similar options exist from Sena.

Otherwise, the full face Glidercom Raptor is worth examination. Starting at $350 US, it would be prudent to see if someone has a sample to take for a test drive prior to purchase.

Aside from cost, the biggest drawback of wireless units is the need to ensure everything is fully charged. If the battery in one component is left uncharged, the entire system is useless.

That's all fine and dandy, but what do you use?

The complete setup.

Baofeng BF-F8HP - basically an upgraded UV-5R.

Delorme InReach for Android/iOS

Code Red Battle Zero Bone Conduction Headset + PTT for Baofeng/Kenwood

Coaxsher RP-1 Scout

Paragliding Kit Considerations: Comms Part 1 - Radios

"Aggress or regress, never sit still."

Never settle, experiment even if the end result is a regression. In other words, strive for continuous improvement.

Those that follow this blog with any degree of regularity know that continuous improvement is a corner stone mantra of mine when it comes to paragliding.

Improvement of skills, improvement of knowledge, improvement of judgement, and ... improvement of equipment/kit.

Improvement via investigation. Investigation via experimentation.

Comms

Communications are critical in our sport. Aside from flying tandem, we operate effectively alone. Even when flying with a partner, a stroke of luck or a subtle change in conditions can cause significant separation. Being able to quickly and easily 're-sync'  with a flying buddy can have a big impact on a paragliding cross country flight ('going XC'), especially in 'sticky' conditions where climbs are few and far between and route changes may be needed.

Even more important is the ability for us to communicate with fellow paraglider pilots and rescuers in the event of a mishap.

Simply put: Some form of comms should be considered on par with the reserve - don't leave the hill without it.

Radio Options

FRS/GMRS

Family Radio Service (FRS) / General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios are often the mainstay of paragliding schools due to the lack of a license requirement for the operator and low cost. But beyond the school environment, especially in Canada, they see little use in the paraglider population.

Limitations on frequency (limited to 14 channels of FM UHF for FRS and 22 for GMRS) and power (0.5 watts for FRS and 2 watts for GMRS*) will find these units quickly replaced by the newly minted Novice.

* GMRS radios in the US can operate at up to 5 watts of power but have a licensing requirement. US GMRS radios that do operate at 5 watts are technically illegal in Canada.

Channel	Use	Frequency (MHz)	Channel	Use	Frequency (MHz)
1	FRS/GMRS	462.5625	12	FRS	467.6625
2	FRS/GMRS	462.5875	13	FRS	467.6875
3	FRS/GMRS	462.6125	14	FRS	467.7125
4	FRS/GMRS	462.6375	15	GMRS	462.5500
5	FRS/GMRS	462.6625	16	GMRS	462.5750
6	FRS/GMRS	462.6875	17	GMRS	462.6000
7	FRS/GMRS	462.7125	18	GMRS	462.6250
8	FRS	467.5625	19	GMRS	462.6500
9	FRS	467.5875	20	GMRS	462.6750
10	FRS	467.6125	21	GMRS	462.7000
11	FRS	467.6375	22	GMRS	462.7250

* CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) - often referred to as 'privacy' codes. Privacy is a misnomer - this sub audible tone system actually acts more as a filter. If you have a CTCSS code selected, you will only hear transmissions from other radio operators who have activated the same code. Anyone who has the code unselected ('open') will hear everything on the channel, including transmissions by those employing a CTCSS code.  Using a CTCSS code is a good way to help filter traffic on a commonly used channel if 'chatter' is a problem.

Tone	Frequency (Hz)	Tone	Frequency (Hz)
1	67.0	20	131.8
2	71.9	21	136.5
3	74.4	22	141.3
4	77.0	23	146.2
5	79.7	24	151.4
6	82.5	25	156.7
7	85.4	26	162.2
8	88.5	27	167.9
9	91.5	28	173.8
10	94.8	29	179.9
11	97.4	30	186.2
12	100.0	31	192.8
13	103.5	32	203.5
14	107.2	33	210.7
15	110.9	34	218.1
16	114.8	35	225.7
17	118.8	36	233.6
18	123.0	37	241.8
19	127.3	38	250.3

Aviation/Airband Radio

The greater the frequency of contact with other aviation stakeholders, the greater the need for an airband radio.

