I can hear you!

Well, some of what we had figured out in my earlier post Can You Hear Me Now? worked but some of it did not. The main failure was the whole idea of using the buff head gear to hold the assembly where we needed it. Geoff immediately hated the way it felt and insisted it was too tight. I didn't find it quite so bad but did find that some of the pieces of the communications equipment wouldn't stay in place, most particularly the basic unit and the microphone.

Early on we had gotten a couple of ball caps with a wolf on the front ... what else when you name your coach Timmber Wolf? Since the communications set up was originally designed to be attached to a motorcycle helmet, why not try it on a ball cap? Using a couple of older ball caps as trial runs I finally managed to get it all more or less attached. Once the prototype was functional it was time to do it properly on the wolf hat,  screwing through the hat band to attach the clip for the main unit and using the velcro that came with the set to attach the speakers to a piece of plastic set into the hat band. The microphone finally ended up velcro'd to the brim of the hat.

It probably took about two hours to get the first one put together but I think it actually looks semi-professional! Okay, there are some loose wires wandering around towards the back that we have to figure out how to keep them tucked in and the microphone likes to come unstuck sometimes but it holds it all together!

It was a lot faster putting Geoff's hat together. The hats have been done with mine, the navigator in the passenger seat, being attached on the left side, and Geoff's hat, the driver, being on the right side so that our ears on the road side are clear to hear the honking that we are going to slow or the sirens of the smokey bears wanting to get by.

After recharging the units, we have actually practiced wearing and communicating and it is clear as a bell with Geoff out back by the pond and me out at the street so should work perfectly not only for communicating while traveling but also for backing up instructions and discussions while setting up with one of us outside the coach and one on the inside. At the very least we can now talk to each other on the road without yelling! In case you were wondering, we also got two more wolf hats so we can wear them without dragging the communications gear around with us and I've got some nifty buff headbands for other times

As for the rest of the story ... Timmber Wolf is now sitting at the dealers awaiting parts for some warranty work. We are on pins and needles about getting it back in a timely manner. The remaining rear sway bar has been installed in the meantime and if you get one of these, it is worth every penny to add the sway bars and stabilizers!

Just over a week until departure!! Me, I am ready to get on the road now!