Review: Norquip (affordable/quality communications)

[Ricochet]

THIS IS GOING TO SEEM LIKE AN ENDORSEMENT, BUT THIS IS 100% MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

I've learned that in airsoft it can be unwise to cheap out on certain types of gear and unfortunately, communications is one of those areas. The saving grace of course is the low end, hand-programmable radios (Wouxun, Baofeng, Linton, Puxing, etc) work fairly well and can even take a reasonable beating. As far as I know my original Linton is still being used to this day and my Wouxun, which is my current radio, is getting on in its years and still works perfectly. These radios are cost effective, don't technically require a license ("TECHNICALLY") and are becoming more readily available.

The problems typically come from finding quality hearing/PTT and not having your bank account raked over the coals. Not everyone can afford, or is willing to spend what it takes to get a high end Peltor, Sordin, Invisio, QuietPro, etc, setup and justify the cost. Especially versus investing in other gear. But communications are becoming a mainstay and a near necessity in competitive airsoft. In fact many experienced players will tell you to buy communications within your first year, or one of your first major purchases. The team that has comms over the team that doesn't, has a severe advantage.

Many airsoft or repro level headsets are crap and companies claiming to be "real-steel" are actually Chinese-clone shit (this does not reflect on my friends from China!). Remember, your headset has to take cold, hot, rain, mud and hours upon hours of use. Not to mention provide clear and effective communications. So what to do?

Years ago as a team we had decided that it was mandatory for our players to have quality/law-enforcement grade comms at minimum. This, as you can imagine, made it hard to find affordable communications systems for some of our guys. While searching around I found a company out of California called 'Pryme Headsets'. I read several online reviews and studied their product, which sports a tactical and service line. I ordered a headset for myself and a friend and the quality was impressive. I used it for years before moving onto something else and sold it in perfectly working condition. My friend still has his and it's going strong. This brings me to a local company here called "NORQUIP" in Burnaby British Columbia.

http://www.norquip.com

A few years back I was managing a fleet of trucks for the City of Maple Ridge after moving from Alberta. Our trucks and office had never ending radio issues and the company that we dealt with was a nightmare. They'd show up without the right parts, overcharge us and even would fail to fix small issues. One day I had enough and drove all the way out to their office to pick up the stuff myself so that I could install it, instead of waiting weeks for their technician to come in and accomplish nothing. When I got there they couldn't find any of our invoices or account information. I stood there for an eternity waiting for someone to figure out what to do. As I waited I looked around at all their advertising posters and realized they used obscure, knock-off brands and sold them for top dollar. Most of the ads and posters were riddled with embarrassing spelling and grammar mistakes. I decided right then that our business with them had permanently concluded.

I immediately started shopping around, but with so much to replace and a small-ish budget it was tough. Myself and my father being Fire Fighters by trade I decided to contact a member of the local municipal fire department and ask what/who they use. He recommended I phone Norquip and said "ask for Andrew", so I did. The next day Norquip sent out a tech and had all of our radios not only working, but working better. Better clarity, better distance, better, better, better. Not only that, but they cut us a brake due to our sad state of things. Our communications issues stopped in full after that.

A little while later I needed a new headset for airsoft and decided I would actually go to Norquip in person and introduce myself to Andrew. Andrew is a solid dude by the way, very trustworthy and very helpful. I was surprised that they carried Pryme radios (which they are now the official distributor for Canada), along with a some of the higher end brands and few cheaper ones too. I explained airsoft to him and the demands of our communications gear and he recommended a low-profile Pryme headset/PTT that they were having great success with, with the local Police and Ambulance service (I think it was sub $100 or so). He told me to bring it back if I had any issues, which I didn't have any, and I now owned my second Pryme headset.

I later returned after purchasing a Nacre QuietPro and had them modify it for a Kenwood dual-pin system (Wouxun, etc) and they did a stellar job. That unit works so well it's unbelievable and the cable mod they did is sturdy as all hell. I stopped in today to thank them and was shopping around for more comms options. They have a fully water-proof speaker mic, an around the ear tube-style earpiece with super crisp sound, lots of cool shit. I was actually floored at the sound quality difference between one and the next.

Anyways, they are great to deal with and best of all they are in Canada. I recommend at least checking out their site (link above).

If you're on a budget I fully recommend Pryme headsets, but they do have higher grade as well.

Feel free to call and ask for Andrew. Tell him Lindsay (Me) recommended them.

[Ricochet]

Got another set from Norquip which is both great and affordable. A speaker mic from Stone Mountain, which is water-proof and impact resistant and an tube style earpiece from Impact, which sports enhanced clarity. I paired this setup with the molded earpiece (always recommended) and I am very happy with it. This is a great setup for the Airsoft we who wants tough gear, but doesn't want to spend a fortune.