Simple Helmet Speaker System

[Coreforge]

If the speaker amp is sensitive enough, you should be able to use it. This is just off of the top of my head, so probably not entirely correct, but it should work if you supply power to the microphone over a resistor (the resistor should be a few kohms, the negative lead of the microphone (the one where the traces go to the case) goes to negative and the other lead over the resistor to positive.) You'll then need a small capacitor (not really sure about the size, 100nF should probably work somewhat) going from the positive lead of the mic (so between the mic and resistor) to the input of the amp. The resistor limits the current through the mic and the capacitor only couples the AC, so the DC offset gets removed. If the speaker amp can pick that signal up, it should work. Otherwise, you could use an lm386 to amplify the microphone, it should also be able to drive at least a small speaker. You can also try just connecting the microphone between the input and ground of the amp, that could work too.

 

[KGSupreme]

Finally got around to installing this. Will post video later when I have visor installed too. Also going to post this in my build thread >Here<


Its difficult to get photos this close inside of a helmet, but I think these came out alright.
Right side of helmet, amp, speaker, fan
Back right, battery packs and fan
Back left, battery packs and fan
Left side, battery, Speaker
Front of helmet, speakers and microphone.

Duct tape is meant to be temporary, I used some pin connections in case I need to replace things in the future, the tape just covers those connections. I still need to print an echo chamber setup for the microphone.

I originally used a bottle cap to try and help make the speakers louder, but found that I could use the caps from spray paint cans, they are larger and it was easy to cut away excess material. Seems to work really well.

Extra photo of my early attempts to plan where I would put each part.

Works well so far. Thanks MoeSizzlac!

 

[Harri51]

Hey all. I know you are excited but Moe’s last post in here was 2020. Please refrain from necro posting. If you have any question please DM him. Thank you

 

[FalseShepherd]

Hey all. I know you are excited but Moe’s last post in here was 2020. Please refrain from necro posting. If you have any question please DM him. Thank you

I mean it was december of 2020 is that considered necro posting? Also is it necro posting if other members have kept the thread alive? I mean the content is still active and it's being updated with relevant posts, questions are being answered by members, it just doesn't seem the same as a necro post...

 

[MoeSizzlac]

I mean it was december of 2020 is that considered necro posting? Also is it necro posting if other members have kept the thread alive? I mean the content is still active and it's being updated with relevant posts, questions are being answered by members, it just doesn't seem the same as a necro post...

Those are valid points. And for what it's worth, if someone else did not answer the thread, I would have. I didn't answer the last few questions because I could not add to the content that was posted by Coreforge and the others.

This is, of course, with all due respect to each member posting here. If I am in the wrong Harri51, I will concede. No harm.

 

[Harri51]

No. No It’s all good just don’t need a lengthy responses going on if you are not adding or responding is all MoeSizzlac.
FalseShepherd just a friendly reminder being the author hadn’t responded within months. There are limits yes. Just a lot of Moe’s threads are older and not generally on a update level is all. With all the new faces here I am just trying to help new members understand, thanks though for your input!

 

[FalseShepherd]

No. No It’s all good just don’t need a lengthy responses going on if you are not adding or responding is all MoeSizzlac.
FalseShepherd just a friendly reminder being the author hadn’t responded within months. There are limits yes. Just a lot of Moe’s threads are older and not generally on a update level is all. With all the new faces here I am just trying to help new members understand, thanks though for your input!

Ah gotcha. Yeah I was just kinda confused cause I think of this thread as active still.

 

[KGSupreme]

Managed to get it working. Here's a quick preview

 

[Dreamster]

Managed to get it working. Here's a quick preview
View attachment 304017

Nice, good job man!

 

[ODSTWolf1013]

Finally got around to installing this. Will post video later when I have visor installed too. Also going to post this in my build thread >Here<


Its difficult to get photos this close inside of a helmet, but I think these came out alright.
View attachment 303890Right side of helmet, amp, speaker, fan
View attachment 303891Back right, battery packs and fan
View attachment 303892Back left, battery packs and fan
View attachment 303893Left side, battery, Speaker
View attachment 303894Front of helmet, speakers and microphone.

Duct tape is meant to be temporary, I used some pin connections in case I need to replace things in the future, the tape just covers those connections. I still need to print an echo chamber setup for the microphone.

