Hello,

I work some side details doing sporting events and find I can't hear my radio even with the mic turned way up. Does anyone have recommendations for an earpiece that will work with my issued Motorola XTS5000 radio?

Just depends on what you like and what you can get away with.


Ideal would be active muffs. Plenty of hearing protection, still have situational awareness, and can make/receive comms.

Downside is you walk around looking like a blackwater reject.

Then comes occluding earpieces. Look like yellow shooter plugs but got a hole bored in them for a tube.

They're ok if you like earplugs. You lose sound on the side you stuff that into, though.

Next is open frame, like the secret cervix wears. You can crank the radio and hear it, but now you have loud outside and loud radio piped into your ear. In that situation, sounds like a recipe for tinnitus.

Last are the ear speakers like people use with cellphones. I find them to be mostly useless in most cases.

Oh, you can also get hearing aids, and a wireless adapter for your radio. Kinda spendy, but people tell me they work well. I get ear infections real easy, so that's the only solution I don't own / haven't tried. Plus, if you make a lot of ear wax, you'll need to clean the audio port on them more often.

Everything else, don't waste your time buying name brand. I have moto, otto, peltor. My no name chinese brand non occluding earpieces work just as well, and with the cost differential, I can stock replacement parts in my little accessory bag.

I bought an ARC T20 from the local uniform store and changed out the plug for an open ear piece because I want to be able to hear.  I generally only wear it on special events right now because I got the wrong size ear piece .

edit:  The plug is just fine, but plugs tend to give me really bad ear aches so I try to avoid them.  No problem with open ear piece.  Also can't wear headphones and such for very long, really sucks :(

You can get a handful of open earmolds on eBay cheap.

They are R/L specific, and like 5 sizes.

You can also get custom ear molds, but that works by them squirting goo in your ear.


fuck that


LOL


But really though.... no

Surefire

Been using a hawk from tactical ear gagets for about a year.  Really good for the price.  Ebay has them for about 75 new.

If you go with a clear tube type, you cant beat Earphone Connection "torpedo" earpieces.

LA Police Gear link to earbuds


They are "hear through" so you wont loose your hearing, and they are crazy comfortable.

this. I wear one every day at work. Very comfortable and you can hear it in very loud places.

the downside? after about 6 months of every day use the part that connects to the radio is shot.

Depends on the remote mic you're using. We're considering these for haz-mat.

Bone mic

I've never had an issue with that part.  I leave it on and use the QD almost everyday for attaching the earbud part.

It does come with a 1 year pretty much no questions asked warranty.

Any 2 wire surveillance kit along with Ear Hero buds. You won't be sorry.

The Ear Hero's design allows you to still hear out of both ears. They don't seem to cheese up as bad either. Disgusting, but true.

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