It seemed to me that it would be a really good idea if the coach and his/her skater could hear the same music without monopolizing the rink sound system or without the awkwardness of having a boombox on the boards so I started researching the possibilities. (Can't help myself - I make my living as a system designer!)

After finding an appropriate FM stereo transmitter, one that was battery operated (with reasonable battery life) and with enough range to cover a standard NHL skating rink, I started putting together a complete system.

This system allows the coach to control the music source while both the coach and the skater(s) hear the music simultaneously. If the rink has an FM receiver, it could be tuned to the transmitter frequency and the coach could control the music source from on the ice.



The Skater's Pack consists of a pocket size FM radio with belt clip and ear buds. More than one skater's pack could be used and tuned to the same frequency for dancers.

The Coach's Pack consists of a personal music source (iPod, Walkman, DiscMan, etc), ear buds, an FM transmitter, and a custom splitter cable.

To be added shortly will be an optional microphone that will allow the coach to speak to the skater(s) through the ear buds along with the music. I also intend to create a bag with neck strap to hold all the components of the Coach's Pack in neat and convenient order.

The systems can be switched to different frequencies allowing up to four systems to be in use at the same rink without interfering with each other.

Each system should be set up according to the geographical area in which it will be primarily used in order to avoid interfering with local radio stations.

Most of the components are commercially available (except the cables and coach's bag) but, if there is enough interest, I could probably offer complete systems, tested and working, for a better price than buying parts, cables, adapters, etc. at retail prices.

It will take me a little time to put together pricing since I am busy with my skating program and would have to go back to the manufacturers for quantity prices - which means I would need some idea of the quantity.

If somebody wants to cobble together their own system, there are lots of companies out there selling FM transmitters and they can probably find the right combination of cables and adapters to hook it all up. (Of course you are on your own as far as results go )

P.S. The system uses North American radio frequencies. For use in other countries, the transmitter may not be compatible with local regulations.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

What an incredible idea. Thanks for sharing it!

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

This looks pretty cool in theory, but I wonder how safe it would be? Part of hearing the music over the rink sound system is that I know whose program is on and who has the right of way. And I'm afraid that if several skaters were trying to do their programs to their music simultaneously they would be concentrating on the program and not watching out for each other as well as they could. It's just easier when only one person gets their music at a time and we all know who it is. Personally, I think I would have a hard time listening to my music through this system while somebody else's music played over the rink system - the conflicting rhythms would drive me nuts. I admire the technology, though!

Well, you've done it again! Another great idea put into working order.

If you keep going, you could soon offer a catalog of skating goodies and start a retail empire.

You get the forum "great inventor" vote from me!

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Bill Schneider

The idea was not for doing complete programs - unless maybe by playing thru the PA system - but rather so coaches and skaters can work on bits and pieces off in a corner.

I frequently wear my iPod but never wear both ear buds unless I am alone. I also don't have the volume any higher than required to hear the beat/timing.

Obviously, when you share the ice with other skaters, you need to be AWARE of traffic. Yes, I know there are people who can not walk and chew gum at the same time - I would hope their fellow skaters would do a Mexican Hat Dance on their iPod!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Dianne, you rock!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I was going to do a similar setup for pairs - Like yours I have a splitter that goes into the headphone jack, and then one person would have earbuds plugged directly in, and the other would have a set of bluetooth headphones such as these:
http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/ca...uct/sku__ON506

I was waiting for bluetooth 2.0 earbuds to came along because they have pretty perfect sound quality whereas the bluetooth 1.x ones can be degraded sounding like a cell phone, but google now shows me that some exist:
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...ductId=1003210
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...ductId=1003209

But while the quality of Bluetooth 2.0 would be higher than FM, the range is only 33 feet so it wouldn't work as well for coaching...

(I can just imagine a coach looking at this pile of gadgetry and saying, "you want me to do WHAT?!??!!")

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Thank you Dianne!

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Dianne,
This is a wonderful idea! I like that you have the option of adding a microphone for the coach (maybe incorporate a headset type). I had thought something like that would be good so I could HEAR my coach over everyone's music. This has become more of an issue lately, as I'm slowly losing my hearing and if I am not right in front of her, I can't hear what she is saying especially if the PA is booming.

As far as safety, everyone should always be aware of other skaters and where they are and where they look like they are headed, at all times.

I'm interested!!!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Dianne: I still am worried about the concern about other skaters, however, I just want to say I LOVE your suggestion with "The Wireless Coach."

BTW: since you are using FM frequency, a place to get cheap wireless microphones (besides music stores) are TOY stores!!! You can get these toy microphones in the music section of the toy stores. The only problem is that I think those microphone uses a specific FM frequency and I don't know whether it would conflict with the frequency of the FM transmitter.

