I’ve heard Jack in the Box used wired mics in the late '70s, but others credit McDonald’s with HME units around '83 — anyone got a solid source? Two-way clarity trims order repeats and keeps cars under 3:30, so I’m curious who set that standard first.
And > a solid source? Two-way clarity trims order repeats and keeps cars Agree on the timing part — wireless is the pivot; pull the FCC Equipment Authorization records to compare earliest headset grants for HME vs 3M/Panasonic, which gives hard dates. , “first” splits between wired intercoms (Jack in the Box late ’70s) and first wireless (often cited as HME around ’83), and when we upgraded, we cut about 20–30 seconds toward that 3:30 goal.
HME’s own timeline says “1984: first wireless drive‑thru headset” for QSRs, which fits McDonald’s early adoption, while Jack in the Box’s late ’70s setups were wired. If you want something independent, try Nation’s Restaurant News 1983–85 or local press on franchise conversions — company history pages are trophy cases; got a model number or unit name, @lmoore66?