Radio Earpiece + iPod?

[Zander Kroon]

While on set today I was talking with the first AC. Somehow we got to the topic of listening to music on set and he mentioned that he had a few friends in LA who have radio earpieces (surveillance style) that feature a headphone jack. Based on his description the device would feed the music to your ear whenever the radio was quiet and when someone clicked in to talk, the music channel would cut out, allowing you to hear the radio clearly. I tried searching the web but I was unable to find anything that matched.

 

Has anyone hear heard of such a thing?

[Chris Keth]

While on set today I was talking with the first AC. Somehow we got to the topic of listening to music on set and he mentioned that he had a few friends in LA who have radio earpieces (surveillance style) that feature a headphone jack. Based on his description the device would feed the music to your ear whenever the radio was quiet and when someone clicked in to talk, the music channel would cut out, allowing you to hear the radio clearly. I tried searching the web but I was unable to find anything that matched.

 

Has anyone hear heard of such a thing?

 

Very easy to do. You just solder an 1/8" mono jack in line with the wire that feeds the earpiece driver. Sleeve conductor of the headphone jack goes to the bare shield in the walkie cable and the top of the headphone jack goes to the inner shielded wire in the walkie cable.

 

Personally, I think it's best to solder a female 1/8" mono jack into the walkie cable. This lets you replace the headphone cable easily (any old 1/8" male-to-1/8" male auxiliary cable). It will go bad fairly quickly if it's going to your phone in your pocket like mine.