Headset recommendation for hands (mostly) free talking with Wouxun KG-805G

[NorthWind]

Good morning. I just received a pair of KG-805G radios. I will be using them in the forests and nooks and crannies of Oregon, mostly with one other person while we explore various areas. We both carry backpacks with gear enough to last a week in case of the worst, i.e. snapping an ankle and being forced to stay there a couple of days or longer. While we are out exploring, we often have things in our hands. For me, I have a walking stick in one hand, and often a camera, audio recorder, binoculars, night vision, FLIR, etc in the other. So my hands are often busy. Is there a good option for me with a headset? My partner is never more than a quarter of a mile away, but it would be awesome to be able to just talk to her without having to yell and spook animals. It's also important for us to have one ear open to what's going on around us. If there is a good headset, I'd love to know what would be compatible with these radios. Recommendations on what to get, and / or what to avoid? Looking for functionality - not cheap gimmicky. Do throat mics work? 

Thank you in advance.

[Lscott]

I’ve been using a cheap Chinese version of a D-ring ear hanger head set. I’ve tried various headsets over the years. They are either bulky, heavy, poor sound quality like those surveillance plastic tube types etc. The only one I’ve found so far that is comfortable to wear for long periods, anything that I have to stuff in my ear canal ends up hurting after a while.

I've been using the D-ring type for months when out for long walks. The microphone is built in-line and clips to a shirt collar or near the top somewhere. Using the VOX feature on a radio setup right you don’t need to use the PTT on the headset or radio.

This is just one of many variations out there.

https://www.twowayradiocenter.com/kenwood-khs-27-d-ring-headset/

[axorlov]

I used similar headset to what Lscott posted, for Yaesu, before I lost it. Convenient when kayaking: hands are full with paddle. And when hiking they allow to keep radio clipped to the top of the backpack, instead of usual place on the belt, which have good effect on range.

[NorthWind]

That's awesome info. Thank you both! I assume that Kenwood would work with the Wouxun, right? Just a 
"standard" two pin job. Or is that a standard? Or is it a proprietary type of thing? I don't know enough about it to be sure. 

[Lscott]

It should work fine on your radio. Many of the Chinese radios have copied the Kenwood “K” plug specifications. I’ve used the same speaker microphones and programming cables with that plug type on the few Chinese radios and the large collection of Kenwood radios I have.

[Lscott]

Oh, there are some Motorola radios with a “similar looking” plug but the pin spacing is different and won’t work. So when shopping watch out and don’t buy one that is listed for Motorola.

[mbrun]

Oh, there are some Motorola radios with a “similar looking” plug but the pin spacing is different and won’t work. So when shopping watch out and don’t buy one that is listed for Motorola.

That is true of the midland accessories as well. The pin spacing of midlands is different from the Kenwood.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[NorthWind]

Again, thank you very much! this is going to come in really, really handy in the field! Now to get my partner her GMRS license! 

[OldRadioGuy]

I have the "surveillance" style headset (for Wouxun 805G) from Buytwowayradios and the vox function does not work very well.  We did not fiddle with it too much but never really got it to work the way we'd like. 

I'd like to try our speaker mics on vox and see if that works any better.  Our speaker mics are from Powerwerx and they seem very nice for the low price.  You can clip it on your collar or hang it on a neck cord. 

Vince

 

[WRPG591]

You have probably decided by now what you will be using but in case you are still looking I use a version of this one. 

I have been told the transmit quality is excellent.

[Lscott]

I have some of those. They are OK except I don't like the muffled sound on the earphone. The coiled plastic tube seems to filter out a lot of the higher frequencies in the human voice.

I much prefer the type below. This particular one the ear hanger is adjustable. The cheaper ones don't.

https://www.maxtop.com/products/AEH2000-K2

The other advantage is since there is nothing that sticks in your ear it's far more comfortable to wear for long periods. I found the ones where you have to insert something in your ear channel tends to hurt after a while. I ordered one for the multi pin Kenwood radios I have from a seller on eBay. It was a bit more expensive than the non adjust models I currently have.