Radio while traveling

Chain · 07-25-2003, 1:29 PM

Does anyone here have any experience with using a portable radio inside your helmet to help pass time on longer trips? I've heard guys use xm radio for such occasions, but that's simply a satellite service as opposed to a piece of hardware you put in your ears and zip into your tankbag. Right?

So what type of radio does a guy purchase? I wonder if the wind noise inside my Arai Quantum e will drown out the darned thing anyway. What about when you get out in the boonies? Is that were you need the xm radio subscription? If so, how do you get it to work on a portable radio?

Input welcome. Sorry about the density here gang, but I'm not at all a gadget guy and know less than nothing about this sort of stuff.

OSIRIS · 07-25-2003, 2:20 PM

iPod You can use it as a mp3 player, portable hard drive, and as a palm pilot thing. They're kick ass

MACI4LIFE · 07-25-2003, 2:45 PM

I use an mp3 player ( irock). with sony headphones that wrap around your ears so they don't get out of place when putting the helmet on. The thing with this mp3 player is that it doesn't go loud enough for me ( not too bad though ) but the RR4 does produce a lot of wind noise.

asiliat · 07-25-2003, 2:57 PM

I use a Motorola Talkabout for radio. *I also have a rome mp3 player.

http://www.fireblades.org/iB_html/up...-talkabout.jpg

Edited and fixed links

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 3:16 PM

Since you're specifically asking about XM radio, I've read meny good things about this receiver:

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=delsa10000

Delphi SA10000 Add-on XM Satellite Radio Tuner
*
http://www.xmradio.com/images/photo_...e_bowie_lg.jpg

Reception is supposed to be unflappable, so long as you can see some sky; apparently tunnels are the only real show-stoppers.

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 3:19 PM

Much more to chew on (clubxm.com):

http://66.246.14.172/phpBB/index.php

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 3:33 PM

Oh, I've tried several gizmos, but so far here's what worked best:

head(ear)phones - Sony MDR-EX70LP Fontopia Headphones

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?...=sonymdrex70lp

http://www.electronicaccessory.com/i...MDR-EX70LP.jpg

I've had them for, uhh, over two years and they've been flawless.

MP3 player - I now have an iPod (don't ask, Conq ), and it is all that. I tried the Archos Mutimedia Jukebox (PITA - when riding, it shut off whenever, skipped like a bastage, froze, etc.), and the inexpensive NEX II CF player (great, no problems, but limited to the size of the card, so about six or so hours of play on my 256MB card.

If you don't want/need a huge collection of music with you, get one of the new super-small MP3 players with 128 or 256 MB of memory, maybe a tuner, those Sony earphones and be done with it.

HondaGal · 07-25-2003, 3:50 PM

I have an Autocom intercom system and the music from the portable stereo I hook into it is piped through my headset. That way, I can use FRS to communicate with my riding buddies as well as listen to music. When I chat or receive an incoming transmission on the FRS radio, the music either turns soft or is overridden. Best of both worlds, kinda, well, except for not having XM...

Hmmmmm.....XM radio on the Blade.....

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 3:54 PM

Quote:

HondaGal : Hmmmmm.....XM radio on the Blade.....

'Hmm, I wonder if Dan carries XM receivers? '
---HondaGal

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 3:55 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Reception is supposed to be unflappable, so long as you can see some sky; apparently tunnels are the only real show-stoppers.

That's not really true. *Sometimes if you are on the wrong side of a mountain, you lose reception. *It goes in and out driving around Lake Tahoe for example.

XM is kinda cool, but in a way I hope it doesn't really take off. *Cable killed free TV...and it's full of ads now too. *It's kinda cool listening to local stations in different areas as you are roadtripping anyways.

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 4:08 PM

Quote:

luvtolean : Sometimes if you are on the wrong side of a mountain, you lose reception.

What's a 'mountain'?

That's probably true of areas where little else works, too. Anyways, that's what I've read, and even if I had a receiver, there'd be no place around here to test that

deez · 07-25-2003, 4:14 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Oh, I've tried several gizmos, but so far here's what worked best:

head(ear)phones - Sony MDR-EX70LP Fontopia Headphones

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?...=sonymdrex70lp

http://www.electronicaccessory.com/i...MDR-EX70LP.jpg

I have those but they hurt my ears after 30 minutes. Someone told me about some custom made earphones, that the earplug mfr's make, maybe need to try those.

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 4:15 PM

Hehe. Well even around 'hills' it can go out. Here in the Bay Area there is a canyon called Niles Canyon that has maybe 1500' peaks on either side. You get regular radio reception in it, but not XM, it goes out in there every time. On a trip to Tahoe it was going in and out too as we drove around the lake. Pretty much anywhere else it is great.

