Headsets

[Gomer Pylot]

The mike shouldn't be picking up all the noise, it should only transmit when you talk. There should be a VOX adjustment on the panel somewhere. The H13 is not an ANR headset, it just provides passive protection. If the radio volume is too loud, turn it down.

[NorCalHeliKid]

I have seen very little mentioned of Light Speed. I have to admit that I personally do not own one but have tried them from a friend and now I want one myself. They are just as good if not better than a Bose in my opinion and just as comfortable and a couple hundred dollars less on the price tag. You can actually hook into your cell phone and answer calls/listen to music while flying. ANR works great, just keep spare batt's in your bag.

[relyon]

... You can actually hook into your cell phone and answer calls/listen to music while flying. ...

I don't consider either of those things one should be doing while flying, certainly not single pilot. They're against many companies operational policies and federal regulations as well.

 

Bob

[betr_thn_Icarus]

I use DC H10-26 and love them but wonder if I am missing out....I'll have to try the Bose someday. Maybe when I do it for a living it would be worth the cost.

 

Shouldn't battery powered headsets have some kind of fall back feature that sets them back to a passive...but still functioning... headset when the batteries die? I mean I know it could easily be done. It sounds dangerous to have the whole set just die randomly.

 

I thought I had seen a DC set that had so many dB passive plus so much ANR. That sounds better to me. Then maybe you wouldn't lose your high frequency hearing over time because the passive protection would always be there too.

[Wannabe1]

Hello Gomer Pylot...

 

I tried to adjust the squelch today but the R22 I'm flying doesn't have any adjustment other than volume. I checked with my CFI and he confirmed that with the mic hot, it is hot all the time. With the hot mic turned off, I need to press the intercom button to talk. Said something about newer R22s having what you are talking about.

 

The mike shouldn't be picking up all the noise, it should only transmit when you talk. There should be a VOX adjustment on the panel somewhere. The H13 is not an ANR headset, it just provides passive protection. If the radio volume is too loud, turn it down.

Edited April 21, 2008 by Wannabe1

[captkirkyota]

The ones that come with the HALO are pretty worthless, but I use regular foam plugs anyway, so it doesn't matter to me.

 

How or what do you do to regular foam earplugs to make them work, do you drill a little hole thru the center and length of the plug?

[Gomer Pylot]

I have some .013" tubing that I use to run inside the plugs, to carry the audio and attach to the speakers. I just run something through the length of the plugs to make a hole and insert the tubes. I have some old tubes from the tips that came with the Clarity Aloft, and these attach to the speakers very well, but I don't often use them, because the plastic tubing seems to work a little better, after it's been used a few times. Drilling doesn't work that well in foam, I just push a hole through it. I have a piece of plastic just a little larger in diameter than the tubing, sharpened on one end, but a ballpoint pen insert will do the same job, or anything else of the approximate size. The size isn't critical at all, you just need to push a hole into the foam and it will reclose on itself.

[captkirkyota]

I have some .013" tubing that I use to run inside the plugs, to carry the audio and attach to the speakers.

 

 

The obvious question, where did you get this tubing? I would not know where to begin to source that.

I can use finishing nails to push through the earplugs, so tubing is what would throw me.

[Gomer Pylot]

I got it at work, but you should be able to find it at model stores. It's just clear plastic tubing, with an internal diameter of .013", but you could use slightly larger if necessary. Another option is heatshrink tubing, which you can buy at Radio Shack. That's what I started with, but I don't like it as much. The Auricomm comes with a supply of premanufactured earplugs, but I don't like the EAR brand yellow plugs, which is what they supply. YMMV.

[captkirkyota]

I got it at work, but you should be able to find it at model stores. It's just clear plastic tubing, with an internal diameter of .013", but you could use slightly larger if necessary. Another option is heatshrink tubing, which you can buy at Radio Shack. That's what I started with, but I don't like it as much. The Auricomm comes with a supply of premanufactured earplugs, but I don't like the EAR brand yellow plugs, which is what they supply. YMMV.

