Got my nice new Arai from GPR, but can't fit my intercom
Discussion
Bought a nice spangly GP5K from GPR yesterday (for use in my Radical in track days and next year, racing) having discussed the fact that I have a peltor intercom I need to fit.
Having got it home and looking to fit it, it isn't going to work.
Looking at the GPR catalogue, some race helmets (such as the sparco WTT-KF) specifically mention intercoms. None of the Arai race helmets do.
Am I missing something or have I just got the wrong helmet?
Thanks
Bert
Having got it home and looking to fit it, it isn't going to work.
Looking at the GPR catalogue, some race helmets (such as the sparco WTT-KF) specifically mention intercoms. None of the Arai race helmets do.
Am I missing something or have I just got the wrong helmet?
Thanks
Bert
Hi Bert,
To fit a Peltor headset to the Arai you need to remove the cheek pads and sculpt out some of the cheek pad backing with a craft knife. This will allow the microphone and ear pieces to fit nicely behind.
Be careful when removing the cheek pads as they have a couple of blobs of glue holding them in. Start by popping forward the cheekpad piece nearest to the back of the helmet. Don't force this as you may crack the cheekpad backing. Run a kitchen knife behind the pad to cut the glue and you can remove the pad and fit the intercom.
Rob
To fit a Peltor headset to the Arai you need to remove the cheek pads and sculpt out some of the cheek pad backing with a craft knife. This will allow the microphone and ear pieces to fit nicely behind.
Be careful when removing the cheek pads as they have a couple of blobs of glue holding them in. Start by popping forward the cheekpad piece nearest to the back of the helmet. Don't force this as you may crack the cheekpad backing. Run a kitchen knife behind the pad to cut the glue and you can remove the pad and fit the intercom.
Rob
I have had a Bell for a couple of years now, bought it so that I could use a HANS device. I bought it mail order and ordered one in the my normal hat/ helmet size. Unfortunately it was tight on the front left of my forehead but I decide to persevere. In the end I gave up and resolved to buy a new helmet, this time I made the common sense decision not to buy until I had tried on (obvious really but hey ho). I went to DT and tried on several helmets from several dfferent manufacturers, the difference in fit was astounding. Some assume that heads are more round than others and some are narrow front to back and some narrow side to side. In the end the best fit was the Sparco and I bought a "small" compared to my "medium" Bell.
BertBert,
Radio Communications is my trade, and I have customers in the motorsport world, though it's not something I've pushed - they have come to be via recommendations.
I wouldn't use in-helmet speakers for an serious motorsport use, I'd always go for in-ear transducers, as they give you the benefit of attenuating the ambient noise level too - so when you grow grey and old, you can still hear the young whipper snappers talking behind your back at driver's briefings!
The Peltor MT3N-FL6Y kit gives you the pair of in-ear speakers, microphone, y-cable, 2 x pairs of ear plugs to fit the speakers, and the clip to secure the cables to your hat.
You can get them from various sources (including me), and they are as you'd expect fitted with the industry standard NEXUS plug for connection to any correctly wired car loom (or indeed another Peltor loom / intercom).
When I started racing with comms "in the hat", I had 'speakers', but when I moved from smaller 4pot engines to V8's, I suddenly realised that they didn't cut the mustard - with my Thundersaloon, I could only hear when I was braking into a corner!!, with my ASCAR doing my Rookie Training, the only time I could hear the crew on the pitwall at Rockingham was when I lifted for Turn 4.
With the earplug type earpieces, I could carry out a conversation with my Spotter at Rockingham like we were standing next to each other in a quiet(ish)room.
I personally prefer the "squishy foam" plugs to the custom moulded ones as I find they have a better noise attenuation, and don't need tape to keep them in my ears, though the custom ones are a little more comfortable.
That'll be my ten-bobs-worth (again).
Rob.
Radio Communications is my trade, and I have customers in the motorsport world, though it's not something I've pushed - they have come to be via recommendations.
I wouldn't use in-helmet speakers for an serious motorsport use, I'd always go for in-ear transducers, as they give you the benefit of attenuating the ambient noise level too - so when you grow grey and old, you can still hear the young whipper snappers talking behind your back at driver's briefings!
The Peltor MT3N-FL6Y kit gives you the pair of in-ear speakers, microphone, y-cable, 2 x pairs of ear plugs to fit the speakers, and the clip to secure the cables to your hat.
You can get them from various sources (including me), and they are as you'd expect fitted with the industry standard NEXUS plug for connection to any correctly wired car loom (or indeed another Peltor loom / intercom).
When I started racing with comms "in the hat", I had 'speakers', but when I moved from smaller 4pot engines to V8's, I suddenly realised that they didn't cut the mustard - with my Thundersaloon, I could only hear when I was braking into a corner!!, with my ASCAR doing my Rookie Training, the only time I could hear the crew on the pitwall at Rockingham was when I lifted for Turn 4.
With the earplug type earpieces, I could carry out a conversation with my Spotter at Rockingham like we were standing next to each other in a quiet(ish)room.
I personally prefer the "squishy foam" plugs to the custom moulded ones as I find they have a better noise attenuation, and don't need tape to keep them in my ears, though the custom ones are a little more comfortable.
That'll be my ten-bobs-worth (again).
Rob.
Hi Thunderbelmont,
Seeing as you apear to be a bit of an expert in the field, please can you advise me.
I race FF1600 & FF2000. I am not allowed to use transmitting radios but I want a simple pit lane comunication device, ie something in the helmet (ear plugs / speekers & Microphone)some kind of amplifier devise and a headset for one crew member so we can talk calmly without shouting at each other. It needs to be a simple plug into the car / helmet, and I do not really want to break into the car electrical system.
I am using a GP5K, I do not want to damge the helmet (its just been painted) what do you recomend as a cheap neat (decent quality) installation.
Thanks in advance
Andy
Seeing as you apear to be a bit of an expert in the field, please can you advise me.
I race FF1600 & FF2000. I am not allowed to use transmitting radios but I want a simple pit lane comunication device, ie something in the helmet (ear plugs / speekers & Microphone)some kind of amplifier devise and a headset for one crew member so we can talk calmly without shouting at each other. It needs to be a simple plug into the car / helmet, and I do not really want to break into the car electrical system.
I am using a GP5K, I do not want to damge the helmet (its just been painted) what do you recomend as a cheap neat (decent quality) installation.
Thanks in advance
Andy
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