By Mike Goetz, PCI #063T/EMSCI #003T
Seattle Police Department

The Seattle Police Department was given the opportunity to test one of the latest products in bicycle helmet radio headsets. The headset is designed by GWC Inc. (formerly Golden West Communications), of Union Gap, WA, www.2gwc.com. GWC has been building headsets for other uses for over 20 years and decided to investigate the police bike field.

The headset system that we were given had three components: the helmet speaker/microphone, the PTT (push to talk) handlebar switch, and the shoulder microphone.

The helmet component consists of an external ear speaker and an adjustable boom microphone. These are held in position by a multi-positional helmet mount that allows you to move the earpiece and microphone to the best position for you. The other reason for the multi-positional mount is to accommodate as many different helmet designs as possible.

The PTT switch is mounted on the handlebar, with a wire running to the speaker/mic. There is a quick release connection so that if you dismount, this wire does not hamper you. The radio and headset will work fine without the PTT in the loop.

The shoulder microphone is pretty much a standard for bike officers everywhere and the only thing special about this one is the connection ports.

GWC loaned us four units to test over a six-month period. We passed the units around to five different officers for varying periods of time. I interviewed each of them in order to determine what they liked and did not like about the units. It is interesting to note that the officers who used the equipment for the shortest time were the happiest with it; probably because the system is such a vast improvement over the normal shoulder microphone. The officers who had units for the longest time had the most complaints because they came to depend on the units and wanted to help improve them.

Here is a summary of those interviews, broken down by components

Helmet System: All the officers loved the external ear speaker. It was great being able to hear the radio even when riding at top speed, and also to not broadcast radio traffic to the general public. This by far was the most valuable part of the system. The two real advantages of the external ear speaker system versus the conventional earpiece are 1) there is no discomfort because it is outside of your ear and you can still hear out of that ear, and 2) the speaker can be switched from helmet to helmet with no fit or sanitation problems.

Most of the officers who tested the system were so impressed with this external ear speaker that they said they would like one on their bike helmets and their riot helmets. I would agree with this and go on to say that if you do crowd control - with bikes or without - this external ear speaker could be a real blessing. When in a crowd situation, your people usually have to rely on hand signals and shouted commands; with this unit they would also be able to hear voice commands to back up the hand commands.

The boom mic was useful, but it took some getting used to. It is necessary to find a comfortable position that also makes the transmission clear. This was fairly easy to do, and got easier with use. The microphone was also effective in eliminating wind and road noise.

PTT Switch: The push-to-talk button, or PTT, is mounted on the handlebar. It can be placed to be used by either hand. There are several serious advantages to being able to use your radio without taking your hand off the handlebar, primarily the fact that you have much more control with two hands than with one, particularly on high-speed runs. Another real advantage is that you can talk on your radio without letting everyone in sight know you are activating your radio. Unlike other models I have tested, this system's PTT does not cancel the use of the other switches on the radio. That means that you can use the switch on the shoulder mic or the one on the radio itself without disconnecting anything. This I saw as a serious flaw in other models not made by GWC.

The PTT has a long cord that attaches to the speaker/mic. A retractable cable that pulls all of the loose cord to the handlebar mount when you disconnect from the PTT backs up this cord. This system seems a little complicated at first, but we tested it at normal speed dismounts and at high speed, arrest dismounts. Even if the cord did not retract fully, it did not hinder the officer's effectiveness.

Shoulder Microphone: This mic was similar to the one you probably already have. It does have more plug-in ports than our normal one, and it requires a custom speaker/mic. If you currently wear the mic on the center of your uniform shirt, you may want to consider moving it to your shoulder with this system.

Summary: This system works! There may be a better system in the future, but for now this one is one of the best and should be seriously considered if you are looking for a helmet microphone system.

Latest News! GWC has informed me that due to evaluations from Seattle Police, Los Angeles Police and London Metro a few changes have been made. The two most important are 1) the cable retraction unit is gone and the coiled cable now handles that job, and 2) the shoulder mic uses a smaller connection plug on the bottom of it to allow it to be worn on the shirt front.

GWC listens to feedback from end users and is always willing to consider changes. For any information about this product, please contact GWC Inc. at 800-967-8124 or www.2gwc.com.

Mike is a former IPMBA board member and education director. He is currently preparing for retirement by opening a bed & breakfast and touring company in Zimbabwe. He can be reached at mgt1998@msn.com or www.zimamericantours.com.