ShakeNBake

yep, the extra wire coming out of the Rosso is for 12v power. You can cut it off/shorter, or put a connector on it.

The rosso is easier to deal with while instructing. Two volume *****, done. Stilo has separate buttons for volume up/down and for passenger and driver (so 4 buttons total for volume). If you've paired it to your phone, you have to turn off the bluetooth connection so that you don't get noises or calls while instructing.

That said, I'm probably going to keep the Stilo and use it when driving with buddies at the track, or in a lead-follow situation where car to car communications is useful.

Best deal I found on male (TP-120) and female (TJ-101) was at a place called skygeeks.com. PM me if you can't find them. I also have pin-outs for various standards if you need those too.

For TRRS 3.5mm plugs, check out markertek. http://audio-video-supply.markertek....rrs&sitepref=1

You can also get 4 conductor mic cable from them for super cheap. I recommend the Canare L-4E5C quad cable. It's about as good as you can get.

http://www.markertek.com/product/l-4...the-foot-black

One thing I discovered playing with the chatter box is that it's not a true 4-conductor setup. They combine the speaker and mix negative connection to reduce it to 3 conductors. So while you can run a IMSA or stilo headset with a chatterbox intercom, you cannot use a chatterbox headset with a IMSA/Stilo intercom.

Smokey the Talon

Thank you sir, I greatly appreciate it. If you're willing to share wiring pin outs for IMSA, Stilo, and Chatterbox that'd be great. Does anyone have an idea on the wiring for Roux? Not sure if it's just IMSA with a male instead of female plug or if I'll have to experiment to figure it out.

Gofishracing

new chatter box helmet clip garbage- 2nd broke. New one fabricated - metal. Old style better.

ShakeNBake

Looks like we got the attention of the President of Rosso. I've asked him to consider making a kit that comes packaged with a ic200 and a lollipop student communicator, and he said they are working on it. Will likely come in under the cost of a trac-com, assuming the currency conversion stays where it is.

Feedback so far from folks using the Rosso seems to be good. I like mine, the sound quality is excellent and loud, but in truth end up using my Stilo DG-10 more often because I connect with a friend over a phone call a lot of the time.

RickBetterley

That's a great idea. Good for you (and them)
Now, ask them (please) for more info about the camera audio feed and how to make it work with the SmartyCam.
I bought a simple make RCA to male 3.5mm cable today but haven't had a chance to hear the results.
Great work, sir. The Rosso is indeed a major step up from ChatterBox.

Smokey the Talon

I ended up pulling the trigger on a Trac-Com unit. Like others have said there was concern with it not getting loud enough. I'm using it with my Roux helmet and student headset. I took someone out in my car which is pretty loud, but not Cup Car loud. Student said he could hear fine, and on my end it was nice and clear. Student said he'd be concerned he couldn't hear it well though if my car were much louder as we had the volume maxed out.

dbbarron

Using Stilo helmet wiring kits and then Stilo to Chatterbox adapter cable to a Tandem Pro 2. Problem is volume is lower in one headset than the other and max volume in either is barely sufficient. Apparently due to much lower impedance of Stilo speakers than chatterbox. Also using a I/O Port TVC-CB to go to my audio recorder which works subject to the underlying low impedance issues with a Stilo headset adapter to chatterbox cable.

Starting to run out of options...

ShakeNBake

Update: I've been using my ic200 for the last couple of events, and I think it works better than the DG10. It's louder and easier to use/get working in a hurry when you jump in the car. Noise filtering is not as good as the DG10, but still pretty good. Light years better than a chatterbox.

dbbarron

Can the IC200 be used with chatterbox headsets (combined ground for speaker and mic)? An issues not have separate volumes? Particularly for mixed headsets.

ShakeNBake

No. I'm not enough of an electrician to know how to take a common grounded 3 pole setup and turn it into a 4 pole setup on the amp side. The chatterbox gen 2 headsets combine mic and speaker grounds together. You can use a 4 pole headset with a chatterbox intercom, but not the reverse - but that might just be based on my limited understanding of basic electronics.

not to mention the chatterbox headsets are ****....just get a good one from Tacterion.

dbbarron

That means if I go with any 4 pole intercom, I need to keep a 'student' headset in my car for instructors that are not using a compatible 4 pole system (most use Stilo, some bring a chatterbox with a couple of student headsets, so in either case I'd be covered).

db

dbbarron

After nearly a full DE season (I'm a student, but take an instructor at least one session a day, so the intercom is important to me) I'm gonna call the Chatterbox Tandem Pro with Stilo helmet adapter cables a fail. Volume not high enough. Good for the pits and that's it. I/O port adapter to camera works but compounds the problem. Thus, I need to pull the trigger on something else.

Most in my PCA chapter use Stillo electronics. Many also use the same chatterbox tandem setup with adapter cables and suffer volume issues. My needs are thus proper Stillo support, and line level audio output and a lollipod headset for anyone without Stilo helmet.

Thus, my choices are

1)TracCom (new style unit with better shielding); about $210 without the lollipop. Used the older one last weekend and it was loud enough but some engine whine. Sounded good. HMS is local for support.

2)Rosso IC200 - well reviewed here - about the same $200.

3)Stillo DG-10 - don't need phone integration and pricy; but willing to splurge if much better.

Seems like the Rosso is the way to go as it is digital and well reviewed. However, is it that much better than the TracCom with local support?

Can get a Stilo compatible good quality lollipop from HMS for $80 with any of the above.

Thoughts?
db

ShakeNBake

Having used the DG10 and Rosso, I like the rosso the best. Louder, and easier. As much as I am a geek at heart, the DG10 is overkill. While it has Excellent sound quality, there are too many distractions while driving with the bluetooth integration (default to "ON" every time and takes a while to turn off, so if you forget, you phone is sending fun noises as you tweets and instagram posts stream in).

Rosso now has an IMSA headset as well. Rallynuts is a big distributer, I've order about 8 of the IC200s for friends from them. They are a good bunch.

dbbarron

I would probably never pair my phone in the first place.
One issue is mounting. I intend to semi permanently mount the intercom next to the HVAC on a phone mount I cobbled together shown here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/data-acq...l#post14188037

From the pics you posted in the same thread, it appears the IC200 has a concave back for roll bar mount while the DG10 has a flat back which would mount more easily in my application. Thoughts?

Also the TracCom is flat, but for the same money as the IC200, I'd rather go digital.

db

ShakeNBake

dg10 would be massive overkill without using it to tether phones for car to car conferencing. Ic200 is designed to tie to a harness or roll bar, but I don't see a problem tieing it to other things.

Btw rallynuts has a 15% sale this week.