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….....................--- Inexpensive Conversion of Motorcycle --

..........................--- Bluetooth Headsets to Boat Headsets ---

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I was looking for an option for good communication between the helm and the bow of the Endeavour as we plan on anchoring most always. Previously we had bought a pair of headsets for a little under $100 that you see advertise for boating. We personally didn't find them to be very good as the reception was not always dependable and/or clear. We bought a Suzuki 650 V-Strom for road trips in 2016 and at that come bought some rather expensive ($300 for a pair) Bluetooth speakers and mics for our helmets. They work great and are well worth the money. You can also get them in a headset model but then we would have to spend a bunch of money all over again.

After thinking on it I got to thinking I might be able to use a pair of Harbor Freight noise reduction earmuffs and attach the Bluetooth controller, speakers and mic to the ear muffs.

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Above you can see the Sena parts connected to a helmet. Well kind of. The mic and earphones are out of sight with just the control unit visible.

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Above are the parts you get with the kit. We use the larger mic for the helmets and for this application.

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Here you can see the muffs with the mic and control unit attached to one side and the earphones are in each muff.

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We picked up two earmuffs on sale for $3.00 each. I've used these for years in the shop also.

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The mic and earphones had Velcro all ready attached to them for the helmet application. I cut some Velcro tape and used it to hold the earphones in the muffs and also the mike to the outside of one muff. Electrical tape was wrapped around one side of the crosspiece between the mutts to make it thicker. Then the control unit was slid on and held with the same hardware that holds it to the helmet.

I was having trouble keeping the speakers attached to the foam inside the ear pieces with the Velcro. I pulled the foam out and cut a hole in it about where the speaker is and ...

…... put the speaker inside the ear piece and then put the foam in over it. It holds the speaker in place and you can hear just fine.

I also put a little electrical tape over the end of the mike boom where it was sitting on the Velcro on the outside of the ear piece. Now it is nice and steady. Once back home I can convert these back to the motorcycle helmets in a few minutes.

This isn't a cheap build, but if you ride a motorcycle and already have the Bluetooth gear for less than $10 you can convert it to work on the boat and when back home again move it back the the motorcycle helmets. It only took about 15 minutes to convert the HF earmuffs.

We have tried them at home and they work great so should also work fine on the boat. The earmuffs block out all outside sounds and you have crystal clear reception.

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