RuggedRadios
Active Member
- Location
- Arroyo Grande, CA
A helmet kit is basically a set of speakers and a microphone that installs into your helmet. Helmets that are outfitted with helmet kits are referred to as "wired". With a wired helmet plugged into an intercom or radio, you're able to speak with other wired helmets without having to stop and remove your helmet.
There are a few different components that make up the helmet kit:
The speakers provide audio inside your helmet, and are able to stick into your helmet using an adhesive velcro pad. The velcro is also great for re-positioning the speakers for optimum placement.
Next is the microphone. Most helmet kits have a flexible microphone boom. The flex boom is great for positioning the microphone closer to your mouth when you put on your helmet. More on that later.
The next major component is the "offroad" plug. This is the Nexus jack that is used to connect your helmet to the communications device you are using. This jack is designed to quickly connect or disconnect when getting in or out of your vehicle. Our popular off road helmet kits feature a "Duralink" plug that basically sleeves over the jack it's plugged into to seal out water and dust.
The last component is the 3.5mm jack. You can use that jack to plug a music device directly to your helmet and stream the music through your speakers. The jack can alternatively be used to connect ear buds if you need to eliminate excess sound.
We have helmet kits that include all of these components, as well as virtually any combination of components to suit your needs. For example, if you only wish to use earbuds with your helmet kit, the HK-OF-M only has a microphone, 3.5mm jack, and the Offroad plug.
One thing to address though is making sure that your helmet is capable of being wired. First you need to make sure the helmet covers your ears since this is where you are going to mount your speakers. Another thing to consider is if your helmet has a place to install a microphone so that it can be positioned directly in front of your mouth. If your helmet does not have a spot close enough to your jaw line to effectively secure a microphone boom in front of your mouth, you will not be able to clearly speak into the microphone.
This tutorial is going to show how to "wire" (or install a helmet kit into) a Pyrotect helmet using the HK-OFSP-3.5 helmet kit. If the helmet kit you are installing does not have one of the components, such as speakers, simply skip the steps that address those components.
There are many different style of helmets on the market, and it would be very difficult to address each and every one individually in these instructions. For that reason we are going to focus on helmets that are similar to Pyrotects. If your helmet padding does not work the same way as shown in the pictures, do not hesitate to ask me for advice on how to complete a step for your specific helmet.
-The first step is to gather your tools needed to do the install. You're going to need a helmet kit, a helmet, a hot glue gun with a glue stick, a flat rounded tool that's firm enough to push wires into the padding (we used the handle of a crescent wrench), a zip tie, and scissors to cut the excess zip tie off.
- Here we have our to-be-wired Pyrotect helmet. While not all of you will be wiring the same helmet shown here, a lot of the techniques work with other major helmets used by racers as well as recreational wheelers:
- Find some way of propping the helmet upside-down. The helmet will be like this throughout the install and propping it this way will stop it from rolling away while working on it:
- Some helmets, like this bisected Motocross style helmet below, have a little pocket for your ear that allows you to simply stick the velcro patch onto the shell, and apply the helmet speaker:
- That makes the install a little bit faster and easier but we'll show you what to do here if you have a Pyrotect that doesn't have that "pocket". Start by removing the cheek pad that's velcroed to the shell. We start with the one that's not going to have the mic boom on that side:
- You'll notice the hole where the chin strap goes through on the cheekpad. On the velcro side, you can access the inside of the cheekpad. Fold down the fabric as shown in the picture below, and work the speaker into the inside of the padding. Be sure to insert the speaker so that it's facing the right direction, towards your ear. Notice on the picture how the foam is not between the speaker and where your ear will be:
- This picture simply shows me making sure the speaker is where the wearers ear will be inside the helmet. This would be a good time to put the helmet on see if the speaker needs to be adjusted. If everything checks out, reattach the cheek pad and you're good to move on:
- The cable that goes from one speaker to the other will need to be secured somewhere in your helmet. The best place on this helmet is along the rear pad that runs along the back of your neck. Begin pushing the wire down between the padding and the shell of the helmet, just enough to get it started.
