Walkie talkies for Moto America ?!?

I'm doing the D200 this coming March and need to get the communication system to ear everything Moto America has to say and of course for the Team to communicate with one another.

I used one last year that didn't have a frequency Moto America uses. So would like to know the system needed to not be in the dark and have to bother and bum info off my neighboring rider.

Preferably with 2 headsets also.

What say the Beeb ?

 

Racing Radios. They usually have a guy in or around Daytona.

hit them up. His name is Bobby and tell him I sent you

 

Doesn’t a radio from Amazon work? If so I have two you can borrow if you don’t want to buy them
https://a.co/d/92w0s0k

 

Will hit them up and see what he as.

Thnx

Edit: Is this him ? https://www.racingradios.com/

We had some last year and we couldn't get the same frequency as Moto America

 

BTW... Preferably used if possible.

 

Questions:
1. Are you trying to listen in on MotoAmerica's radio traffic but not transmit on that frequency?

2. For communcations with your team, are you looking for a one-time use at Daytona, or a season long use across the US?

The answers will affect the proper choices.

For one-time use, Rent the radios. Look for COmmunications services in that area, and rent radios for about $10-15/day per radio. They handle licensing and all the details. You just pick them up and go.

If you want to use them over time and across the USA, then buying your own is probably best. Most frequencies require licensing, but there are two types that don't - MURS and FRS. (I'm leaving CB radios out as they aren't appropriate for this application.)

Best option for radios that do not need a license are MURS radios. About $120-150 each. Look for ones that have a 1Watt or higher audio output, or you'll have trouble hearing the radio over ambient noise. Add external headsets, etc. as needed. Good sound-isolating headsets might well cost more than the radio. The downside is there are only a very few frequencies, and you might be sharing a frequency with others resulting in garbled communications at times.

Cheap usable radios can be had for about $120 each, but you'll need a FCC private land mobile license to legally use them. Not hard to get, but takes a few weeks. You can use the frequency 10 days after you file the license application but if your application is denied, you must stop using the frequency. Couple these radios with the same sound-isolating headsets for good performance.

UHF or VHF business radios on a national itinerant frequency (requires license) would probably be your best bet overall if you want to own or use across the US. These have more frequency choices, so chances of local sharing are low.

GMRS radios aren't legal to use for racing.
FRS radios don't have enough transmit power to work every time at every track.
Ham (Amateur) radios aren't legal to use unless each person holds the proper level of Amateur Radio Operator license.

Frequency spectrum use is extremely highly regulated in every country, including the US, Canada and Mexico. While enforcement can be sparse, if caught the fines are heavy. Its not that hard or expensive to do it legally.

 

Thats a Ham radio. each person with a radio will need a Amateur Radio license to transmit on those. They also can't be used for commercial transmissions.

 

You just need a listen only scanner. Channel A 456.8125 (analog), Channel B 452.237500 (analog). 30 bucks on Amazon. You have to start listening during set up day because that's how they tell the teams when it's time to move into the pits. Also, they put race info out on the Sportity app. Very helpful for restart procedures during red flags.

 

According to the info from MotoAmerica, they use a Business Band UHF frequency - I'm still trying to verify it exactly.

You can take any scanner or cheap radio, Like a Beofeng BF-888s for $20 (Amazon) and set it up to listen to listen to that frequency. There is no PL tone, just carrier squelch.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/888S-Rechargeable-Earpieces-Professional-Handheld/dp/B0CG6FZYMS/ref=sr_1_4?crid=204BD4MJA0R7V&keywords=BF-888S&qid=1706280184&sprefix=bf-888s,aps,100&sr=8-4

You'll need to program these, which takes a Windows 7 to 11 PC (no MAC support) and a cable here:

https://www.amazon.com/AIRSN-Programming-Kenwood-BaoFeng-AnyTone/dp/B077VJFD5R/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=L7ZQJKI9B8R6&keywords=BF-888S+program+cable&qid=1706280271&sprefix=bf-888s+program+cable,aps,92&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Customer Programming Software (CPS) is here: https://www.baofengradio.com/pages/download

If you need help in programming, PM me and I'll help

 

What Beac83 said.

