Anyone have some suggestions of where and what to buy for race radios? I am looking to find something that is IPOD ready and comes with a base camp unit. This is all new to me so any suggestions would be helpful. Also what sort of price should I be paying for one.
thanks for any assistance
Full Version: Where To Buy Car To Car Race Radios
My car2car is from RacerX, works great. The only thing we do not have is the base unit..
PCI is what the majority of the guys in my group run.
Our cars use PCI, very good radios. RacerX are good also. I carry the PCI line (I can get anything they carry, I just don't have it all listed). I think my prices are pretty good.
Ultimate packages
Ultimate packages
I have a PCI.
I had a problem with the volume on the car to car radio. When I took it in to them, they told me to wait while they looked at it. After 3 min. of waiting they showed me what was wrong apologized and said to hang on they will fix it. 10 min later I was walking out with it and it has worked perfect ever since. By far the best customer service you will find in the off road industry.
I had a problem with the volume on the car to car radio. When I took it in to them, they told me to wait while they looked at it. After 3 min. of waiting they showed me what was wrong apologized and said to hang on they will fix it. 10 min later I was walking out with it and it has worked perfect ever since. By far the best customer service you will find in the off road industry.
I bought my car2car intercom setup from Desert Communincations.
Kevin Harris is a good guy, a firemen that sell these setups on the side. He has everything, radios, intercom, hand helds, headsets, helmet kits, cabling, adapters, programming service, everything you need.
The key decision you have is to buy headsets, or helmet kits, or both? I prefer wearing a helmet, so my helmet has the speaker/mic kit installed. Those kits are $75 and can easily be installed with a hot glue gun. You use a dremal tool to slightly shape the helmet foam at the ear to hold each speaker then glue it in. Headsets are about $125-$150/ea, make sure you get the soft earmuff covers if you buy headsets.
Radios have to be programmed with memory channels. Using a VHF radio offers the best range, usually 30 to 50watt output which will go a good 20+miles. You need to tell your supplier what frequencies you want for each memory channel. This is usually dictated by who you plan to talk with. Many of the radios are user programable, but you'll need to be patient, some radios can be tricky to follow the directions. Your supplier should volunteer to train you how to program the memory channels.
One of the issues you learn about is the music you want to play. The intercom's primary use is to communicate with your passengers, effortlessly. This is a huge convenience, it really makes things nice. I like running my intercom with an open mic so I can hear everything all passengers say, and there's never a delay in the mic turning on and off. If you plan to play your ipod in the system you'll need to adjust the squelch so the music can be heard when nobody is speaking. When someone speaks the music is interupted so you can hear the passenger with NO music. When you stop speaking, the music comes back.
There are two things you'll l learn:
1. There's a slight delay to sense your voice to turn on the mic, but this isn't a big deal, you just have to get use to it and say "Attention" or "Uhh" or simply drag out your first word in the beginning until the music goes off so you can continue with your sentence.
2. The sound of the sandrail motor can sometimes be loud enough to turn off the music and turn on the mic. The mic thinks your speaking when it's really the sound of the motor. So this means you have to tune the squelch a little higher to compensate for a loud exhaust, which means you have to talk a little louder to turn the mic on.
I prefer not yelling into the mic to turn it on, so I run an open mic with the squelch turned all the way down. I don't listen to music, I listen to my passengers, and you can have a quiet conversation with any of the passengers with an open mic. I find things more fun that way, and more calming for newbies that may be a little scared in the beginning. You may find the same, but everyone's different.
Kevin Harris is a good guy, a firemen that sell these setups on the side. He has everything, radios, intercom, hand helds, headsets, helmet kits, cabling, adapters, programming service, everything you need.
The key decision you have is to buy headsets, or helmet kits, or both? I prefer wearing a helmet, so my helmet has the speaker/mic kit installed. Those kits are $75 and can easily be installed with a hot glue gun. You use a dremal tool to slightly shape the helmet foam at the ear to hold each speaker then glue it in. Headsets are about $125-$150/ea, make sure you get the soft earmuff covers if you buy headsets.
Radios have to be programmed with memory channels. Using a VHF radio offers the best range, usually 30 to 50watt output which will go a good 20+miles. You need to tell your supplier what frequencies you want for each memory channel. This is usually dictated by who you plan to talk with. Many of the radios are user programable, but you'll need to be patient, some radios can be tricky to follow the directions. Your supplier should volunteer to train you how to program the memory channels.
One of the issues you learn about is the music you want to play. The intercom's primary use is to communicate with your passengers, effortlessly. This is a huge convenience, it really makes things nice. I like running my intercom with an open mic so I can hear everything all passengers say, and there's never a delay in the mic turning on and off. If you plan to play your ipod in the system you'll need to adjust the squelch so the music can be heard when nobody is speaking. When someone speaks the music is interupted so you can hear the passenger with NO music. When you stop speaking, the music comes back.
