Several months ago, New Eagle International, a company which has been providing tactical headsets to law enforcement and military clients worldwide for the past 15 years, asked us to test a new headset they were developing specifically for law enforcement bicycle units.
I was given a headset to test and evaluate for several weeks. The headset is a low-profile design with an earpiece and boom microphone. The unit is equipped with an in-line push-to-talk switch. The units attach to our Motorola MTS 2000 portable radios in the same way as lapel microphones.
After several weeks, the company's representative returned for an update. In the few weeks I had worn the unit, I had heard from other officers that my radio transmissions were much clearer. My partner and I were in a car chase and after the chase was over, several officers involved (patrol officers and other bike officers) commented that it didn’t sound like I was on a bike. They said my transmissions were very clear and they were able to understand what I was saying. They did comment that my partner, who was using a standard speaker/lapel mic, was hard to understand due to the wind noise. Dispatchers also commented that I was easier to understand than my partner.
Officer Monasmith also wore the headset during the initial test period. I noticed that Officer Monasmith sounded clearer during his radio transmissions. Dispatch also commented that Officer Monasmith’s radio traffic was much clearer. Other bike officers, using speaker/lapel mics, often had to repeat radio traffic for various reasons (wind noise, background noise, etc.).
I found the headset to be very comfortable to wear throughout my entire shift. We did ask the company to put a larger clip on the PTT switch (which they did), and the also put in a slightly larger PTT switch. Within a week, the representative returned with two more headsets to test. That meant three of our seven bike officers were wearing the headset full-time. It was very apparent during the shift who was wearing a headset and who was not.
Officer Gonzales received one of the additional units to test. He went to our car wash to test the noise-canceling microphone. Officer Gonzales stood in the car wash and requested registration information on a tag while another officer was using the automatic car wash. After he received the information, he called dispatch and asked how he sounded on the radio. The dispatcher said, "fine, why?" He told her that he was standing in the car wash while somebody was washing a car when he ran the tag. She thought he was joking. Officer Gonzales briefly explained the noise-canceling microphone feature on the headset he was testing. The dispatcher told him that it definitely works.
We have asked the company about different ways of setting up the unit. We asked about longer or shorter cables depending on a person’s height, different placement for the PTT switch, etc. They told us that each unit is custom built and they can accommodate virtually any request -- just as they have with their tactical headset line for the past decade and a half.
Pros
Low Profile: The behind-the-head, low-profile design is very comfortable and does not interfere with our bike helmets.
Noise Canceling Boom Microphone: The noise canceling technology was originally designed for military special operations forces, to deal with helicopter rotor wind noise. The company has implemented this feature to help bike officers combat wind noise on the bike. There is no need for the bike officer to cup a hand over the Blue Racer microphone to cover wind noise.
The traditional lapel-mounted microphone forces the bike officer to reach up and turn his or her head to talk into the microphone. The boom microphone on the Blue Racer allows the bike officer to talk without having to turn his/her head. If the officer needs to turn his/her head and talk, the microphone is in position. The ability to clip the PTT switch on the front of the shirt enables officers to look forward while riding and talking on the radio, allowing them to look out for potential road hazards. The boom microphone is very sensitive. It is not necessary - or advisable - to place the microphone directly in front of the mouth. Doing so makes it sound like you have swallowed your microphone. I found that below the lower lip and 2 to 3 fingers away from the face works really well.
Earpiece: The earpiece allows the officer to hear radio traffic clearly even with normal background noise (traffic, wind, people talking, etc.). It also allows officers to hear important radio traffic about a subject/situation without having to "step-away" so somebody doesn’t overhear. It enables officers to approach or search a building without having to turn their radios down so low they can’t hear dispatch.
Weatherproof: The headset is designed to be waterproof. Manufacturing specs state that the headset can be submerged in up to one meter of water without any problems. We have not tested the headset that severely, but we have ridden in the rain several times. With other earpieces, I have experienced problems such as the earpiece failing completely after being exposed to rain for a shift. Other officers who have worn different types of earpieces have also experienced failures after exposing the earpiece to the elements. We experienced no difficulties or failures with the Blue Racer.
Cons
Price: A price hasn’t been finalized yet, but we were told it might cost between $300 and $400 (Ed Note: The Blue Racer upper headset assembly retails for $275 which includes the inline PTT--Call our offices for the price of the connector for your particular portable radio). This may be too pricey for some agencies; however, it is definitely worth every penny.
Earpiece: Some officers don’t like wearing an earpiece. They feel the earpiece interferes with hearing on that particular side. However, the Blue Racer earpiece is specially designed so that it can be placed outside the ear canal with the radio volume slightly turned up. When required, the earpiece can be inserted into the ear canal so others cannot hear the radio traffic. At first, it may feel a bit awkward to those who are not accustomed to wearing earpieces.
Conclusion
In my opinion the positives far exceed the negatives. The Blue Racer has everything a bike officer needs in a headset. The Blue Racer has met all of our expectations and has performed flawlessly. I highly recommend it. If your agency would like to test and evaluate a Blue Racer headset, contact the company at 1-866-481-4811 or sales@blueracerheadsets.com to request a Blue Racer Demo Request Form. Once you have filled out the required information and returned the form, they will ship a Blue Racer headset, specifically built to work with your portable radio, for a FREE 20 day test and evaluation. Your department will also receive a full color, 18’’ x 24’’, limited edition, Blue Racer Police Bike Unit poster by famed tactical graphic designer Michael A. Reeder.
The following officers tested the Blue Racer headset and made comments that were incorporated into the product review: Sgt. Jim Roy, Cpl. Pat Hannan, Officer Artie Gonzales, Officer Mark Hilt, Officer Jeff Holtzman, Officer Jerry Monasmith, and Officer Damon Whisman.
