Road Noise: Hard Upper Half Doors vs Full Doors

I have half doors with 6 year old, clouded Smittybilt brand soft uppers velcroed onto what I believe are OEM frames, and I have a set of full doors that the LJ came with. Full doors have been off for almost a year, currently taking up space in the attic. I did completely fine driving it in cold weather over the winter, and for the rare occasions I have all the windows on in summer, they do well enough to stay comfortable with the AC on.

...but as we've discussed, they're noisy as hell, and road trips of any length I'm wearing earplugs and cranking my stereo to hear through the plugs. If the bulldawg fiberglass ones were anywhere close to full doors in sound level, or at least quiet enough that I could drive for 5 hours without cranking up my tinnitus, I could feel ok with selling the full doors and just use the hard uppers for longer road trips, and build a storage rack to store them in the Jeep so I can take them off and keep them from getting beat up when I get to my destination and go wheel.
 
Kurt_S said:
Mac... once again you're my hero. I'm running a Midland but I don't understand how those connect. Is there an external module and how do you connect more than one person?
Click to expand...

Intercom has ports to plug the headphones into, only the driver (blue ports) and codriver (red ports) get push to talk capability which allows them to talk over the GMRS. The other headsets have internal only communication and get the crew (yellow ports) as shown below.

The intercom connects to your phone via Bluetooth for calls and music.

1684525212355.png


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...-89e8-49e7-82e9-bc81a3bd1b24.pdf?v=1655418554
 
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Kurt_S said:
Mac... once again you're my hero. I'm running a Midland but I don't understand how those connect. Is there an external module and how do you connect more than one person?
Click to expand...

The Rugged Radio handheld cable works on the connector on the side of the MTX275/575 just fine...only issue is you've got one cable to the handset and another to the side of the handset.

Rugged was able to get the PTT to work...I wasn't. Basically you have a button you can Velcro to your steering wheel to trigger the radio.

When you're in intercom mode it's voice activated...you just talk...if the two of you want to trigger the radio you hit the PTT button and you both can hear talk on the GMRS Midland.

Here's a video of me aqwardly hitting the PTT button on both the Rugged and Midland to get it to work...I think my handset it broken.


-Mac
 
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macleanflood said:
The Rugged Radio handheld cable works on the connector on the side of the MTX275/575 just fine...only issue is you've got one cable to the handset and another to the side of the handset.

Rugged was able to get the PTT to work...I wasn't. Basically you have a button you can Velcro to your steering wheel to trigger the radio.

When you're in intercom mode it's voice activated...you just talk...if the two of you want to trigger the radio you hit the PTT button and you both can hear talk on the GMRS Midland.

Here's a video of me aqwardly hitting the PTT button on both the Rugged and Midland to get it to work...I think my handset it broken.


-Mac
Click to expand...

You need to get PTT working it’s one of the best features.

I put my PTT button on the shifter as I didn’t want cords on the steering wheel.

Mrs Apps PTT is on the dash grab bar.
 
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So I had a chance to take the Jeep out on I25 last night and the top and doors make an incredible difference in noise. It's like a whole different Jeep!

In reality, it is. The top and doors came attached to a clean '03 Sport with 35k miles. So now my issue is solved; I have hardtop, full doors, and A/C. It also included the OEM soft top which has never been installed, and a Mopar Accessories Jeep branded bikini top. I should be set from this perspective, but the build will begin as soon as I move along my old TJ.

Before:
IMG_4947.jpeg


After:
IMG_7726.jpeg
 
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deadbeat son said:
So I had a chance to take the Jeep out on I25 last night and the top and doors make an incredible difference in noise. It's like a whole different Jeep!

In reality, it is. The top and doors came attached to a clean '03 Sport with 35k miles. So now my issue is solved; I have hardtop, full doors, and A/C. It also included the OEM soft top which has never been installed, and a Mopar Accessories Jeep branded bikini top. I should be set from this perspective, but the build will begin as soon as I move along my old TJ.

Before:
View attachment 429617

After:
View attachment 429616
Click to expand...

Hey, OP - wanted to say i enjoyed this hard-top/soft-top discussion and the twist ending where you grabbed an entirely new jeep. :D thanks for the great read. How's life with the new rig?

BTW - just read through your Colorado/Ouray adventure with your daughter (i think) - Good stuff! :)
 
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Apparition said:
Intercom has ports to plug the headphones into, only the driver (blue ports) and codriver (red ports) get push to talk capability which allows them to talk over the GMRS. The other headsets have internal only communication and get the crew (yellow ports) as shown below.

The intercom connects to your phone via Bluetooth for calls and music.

