11
Microphone
Decide which side of the helmet you would prefer the
lead and plug to hang from (normally the left side)
and then release and remove that side’s cheek pad
so as to allow you fit the boom microphone and main
speaker harness behind it, with the boom coming up
from behind the check pad and up into the visor area
and then bent down (from between the outer shell
and back of the cheek pad) in front of your mouth,
per the illustrations.
Remember you must speak
into the beige side of the microphone
. If required
tape the boom and also the main harness down lead
to the inside of the outer shell of the helmet using
some of the Velcro supplied in the kit which is usually
very good for this purpose so long as where you are applying it is completely clean and dry.
Top Tips (6)
Avoid crossing any wires with another or with the boom as this will create a higher than necessary
spot which may make it difficult to replace the cheek pad. If your helmet has an air vent in chin-bar
(in front of your mouth) it is a good idea to cover and seal this from the inside of the chin-bar so
that the wind is not able to blast directly onto the back of the microphone. This also helps to force
more of the airflow up into the visor area which can often make demisting the visor more effective
for you. With the microphone positioned close to your mouth, you may notice that it just clips your
nose when putting the helmet on and off. You can avoid this by learning a technique of slightly
twisting the helmet so that the boom clears your nose while putting the helmet on or off.
While the cheek pad is removed you can see if the fabric is taped, glued or preferably elasticated behind it.
Speakers
Most helmets have ear pockets (indentations) designed into the lining to let
your ears fold back after they are folded over while putting the helmet on.
Sometimes the fabric covering these pockets is glued back to the
polystyrene cheek pad, forming a visible pocket. Other times the fabric is
just stretched over the foam pocket and is not glued back.
If the helmet has deep pockets and the fabric is glued back
you may
need to fit some padding behind the speakers (like our optional foam speaker
pads Part 2159 which are about 6mm or
1
⁄
4
” and/or Part 2160 which are about
12mm or
1
⁄
2
”). These foam speaker pads have Velcro fitted so that you can fix
the speakers to them.
Always start without padding and with the speakers set
low then test for comfort/sound quality, then pack out and adjust up to the
correct positioning over your ear hole thus avoiding having the speaker too
high or tight where it may cause excessive pressure to the top of your ear.
If the fabric is not glued back forming a visible pocket
then while it is
easier to just Velcro the speakers on top of the loose fabric (which can
sometimes work quite well in some helmets) is far more likely to cause your
ears to fold over when putting the helmet on, so most people prefer a more
professional installation where the speakers are set behind the fabric but on
top of the foam/polystyrene behind.
If you have time and can install the speakers behind the
fabric, it makes for a much more professional semi-permanent fitment which is normally
much more comfortable
and this is how we would normally try to install the headset/s for you if you
brought them to us.
In order to be able to place the speakers behind the fabric you normally need to remove the cheek pads
from the helmet to reveal the back where the fabric is glued, taped or preferably just elasticated over
the polystyrene. Carefully peel the fabric back enough to slide the speakers into place (normally about
level or just below the level of the hole for the strap and just behind the strap). Try to copy the
illustrations on the front cover and/or page 10. Again it is important to start of with the speakers set
deliberately lower to help with maximum comfort and avoid pinching the top part of your ears, and then
adjust them upwards as required to obtain the best sound level and quality. If you have to un-glue or
tape the fabric, masking tape is often used to stick this back down.
Please see the illustration on page 7 and note that by angling the speakers as shown it helps to ensure
even pressure between the speakers and your ears, thus improving both comfort and sound quality.
The speaker wire normally exits the speaker towards the back of the helmet.
Top Tips (7)
If your cheek pad has a plastic tongue to hold it in place, be careful not to break this off when removing
or replacing the cheek pads, and also be careful not to trap or cut the speaker wire/s with it when
replacing the cheek pads. When you have installed the headset you can use the back of a toothbrush
handle to make a great tool for carefully pushing any wires up into the lining and around the back of
the neck draft excluder. You may find it is better to fix the speakers with Velcro so as to help avoid
them slipping up inside the helmet which can happen over time due to movement when putting the
helmet on. For the first time putting the helmet on after installation it is often beneficial to use
something like a silk balaclava to help prevent your ears being folded over while putting the helmet on
and off until you have fine tuned the speaker positioning for maximum comfort and performance. If
for example your right ear is folded over after putting the helmet on you should immediately use your
right hand to pull the right hand strap so that you can get your left hand fingers up into the right hand
side of the helmet to flick your right ear back straight etc. while doing this you may also be able to feel
the speaker in relation to your ear and if possible try to move the speaker for a better fit.
Kit LIW Instructions.qxd 5/6/09 2:03 pm Page 11
