Using Transceivers, Setting the VOX, & Radio use
It is quite common for first time users to have some difficulties, although it seems quite simple, and it is, there are some tricks it getting it right. So lets go through a few pointers. I may be telling you how to suck an egg with some points, but I don't know what you know so bear with me and oblige me with these practice/principles.
Before riding, set the system up on the bikes and practice some radio disciplines. It can help if you practice on one bike while listening on the other transceiver with the volume turned up and the leads unplugged from the side so that the transceiver speaker works. Someone else can talk back to you on the other transceiver by pressing the PTT button on the side of the transceiver. If they listen carefully they will hear the short delay after you finish speaking and before your VOX switches off and you stop transmitting. It is important that you understand this VOX delay, as it is pointless trying to transmit back to someone else if they are still transmitting. One has to have a short VOX delay so that the system reliably stays on during normal speech, which may have short pauses and you don't want a transceiver bouncing between transmit and receive, with the small losses of speech that you get in between.
When you first speak you need to draw out the first word or use a key word to get things going. I always use "OK when you get to the lights take a left, OVER" I always use OK at the start of a conversation because although the VOX is instant, transceivers have to go from standby to transmit and also standby to receive, the other end. So there is a 1/2 second or so delay. DON'T TURN LEFT may come over as TURN LEFT, so its good practice to use a key work like OK then say what you want such as OK, DON'T TURN LEFT. Its also good practice to say OVER when you have finished speaking, as if after saying OK TURN LEFT the other person replied with OK, OK, they may well have transmitted over you trying to say something like AND THEN TAKE THE NEXT RIGHT. Of course if you wait to hear OVER before giving a reply you can help avoid this, but even a well seasoned user will occasionally jam, which is when two people transmit at the same time.
Practise makes perfect and it's much easier to practice while close together and not riding and worrying about other things going on.
Please study the attachment about setting the VOX, microphone and speaker positioning. Correct VOX settings will make all the difference to a flowing two way conversation (one way at a time with bike-bike) as the higher the VOX setting the quicker the switching off of the mic's, which allows for faster return transmissions. To help get reliable speech with the highest VOX setting one MUST set up and use the mic's loud spot. Speaker positioning is also very important as with the speakers out of position the sound level will be much lower, this will tend to make you turn the transceivers receive volume up and if too loud it will cause VOX bounce to warn you that something is wrong and protect the speakers. VOX bounce is where the VOX switches in and out during conversation normally because the incoming speech is set too loud (normally associated with excessive transceiver volume, to compensate for incorrect speaker positioning or over attenuating earplugs) To test this hold the speakers over your ears, turn the transceiver volume down and slowly turn it back up to a comfortable level, then the VOX should not bounce.
Typical problems are due to misunderstanding the importance of correct setting up; some users turn the VOX setting too low (clockwise) to compensate for not properly using the microphone loud spot. With the VOX set too low the microphone may accidentally switch on at higher speeds, causing your transceiver to transmit, which of course you don't want to happen when trying to receive a transmission from the other bike.
Obviously the faster you go the more likely the helmet noise is to false trigger the VOX, which can cause you to have break-up in conversations, but with a correct (higher anticlockwise) VOX setting, which is easily activated when using the microphone LOUD SPOT, you will avoid false VOX operations at higher speeds.
With correctly positioned speakers you will find you can turn the transceiver receive volume down, which will avoid VOX bounce.
With practice your radio discipline will get better and you will avoided clipping the first part of the sentence by using a key word such as OK, then educate the other users to not return comments until you have said OVER, Plus then also allow a one or two second delay to allow your transceiver to switch back to receive before they return the speech, remembering that they must start with a keyword or OK and again end with OVER.
Next time you watch a TV program like "The Bill" or any professional services you will hear them using this type of radio discipline and understand why they do so. I hope this helps you but if you have any further questions please let me know.
Depending on how well you set the speaker positioning and use the microphone loud spot will depend on how much sound level you will have at the ear. Extreme ear plugs, or earplugs that have high attenuation levels will make it hard to hear even the best set-up, but low to average attenuation earplugs will work reasonably well if your installation and use is good. Remember that for each decibel or dB of attenuation you effectively halve the sound, so if its very good to start with you can afford to reduce it some, how much depends on you're and the setting.
We recommend that you do not use earplugs with more than 20dB attenuation, as much above this will be likely to cause you to want more volume, which you cannot have. Remember it is already set to the optimum level.