Airband is limited to 108 to 137 MHz, with the upper 19 MHz typically reserved for AM voice.

2 way comms between dedicated AM and FM radios is not possible, though some higher end FM units can receive AM. This is important to remember for the pilot who may wish to use a non airband radio to communicate with other free fliers yet still be able to maintain contact with a control tower and/or powered aircraft - 2 different radios will be required. Attempts to bring to market a dual purpose radio have thus far demonstrated less than stellar results.

A government issued license is typically required to be able to operate an airband radio.

Citizens Band (CB)

An anachronism employing AM in the 27MHz frequency range, you may ask why Citizens Band is even mentioned here.

Australia.

Australia implemented their own take on an unlicensed radio service for the general public which continues to see widespread use in rural parts of the country. Australian CB operates using FM around 477 MHz. It is commonly used by the paragliding population in that country. Something to keep in mind if travelling down under.

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	Channel	Frequency (MHz)
1	476.4250	41	476.4375
2	476.4500	42	476.4625
3	476.4750	43	476.4875
4	476.5000	44	476.5125
5	476.5250	45	476.5375
6	476.5500	46	476.5625
7	476.5750	47	476.5875
8	476.6000	48	476.6125
9	476.6250	49	476.6375
10	476.6500	50	476.6625
11	476.6750	51	476.6875
12	476.7000	52	476.7125
13	476.7250	53	476.7375
14	476.7500	54	476.7625
15	476.7750	55	476.7875
16	476.8000	56	476.8125
17	476.8250	57	476.8375
18	476.8500	58	476.8625
19	476.8750	59	476.8875
20	476.9000	60	476.9125
21	476.9250	61	Unused
22	476.9500	62	Unused
23	476.9750	63	Unused
24	477.0000	64	477.0125
25	477.0250	65	477.0375
26	477.0500	66	477.0625
27	477.0750	67	477.0875
28	477.1000	68	477.1125
29	477.1250	69	477.1375
30	477.1500	70	477.1625
31	477.1750	71	477.1875
32	477.2000	72	477.2125
33	477.2250	73	477.2375
34	477.2500	74	477.2625
35	477.2750	75	477.2875
36	477.3000	76	477.3125
37	477.3250	77	477.3375
38	477.3500	78	477.3625
39	477.3750	79	477.3875
40	477.4000	80	477.4125

Amateur  

Go on any course, attend any comp and you will find amongst the equipment prerequisites - handheld 2m Amateur Radio. Primarily operating between 144 and 148 MHz using FM, Amateur Radio has gained widespread adoption by the paragliding community due the portability/light weight of the current generation handhelds, reasonable power output (typically 5 watts) and a healthy parts aftermarket. In addition, a plethora of makes and models exist for the pilot to choose from to fit any budget -  everything from high end Japanese built units down to mass produced Chinese variants.

One model in particular stands out:

The Baofeng UV-5R.

The -5Rs low cost, reasonable quality, and compatibility with the Kenwood headset connector has made it the go to radio for pilots around the world. Gone are the days where a 'cheap' radio would run in the hundreds of dollars, now options like the Baofeng can be found for less than $50 Canadian.  A radio lost, stolen, soaked, or seized can now be met with no more than a resigned sigh given that it is effectively disposable at the aforementioned price point. One could simply buy two -5Rs and have a spare waiting to be put in service for less than the price we would previously pay for a single radio.

One need only look at the frequency ranges supported by the Baofeng UV-5R to get a sense of why I specifically mention it.

136-174 MHz and 400-480 MHz.

Look at the above tables. I'll let you deduce what is possible (though very likely illegal in certain locales - you the reader are responsible for making sure that this radio will not break any laws where you are flying) .

The majority of countries that allow use of Amateur Radio have licensing requirements.

Continued with Satellite Trackers in Part 2