GW and I have talked about getting headsets for use on the next boat. The type we are looking for would just be used for talking from helm-to-dock distances, so no great power is needed. I've seen couples use them when docking and they seem to work well.

The type we're thinking of would have a 9V-battery powered "box" that you clip to a belt and are voice activated.

Anyone have any experience with any of these or know what brand/model to look for?

GFC; If you recall my system, I have three (can have up to 10) cordless telephones that can be either waterproof or non-waterproof versions (but the waterproof version cannot use a headset).

I can talk to the admiral on the foredeck while I am at the helm, or she can call out fuel gallons watching the pump at the bow while I am at the transom filling the boat.

And I have another module that bluetooths the headset/handsets to my cell phone so that we can place and receive calls from the cell phone via the cordless phones.

The headset/handsets have three modes of operation. External (using the cell phone to make a call), internal - aka intercom, and walkie-talkie mode where they act like short-range walkie-talkies. In walkie-talkie mode, you need to push-to-talk, but in intercom mode (or cell phone mode), then it works like a full-duplex headset without the need to depress a button or need for VOX.

Give me a break guys...unless you are buying a SHIP...those headsets are not needed. As you know, my dad has a Carver 502 which is fully enclosed. No headsets needed when we dock at all. If you really need to communicate, use hand signals, it makes you look like you know what you are doing. Those headsets are just ridiculous...especially on a boat under 80'.

Doggg, After our cruise to the San Juan Islands last year, and watching couples dock their boats, I disagree with you on the size where headsets become a "very nice to have" item. Not absolutely necessary, but nice to have.

Most of the couples did not have them and when they docked there was usually a lot of yelling back and forth between the two. Mind you, this was not "mad" yelling but rather simple communicating between the helm and the person on the deck or dock.

I also watched two couples use headsets. One pair had about a 55' boat and the other more in the 70' range. Both couples docked the boat without any yelling and appeared to be very smooth in their understanding of what had to be done and what each person's role was. They were talking to each other but nobody around them knew what was being said because of the headsets they were wearing.

I use a headset at work as a replacement for the phone handset and it's more comfortable, allows me to do other things (type, walk around to retrieve files, etc.) while on the phone. I love it. It's a simple over the ear type from Plantronics.

Al, what brand/model headsets do you have that you mentioned in the last paragraph? Are they rechargeable or do they have a battery pack?

Not that it really matters. But here it goes anyway.
My Grand parents did the loop a couple times in their 42' Hatteras or was it the 45' Jefferson? I guess it doesn't really matter; the point is, not once did they use headsets. He ll they were in their 70's 20 years ago for Christs sake. They had been boaters since the early 60's way before most of this fancy smanchy crap.
Heck I remember when they got a phone on their boat.......Of course it had to be at dock
They gave up boating about 5-10 years back due to health. My grandmother died last year and my grandfather 92 is still kicking it in the Tampa/St Pete area.

So you can guess on my opinion of headsets.....

Doggg, why should it matter to you what others do?

If you don't see a need for something, fine. But that doesn't mean others may or may not find something useful.

While I don't know why I am trying to justify myself to you, I'll give you a bit of an insite as to how we use our system.

We don't use our system for docking, and I never said so in my comment.

But as I stated above, they are handy when the admiral calls out the gallons at the pump which is usually located near the bow of the boat at the fuel dock where we typically fuel. When I am at the stern, I cannot see her for hand signals, and I cannot hear her very well, especially when the pump out or other things are going.

And my headset system connects to my cell phone which is attached to an external amplifier down in the saloon, and 8ft antenna, which gives a lot better range. And with the increased noise on board when the boat is underway, using a handset with the cordless phone on the bridge, I can have conversations via the cell phone. The cordless phone has more audio power, so it makes it easier to hear.

And when we talk to our son in Florida, the admiral can pickup another handset and we can have a 3-way conversation with our son.

GFC; the cordless phones are standard Uniden 5.8Ghz units, and they are rechargeable. They are cordless handsets, not just headphones. We simply use a generic (non powered) headset on the handset for times when there is a lot of ambient noise, or have hands on the wheel, etc. Its a helluva lot easier to have a headset on when I have my hands on the fuel nozzle.

In a PM Al provided me with the name of a <<GASP>> sailboat company that carries a headset similar to what I'm looking for. CruisingSolutions.com has a model that's similar to what I wanted. After a couple of emails back and forth with the company to find out some specifics about the headset I ordered a pair. Here's a link to that page on their website.

They should be here in a week or so and I'll let you know what I think of them.

SHHHHHH, please don't tell anyone I bought them from a <<GASP>> sailboat company. I'd be so embarassed if the word got out.

Thanks for the tip Al!

And don't tell anyone that I have been looking at sailboat catalogs...

No cell phone coverage at that dock ?

Simple wired earbud should work - most phones come with a cheapie.

Scott, most of the places we boat there is coverage, but some of the places do not have any. Our long range plans include cruising up into the waters between British Columbia and Vancouver Island. In many of those places there is zero coverage.

This way there's also no chance of dropping a cell phone overboard. Cell phones I've owned seemed to have an affinity for swimming.

Cool idea. We've been using FRS radios for the past few years for exactly the reasons described - it makes launching and retrieving much easier - I can actually talk my wife down the ramp as she backs it in to the water.

Headsets would be even better.

We have used walkie-talkies for years for geocaching, staying in touch in amusement parks, and for backing the RV into tight spaces.

The last ones I had would also take those headset/mic combos that you can get for about $15 at office supply stores for cordless phones. (I don't know if they all do or not)

Could I do without them? Sure. Did I care what others thought about us using them? Nope.

We used voice activated sets that we bought from a childs toy store. They cost us $19 and worked great. Biggest problem is when others started asking about them we found they were no longer being sold.
As for any doggs thinking they were not needed on a boat smaller than 80' who cares. We found it made the process easier. The need to raise our voices would occasionaly also raise the tension as well. Docking can cause some tense moments between couples and I for one will use anything that helps to relieve those moments.

those headsets look cool. maybe it's time to ditch the soup cans and string setup i've been usinf. they haven't been working too well anyway. something abhout keeping the string tight i think.

The headsets got here Friday but we didn't have a chance to play with them until today.

When I first opened the box I was pleased to see they came in a heavy duty, padded, cordura-type zippered case. Very classy.

The headsets themselves are very light weight. They appear to be made entirely out of plastic and weigh so little that when you put them on you hardly feel like you're wearing anything on your head. Each headset requires a 9V battery and I think the battery weighs almost as much as the headset. There is an OFF/LOW/HIGH power switch on the side with the microphone attached. Each ear piece is adjustable for the wearer's head size.

We first tried them out on the boat and, given the short length of the boat they worked absolutely great. Crystal clear signal, no interference or scratchy sounds, etc. We found that on the low setting we could talk in a low voice and hear the other perosn well.

We didn't have a chance to try them at longer distances until we got home. We put them on and I walked away from the house. At about 10 yards apart we both got a lot of background scratching noise. Not Good. As I walked further away we could tell that what we were picking up as background noise was a radio station. There is a radio transmission tower about 1/2 mile from the house and we could hear it quite well.

Even with the radio signal overriding our conversation we found out we could talk to each other and hear each other when I was about 100 yards away.

I suspect without the radio signal in the background the range would be much longer than that.

At some point this week we'll try to test the range again when we're not within the signal distance of the radio station.