View attachment 303895I originally used a bottle cap to try and help make the speakers louder, but found that I could use the caps from spray paint cans, they are larger and it was easy to cut away excess material. Seems to work really well.

View attachment 303896Extra photo of my early attempts to plan where I would put each part.

Works well so far. Thanks MoeSizzlac!

Did you use the same parts as Moe? Resistors and speaker? Wired everything according to diagram and I couldn’t get my voice to come through. Speaker would make small noises, light would come on, but nothing when I actually spoke. I even tried the adjustment knob in different positions.

 

[KGSupreme]

Did you use the same parts as Moe? Resistors and speaker? Wired everything according to diagram and I couldn’t get my voice to come through. Speaker would make small noises, light would come on, but nothing when I actually spoke. I even tried the adjustment knob in different positions.

I used the same parts. I found that for mine the dial on the Amp would only work at a low level, any higher and the speakers would beep at me. Gotta fine tune it until you find the right spot. The kit I bought came with 4 amps, maybe try another one?

 

[ODSTWolf1013]

I used the same parts. I found that for mine the dial on the Amp would only work at a low level, any higher and the speakers would beep at me. Gotta fine tune it until you find the right spot. The kit I bought came with 4 amps, maybe try another one?

Okie dokie, I’ll give another one a try. I like your setup and I like that you added a video showing it functioning. Awesome job

 

[MoeSizzlac]

I found that for mine the dial on the Amp would only work at a low level, any higher and the speakers would beep at me. Gotta fine tune it until you find the right spot.

This^ All the pieces came together nicely, I just had to fine tune the dials to get everything to work right. It's best to work with a breadboard so you can swap resistors or other parts as needed.

 

[Matts Good Eye]

Hello all! Just a quick tutorial to make a speaker system for your helmet. Nothing fancy/no programming.

Things you will need:
3 AAA Battery Holder
One 4.7M ohm 1/4watt resistor
One Microphone Amplifier
One Sound Amplifier
One Speaker
wire and solder supplies

Step 1: Wire up the speaker. Pretty simple, only 2 wires. Nothing to it.
View attachment 284989

Step 2: wire up the microphone amplifier. 1 wire is for 5v, 1 ground, and one is out. Out get's the 4.7M Resistor.

View attachment 284990

Step 3, wire up the rest. Please feel free to use my super awesome diagram below:

View attachment 284991
Yellow is data, black and green are ground, Red is power, and lavender is the positive from the speaker.


Step 4 Fit it into your helmet:
Please note that both the mic amplifier and speaker amplifier have adjustment knobs. I find that the mic adjustment was fine while the speaker knob (the one in the picture below) needs tweaking.

View attachment 285003

I would get a feedback because the speaker was too close to the mic so I had to adjust until I love this. You could even use it with a slight mod to accept a small mp3 for sound bites of elites and such.

 

[Wicked Demon 15]

Bookmarking this for sure!! I assume the mic amplifier is the actual mic I'll be speaking into? If so, any stl files for shell?

 

[James]

Bookmarking this for sure!! I assume the mic amplifier is the actual mic I'll be speaking into? If so, any stl files for shell?

Basically yeah, there are 2 "amplifiers" one is the link he listed as "Microphone Amplifier" which is the mic itself, but you do need the "Sound Amplifier" as well. In my mind one is the mic and one is the amp. Just easier to think though that way.

As for a shell...I just hot glued mine onto the helmet in front of my mouth. It was for a Mando helmet though, so lots of surface to glue to that isn't visor.

 

[Wicked Demon 15]

Basically yeah, there are 2 "amplifiers" one is the link he listed as "Microphone Amplifier" which is the mic itself, but you do need the "Sound Amplifier" as well. In my mind one is the mic and one is the amp. Just easier to think though that way.

As for a shell...I just hot glued mine onto the helmet in front of my mouth. It was for a Mando helmet though, so lots of surface to glue to that isn't visor.

Thank you

 

[MoeSizzlac]

any stl files for shell?

Post 72 here (Simple Helmet Speaker System) has my stl files

 

[Rock Lobbster]

I've always used an external voice amplifier when in suit but this... I need to try this!

 

[MoeSizzlac]

I've always used an external voice amplifier when in suit but this... I need to try this!

External voice amplifier is going to be louder in a crowd. If I had one, I would probably have cannibalized it and placed it in the helmet. This my cheaper alternative.