 

Thanks GP.

BTW YMMV???????

[Gomer Pylot]

YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary, an old and well-used internet acronym. Others are here .

[FauxZ]

For what it's worth, I just picked up the Oregon Aero seals for my headset. They are far more comfortable than the stock gel pads I had on my Marv. They seem slightly quieter, but with the CEP's in, it doesn't get much quieter anyway.

 

As for ear plugs, I'm still just ordering them from cep-usa. $25 for a set of 6, they lasted me about one year.

[Gomer Pylot]

Yes, those work, but I have a hard time paying >$4 for a pair of earplugs, when I can get all I need for free. I'm cheap. Plus, they won't last me that long. I go through about a set per week, flying every day. Maybe my ears are just dirty, but after a week of using them, I just can't stand to put them in my ears any more, there's just too much crud built up on them by that time. That will end up costing me well over $100/year, and I have better things to spend my money on. Like I said, I'm cheap.

Edited May 14, 2008 by Gomer Pylot

[FauxZ]

Yeah, I'm pretty lucky in that i don't go through them fast. I can get away with almost a month of 6 day weeks, 8-12 hours a day. I may wash them once, but not more than that. I was thinking of going your route with the tube and normal earplugs but haven't bothered to research it further yet. Maybe when I've got some more free time.

[Gomer Pylot]

You can just peel the old foam off those, and use the inside part in standard foam plugs. I use those too, but they don't go as far in, and I have to turn up the volume a little. It's not a big problem, though.

[Hovergirl]

My DPE had something he called "musicians earplugs" which he swore by. Looked like clear plastic molded earplugs with a little window in the middle. He wore them under his headset. Anyone have experience with something like this?

 

HVG

[TheLorax]

bob, i talk on the phone incessantly while flying. i listen to music. and i curse, and i drink. who cares.

[Tawler]

bob, i talk on the phone incessantly while flying. i listen to music. and i curse, and i drink. who cares.

 

 

This does not sound remotely safe

[Sparker]

This does not sound remotely safe

 

the cursing or the drinking....?

[RkyMtnHI]

Bose X .. i love them except when the batts go out... first time it happened i was doing autos and i almost had a heart attack. best to keep spares with you at all times. But, it's still the best headset i've worn, very light and comfortable. Also, Bose has an amazing warranty service... i had a mic problem with mine and they sent me a new one.. it didn't work due to being the wrong impedance so they sent me a NEW headset. Both the mic and the headset was on my doorstep within 24 hours at their cost. AND they restarted my warranty since it was a new headset. And they paid the shipping both ways... best 1k i've spent. However i am looking closely at the Lightspeed since they have bluetooth capability... would like to have input on that subject from current users. thanks.. dp

 

 

Got the new Helicopter Zulu yesterday, put 1.3 hours on it today (in the 300). noticeably more bass, right from the start. They are not as streamlined as the Bose, a little difficult to put back into the box (case) and stick out from your head more (it is all about how good we look isn't it??). I don't like the way the mic activates.. a little slow compared to the Bose. While the ambient sound seemed to be quieter in the Zulu i think i could hear the engine RPM a little clearer... don't know exactly what that means, just an observation. I think the Zulu was more comfortable, but will know more about that later. I LOVE the blue tooth, when i got a phone call it beeped in the head set and i answered, very clear on my end but the caller said it was a little crackly.. guess it would be in a helo, but crackly is better than no call capabilities. I know of a fixed wing pilot's wife that uses her ipod on cross countries.. she can listen to music and even watch a movie with the blue tooth input.

 

at this point the Bose is winning, but will let you know as time goes on..

 

dp

 

Nov 12, 08

 

well... i hope this will be short..

 

i have both, have used both on a daily basis for a few months now. I have a locker, many guys and gals at Rotors have the combo and demo my headsets cuz i'm the only one that has both in one place at one time.

 

it seems that the Zulu is winning out.. for me too. on long cross countries the Bose start to crunch my ears. The Zulus never do.

