Radios/Throat-Mics

[Col. Joker]

I already have a radio for when I take part in the OP's. But I need a throat-mic or an ear-piece. Were would I find them and how much would they cost. I'm really wanting a throat-mic, but can't find them.

[MayhemXXXFrosty (AndrewMp5k)]

DD sells alright quality ones for a good price, $35. Give him a PM and he will be happy to take your business. I bought one myself, now all I need is a radio that it can go in (I doesn't fit in my cheap Cobra radios.)

[Zorak]

So far as I know, I've tried every throat mic that retails for under $150, and every single one of them has been deeply problematic. Unless you positively enjoy messing around with such things, let me commend unto you boom mics or earbuds. They may be less sexy, but they seem to be a lot more reliable.

[Col. Joker]

Ok....got that part. But were would I be able to buy them at? Thats my big question. An army surplus store? Walmart? Radioshack?

[Bigmack]

www.rahq.com/acatalog/Online_Catalog_Throat_Microphone_138.html

Online will be your best selection.

Thats a higherend model...


You can find cheaper ones, obviously...

Try googling 'Firefox throat mic'

[Zorak]

On the off chance you meant booms and earmics.. most places that sell the radios have basic earbud / ptt mics. Boom mics can be had from eBay, Pryme, various third parties, and quite a few radio manufacturers. I know Mite has one he's fairly fond of. Oh - and some of the Team Tac guys use speaker-mics on their shoulders and earbuds connected to the speaker mics.

[Rogue1]

i have been using a cheap radio shack $20 throat mike for over a year now and it actually works pretty good. i had to tape up and reinforce all the connections so i don't pull the small wires out during the heat of battle. the thing uses the older 2-seperate plug (one large/one small) input-output so you have to have an older radio,i use a cobra,or have the proper adaptor to use it on a single pin radio. airsoft arms (see the link on the home page) carries a bunch of radios, throat mikes and also the adaptor if you need it. i want to get a better one like the $150 "sniper" model but i think Zorak may have had some bad experience with it in the past but that is the kind of features to look for. commo is great when it works but nothing beats proper hand signals during the heat o' the battle!!! (like flippin your team mate off just before a dynamic room breech!!)

[Zorak]

ROGUE1 said:

i want to get a better one like the $150 "sniper" model but i think Zorak may have had some bad experience with it in the past

If you count "the metal band breaking clear in two when I took it off my neck with no great force" as a bad experience, then yeah, I'd say so.

Before that it was workable, but even with the fabric neckband they sell, every few hours it would slide down or around and stop working clearly. Frostee has the same problem with his Pryme - and of course you don't realize that nobody can understand a word you're saying until it's too late.

You gotta figure there's a reason why the military models cost $500, and it's not just a gov't welfare program for electronics manufacturers.

[Mite]

What I am using right now works for me, but it didn't work out well for one of my teammates. I am using an "ultra cheap" Midland radio and boom mic.

The radio is a G-227 (www.midlandradio.com/products.asp?pid=53)

The boom mic is a AVP-1 (www.midlandradio.com/products.asp?pid=53).

As I said, these things are pretty damn cheap. They had the features I needed, a keylock (which I feel is required), FRS and GMRS, two pin accessory connection, can disable roger beep, VOX, and all the other features that aren't airsoft appropriate.

However, an important thing is that I am not really a big sweater. I don't get absolutely drenched in perspiration even during heavy exertion. My teammate with a similar setup had all kinds of trouble, but he sweats a lot more than I do, and due to the low cost of this gear, it just couldn't take all the moisture it was being exposed to (particularly the ear piece/boom mic).

He now has a VERY nice tactical grade unit that cost him a lot (I think it was just over $300 for the headset, no radio in that price). The build quality is AMAZING and instead of an ear piece, it has a transducer that sits just in front of your ear on your upper jaw bone and uses bone conduction to allow you to hear. This means that both of your ears are completely open to the world and allowed to hear ambient noise unimpeded. The mic on this unit is a boom mic.

I agree with Zorak that most cheaper throat mics just aren't worth the time or effort or money. You need to move up into the high end gear to get something reliable and robust (higher end probably STARTS at $300). For boom mics, my setup might work for you, or you might have the same problems my teammate had with it.

Mite

[NILEFOX]

I've bought 2 throat mic's and they are both crap. Unless you are willing to invest the money into a professional grade throat mic...don't waste your time or money.
The first one I bought wasn't even big enough to actually fit on my neck (19 inch neck line), and I should have known better since it was made in Singapore. It will only fit a small asian neck.
The second was a Radio Shack brand, and I should have known better there also. Tandy Corporation has not put out good products in a very long time, no matter who they get to be thier spokes people.
Got to www.airsoftarms.com and get a Motorola boom mic. They are very good quality, and will last a very long time. And if you really want a throat mic after all of this...paypal me 8 bucks for the shipping and you can have mine for free.

[Rogue1]

well, you guys got me going. i just ordered a Pryme Gladiator for $106.66 shipped from california. even though the ol radio shack unit was still working, i guess i was lucky to have it work for this long. Arc wrote an excellant review(search, one page back in this topic) on the same model i just ordered and he really liked it so that made up my mind. i'll test it at the upcoming op's and repost a review of my own after i use it for a while.Arc, if you have any updated info to pass along, let me know as your review was back in Oct and i'm curious how it is going since then? more gear!!!!!!!!! yesssss!!!

[Zorak]

If the Pryme works with your radio and if you can keep it in the right place on your neck, it will be fine. I despise mine because while I own the proper cords to make it work with four different radios, it only actually works with one of them - and it's the one I use least often.

[Col. Joker]

I will be taking part in the OP Goliath on Sat. If anyone has an earpeice or a throat-mic. that they would like to sell please contact me either there or PM me and we will work out arangments. Thank you.

[MayhemXXXFrosty (AndrewMp5k)]

Well I have a Firefox one that DD sold me a while back that I have not got to use yet. I think I may be willing to part out with it. PM me for details. It costs 35.99 I think retail. Never got to use it, but I could let you try it before you commited to it. Just brign a radio, mine don't work with it so that's why I haven't got to use it.

[tZ]

redwolfairsoft and airsoftarms sell the sniper NT but, it cost around $115 + shipping from both. However, its one of the highest quality mics out for the price range.

I own one and its a very well made piece of equipment. However, the throat mic doesn't allways stay positioned on the neck correctly and the ear piece sometimes tend to fall out on occassion. Therefor , i would suggest investing in the throat strap and molded ear piece as well if investing in the mic.

there is a review on the sniper NT at

airsoftretreat.com

hope that helps somewhat.

Aside from what zorak said "you get what you pay for"- most of use do not have the money to dish out $500+ on a "perfect" throat mic. The sniper NT is prombly one of your best bets... unless you want to spend the extra $400 to get something superb.

There is a reason items cost less then others. Either you make do or just... buy the best. However, $400 more is a bit steep for my pocket book.

As much as i break my other sh*t the sniper NT is still going strong. I use to use it a lot to. Sadly it hasn't seen any use in around 7 months now.

I would offer to sell my sniper but, i love having it in games. Even though it hasn't seen much use within the last seven months its going to be seeing plenty in the summer.... or at least i hope.

airsoftarms is your best bet.