Radio Accessories...What do you use?

[CameraMan]

Well seems as though you have some issues.

The police, ambos and fire department all use them here.

A lot of the security companies here use them also and I have never heard of there being a problem.

I guess it is just a difference of opinion however I would be curious to find out which PD this was so I could ask them their view on possibly endangering their officers lives by delaying the time to get to their radio.

We all know that it is easier to use a shoulder mic than it is trying to get to a radio in a hurry.

My two cents.

Google "largest police department in the us" and it will pop up first, that's all I'm going to say. And I can tell you I've never seen a PO from this department with a shoulder mic outside of tv and the movies. All other agencies in this city (fire, ambulance, Port Authority) use the shoulder mics, so it may just be something the department does to be different (like say 'k' instead of 'over' after a radio tx, using a different radio alpha code, ie Adam, Boy Charlie, David, Eddie, Frank, George, Harry, etc).

Also, when I was a part of this fine organization (before I moved to another state), I was just an Auxilliary officer, so who knows how good the level of training I got was.

[Minneapolis Security]

I like speaker mics when working in uniform. They are a lot quicker than getting the radio out of the holder. Someone tries to strangle me with the cord, well my two hands are still free, I hope they are bullet proof!

[Penthrox]

Well seems as though you have some issues.

The police, ambos and fire department all use them here.

A lot of the security companies here use them also and I have never heard of there being a problem.

I guess it is just a difference of opinion however I would be curious to find out which PD this was so I could ask them their view on possibly endangering their officers lives by delaying the time to get to their radio.

We all know that it is easier to use a shoulder mic than it is trying to get to a radio in a hurry.

My two cents.

[CameraMan]

The department that trained me (very very large city's PD) does not use shoulder mics and the reason given was so no one could strangle you with it. Whenever members of this PD mentions a shoulder mic, it is refered to as a "buff mic" because radios with shoulder mics are VERY popular with police buffs in this city, along with blue suits, black Suburbans with tinted windows and more lights on it than a christmas tree, sunglasses, and Red Cross Certified First Responder cards in a wallet with a chain on it hanging from the neck.

I'll bet that Tizzy, or Hizzy, or whatever that retard from NYCD calls himself, has a buff mic.

No offence was meant to anyone here.

[bpdblue]

In regard to microphones...

I'm a shoulder mic kind of guy, and I wear the mic cord straight up from the radio to wear I clip it on my shoulder.

In over a quarter century of wearing it this way, I have never had anyone try to use the cord against me as a weapon.

Could someone ever try, YES.

Could the country of Andorra launch an attack on the main land USA, YES.

Either LIKELY to happen, in my opinion, NO.

[N. A. Corbier]

I agree, as with anything that you use while working, you should have training on how it is intended to be used. Many defensive tactics classes address how to protect yourself from being wraped up in your extention mic and even teach how to wrap yourself up so that it becomes less of an issue.

The department where I am a Reserve Officer does use the shoulder mic, we can take it off if it suits but most Officers leave them on. they are a convinience. after inquiring there have not been any incidents in my county where an Officer has been assalted with their own radio mic.

Notice: This is personal experience, not a suggestion to others.

I usually wrap my cord around so that it does not go over my back. I rotate the clip up ^ 180 degrees so that the clip grabs upwards. It is then attached to my shoulder epaulet on the off-hand side. The cord runs down my 2:45 to my radio, and the excess is taken up by looping under my radio case. My radio sits at 3:00.

In this way, even if you get ahold of the mic, it just slips off the shoulder. There isn't too much slack, so you can't "just" wrap it around my neck. By the time you've gotten close enough to grab my mic, I am already watching for an attack anyway.

I've had a drunk woman grab at my ASP once, which is worn at 2 o'clock reaction side. Few gun grabs, but nobody's went after my radio or my shoulder mic. In each case, a can of whoopass was deployed (my can is tacticool black, as everyone's should be.)

[LiveNlearn]

If it was that much of a problem I don't think every PD in the country would use them.