The only reason I mention it is that if someone wants to use it on their bike, they should know it might not work very well on good roads in the hills.

My cousin is an XM freak (he even bought their stock right after the IPO) and had like the second customer receiver sold in CA put into his car. It was funny, the DJ's all knew there was only a few 'beta' users on so they'd mess with each other all the time. You'd have a DJ setting up a system to call a hard rock channel 1000 times requesting 'YMCA' or something.

deez · 07-25-2003, 4:15 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Since you're specifically asking about XM radio, I've read meny good things about this receiver:

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=delsa10000

Delphi SA10000 Add-on XM Satellite Radio Tuner
*
http://www.xmradio.com/images/photo_...e_bowie_lg.jpg

Reception is supposed to be unflappable, so long as you can see some sky; apparently tunnels are the only real show-stoppers.

A friend of mine just hooked this up on his Goldwing, it's trick.

2OHOH2 · 07-25-2003, 4:23 PM

Quote:

booth23 : I have those but they hurt my ears after 30 minutes. *Someone told me about some custom made earphones, that the earplug mfr's make, maybe need to try those.

You must obviously tried their three different plug ends, but what about the helmet? It's possible that after putting on the helmet they were being crushed into your ear.

Oh, so are you selling them? *

Etymotic is supposed to be the best, and they can even mold the earphone just like a custom ear plug with the drivers fitting within. I almost bought a set, but at $250 a pop for the standard version, it's a lot of money to spend on something that might not be a significant improvement over the trusty Sonys.

EDIT: I'll try to remember to take a pic of how I seat them in my ears, that might make a difference too; suffice it to say, that I don't put them in the conventional cord-down way, but rather with the cord up and back a little, which allows most of the phone to go in my ear canal.

HondaGal · 07-25-2003, 4:27 PM

Lookie what I found: Two Wheel Radio And, you don't even need a radio on your bike. Drat....how many more months until Christmas. I have something to put on my list for Santa.

deez · 07-25-2003, 4:31 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : EDIT: I'll try to remember to take a pic of how I seat them in my ears, that might make a difference too; suffice it to say, that I don't put them in the conventional cord-down way, but rather with the cord up and back a little, which allows most of the phone to go in my ear canal.

CyBeR929 · 07-25-2003, 4:51 PM

This guy's got a XM setup on his G1k....pretty trick

TSBA Geek

deez · 07-25-2003, 5:04 PM

That is pretty cool, but it sure looks like a clusterf*ck.

ConqSoft · 07-25-2003, 5:56 PM

Wha.... Where.... Hmmm....

What could this be?

ConqSoft · 07-25-2003, 5:58 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Oh, I've tried several gizmos, but so far here's what worked best:

head(ear)phones - Sony MDR-EX70LP Fontopia Headphones

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?...=sonymdrex70lp

http://www.electronicaccessory.com/i...MDR-EX70LP.jpg

I've had them for, uhh, over two years and they've been flawless.

MP3 player - I now have an iPod (don't ask, Conq ), and it is all that. I tried the Archos Mutimedia Jukebox (PITA - when riding, it shut off whenever, skipped like a bastage, froze, etc.), and the inexpensive NEX II CF player (great, no problems, but limited to the size of the card, so about six or so hours of play on my 256MB card.

If you don't want/need a huge collection of music with you, get one of the new super-small MP3 players with 128 or 256 MB of memory, maybe a tuner, those Sony earphones and be done with it.

I picked up the MDR-EX71SL ones today. Seem nice so far.

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 5:59 PM

Conq the gadgeteer!

ConqSoft · 07-25-2003, 6:00 PM

Actually, I've been debating getting one for months now. Finally decided to do it today.

luvtolean · 07-25-2003, 6:02 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : EDIT: I'll try to remember to take a pic of how I seat them in my ears, that might make a difference too; suffice it to say, that I don't put them in the conventional cord-down way, but rather with the cord up and back a little, which allows most of the phone to go in my ear canal.

Yeah, I use those on airplane flights to listen to music for hours on hours with no problems. *They're pretty good but I think they suck for bass, I have to tweak my settings for them so they don't distort.

I like them cord down pointed forward a bit so the little rubber 'stalk' can follow the contour of my ear.

ConqSoft · 07-25-2003, 6:08 PM

ROCK!

24 Hour Comedians. Weather. CNN News. Why the hell did I wait so long to get this?

BillAce · 07-25-2003, 6:15 PM

An XM portable unit would be cool on a bike. The antenna would probably work from inside the trunk since it's plastic and the next generation of antenna's is much smaller than the original's and due out shortly. I definitely prefer Sirius to XM, but either are great for travelling. A small line amp could probably be used to increase the output. I've been testing the new Sirius plug & Play device for a while in my ML, maybe I'll play with putting on the 954 when I get some free time.