 

The Zulu has more base and thus is easier to hear. There was a mic issue in the beginning with the Zulu as i said earlier but it was operator error.. :-) there is an adjustment on the mic that easily fixed the problem.

 

There was a Bose issue in the beginning with the batts going out too quickly, Bose fixed it very quickly and at their expense.. in fact, they gave me a new headset and restarted my warranty.. excellent!!

 

i took a call from a Judge while on a long cross country one day and gave a deposition.. (my CFI was flying), i have also used the bluetooth on the Zulu to call for fuel and call my wife on the way home.

 

i love the Bose, but every day now i pull out the Zulu!! so i guess it's the winner for me and most others at Rotors as well.

 

dp

[DieselBoy]

Any updates from people that have the new Zulu?

 

I need to buy a headset soon and I'm debating between the Bose and Zulu.

[Kyle Davis]

Avcomm 747 vs. Bose X vs. Lightspeed Zulu

 

I bought the Avcomm 747's when I first started my flight training. They weren't bad for the price of $250. They weren't very heavy (I guess around 14 oz) and I really liked that they came with both helicopter and fixed wing cords that plugged into the headset so they could be easily changed.

 

The problem with the Avcomm's came when I started soloing and no longer had an instructor in the helicopter to ask "Hey what did that last guy say exactly?" My school is in Las Vegas and we're flying in 100+ degree F temperatures every day in the summer so we never have the doors on. About 80% of the calls I could hear just fine with the Avcomm's but whenever there was some blade slap or wind through the cockpit it became really hard to hear what everyone was saying. The other problem came when I started flying cross-country's and the sideward pressure of the Avcomm's would give me a headache after a couple hours of flying. I tried bending the headband out and it helped a little but the noise reduction became even worse.

 

My instructor let me try out his Bose X's and I was immediately convinced I needed to invest in a better headset with ANR. They were so comfortable and lightweight, but like Gomer I was concerned about good passive noise reduction for high frequencies in addition to the ANR. I ended up buying the new helicopter version of the Lightspeed Zulu's because the earseals fit around your ear, not on top like the Bose X. Lightspeed claims that this combined with their magnesium earcups provides 10 times better passive noise reduction at high frequencies. I'm no expert so I'm not really sure how true that is, but I will say that I love the Zulu's and hope I never have to fly without them again.

 

The Lightspeed Zulu's are even lighter than my Avcomm's, and flying is so much easier and less stressful when I can hear every radio call perfectly. As far as comfort, I think the Zulu's are even more comfortable than the Bose X's, and obviously 100 times more comfortable than the Avcomm's. No more headaches or sore ears on long flights. I don't know if I'll ever use the other features, but my instructor says he can think of quite a few times when the bluetooth/cell phone capability would have come in handy for him.

 

The Zulu's were $100 cheaper than the Bose X, with more features, just as comfortable or more, and just as good or better noise reduction. The only thing I can think of that the Bose X has on the Zulu's is the slim design.

[Ross85]

Auricomm HALO. Quiet, light, comfortable, no headset hair, no problem with the ball on top of the cap, any sunglasses are fine.

 

Those things are pretty cool, never really seen anything like that. I know those foam ear plugs work good though

[DakarNick]

SPH-4 helmet and David Clark H10-13.4 airplane with helicopter adapter

[heli.pilot]

I tried the Mach1 and the standard Auricomm, and they both slipped, although the Mach1 was worse about it than the Auricomm. The HALO works differently, having a band around the head which holds the mike, and the earplugs fit in the ears separately. There are pictures on the website I linked if you're interested. This is the same way the Clarity Aloft works. These are pretty comparable, but the Clarity Aloft has a cell phone/mp3 interface, and is about $100 more expensive. To me, the cell phone/mp3 interface isn't worth the extra money.

 

Probably a stupid question, but you do have your own volume control on the halo, right? Is it on the cord somewhere? I don't see it in the picture so I wasn't sure. Also, is it a straight cord or coiled?