In Ear Active Hearing Protection and Comms - Racal Frontier Headsets

[dykm2]

I've been lurking here a while, and I've had a lot of comments about these Racals, so I decided it's about time I actually joined and posted something (hopefully interesting to the community).

 

So I got fed up with breaking and fixing repro comms kit for myself and the team, (now on my 6th headset in 2 years playing).  But I didn't want to fork out £500 on peltor comtacs. I'm sure many of you can relate to this.

 

I found real steel Racal Frontier headsets being sold off dirt cheap. The catch being they come with a lemo connector for military prr radios. I read the threads on the lemo connectors and the price of adaptors and custom PTTs and thought what the heck, I'm going to have a go at modifying a set to work with a TP-120 / u-94 ptt.

 

So a bit of experimentation later, I figured out a tidy way of doing it.  I've done a few with with a Kenwood 2 pin cable to go straight into a Baofeng, retevis etc. radio.

I've also done a few with genuine peltor tp120 cables to go into a u94 PTT on your shoulder.

 

And I have to say, I'm dead chuffed with the results.

 

The custom ear moulds are made from polymorph plastic. It melts in hot water and is hand (or in-your-ear) mouldable.

 

The headsets are pretty slick. They electronically allow talk through, but limit the volume, the radio comes in your left ear and the cool bit is the microphone picks up from inside your right ear. Even at a whisper. I also like that there isn't a big can on your ear getting in the way of your cheek weld!

 

The set on my plate carrier is my first off. The ones with the curly cables are a later version where I've managed to do all the mods inside the control box so the cable is all intact right into the control box. 

 

Anyway there's my show and tell, I'd be interested to see what you guys think!

 

PS. The diagram in the background is a different project - Music phone and comms in my snowboard helmet  (don't try and put that in a Racal!)

PPS. If there's interest in these I'll put a post in the Classifieds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Arwen]

Ok I'm curious... How much? 😁

[dykm2]

I'll drop you a PM ( I dont want to upset the mods with sales in the wrong place on my first post!)

[SSPKali]

Really slick looking set up!

 

How is the clarity of the mic and any issues with feedback screech when people on the same frequency are near?

[ziCk_]

That’s super cool! Any chance you could drop us some samples of audio? I mean that whispering with in-ear microphone you’ve mentioned, how does it sound on the other end.
 

But I wouldn’t call lack of cans a pro... those ear shots hurt man! 😅

[dykm2]

Audio sample attached, talking and whispering. (Yes I was in the garden, not behind the camera).

 

To answer the feedback / screech question:

 

Scenario 1 Racals transmitting, ambient mics ON, receiving radio on speaker. Yes you get feedback from 3-6ft ish (volume dependent)

 

Scenario 2 Racals transmitting, ambient mics OFF, receiving radio on speaker. Yes you get feedback from 6inches ish. (Volume dependent)

 

Scenario 3 Racals transmitting, ambient mics ON, receiving radio on headset. No feedback. Even when in contact.

 

Scenario 4 Racals transmitting, ambient mics OFF, receiving radio on headset. No feedback. Even when in contact

 

And as if to illustrate my point, the cable on one of my wosport headsets just died for the second time.

 

The tests were done with a working wosport headset on the receiving end.

[dykm2]

Also @ziCk_ I get you. I started with a mesh and fabric lower face mask with ear protection, works well with in ear headsets.

 

Previously I had a bowman zip tied straight on the ear mesh which worked well but didn't offer hearing protection.

 

But the mesh mask didn't work well with over the ear headsets.

 

So I got a DM snood with mouth mesh. Thoroughly recommend them for use with cans.

 

Anyway I'm considering making a DM but with ear mesh as well as teeth mesh.... Next project.

 

 

[clumpyedge]

FYI - JCI comms sell pretty much the same thing, you can also get an AUX in made so you can listen to music etc.

[dykm2]

@clumpyedge Indeed they do. (For anyone else who wants to know) JCI make a custom PTT called a tthg (Tim the heresy group) mod. Tim talks about it on his comms video on YT.  With that, you plug in an unmodified Racal headset.

 

I chose not to go that modified PTT route for a couple reasons.

 

1: The cost of the 5pin lemo female connectors is crackers.

 

2: I like to be able to plug my other headsets (or other people's headsets) into the same PTT for ease.

[ziCk_]

22 hours ago, dykm2 said:

Audio sample attached, talking and whispering.

 

Oh wow... hey it's me, your brother 😅

 

[dykm2]

Er? Sorry I don't get it...?...

[ziCk_]

2 hours ago, dykm2 said:

Er? Sorry I don't get it...?...

