In the post about my PTT I briefly mentioned my communication setup and you asked more details about it, so here we go.
I’m going to tell you why and what I use for what purpose so it will help you as leading person to create a good affordable communication setup.
Radio
I use the Baofeng UV82 because
- Availability
- Price of about 60 to 80eur
- Easy of use
- Dual PTT
It has all the features of the more popular little brother, the UV5r, but with the Dual PTT, so no more switching between A and B channels. It has all the accessories that the UV5r has and some are even compatible, but not all.
It has your standard U94 or kenwood connection, which is one of the most used connectors so finding accessories will not be hard.
I did do a few changes on the radio
- Upgraded antenna for better connection, Especially when you carry the radio on your vest. When your body is in between the signal it weakens the signal. With a collapsible antenna I can easily get rid of that problem if needed.
- Bigger battery, there are 2 options on bigger battery. I chose the one that is a bit thicker but doesn’t make the radio longer. It also has a USB charging function with a special cable but also works with the standard battery dock
There are a few things that I’m looking into to upgrade and test
- A PTT guard for when I have it in the pouch
The dual PTT is the main reason I chose this radio. Because of this you only need 1 radio to send on 2 different channels, which in a leading role is usually necessary. While you can listen on 2 channels you only listen at one channel at the time and the radio is quickly switching between them. Which means that sometimes you miss a communication.
In all the years using this on an airsoft field, it never caused a problem but it’s something to be aware of. Good radio discipline helps a lot. Keep messages short and to the point and only have the needed people in the channel.
Only having to carry 1 radio for 2 channels makes the setup more affordable and you can carry your second radio as a backup. Because I do carry one extra radio and extra batteries as a backup.
I have 2 radios with 4 batteries. Backup is very important to keep the communication going.
It is important to set up your radio correctly. I use most of the basic settings, if you want I can make a whole different video on how I set up my radio for games and why, but that would lead us a bit too far from the point of this video. It also depends on your game area. But the important setting for dual channels is to enable TDR, menu number 7.
PTT
Connecting the radio to your headset is done with the PTT. As mentioned in my PTT video, I use my own PTT, which is available to buy on my website. Because of the dual PTT function on the radio, I created a PTT that can utilise this feature within the PTT.
The button on the PTT opens the channel for you to speak in the selected channel.
I created this PTT because I didn’t find a good working one for the dual PTT setup. There are options out there but they are not that good and it’s not that easy to choose the one that will work with your headset. There are headsets with or without dynamic mics and there is civilian and military wiring. Focussing on the headsets with a u174 plug, cause there are other plugs out there too.
This PTT, for now, works on civilian OR military wiring and on non- dynamic microphone headsets.
The PTT choice creates that link between your headset and radio as some kind of an adapter, so make sure to choose the correct one for your setup. This is the reason why I bring this in one video instead of 3 different videos to show you the full setup that works very well together. If you change 1 item in this setup, make sure to check if it will work.
The PTT has a U174 plug to the headset and a kenwood connector, for dual PTT radios to the radio.
This PTT has features I like
- Optimal form factor
- Switch instead of a button
- Dual PTT
- Spiral cable for easy radio placement
- Small
- Good price
Headset
The bowman style headset is, imo, the all round headset that works on most occasions. For its price it has a good clear audio and microphone, if you use the little mod.
The headset has a U174 civilian wired plug that connects directly into the PTT.
There are 2 options out there in this price range, the one I use has a mic that can be switched from left to right. Because I’m a lefty shooter, I want the mic on the right. This was the only bowman style headset that could do that. While it is inexpensive, this is only my second pair and the first one lasted me 10 years. I did reinforce the cables on the connection points, which I’m going to do with the new one too.
Because of the shell and how it is created you have a good situational awareness and your ears are not completely covered. You also don’t need batteries so it just works.
The biggest negative is the microphone, they can’t take any moisture. In rain or when you spit a lot, the mic starts failing. To counter this problem I created a small little gore-Tex bag that goes over the mic. Moisture is not getting in and if it gets in, it can still get out. That solved all the mic problems I had and kept my microphone going in heavy rain for years. I do have a video about the mod and I’ll link in the description.
SETUP
This is a perfect setup for anyone in a leading position or if you’re looking for a good, basic setup that gets the job done. You can easily replace parts or bring backups because of the low cost.
The total cost of the basic set is about
- 80eur for the radio
- 50eur for the ptt
- 20eur for the headset
Some additions that I have on my set,
- 15eur for the antenna
- 80eur for a second backup radio
- 20eur for 2 extra batteries
- 5eur for the mic cover
This brings you to a total of 150eur for the base setup or 270eur for everything that I’m using. Which if you look at prices for real deal communication, will get you maybe the PTT.
Is this the best available setup for communication, no. It’s the best bang for its buck to give you means of communication in the game.