But something to look into...

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Yes, most "cheap" wireless use a frequency in the 400 or 900 MHz band which is designated for "family communications". The ones I have seen have mediocre sound quality but would work for S.D.'s requirements. The "key" to adding a mic to The Wireless Coach is to mix the mic signal with both stereo music channels to ensure the skater hears the coach's voice no matter which ear bud they are wearing.

Transmitting in the commercial FM band has the advantage of allowing the coach to control the music from on-the-ice (assuming the rink sound system has an FM radio which most do around here) and the transmitter I use is hi-fi stereo so the sound quality is as good as a home stereo.

I expect that I could offer The Wireless Coach, less the personal audio device, for around $100 - most people have an iPod or Walkman already. The microphone option would probably add another $50.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I've seen a skater and a coach at one rink wearing wireless headphones while they played their music through a CD player. I think you can find this kind of gadgets in most big electric shops nowadays.

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My other car is a Zamboni

The problem though is that at least when your music's playing out loud the other skaters know to give way to you. If they can't hear your music you won't get right of way.

Nicki

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www.myspace.com/insatiableskater

The idea was not for doing complete programs - unless maybe by playing thru the PA system - but rather so coaches and skaters can work on bits and pieces off in a corner.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

That may be the idea, but that's not how everybody is going to use it. At my rink, at least, it would solve some problems while likely creating other, more dangerous, ones. I can see a lot of potentially great applications if it's being used responsibly, though.

Then take it up with the people at your rink. Lets not blame the hardware for people problems and PLEASE, lets not have this debate yet again in this thread. That horse has been beaten into oblivion.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Rusty this is GREAT! What FM transmitter do you use to get coverage on the entire rink that is still FCC legal?

My own experiences: I videotape my lessons and hooked up a wireless FM mic to my coach so it records her voice on the tape - BTW what she says is often much more useful than watching my feeble attempts at doing what she says.
I use the NADY 351. It's a little more expensive than previous models but the FM noise at our rink is HUGE and this model has much better discrimination. I hook her up to a lavelier mic and she wears the FM transmitter in a neoprene belt bag designed to hold a portable CD player. I've found that the wire antenna broke in a week but the rubber ducky whip is working great!

So here is something we all need that I hope you can help find: we need an extremely small and cheap mixer with 1/8" inputs and preferably optoisolation to protect the devices from the (no kidding) 1500 volts ground loop at the pitifully wired rink side power grid. (no wonder the CD players never last more than a few months!) The other thing that would be nice is a full duplex system so that you could converse with your coach, OTOH most of what comes out of my mouth is grunting noises and giggles during a lesson
KEEEP US POSTED!
Lyle

I spent a zillion hours trying to find one of those - no dice! The smallest battery powered mixers are all "professional grade" and start around $400! (For the microphone version of The Wireless Coach, I have to build the mixer myself!)

I have been heavily into audio since about 1962 and have NEVER seen a mixer with isolated inputs. Even in the power industry (where I work) the isolation is done as a separate step at a cost of about $1500 per channel

Check the internet for "family radio". There are a whole host of manufacturers making inexpensive two-way radios for family use. You may find one that is truly full duplex.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Would a small sound mixer work???

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

It would, but it is rather large and weighs almost 2 pounds.

Also, for the coach's microphone, it is better to do the mixing at high level rather than mic level to avoid the requirement for another amplifier.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

That would be interesting.. but we aren't allowed to use iPods or personal CD players at mink rink, ESPECIALLY during FS sessions because people tend to zone out all of the other skaters, and many more accidents happen.

FWIW I think I've figuresd out why they don't use optoisolators for audio inputs- the frequency response is bad below 40 Hz.

I think that a passive mixer/ really just a voltage devider/ would work well enough but you still need power for the microphone so maybe a powered mixer is still the best option
Lyle

I'd vote for skaters to use this when doing their skills. Instead of me having to hear that awful music over and over again, the skater who is doing the skill could have the music piped to their ear and I could skate in peace.

Yeah, I've got the same concerns about skaters concentrating on one thing to the detriment of everything else and having accidents happen.

Schools use FM devices for hard of hearing students, the teacher is miked and the student wears the receiver earpiece and the level of transmission has to stay in the classroom, I'm wondering if any of those hardware bits and pieces would work? (I used to work with special needs kids).

This would be a great thing for me; in the noisy rink even without music playing, it gets very hard to hear my coach (she does not talk softly but my hearing is going). Add music and it becomes impossible at times.

I don't want her to hear what I'm saying all the time...I'd have to start putting money in the jar again

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I think this is a wonderful idea. I can even imagine it being used for other sports. If it does not already exist in some form...then maybe patent it!