There are two things you'll l learn:
1. There's a slight delay to sense your voice to turn on the mic, but this isn't a big deal, you just have to get use to it and say "Attention" or "Uhh" or simply drag out your first word in the beginning until the music goes off so you can continue with your sentence.
2. The sound of the sandrail motor can sometimes be loud enough to turn off the music and turn on the mic. The mic thinks your speaking when it's really the sound of the motor. So this means you have to tune the squelch a little higher to compensate for a loud exhaust, which means you have to talk a little louder to turn the mic on.
I prefer not yelling into the mic to turn it on, so I run an open mic with the squelch turned all the way down. I don't listen to music, I listen to my passengers, and you can have a quiet conversation with any of the passengers with an open mic. I find things more fun that way, and more calming for newbies that may be a little scared in the beginning. You may find the same, but everyone's different.
thanks for all the help quys.
If I ran an open mic all I would be able to hear is my freggin tranny!!!!!!
Duning to music is the best!!!!
Duning to music is the best!!!!
I just had Extreme Performance install a PCI unit in my car last week, haven't been out to use it yet, but the install was really clean.
QUOTE(King Sand Cars @ Jan 21 2008, 02:27 PM) 
Our cars use PCI, very good radios. RacerX are good also. I carry the PCI line (I can get anything they carry, I just don't have it all listed). I think my prices are pretty good.
Ultimate packages
Ultimate packages
^^Is where I got mine....could not be happier. Probably going to get a base unit as well.
We are a PCI dealer as well as selling Avcomm and Icom setups that are not PCI items. We stock most everything, from radios to intercoms, all the wires, antennas, etc. And we give a GD.com discount since we are a GD.com sponsor. We also ship anywhere.
QUOTE(seaduner @ Jan 21 2008, 03:40 PM)
I bought my car2car intercom setup from Desert Communincations.
Kevin Harris is a good guy, a firemen that sell these setups on the side. He has everything, radios, intercom, hand helds, headsets, helmet kits, cabling, adapters, programming service, everything you need.
The key decision you have is to buy headsets, or helmet kits, or both? I prefer wearing a helmet, so my helmet has the speaker/mic kit installed. Those kits are $75 and can easily be installed with a hot glue gun. You use a dremal tool to slightly shape the helmet foam at the ear to hold each speaker then glue it in. Headsets are about $125-$150/ea, make sure you get the soft earmuff covers if you buy headsets.
Radios have to be programmed with memory channels. Using a VHF radio offers the best range, usually 30 to 50watt output which will go a good 20+miles. You need to tell your supplier what frequencies you want for each memory channel. This is usually dictated by who you plan to talk with. Many of the radios are user programable, but you'll need to be patient, some radios can be tricky to follow the directions. Your supplier should volunteer to train you how to program the memory channels.
One of the issues you learn about is the music you want to play. The intercom's primary use is to communicate with your passengers, effortlessly. This is a huge convenience, it really makes things nice. I like running my intercom with an open mic so I can hear everything all passengers say, and there's never a delay in the mic turning on and off. If you plan to play your ipod in the system you'll need to adjust the squelch so the music can be heard when nobody is speaking. When someone speaks the music is interupted so you can hear the passenger with NO music. When you stop speaking, the music comes back.
There are two things you'll l learn:
1. There's a slight delay to sense your voice to turn on the mic, but this isn't a big deal, you just have to get use to it and say "Attention" or "Uhh" or simply drag out your first word in the beginning until the music goes off so you can continue with your sentence.
2. The sound of the sandrail motor can sometimes be loud enough to turn off the music and turn on the mic. The mic thinks your speaking when it's really the sound of the motor. So this means you have to tune the squelch a little higher to compensate for a loud exhaust, which means you have to talk a little louder to turn the mic on.
I prefer not yelling into the mic to turn it on, so I run an open mic with the squelch turned all the way down. I don't listen to music, I listen to my passengers, and you can have a quiet conversation with any of the passengers with an open mic. I find things more fun that way, and more calming for newbies that may be a little scared in the beginning. You may find the same, but everyone's different.
Kevin Harris is a good guy, a firemen that sell these setups on the side. He has everything, radios, intercom, hand helds, headsets, helmet kits, cabling, adapters, programming service, everything you need.
The key decision you have is to buy headsets, or helmet kits, or both? I prefer wearing a helmet, so my helmet has the speaker/mic kit installed. Those kits are $75 and can easily be installed with a hot glue gun. You use a dremal tool to slightly shape the helmet foam at the ear to hold each speaker then glue it in. Headsets are about $125-$150/ea, make sure you get the soft earmuff covers if you buy headsets.
