Help! (Comm Gear)

[icebullet]

Okay. This guy I know is selling some legitimate MSA Sordins. At a good price to boot.

What kind of radio can I use? I understand that I can't use FRS/Motoarola/Generic Radios, and I need some sort of PTT system to make it work... Yeah? Also, I'm hearing a lot of chatter about the Chinese knock offs, and how they suck. Is this true? Along with that, is there some kind of Icom radio that PSC uses a lot?

Also, no hate please. I want a nice headset and radio. Mmmkay?

[RBeran]

Define good price?

Next...what do you want with you comms? Do you want 'em to look cool, AND work? Or do you just want functionality?

Being a practical kind of guy, I have opted for straight up functionality at the best price possible. That leads me to BiMart and a set of Mid-Land GMRS radios.

I spent 59.95 for my radios which included the earbud headsets. They have lasted me two years of airsofting and still work fine.

My .02.

[icebullet]

200? MSRP is 400? That's about right. I want to look cool for the most part, but I could just get some ehobby ones and be done with it.

[Rentax]

When it comes to radios, I would suggest you opt for functionality over looks. You don't look as cool when you get to the field and someone says you have a radio go do this for me. and you have to say, it doesn't work.
Then you look like a tool carrying around extra weight to "look cool"

Get a radio that works, or don't bother. If this radio your planning on getting doesn't work with all the other radios out there who you planing on talking to? what's the point?
PCS and SOTA both use ICOMS, they work pretty well. They can be set up to use GMRS and private channels. with 16 or 18 preset channels. For the most part I've liked what I've seen. But for the size of fields we play on a midland will do you just as well for the most part.

[league 4]

200 isn't that great. I'd sell you some for less than that, PM me if interested.

[mossy]

$170 is really common on egay, the Icom PTT will run you $100 though.

[Ramer]

Define good price?

Next...what do you want with you comms? Do you want 'em to look cool, AND work? Or do you just want functionality?

Being a practical kind of guy, I have opted for straight up functionality at the best price possible. That leads me to BiMart and a set of Mid-Land GMRS radios.

I spent 59.95 for my radios which included the earbud headsets. They have lasted me two years of airsofting and still work fine.

My .02.

I might have to pick up some of those. Been looking for a decent comm device at a decent price.

[Jewish Ninja]

Do take note that the surplus ones sold are the low impedance version, which will make you very quiet on the radios we use in the civvie world. The military uses low impedance and civvie radios are high impedance. Everything will work, you'll just be really quiet. I'd avoid the chinaman peltor/sordins at all costs. They don't always work, and aren't built that well either.

Sordin headsets are pretty overkill for airsoft, but I do love mine. I didn't buy my libs with only airsoft in mind, I take them with for real steel stuff as well as anything that might cause hearing damage (power tools, lawn mower etc). I'd suggest getting some only if you have everything else that you want. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with a good radio and a handmic.

[dom186]

Nasty, I have to disagree with you on the coolness factor :/

[Ash]

Sordin headsets are pretty overkill for airsoft, but I do love mine. I didn't buy my libs with only airsoft in mind, I take them with for real steel stuff as well as anything that might cause hearing damage (power tools, lawn mower etc). I'd suggest getting some only if you have everything else that you want. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with a good radio and a handmic.

Everyone take note; having a pair of Sordins just for airsoft does not make you cool, or even a good player.

Shoot, how can I be cool and a good player then?

[ogrejager]

Shoot, how can I be cool and a good player then?

We can spend an hour and I'll teach you all about it....

[Wombat Six]

Poebot:

Keep in mind that going the MSA Sordin route is a classic "If you give a mouse a cookie" problem. Once you buy the headset, you'll need the PTT ($100 for the Icom version), then you'll need an Icom radio to plug this contraption into ($100-150 depending on the version, most folks who go this route seem to gravitate toward the IC-F21, but the IC-F4001 is NIB for the same price range), and once you get the radio, you'll need the programming cable and programming software to program it to use the FRS/GMRS frequencies that 99% of folks on AP use (or someone to program the radio for you). Then you'll want a radio pouch to put this in, but you'll realize that the Icom radios have their mic/speaker jack on the side, not on top, so the stupid cable won't come out of the radio at the right angle and you'll end up either cutting the pouch or just jamming the whole contraption into the pouch. $500 later, you'll have a useful radio setup (you can probably save about $100-150 off this by shopping wisely, but I'm generalizing to make a point). Then once you've done all this, you'll realize the stupid antenna is poking you in the stupid face and spend another $60 getting the TCI remote antenna kit (go with the V2 with the straight QC and an Icom AD-98FSC to escape the MX antenna connector problem).

My luck with getting the MSA Sordin Icom PTT to work with the Midland radios is nil, so I wouldn't recommend this route as a way to save money on the setup.

As for the knockoff Peltor/Sordin headsets, mine seems to work reasonably well save one annoying feature: turning the headset on and off involves a loud tone. They interface with my Icom radios and I've had more problems with the radio than I've had with the headset. That being said, you can't cheat and buy the knockoff PTT to use with the real MSA Sordin headset, as the pinouts appear to be different.

Are you buying the headset to complete an impression, or are you buying the headset to own a MSA Sordin headset? Is there airsoft gear you would be better off spending the $60 to buy a cheap FRS/GMRS and spending the other $400 or so on?

As for being "cool", meh. I see a lot of players running around with nothing more than PC with some magazines and an M4 replica who let other idiots play with the radios and seem to be doing alright.

EDIT: because I've gotten at least one PM about using the TCI MAST kit with the Icom IC-F21, you need:

Icom AD-98FSC (http://www.gmrsoutlet.com/product.php?productid=42&cat=0&page=1)
Antenex EXC450TN (http://www.wpsantennas.com/exc450tn-antenexcenturion450-470mhztncmaletufduckantenna.aspx)
TCI MAST v2 (Straight or QD, personal preference) (http://www.tacticalcommandstore.com/tci_mast_modular_antenna_system-tactical_antenna_relocation_kit.aspx)

Total package is about $115, I've seen no constructive difference been the generic AD-98FSC and the Icom AD-98FSC.

The only reason for the AD-98FSC is because some idiot at Icom decided that an MX connector made way more sense than a BNC or TNC connector.

[icebullet]

Thanks for all the help guys. I think a knock off headset will do fine. Honestly, unless I go hog hunting down in Georgia, I probably won't need a real Sordin.