Oh sorry, sometimes my Reddit PTSD surfaces an I speak memes 😂 

 

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hey-its-me-ur-brother

[Lollingsgrad]

Really good idea with the in ear moulds, I have some of the heat mouldable plastic lying around from a previous project. What did you do to get a hole running through? Drill it or put something in it to keep it open? Also did you find the Racals could self tap their thread or did you need to mould them in too?

 

[dykm2]

1 hour ago, Lollingsgrad said:

Really good idea with the in ear moulds, I have some of the heat mouldable plastic lying around from a previous project. What did you do to get a hole running through? Drill it or put something in it to keep it open? Also did you find the Racals could self tap their thread or did you need to mould them in too?

 

I put some heat shrink on the spigot to extend it, then test fitted in my ear to make sure it wasn't too long.

 

I then rolled a slug of hot polymorph, wound it around the spigot, avoiding the hole on the end and seated the whole thing in my ear. 

 

Once hardened, remove it and trim the excess heat shrink off.

 

I also tried proguard which is a 2 pack rubber for making earplugs. It moulded well, but didn't stick very well to the body of the Racal. You can wrap it around the body a bit to make it mechanically hold on.

 

Not sticking could be a plus if you think you want to remove it. 

 

I think the foam plugs and proguard give a better noise seal, but the polymorph is  cheaper to repeat so long as you pull it off before it fully hardens.

 

 

[dykm2]

On 03/11/2020 at 08:47, clumpyedge said:

you can also get an AUX in made so you can listen to music etc.

I actually did this mostly for rendundency, field repairability and dual Comms. But yes aux in, out, shake it all about. Even while breaching. 😉

Longer explanation. Here.

 

[ziCk_]

I see you're running budget Retevis radio, if you don't mind me asking how well these radios perform in CQB arenas? I know this might sound stupid but I've never ran a radio neither for airsoft nor anything else

[dykm2]

They're surprisingly good and ideal for normal skirmish days. We chose them as the standard team radio for cost and simplicity. Most people aren't radio nerds, so a simple channel knob and volume knob makes it straight forwards.

I guess that's why the military PRR radios are similarly simple.

[dykm2]

Had a few people asking about Earmor / Realsteel NATO wired versions... So I made one...

 

Makes sense, I guess if you're interested in this you probably tried an Earmor and still have the PTT!

[dykm2]

Tonight's evolution of the Racal saga...I ordered some radiator valves from Germany and as I got to checkout I realised, in my basket was the special lemo socket for the racals. Spookily I'd found them on that site weeks ago and decided the combined price with shipping from Germany was too much.

 

But not when you're already ordering other stuff!

 

So, a bit of CAD and 3d printing for an adaptor and presto. I've got a custom u94 PTT with a lemo socket!

 

 

 

 

[Shamal]

Why Germany for rad valves.

We got plenty in this country.many types and styles and they are not expensive items really.

👍

Regards 

[benno996]

Sorry to bump an old thread @dykm2.
 

Found the old listing through FB and eBay, what’s the chances of another batch of these? In the same dilemma of not wanting to spend several hundred quid in the event I don’t get on with running around with my Baofeng.

 

If so, how would I get on running my radio either on my belt or at the bottom of my chest rig? Any cable length issues?

[dykm2]

On 10/12/2020 at 08:07, Shamal said:

Why Germany for rad valves.

We got plenty in this country.many types and styles and they are not expensive items really.

👍

Regards 

If you really what to know why I ordered valves from Germany vs UK: I wanted these specifically on a recommendation.  https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/electronic-radiator-thermostat-pack-of-four-eht-classic-n-s4-p150502.html

Electronic, programmable, not "smart" radiator stat heads that fit Drayton TRV4 valve bodies. I needed 12, so worth ordering from Germany. at £35 for 4 vs £15each on amazon.

On 31/01/2021 at 23:42, benno996 said:

Sorry to bump an old thread @dykm2.
 

Found the old listing through FB and eBay, what’s the chances of another batch of these? In the same dilemma of not wanting to spend several hundred quid in the event I don’t get on with running around with my Baofeng.

 

If so, how would I get on running my radio either on my belt or at the bottom of my chest rig? Any cable length issues?

 

Sorry I missed this.  Yes and no.  My supply of Racal headsets has now dried up. I bought the last case of them I could find and my supplier doesn't expect to get any more.  I have 10 unmodified headset left.

 

If you want 1, PM me and I'll build it up with your cable of choice, to order.

 

There's plenty of cable length with the curly cables to get any where sensible. Belt is fine, but no you can't tie your radio to your ankle!

 

 

[dykm2]

9 left.

 

I'll post here when they run out. I'm only making to requests at the moment.

[Matt J]

@dykm2Do you have of these left?

Edited April 26, 2021 by Matt J

[dykm2]

Yep, still got 9 left. Not been much demand with lockdown and all!