collet communicators

[local 25]

im just looking for some feed back on the collett 900 helmet communicators (positive or negative) as i have been appointed by my group that i ride with to buy 10 of them. any comments ,thanks in advance. mark

 

[RX-1 Liter]

We have the collet models prior to the 900 mghz and we are not impressed with their performance. They advertise a 2 mile unobstructed range. BS. You are lucky to get 1/4 of a mile before they start breaking up. In the woods the range drops down to about 1/8th of a mile at best. Personally I wouldn't ride without them since I rarely ride with more than 2 other sleds so the range isn't that big of an issue. However in bigger groups I will be leading and my dad will be at the back of the pack and we will be breaking up. The newer 900 mghz models may be better, but I have heard that the chatterbox brand was superior in performance to collet.

 

[welterracer]

I own two collet 900s and am looking to buy some more...

They work way better than the old 49htz jobbies!!

 

[Frostbite]

I have two sets of the old style 900s. They are black not chrome. They are the ones that also have an intercom so your passenger can talk too if you have one. I bought them for the wife, kids and I but I have never used them. When they blew out the old style for the new design I just had to try them. I still need to try them. Powder Blue

 

[stingray]

Our group has the HJC chatterbox communicators. The first set said 2 mile range, but only went out 300 yards in the woods. The second set we ordered the 5 mile range and they seemed to at least extend to about 3.5 miles over terrain; however, the microphones were muffled. We sent them back to HJC last winter and at that time recieved their most recent upgrades. We really like the current set-up and would have a hard time riding without them. HJC was good about trying to match us up with a system we would like. The system is voice activated, but we prefer to use the hard wire button on the bars. Ted.

 

[redeye23]

The group I ride with use the collett 900 and I wouldnt want to ride without them. The range does vary depending on where you are: woods, open fields, over the other side of a hill......... as your batteries die the range does so also ........so one way to help with the range is to run them on full power all the time by using this system http://communicatorpower.com instead of the batteries....actually this system increased the range of ours units over the battery packs...... i still carry my battery pack with rechargable batteries in it and i can charge them while i ride, they are my back-up just in case ............ I know that if you buy 6 or more from collett you can get your own private club channel programmed into them all and in Maine they beep when you get within a 1/4 mile of a groomer. Good Luck

 

[BROKEN ARROW]

Thanks powderblue for telling us that you bought the system but never tried it................................... I use the collet communicator 900 and like it very much,it can take a little getting used to at first but you won't want to ride without them once you try it.Last January I was plowed into by a deer while riding at about 40 mph in Quebec.It was extremelycold and when the accident happened I was able to contact my friend I was riding with ahead of me. Luckiley I was not seriously injured but it was nice to know my friend was able to turn around and come help me instead of being stranded for 5 minutes or even more.So for me it is a luxury to be able to talk while you ride but it is also a safety item. and REDEYE23 is correct saying that they work better if you run them off your sled power rather than the batteries...i hope this helps

 

[192 Woodys]

redeye have you used this power supply? is it worth the $65 they want for it? how much power does it drain from the system? can you run it with a electric shield without a problem? do you hook it up right to the battery or did you splice into wires?

 

[Dukester]

I hooked mine into the cable that goes to my face sheild from the 12 volt connection. The current drain is trivial. You need a IN4001 diode a 317 adjustable regular and a 25 volt 10 mic. capacitor. This will make a triclel charger to the battery pack and let the battery pack drive the communicator. Total cost at Radio Shack of about $2. If you need further help send me a PM and I will give you the exact circuit and parts free.
Dan

 

[MR.HAPPY]

STINGRAY, You wouldn't go by "Barry" would you?!

BR

 

[192 Woodys]

Sketr, thanks I will be getting 2 of these I believe and your help will be much appriciated. I will PM you when I have them. Thanks again.

 

[redeye23]

192 woodie: I spliced into the power supply for my hand warmer using the wires underneath the handlebar pad. The power system has its own .5 amp fuse so the power drain is minimum. The system works great. I dont have any other accessories hooked up into my sled so i am not sure the effect it would have on anything else. I do know that it wiil pay for itself in one season because of all the batteries i bought last year. I used to put 6 brand new AA batteries in everyday we rode last year because rechargable batteries are just not good and this things range is really effected by your batteries dying. Good Luck.

 

[YamahaRx-Warrior]

have the old 900's and the new platmum ones it's like night and day. I wouldent use my old regular 900's again and I got 4 of them in a box. they are nothing but problems from knocking to not comming in.

I wouldent go on long trail rides without them makes the ride safer.

Justin

 

[mack7]

are the sno fones the same as the 900 just without the music hookups and such?

 

[NY_Nytro]

Our group has used Collett 900s since 1998. We sent them in a few years back for upgrades, which help the voice clarity. It would be hard to imagine riding without them. They are great for saying quick commands or warnings, but not great for conversations. Mic placement is key as some in our group sound muffled and others sound like phone quality. But overall a very wise investment.

Another plus is the groomer warning beacon alert. Not sure about US groomers but most groomers in Ontario have beacons that send out a repeating tone to alert you that they are near.