I just spent a couple of days down in Miami Beach. I didn’t take any of my handhelds, although I’m thinking that maybe I should have. We were on the 10th floor of our hotel, so I could have done pretty well on VHF. Maybe next time.
On the flight home, I happened to be flipping through one of the in-flight magazines and noticed that Plantronics is now producing a wireless headset for cell phones, the M1500. It has a range of up to 30 feet and its rechargeable battery provides 2.5 hours of talk time, 60 hours of standby time. The headset fits neatly over the ear, and it comes with an adapter that plugs into the headset jack of a cell phone.
I’m going to contact Plantronics about adapting this for amateur radio use. There’s two ways to go: get them to sell me just the headset and build an adapter or get them to also design and build an adapter. In addition to the audio output, the adapter would also have to have a push-to-talk output. Also, I would have to design and build cables for the different rigs currently on the market. That might be kind of a hassle, as they all seem to use different connectors.
Even so, I think this would be a very cool amateur radio accessory.
Tyrone Davis says
A fellow ham and I were talking about this just about a week ago. Thanks and would like a email on the update.
Tom K8GSR says
I’ve been thinking about wireless mike/headset too.
Let me know what you find out.
Thanks
Tom
Steve Bragg KA9MVA says
HamHUD V (a combo APRS terminal and voice radio controller) is in design now. HamHUD V will incorporate a HFP Bluetooth module to allow you to use your Bluetooth headset with your favorite voice radio…
Stay tuned at http://www.hamhud.net
Dan KB6NU says
Cool! Maybe you could post here when you’re close to releasing product.
Ben KE5FZC says
Am also looking for a bluetooth headset for VHF portables. My wife who just got her Tech ticket (at my request) says that the radios look to masculine and would prefer to use a bluetooth headset. I think its a good idea just to keep a hands free environment.
Tom - K5TMA says
I’m thinking Skywarn, EOC, etc.
Howabout a “belt-box” that you could plug a “standard” headset into with the Bluetooth adapter at the radio (…or computer?) providing the PTT relay, mike-out, and speaker-in with a wall-wart for power OR pigtails for the 12VDC that is in place already.
Car applications as well as boat, motorcycle, airplane, 4-wheelers, and others would be a viable market.
Come-on real hams… you can do it without breaking the bank!
73
Tom - N9CXI says
OK, I have done this! I am using a Nokia bluetooth headset and an adapter that synces up so it can be used with a standard three wire mini plug and a non bluetooth phone. There are several FRS radios that use these type of wiring and work pretty good.
The Nokia has a PTT setup and does a good job of keying up and working with the FRS radios.
HOWEVER….. The batteries on the bluetooth headsets aren’t meant for full duty use, which is how they work under ptt operation, this means that I drain the battery in about two hours min. Why, it’s because the headsets only are online with a phone when there’s a call, if you want to monitor a radio, you have to be online fulltime.
I have since gone with a commercial mic/earphone system designed for tactical police type communications, the eartube is much more comfortable than anything that’s out there, but mic can be hidden or not, it’s pretty cool.
Ron Sinclair says
please kepp me posted. I would like to have my mobiles bluetoothed as it will eventually the law here in Ontario Canada
73 Ron VE3JRN