Quoted:
natez:
What are the pros and cons of use of the Peltor ComTacs for CQB type work based on your experience?
I just got some and they're great (even for mowing the lawn). I'm interested in their potential use with rifles indoors for home defense. Team commo is also an issue.
Thanks,
Corey
View Quote
They are fairly directional, and normal speech comms, like from a Team Leader to another team member can be spotty at times. The problem is that the amplification is sensitive enough that background noise can drown out conversations, like a fan, air conditioners, someone's feet or gear making noise, drive fans on a computer, and so on. You can hear somebody hiding in a room, sometimes, but if the TV is still going in the living room, you can't hear them, or the Team Leader tell you to deploy a bang first. For Team member to Team member comms, we have had to start using a few more hand signals, or simply key up the radio. The Comtac will still work with the radio, even if their internal batteries are dead.
Our older bone conduction speaker mikes were probably more comfortable for extended perods, but provided no hearing protection. We have gotten rid of most of our subguns for .223s, and a .223 coming from a 14.5" bbl inside of a room will severely damage your hearing. I know from personal experience that auditory exclusion usually kicks in for pistol-caliber rounds in indoor shootings, so a few rounds fired from a pistol indoors seems to be no big deal, but carbines are another matter entirely.