View attachment 426146

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...-89e8-49e7-82e9-bc81a3bd1b24.pdf?v=1655418554
Click to expand...

for those of us that feel a little less spendy, it looks like this one does most of the same stuff...it only handles 2 crew instead of 3 and the PTT buttons are on the face instead of remote.

https://www.ruggedradios.com/products/rrp364-bt-2-4-perosn-expandable-bluetooth-intercom
 
Paradiddle said:
This makes an insane difference and is well worth the money. They make one for both year breaks on the TJ so pick accordingly.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/boom-mat-jeep-wrangler-sound-deadening-headliner-gray-original-finish-50147.html?utm_content=XTInterior-Other|BoomMat&T5_Var4=J193331&intl=0&utm_campaign=XTW+Wrangler+Brands+&+Vehicle+Low+LTVTop&dialogtech=ppc&utm_source=google-pla&utm_medium=shopping&T5_Var2=shopping&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwi_exBhA8EiwA_kU1Mu_uZV8mg79gPIKwkHJRTDNq_LDihSs62EhgAYfK2fOsd-y-QwnZ6xoCn-4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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our hardtop had insulation panels when we got it, so I have nothing to compare it to - that being said, it's VERY quiet. Much quieter than we'd thought it be. Louder than our F150, but honestly about on par with our Honda Civic for road noise.
 
I recently decided to try adding Walker Razor walkie talkie attachments to my Walker earmuffs I use for shooting. Very affordable and they use GMRS so I could use them to communicate with other parties outside the Jeep, but they're really mostly for the highway...if I'm at wheeling speed I'll just use a handheld.

1715364755169.png


It works but you have to use the PTT because the VOX sucks. It has two sensitivity settings and one of them isn't sensitive enough to pick up and the other one is so sensitive that once you talk it locks in and stays active due to the wind noise.

It's also shooters hearing protection that cost under $50...it's over the ear at least, but I can imagine it will be somewhat fatiguing to wear for hours on end.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
I recently decided to try adding Walker Razor walkie talkie attachments to my Walker earmuffs I use for shooting. Very affordable and they use GMRS so I could use them to communicate with other parties outside the Jeep, but they're really mostly for the highway...if I'm at wheeling speed I'll just use a handheld.

View attachment 525795

It works but you have to use the PTT because the VOX sucks. It has two sensitivity settings and one of them isn't sensitive enough to pick up and the other one is so sensitive that once you talk it locks in and stays active due to the wind noise.

It's also shooters hearing protection that cost under $50...it's over the ear at least, but I can imagine it will be somewhat fatiguing to wear for hours on end.
Click to expand...

these are my go-to for pewpew fun - I didn't know they had a walkie attachment - thanks for the heads up.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
for those of us that feel a little less spendy, it looks like this one does most of the same stuff...it only handles 2 crew instead of 3 and the PTT buttons are on the face instead of remote.

https://www.ruggedradios.com/products/rrp364-bt-2-4-perosn-expandable-bluetooth-intercom
Click to expand...

Hadn't seen that. The PTT is only for using the GMRS (or whatever radio you choose) to go outside of the internal (to the jeep) intercom. Having other PTT buttons in a convenient location is worth it. I have mine on the gear shifter and Mrs App's is on the passenger grab bar so we can each talk over the GMRS with the push of a button.

I got my 4 person on one of their clearances for $400. Buying all the cables does add up quickly. We do have another headset for my daughter and she wears it when she sits in the back so if you have kids, don't forget about them unless you don't want to talk to them.
 
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Apparition said:
Buying all the cables does add up quickly.
Click to expand...

not to mention the headsets themselves...which ones do you use? I've never worn anything behind-the-head. I know when I wear OTH for long periods of time the top of my head starts getting pretty sore...but the BTH sets still have a strap that goes over the top so I'm not sure they would solve that problem.

The nice thing about the Walkers is they were like $25 to add the comm feature to the existing $35 muffs...so it was a very low initial investment to try out the concept of using something like that for road trips. But I don't see them as a long term solution because they don't have any bluetooth for phone calls or listening to music and your entire in-car conversation is constantly blasted out to everybody on the same FRS/GMRS channel. I tried just using the volume knob with the ear muffs to pick up and re-play ambient sounds like I do to hear people talking at the range, but they just pick up the wind noise over the music.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
not to mention the headsets themselves...which ones do you use? I've never worn anything behind-the-head. I know when I wear OTH for long periods of time the top of my head starts getting pretty sore...but the BTH sets still have a strap that goes over the top so I'm not sure they would solve that problem.

The nice thing about the Walkers is they were like $25 to add the comm feature to the existing $35 muffs...so it was a very low initial investment to try out the concept of using something like that for road trips. But I don't see them as a long term solution because they don't have any bluetooth for phone calls or listening to music and your entire in-car conversation is constantly blasted out to everybody on the same FRS/GMRS channel. I tried just using the volume knob with the ear muffs to pick up and re-play ambient sounds like I do to hear people talking at the range, but they just pick up the wind noise over the music.
Click to expand...

We have the OTH ones. Me being bald doesn't help but it takes a couple days straight of wearing them before they start getting at all bothersome. A weekend wouldn't be a big deal.
 
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4Lo4Sho said:
Hey, OP - wanted to say i enjoyed this hard-top/soft-top discussion and the twist ending where you grabbed an entirely new jeep. :D thanks for the great read. How's life with the new rig?

BTW - just read through your Colorado/Ouray adventure with your daughter (i think) - Good stuff! :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for following along! I'm pleased with the change I made. I don't regret having a hardtop one bit. I've made a few trips in it and it is so much more comfortable to ride in than the old TJ just due to the difference in sound. Correct, I was lucky to take my daughter to Ouray last Labor Day weekend; we really enjoyed the trip and she likes the new Jeep too!
 
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