Radios have to be programmed with memory channels. Using a VHF radio offers the best range, usually 30 to 50watt output which will go a good 20+miles. You need to tell your supplier what frequencies you want for each memory channel. This is usually dictated by who you plan to talk with. Many of the radios are user programable, but you'll need to be patient, some radios can be tricky to follow the directions. Your supplier should volunteer to train you how to program the memory channels.
One of the issues you learn about is the music you want to play. The intercom's primary use is to communicate with your passengers, effortlessly. This is a huge convenience, it really makes things nice. I like running my intercom with an open mic so I can hear everything all passengers say, and there's never a delay in the mic turning on and off. If you plan to play your ipod in the system you'll need to adjust the squelch so the music can be heard when nobody is speaking. When someone speaks the music is interupted so you can hear the passenger with NO music. When you stop speaking, the music comes back.
There are two things you'll l learn:
1. There's a slight delay to sense your voice to turn on the mic, but this isn't a big deal, you just have to get use to it and say "Attention" or "Uhh" or simply drag out your first word in the beginning until the music goes off so you can continue with your sentence.
2. The sound of the sandrail motor can sometimes be loud enough to turn off the music and turn on the mic. The mic thinks your speaking when it's really the sound of the motor. So this means you have to tune the squelch a little higher to compensate for a loud exhaust, which means you have to talk a little louder to turn the mic on.
I prefer not yelling into the mic to turn it on, so I run an open mic with the squelch turned all the way down. I don't listen to music, I listen to my passengers, and you can have a quiet conversation with any of the passengers with an open mic. I find things more fun that way, and more calming for newbies that may be a little scared in the beginning. You may find the same, but everyone's different.
seaduner , where did you get the helemt type headset for 75.00 ? tim
Scott at PCI just hooked me up. I ordered the Ultimate 4 seat with HIFI upgrade. I shoud be badass
I bought my litlle girl a baja extreme kart and it will be finished next week and I want to be able to comminicate with her.I'm not sure what I need.I know I want hers to be in her helmet.I think headsets fo my buggy would be ok.A base camp thingy would be good providing it actually works.
What's the difference between a race radio and a cb radio?
The frequencies..
My wife got me 2 Yeasu FT 2800's for Xmas. They are 65 watt and only $140ish. You can get 2 for the price of one of the RacerX or PCI units and they work great.
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
QUOTE(Mike330R @ Jan 26 2008, 08:54 AM)
My wife got me 2 Yeasu FT 2800's for Xmas. They are 65 watt and only $140ish. You can get 2 for the price of one of the RacerX or PCI units and they work great.
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
How did you program them?
QUOTE(Mike330R @ Jan 26 2008, 08:54 AM)
My wife got me 2 Yeasu FT 2800's for Xmas. They are 65 watt and only $140ish. You can get 2 for the price of one of the RacerX or PCI units and they work great.
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
You will need antenna's and misc cables from racerX, PCI, or even direct from Av Comm in Vegas to connect it all to the intercom unit.
http://www.hamradio.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/ase?ITEM=ft+2800
Here's how I mounted mine:
Next to the seat with an external speaker:
Now with that setup, how many Fq's were pre programmed and how did they match up to others who have RacerX or PCI setups?
jchappy made a cable to connect each to program. Took 10 seconds each. it's a phone line looking cable. I'm sure either him or I could get together with you and program them for ya. Or you can do it manually.
HV-as I understand it we have all Racer X and PCI channels. jchappy can chime in for more info.
HV-as I understand it we have all Racer X and PCI channels. jchappy can chime in for more info.
If only the frequencies were different why wouldn't everyone just use the common cb radio?
QUOTE(jordyt123 @ Jan 26 2008, 10:44 AM)
If only the frequencies were different why wouldn't everyone just use the common cb radio?
Common CB radio is lower freqs and lower power. No way you get race distance out of a CB. Remember, these radios are used for racing and commercial purposes- more power, more durable.
Edited to add: Universal-radio.com usually has better prices than HRO.
The freqs i put in my radio are the same one PCI uses
As far as programing i manually installed them in one radio and made a programing cable for the other one (took a few seconds to do the 2nd one)
So if anyone has a yeasu radio i have a programing cable if you need it
As far as programing i manually installed them in one radio and made a programing cable for the other one (took a few seconds to do the 2nd one)
So if anyone has a yeasu radio i have a programing cable if you need it
QUOTE(KingGlamis @ Jan 24 2008, 10:58 PM)
We are a PCI dealer as well as selling Avcomm and Icom setups that are not PCI items. We stock most everything, from radios to intercoms, all the wires, antennas, etc. And we give a GD.com discount since we are a GD.com sponsor. We also ship anywhere.
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