I agree, as with anything that you use while working, you should have training on how it is intended to be used. Many defensive tactics classes address how to protect yourself from being wraped up in your extention mic and even teach how to wrap yourself up so that it becomes less of an issue.

The department where I am a Reserve Officer does use the shoulder mic, we can take it off if it suits but most Officers leave them on. they are a convinience. after inquiring there have not been any incidents in my county where an Officer has been assalted with their own radio mic.

[tacscuba]

Ahh, the "buff mike", the perfect object for a perp to strangle you with.

Seriously, you wear a clip on tie but keep a thick coiled wire right next to your neck? Sure, it's convenient, but...

If it was that much of a problem I don't think every PD in the country would use them.

Penthrox

I work as a bouncer and I have found that our Cobra microTALK PR4100-2 radios work fairly well. http://cobra.com/index.cfm?fuseactio...category_ID=29

I have attached the Tactical Ear Gadgets FOX headset to mine to filter noise. http://gtdist.com/ProductDetail.aspx...er=EPC-FOX-SET

I also can keep all radio traffic, such as communication about fights, within security. This prevents any added "help" when we arrive to break it up. Also, we have safety disconnects so we aren't out our money if they get pulled lose in a scuffle.

This set up works nice in a bar, even on concert nights. Next step is teaching the management that radios are not toys and they need to keep their stupidity to themselves during business hours.

I forgot to add this:
http://walkersgameear.com/index.php?...hk=1&Itemid=42

It helps to protect my ear from stereo sound while allowing me to hear normal conversation in my ear without the headset attachment. Worth the money for me. I use it while shooting as well...

[Alaska Security]

Standard motorola handmike. Not too worried about being strangled with my own handmike, if someone's trying to do that I have an issued gun and a knife as well... and they're going to be within arms reach...

[NRM_Oz]

Similar to part of my kit but there is a clip to go onto your collar or underneath your shirt - a way to easily disconnect yourself if you HAVE to go offline or are caught in a scuffle. The ear pieces do have a kit that you mould to fit into your ear and suggested you do it with the help of a doctor for a snug fit.

[bigcollins25]

We also use the Motorola PR400 radios clipped on our belt. But I have a headset I use during business hours to keep radio traffic to myself.



Its an alright headset, awkward at first but easy to adapt to.

[NRM_Oz]

Working CPP I kept my personal gear which included a Nytech throat mike and earpiece but can be a pain to get used to if you forget to press your PTT button or forget to click it off. It came in a kit and we were all given access to subsidised prices but it is rare that I use it as it is a usual (oh I wish I had brought it with me) 2nd thought but it does look more professional in the corporate world. The kit does have a cordless ear piece which is like a hearing age inside your ear canal but I found this hard to get used to but then found it easier to be covert without anyone knowing I was present.

Oh and you need to get a bigger shirt with more room in the neck to ensure your mic is sitting correctly and practice - practice - practice. It did come with a host of connections but I ended up just using it on Motorola radios or those with similar connections. But the bloody box is about 10" x 6" so is not something you are going to carry around in your back pocket.

Most of the separate ear pieces do have a safety break off where the lead comes out of the 3.5 mm jack and pulls away from you - similar to the mechanisms of a clip on tie. When I went for a velcro duty belt, I also bought an Uncle Mike's universal radio pouch that fits all radio sizes and styles - designed to be fitted on any belt to hold your radio secure (those belt clips are not always secure).

As for loud noise areas I would go for a balance ear muff style as you need to ensure you can at least hear your radio from 1 ear and be able to hear patrons from another ear.

[TheEskimo]

We use the Kenwood TK-3200's here for everyone in the building, and when there is a large crowd or live band we use the RocketScience Star-K1 single wire in ear speaker with inline mic.

I have been having some issues with a muffled sound with the inline mic's but they seem to work great otherwise.

Woah that is the radio that is standard issue to our police department. They use the XTS3000's also.

Apparently before I came on, they used the XTS3500's, but now everyone gets the boat anchor 5000...Standard issue for 99% of the federal government, it seems.