- Using something that will not damage the cable, such as the rounded handle of a crescent wrench seen here, carefully but firmly push the cable down between the back pad and the shell as shown, until you've reached the other cheek pad:
- Cable securely hidden:
There are a few different components that make up the helmet kit:
The speakers provide audio inside your helmet, and are able to stick into your helmet using an adhesive velcro pad. The velcro is also great for re-positioning the speakers for optimum placement.
Next is the microphone. Most helmet kits have a flexible microphone boom. The flex boom is great for positioning the microphone closer to your mouth when you put on your helmet. More on that later.
The next major component is the "offroad" plug. This is the Nexus jack that is used to connect your helmet to the communications device you are using. This jack is designed to quickly connect or disconnect when getting in or out of your vehicle. Our popular off road helmet kits feature a "Duralink" plug that basically sleeves over the jack it's plugged into to seal out water and dust.
The last component is the 3.5mm jack. You can use that jack to plug a music device directly to your helmet and stream the music through your speakers. The jack can alternatively be used to connect ear buds if you need to eliminate excess sound.
We have helmet kits that include all of these components, as well as virtually any combination of components to suit your needs. For example, if you only wish to use earbuds with your helmet kit, the HK-OF-M only has a microphone, 3.5mm jack, and the Offroad plug.
One thing to address though is making sure that your helmet is capable of being wired. First you need to make sure the helmet covers your ears since this is where you are going to mount your speakers. Another thing to consider is if your helmet has a place to install a microphone so that it can be positioned directly in front of your mouth. If your helmet does not have a spot close enough to your jaw line to effectively secure a microphone boom in front of your mouth, you will not be able to clearly speak into the microphone.
This tutorial is going to show how to "wire" (or install a helmet kit into) a Pyrotect helmet using the HK-OFSP-3.5 helmet kit. If the helmet kit you are installing does not have one of the components, such as speakers, simply skip the steps that address those components.
There are many different style of helmets on the market, and it would be very difficult to address each and every one individually in these instructions. For that reason we are going to focus on helmets that are similar to Pyrotects. If your helmet padding does not work the same way as shown in the pictures, do not hesitate to ask me for advice on how to complete a step for your specific helmet.
-The first step is to gather your tools needed to do the install. You're going to need a helmet kit, a helmet, a hot glue gun with a glue stick, a flat rounded tool that's firm enough to push wires into the padding (we used the handle of a crescent wrench), a zip tie, and scissors to cut the excess zip tie off.
- Here we have our to-be-wired Pyrotect helmet. While not all of you will be wiring the same helmet shown here, a lot of the techniques work with other major helmets used by racers as well as recreational wheelers:
- Find some way of propping the helmet upside-down. The helmet will be like this throughout the install and propping it this way will stop it from rolling away while working on it:
- Some helmets, like this bisected Motocross style helmet below, have a little pocket for your ear that allows you to simply stick the velcro patch onto the shell, and apply the helmet speaker:
- That makes the install a little bit faster and easier but we'll show you what to do here if you have a Pyrotect that doesn't have that "pocket". Start by removing the cheek pad that's velcroed to the shell. We start with the one that's not going to have the mic boom on that side:
- You'll notice the hole where the chin strap goes through on the cheekpad. On the velcro side, you can access the inside of the cheekpad. Fold down the fabric as shown in the picture below, and work the speaker into the inside of the padding. Be sure to insert the speaker so that it's facing the right direction, towards your ear. Notice on the picture how the foam is not between the speaker and where your ear will be:
- This picture simply shows me making sure the speaker is where the wearers ear will be inside the helmet. This would be a good time to put the helmet on see if the speaker needs to be adjusted. If everything checks out, reattach the cheek pad and you're good to move on:
- The cable that goes from one speaker to the other will need to be secured somewhere in your helmet. The best place on this helmet is along the rear pad that runs along the back of your neck. Begin pushing the wire down between the padding and the shell of the helmet, just enough to get it started.
- Using something that will not damage the cable, such as the rounded handle of a crescent wrench seen here, carefully but firmly push the cable down between the back pad and the shell as shown, until you've reached the other cheek pad:
- Cable securely hidden:
