Looking for information on wireless headsets that work well in a marine environment for a husband/wife docking a yacht. If you've had a positive or negative experience, please advise. Thank you!
We had them 20 years ago on an 85-footer and they were two piece with a disturbing wire from the transmitter (at your belt) to the headset. There may be wireless Bluetooth or one piece sets today, I don¨t know, but we found it better to use the PA system. By just listening from the bridge what the deckhand said was the best.
Motorola makes what you are looking for. Most of the radios it works with are designed for public service agencies like police and fire. They may have a system suitable for civilian two way radios. What you are looking for is: Motorola RLN6379A - Bluetooth Wireless Kit - Includes Dongle and Headset - Works Only With Motorola XTS1500, XTS2500, XTS5000, PR1500, HT1000 and radios to use it with. I knew some crews in the late 1980s and early 1990s using voice activated corded headsets with walkies. Some liked them, some thought they were a pain. Good luck.
How about a handheld vhf with the remote that clips on your shirt. This is very popular on the larger yachts and the person at the helm already has a vhf handy.
The handheld can also be used for the tender as well as communicating to the yacht from shore and has many more uses and is waterproof
What kind of boat? When I run the 70 footer with my GF, we don't use radios but hand signals. She comes up to the FB before coming in we talk about line and fender set up We number our lines 1 thru 4 from now to stern and so the line handling sequence is something like 2-1-4-3 for instance. When we get to the dock every time a line is secure she signals the line nr and a thumbs up... If we really need to talk, in the US we can use cell phone, me at the Hal With speaker phone, her with her wireless headset.
My wife and I use headsets frequently. When she goes outside the boat onto the side walkway I can't see her from the helm so the headsets were a way to communicate without yelling at each other. They're fully self contained in the headset so there's nothing that attaches to the wearer's belt or in a pocket. They're also full duplex so both of us can talk at the same time and be heard by the other, as in a normal conversation. I can't recall the brand name and the headsets are on the boat. I tried to post a picture but it didn't work, so here's the link to it....
Those look like the Mariner 500's mentioned above. Personally, we've used the EarTec models with great success. That said, it's all about the headset and what's comfortable. If the sound quality isn't exceptional, or they aren't easy to wear, they'll quickly begin collecting dust in a cabinet.
Eartec for us. We like them so well we got another set as spare. To me the biggest advantage is after leaving the dock there is a 5-10 minute stowing of lines and fenders that keeps us in communication.