Batboard

In speaking with a collegue, we are trying to figure out what the best option is for communications for the Pump operator. The popular choice will be standard for all of our apparatus in the future.
Here are the options:

1. Weather proof speaker and mic located at the pump panel

2. Pump Panel Kit - belt, headset and ptt button that hooks directly into the pump panel (restricted to stay within approx. 6 ft of pump panel)

OR

3. Portable Kit - belt, headset, ptt box that attaches to to Pump Op's portable - not restricted to the pump panel)

I'd like to hear other people's opinions and their setups as well.

BTW, My choice was option 1.

Cheers,
Scott

A fourth option is a second independent mobile, located behind a door near the pump panel. This eliminates the issues presented by a second control head and gives better functionality than a portable. The mike's don't have to be waterproof; they stand up pretty well and are cheap enough (and easy enough) to replace. The speaker is a problem (but the same problem you'd have with a second control head) and we've found that a number of so-called waterproof speakers aren't.

Hello,

We order our apparatus with a small compartment to the right of the pump panel that holds the mics and the grills precut into the pump panel so the weatherproof speakers can be mounted behind them for a clean look. In addition we have a light installed to show which radio is receiving. (Since there are two radios) By having the factory do this preliminary work it works out a lot better. I'll get you a picture which will show what I'm talking about.

The operator also has a portable for the fireground freq.

Gary

We use a second mobile, usually a base model because most of our options are not needed here. Another CDM costs just a little more than all the dual head stuff and gives you another radio in case of failure of the main one, etc. It goes in a "weather" tight compartment with a siren speaker mounted behind the pump pannel. The siren speaker is quite load enough, and meets the waterproof requirement.

If you have enough guys to actualy tie someone to a pump pannel radio with a headset, god bless, I have never had that many people to just lock someone down!

The one our guys like best and is really the most functional: put a portable in your pocket and it doesn't matter what you do or where you might be, you got radio. I really don't think anyone uses the pump radio anyway....

we use a 2nd mobile as well as a portable. We have tried to have the operator also wear an ear piece, but it just gets tangled up, and sometimes the operator of the quint, must operate the pump and the aerial.

Portable with a headset here. It is great. You can move around with a teather holding you within 2 feet of the pump panel.

Pardon my ignorance here as the only real fire customer I have is a small VFD and being from Los Angeles am used to excessive amounts of $$ being thrown at the FD for equipment, but what purpose does it server to go through all the trouble (and expense) of having a mobile mounted next to the pump?

I would figure that a portable (my gathering is that all firefighters on a truck generally carry their own portable) with some sort of remote speaker mic or inline ptt headset would suffice.

I do not mean to step on anyone's toes here as I generally deal with transportation co's and the like, just curious about this subject since it has been brought up and interests me

stand next to the pump when it's running at full flow
You wont hear your portable.
Just bought 8 trucks from Pierce all with the little compartment Gary talked about.
Using XTL5000 radios to add another base would be too costly so Dual control is the way. A feature comming soon will mean you don't need to switch between heads
Bruce

Just to let you all know, the driver of the Pump always has a portable with him or her at all times. Every member of the crew has a portable (XTS3000) with them at all times.

The idea of a 2nd mobile might be out of reach for us (too costly), as we use Astro Spectras.

Maybe just a remote kit with speaker & mic or just the mic and speaker by itself on the panel is what we might be looking at.

All of the ideas that have been posted have been terrific though. If you have anymore, keep 'em coming!

Cheers!

Ok if you want to go cheap and not add the dual control head option
The Astro Spectra can have external mike .
Add an extra microphone at the panel (buy the motorcycle one) and get it wired in. There is also a spot for audio out so add an amplified speaker.
Cheaper in parts but may be more costly due to playing around to make it work.

As for the portable.
When you test your pump next wait for the pump to be at full speed and call your operator on his XTS3000 radio. (don't tell him you'll be calling or he will be listening)

For years we used a David Clark PTT adapter attached to an MS connector in the engineer compartment. The Engineer would take a headset from his PTT station in the cab and plug it into the PTT adapter. The cable on our PTT adapter was an extra long 15' coiled cord and the adapter was retained by a metal clip to the Engineers's belt. This still left the Engineer tethered to the pump panel. 10 years ago we went to the model specific portable radio adapters and IMHO there is NO substitute. Installing a second mobile radio or a control head still restricts the Engineer to the pump panel to communicate. If he has a portable he still has to constantly adjust the portable volume up and down to avoid feedback. To be honest before we went to the portable headset I used a radio shack 1/4 to 1/8 adapter to interface a D/C headset with our Jedi portables . I still used the speakermic to xmit but the noise attenuating headset made RX much better. The portable headsets work so much better that I've added them to the inventory of our command trucks and Chiefs (excepting interior) working remote from the command post rave about them. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of 400 - 500 bucks for the David Clark models with a headest - cheaper than you'll spend on another controlhead, mic, speaker, and labor.

Bret

We have 90 series kenwoods which allow seamless dual-head operation if we want. The tanker has it but nobody uses it. The whole thing is usless since we operate on a tac channel anyway. Having access to the mobile doesn't help much.

There are portable radios on all the trucks for all the riding positions, which is all the airpacks. There is also one for the driver. The two engines and the tanker have headsets on the driver's portable. You can hear the radio. You can hear other people. And you can talk on the radio. Pump panel radios are obsolete with this.

Don’t know how much money you want to spend but you could go with a Firecom system with a jack at the panel. They are also great in the cab for intercom and radio. I believe they also make an adapter for many portables that would allow the pump operator to unplug from the panel and move around but still have the head set.

Thanks to all who replied, your help and opinions are much appreciated! I will be putting forward some of the suggestions that were mentioned.

Cheers.

a remote speaker and microphone inside the pump operator's compartment. It also has a jack and PTT pushbutton for a David Clark headset. The pump operator can use either system along with a portable.
Tim

fire4117 wrote:In speaking with a collegue, we are trying to figure out what the best option is for communications for the Pump operator. The popular choice will be standard for all of our apparatus in the future.
Here are the options:

1. Weather proof speaker and mic located at the pump panel

2. Pump Panel Kit - belt, headset and ptt button that hooks directly into the pump panel (restricted to stay within approx. 6 ft of pump panel)

OR

3. Portable Kit - belt, headset, ptt box that attaches to to Pump Op's portable - not restricted to the pump panel)

I'd like to hear other people's opinions and their setups as well.

BTW, My choice was option 1.

Cheers,
Scott