 

Very insightful info, thank you.

Yes it's just to listen to load in and info they need to convey to the racers/teams during the event.
We can communicate with our own radios but the info you provided, I'll be looking for the simplest to use and purchase.
Will look into the links you posted.

Thnx !

Will you be at Daytona by any chances ?
Will try to do it all before arriving but if any issues arrive, would like to hook in person.
Last year was a shit show to try and find someone to get our radios to get the frequency of Moto America.

 

All of this, or you can follow Bobby's advice and call Racing Radios. I bought a Motorola twenty years ago from them with the frequency set up and still use it when I'm working. The headset is the key issue for me, look up surveillance headset. I would usually have a set of headphones for the team and could wear the surveillance earpiece inside it.

 

I've got a Uniden BC125AT, does the job, but kinda eats nicads, ended up keeping it on a charger a lot over the weekend. Whatever you get, get more than one so people can carry one with them when they wander.

 

So if I go with this one that you suggested, do I need a license ?
https://www.amazon.com/888S-Rechargeable-Earpieces-Professional-Handheld/dp/B0CG6FZYMS/ref=sr_1_4?crid=204BD4MJA0R7V&keywords=BF-888S&qid=1706280184&sprefix=bf-888s,aps,100&sr=8-4

 

I use my radio as listen only, turned out it was easier and quicker to just txt people I needed to interact with.

 

OK, so if I get it right, this one can pick up the Moto America (with the software) signal for their info ?

Might go that route... if I can't get my hands on a few two ways.

 

It'll receive MotoA's broadcasts just fine. You'll ALSO want to have something with internet connectivity to use the Sportity app as they'll be posting grids/schedules/etc there during the event.

Also, you can find lower cost scanners, all that's needed is something that receives the UHF band MotoA uses, it's a boring plain jane FM broadcast with no carrier tones, no encryption, no digital signaling, etc. My next goal is a basestation style scanner to have plugged in my trailer with a larger speaker, my old Realistic has drifted too much and I didn't want to take the time to tune it in at the track with everything else that was going on, and at 30+ years old it's done it's duty and can go back to being my garage FM radio.

 

The MotoAmerica radios are supposed to be listen only scanners so that people don't interfere with official communications. Those are cheap- @regularguy posted the frequencies above. At one point they were requiring you to bring your radio to tech because people didn't have them and were missing stuff left and right. Don't try to use these for communicating with your team. I can't remember where we were, one weekend some Mini Cup Team Mom was constantly yelling at her kid to come in for meals on the MA frequency.

You're going to need something far more complex (From Racing Radios) if you want to talk during the race to your crew. We used Racing Radios for the 200 for one year, honestly I felt it was more trouble than it was worth with cords running down your sleeve, wired helmet, etc. Only for my crew chief to tell me things I already knew like "red flag". Duh. You're better off setting up your lap timer so you can see how many laps completed and plan fuel stop accordingly. Also, there's the lap count on the scoring towers that's easy to see when going around the banking. So for example tell your team "I'm coming in on Lap 20". so everyone is on the same page. Then the old Tap the helmet coming across start finish line seems to work ok.

 

Beac knows what he's talking about. We used the 888s for years on my endurance karting team. Great radios for what they are, astoundingly durable for the price but ultimately not very selective which means you get los of chirping. (May not be a problem if not using a headset.) Def cheapest, also maybe not easiest to get working.

I would recommend a scanner so that you don't accidentally key up.
Raceceiver is a decent little device, esp if no PL tone needed, but limited in terms of capability. Def more expensive, too.

Or the Uniden Bearcat BC125AT mentioned above. The most expensive of these options, but listen only (can't transmit) and by far the most capable.

+1 for Racing Radios. They
are good people. I'm currently at the Rolex 24, stopped by earlier today and they flashed my Bearcat with an updated code plug for IMSA this year. Didn't charge me a thing. Very knowledgeable, professional grade and price on gear. Wholeheartedly recommend.

 

When I raced last century, I had a portable scanner to monitor the WERA frequency. But you could only hear it when you held it up to your ear. So I bought a cable to connect the scanner to a boombox so we could hear what was going on.