Speaker Mics?

This is a question for those who are on the job (PD/FD/EMS). Do you guys use speaker mics on your portable radios?
and what do you call them? In my Dept we have a name for them and for the most part they arent used often. I personally like them despite the fact that i made an ass out of myself with one once. which looking back is a funny story. (If anyone wants i'll tell the story later in this thread)

No, we don't use them on the truck. Gets in the way in the tight quarters of the box.

we use them, we dont really all them anythning special, just shoulder mics

We use acoustic head sets

this is exactly what we use: http://forums.radioreference.com/old-classifieds-archives/161819-motorola-ht1250-ls-uhf.html

Those are good radios. We have a county handheld from Icom. A handheld from Motorola one of the digital AWINs and then I have my own Woxoun handheld that is also my ham radio.

Ours are some big-ass brick sized radios lol. I never even checked to see who makes them, we just had these new radios one day lol but we just have shoulder mics. Having the big headsets really isn't needed in an ambulance in my opinion.

We don't want shoulder mics mainly because when were on scene of a call half the time we never grab the county radios when we get out of the truck. That is why i'm using my own personal radio so I won't forget.

We have the shoulder radios, but when I get to work, it goes in the corner and I use the regular portable radios. It gives me an excuse not to talk to our bumbling idiot chiefs.

Yes, we do. Motorola XTS-1500's with the shoulder mic. some guys wear em, some guys not.

THEY'RE CALLED LAPEL MIKES... GET IT STRAIGHT.

We use them and I think there alot better then reaching down and holding a bulky radio.

I bought a YAESU F-270 for Search and Rescue. I also got a Yaesu MH-57 speaker mic to go with it, so, like Mark said, I don't have to reach around to my a*s and grab my portable, I can just key the mic. The only issue I have, is the mic is just sooo-oooo cute! lol it's about half the size of my hand... it's tiny... it's a little embarrassing, in all honesty lmao. I've had several comments made, especially because we get called out by the ETU (SWAT). They've got some pretty darned sophisticated radios, and then I got this tiny little thing on my shoulder.... lol But, I'm not there to look good. It gets the job done, I can communicate to the Command Post better than most members, so, I'm happy