Can't talk to another person on "Fan Scanner"

[T_Chris_T]

A little long - bear with me; but I want to cover the details...
We took our new scanners to the race this weekend.
Before purchasing I spent some time (20 minutes?) on the phone asking about what it would and wouldn't do.
I bought the Racing Radios kit that came with the Uniden CH125AT scanner and two head sets with the mics so you could talk back and forth to another person.
Of course they send you a book on how the scanner works; but no info (just for clarification) on how to attach the headsets. Doesn't look to be very complicated and fairly idiot proof.
After checking with a few folks that had set ups like mine I am sure we had everything hooked up correctly.
NOW THE BIG ISSUE.
Now we spent a couple hundred dollars extra to get the feature where I could talk to my girlfriend and keep her up to date on what all was going on. (She's a fairly new Cup fan). WE had the cable running from the cable to my head set; then the cable from my head set to hers. In addition we had the 3 pin cable that ran from my headset to hers. I assumed that was the one that made it so we could talk to one another.
Anyway we could hear the teams and MRN just fine when the race started.

THE PROBLEM was when we pushed the button to talk to one another we couldn't hear each other.
Now I believe I was told the way the scanner worked was that when we pushed the button to talk; the radio (or teams) would be over ridden and we could speak to each other easily.
WE had the mics right up completely touching our lips and we could SCREAM into the mic; the other person could not hear anything that was said,
The broadcast never cut so we could talk to each other (wasn't over ridden). SO it was like we were trying to "talk over" what was being said by the teams and radio.
SO I'm asking - you folks that have a system set up like mine - DOES YOUR radio broadcast cut off when you talk to one another.
If so I need to find out why mine doesn't.
If it doesn't cut off either; then I need to find out why I was told it would before I purchased it.
THANKS for any information

 

[RandyKuff]

Not that familiar with them... Just asking... Do the headphones have the batterys installed in them... From a quick search it looks like they
don't come with batterys, from the ones I saw anyway...

 

[ve1sef]

I don't have your system. However, scanners only receive radio conversations. There is no transmission capability.
As mentioned above check for batteries. If the headsets are meant to communicate with each other,
check your manual and see if there is anything called a CTCSS tone or other type of filter.
Could be your headsets might not be on the same privacy setting.

 

[tvengr]

A privacy setting would not be required if the headsets are hard-wired. You may be thinking of Bluetooth.

 

[RandyKuff]

From what I see they appear to be wired...

 

[dcr_inc]

Call Racing Radios.. They have excellent customer service

 

[T_Chris_T]

I don't have your system. However, scanners only receive radio conversations. There is no transmission capability.
As mentioned above check for batteries. If the headsets are meant to communicate with each other,
check your manual and see if there is anything called a CTCSS tone or other type of filter.
Could be your headsets might not be on the same privacy setting.

I never found place to put in batteries for the headsets; so I assume they don't need additional power.
This set up has two headsets with mics and a button to push where you can talk to another person. It has an addition 3 pin cable that connects to each headset. Which I assume is the way the conversation takes place.
In the manual I did see a CTCSS mentioned but all that it said "CTCSS frequencies" and under that lists about 50 frequencies. But that's ALL it says. No explanation as to what CTCSS frequencies are; what they do; or why you have them.
You turn the page and the next thing it shows is DSC codes. NO info given on them either.

 

[RandyKuff]

Well they can't pull power from the scanners headphone jack...
If thats were they plug into...

 

[T_Chris_T]

From what I see they appear to be wired...

View attachment 127270

those are different than mine. Mine have mics to speak into. One pic is just the headset and the other is the entire kit.

 

[donc13]

I never found place to put in batteries for the headsets; so I assume they don't need additional power.
This set up has two headsets with mics and a button to push where you can talk to another person. It has an addition 3 pin cable that connects to each headset. Which I assume is the way the conversation takes place.
In the manual I did see a CTCSS mentioned but all that it said "CTCSS frequencies" and under that lists about 50 frequencies. But that's ALL it says. No explanation as to what CTCSS frequencies are; what they do; or why you have them.
You turn the page and the next thing it shows is DSC codes. NO info given on them either.

The headsets are intended to be used with 2 way radios. You can use them with a scanner to listen only, you can not talk to anyone else. The push button on the headset switches a 2 way radio into talk mode. The button does nothing on a scanner.

 

[RandyKuff]

I still say there has to be batterys to run them...

 

[T_Chris_T]

Call Racing Radios.. They have excellent customer service

Called him - the guy didn't have a clue. Said he'd have to talk to someone else and call me back later.
So I guess we'll see what they have to offer.
Point is; if they don't do what I was told; I don't need them. I already have radio headsets to listen to the race broadcast. I purchased them specifically so we could talk to one another.

 

[T_Chris_T]

The headsets are intended to be used with 2 way radios. You can use them with a scanner to listen only, you can not talk to anyone else. The push button on the headset switches a 2 way radio into talk mode. The button does nothing on a scanner.

That's my point. The button should switch the radio to talk mode and cut off the scanner so we can hear each other while we talk. At least that's what I was told before I bought them.

 

[RandyKuff]

 

[wtp]

i have said for years, "just because it is new that does not mean it works".
that was after working in an automotive warehouse. numerous returns on some lines.
i had one headphone whee the plug would not seat itself all the way in (no click)
so i cut it down with an exacto knife.
talk to the people on how it should work.

 

[T_Chris_T]

I still say there has to be batterys to run them...

one would assume that's the case....??
IMO RR does a poor job of sending proper info about the "kit". 75 page manual on the scanner; and ZERO on the headsets they sell with them.
Nothing that tells you that it has a battery; where it goes; what SIZE to use... not how to hook the headsets up so they talk to one another. Nothing; nada; zilch; zero

 

[RandyKuff]

From the video above that I posted, it looks like maybe a 9 volt battery...

 

[T_Chris_T]

From the video above that I posted, it looks like maybe a 9 volt battery...

yeah I appreciate the video. I'm sure once I get to looking I can figure the size.
Just frustrates me they sell this whole $500 kit SPECIFICALLY so you can scan the cars and talk to each other and say NOTHING about the head sets; don't send a manual on how to hook them up; change batteries; etc. etc...

 

[RandyKuff]

Like I said it looks to be a 9 volt batt... The video doesn't show it that well...
But whatever size it is both headsets probably will need it...

 

[T_Chris_T]

Like I said it looks to be a 9 volt batt... The video doesn't show it that well...
But whatever size it is both headsets probably will need it...

right. Something else to have to carry in "just in case" they die...... LOL