Headset for training

[Ianp83]

Hi, I'm looking for advice on a first headset for training in a c152. I hope to go on and do me/ir maybe even atpl and know I'll end up getting a new one but something to last the first couple of years. I have a budget of around £200.

I have a set of Bose qc15 which I use when flying as a passenger. Some forums imply you can get an add on for this to allow 2 way comms. Any knowledge/thoughts?

[rob.davis87]

I'm about halfway through PPL myself and use the Sennheiser HME 100 headset. Got a good deal on eBay. I've had no issues, it's clear and serves its purpose. Like yourself I'll be looking to upgrade when I do further training.

Will be interested to know what others think.

[rmcb]

I would buy the best ANR headset on the market - you'll have to do your own research on which that would be.

Your concentration level will be reduced less - I bought mine at the end of my CPL training and wished I had gotten a decent one from the outset.

Your budget won't cut it; double it at the very least. Take it out of the pilot watch/gold epaulette/GPS account. They won't help make you a good pilot; a decent long lived headset will. IMO.

Good luck!

[riverrock83]

The device that you are talking about for the QC15 is the UFlyMike:
Products (http://uflymike.com/id2.html)
You can read the multiple reviews online as well as I can about it - concerns include the lack of any passive noise reduction and that fact the whole thing dies when the battery goes flat. There is also a slight possibility of the mike unit becoming detached from the headset (which you wont realise until you try and speak). I haven't met anyone who has one but $225 (list price) seems expensive to me, although some online reviews are very positive. Ignore any mention of TSO - doesn't apply to private flying anywhere.

I've always been told you should get the best headset that you can afford. You wont regret it! Buying a cheap headset initially is seen my some as a false economy. You may aswell start as you mean to go on, although a cheaper headset could be used as a spare if you upgrade in the future.

The club I'm at has free headset hire so although I'm well through my PPL I haven't bought one yet. Better to spend the money on flying! The club headsets are David Clarks which are better than an HME 100 that I was lent, despite them seemingly having been around for ever. So if going for a passive headset, I would lean towards Dave Clarks - they are solid (the club ones are very well used but still going stong) and a well known quantity which wont let you down.

If you are going ANR (active noise reduction) the bose A20 still leads the way. Unfortunatly for us, Bose also leads the pricing table too. Lightspeed Zulu II generally comes in second to the Bose A20 although just about better than Bose X (older Bose model) on noise cancellation. I can't comment on other ANR headsets, although the Dave Clarks aren't supposed to be great in comparison.

Only other comment on Sennheiser's is that I have known them to occasionally be incompatible with other headsets in the plane. I can't remember the factors involved in this, but they include which type of intercom is in use in the plane and was something to do with hi verses low impedance.

A number of medium and higher range headsets now come with bluetooth for receiving phone calls and some allow you to stream music into the headset. You are likely to only use the bluetooth rarely while still on the ground or when you are a passenger. Since you can buy a cheap bluetooth headset for £15 - I don't understand why there is a £100 premium on them! Unless you have a good reason to go bluetooth, I'd lean away.

Personally - I'm going to save up and plan to spend too much money giving myself a treat once I get my PPL...

[Weirdfish]

I currently use a set of David Clark 13.4's that have been converted to ANR and they are great. I think the total cost was about 300 quid.

I hadn't planned on buying my own headset until well into my training but you only need to look forward and see a bit of someone else's food on the mike of a club headset once:eek:

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Ianp83,

The thing you need to bear in mind is that whichever headset you buy, you need to be comfortable in it for perhaps 2 hours.

We all have different shaped heads and what one person finds comfortable, another will find to be an instrument of torture.

You can't assess the comfort of a headset in a few minutes. A headset that might be quite comfortable at first can gradually become unbearable by the end of an hour.

You need to be able to take whichever headset you buy home and wear it around the house for a couple of hours. If it is not comfortable at the end of that time, you need to be able to take it back and change it for a different one.

I doubt if you can do this with something you buy on eBay. For this reason, it is better to buy either from a pilot shop or from another pilot.

With a budget of £200, however, you should be able to get something decent from another pilot. Watch your club notice board and see what comes up.

Regards,

BP.

[pudoc]

I got some brilliant David Clark 10-13.4 off eBay for less than your budget. You don't need ANR, trust me. I fly a lot and these are so comfortable and clear.

ANR are good but typically expensive and my DCs do the job nicely. I had Peltor 9004s, get quite uncomfortable after an hour or so.

[AndoniP]

another vote for DC 10-13.4s here. The ear seals keep out pretty much anything and are very comfortable. they're about £270.

[Genghis the Engineer]

A good ANR headset such as the Bose-X or the Bose A-20 are fantastic and worth the money. But, the cheapest you might get a second hand Bose-X would be around £500.

For under £200 I would personally look at two models that I rate highly. One would be the David Clark's that have already been mentioned, and the other is the Harry Mendellson HM40s. I've used both extensively, and personally see no difference in quality between then, save that the HM's are half the price and not the colour of a badly polluted pond.

Mostly, in light aeroplanes unless they are particularly noisy I tend to use my comfortable and much loved pair of HM40s. In noisier aeroplanes, I'll borrow a Bose from work.

G

[Ds3]

I'm about halfway through PPL myself and use the Sennheiser HME 100 headset. Got a good deal on eBay. I've had no issues, it's clear and serves its purpose. Like yourself I'll be looking to upgrade when I do further training.

Ditto. Nearly at the end of my PPL and also using the Sennheiser HME100 which I picked up in 'as new' condition at less than half price on Ebay.

They aren't ANR, but they are very comfortable and far more effective than the club headsets. I can imagine if you were going to be training towards an ATPL every day you'd want something better, but for a weekend flyer they suit me fine!

[Dan the weegie]

I you really want to be a professional then an ANR headset is very important, a significant portion of the damage is done in the first 3-400 hrs. The other option is to get a cheap one (Mendelsohns HM90 for instance) and buy an ANR when you know you're going to continue on.

Alternatively you wont go wrong with a Dave Clark H10-13. You can always add the ANR in one of those later on.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I hear what you say there Dan, but would comment that of my 1300ish hours, maybe 50-100 hours are with an ANR headset, and all of that in the last couple of years. My first 400 hours included a lot of seriously noisy aeroplanes.

I still have, according to a periodic audiogram, near perfect hearing. (Shame about the rest of me mind you, but my eyes and ears are great!).

Good passive headsets are still very good, notwithstanding that a good ANR headset is better, particularly with regard to your ability to hear, concentrate, and keep your stress levels down.

G

[Ianp83]

Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated. I'm not keen on 2nd hand for something that is worn right by my face so think an as new/grade a returns Dave Clark set or my Bose with uflymike is probably the best bet. The reviews on the uflymike are relatively positive online, does anyone have any bad experiences to report with these?? Uflymike with shipping works out at £150 so definitely a lower cost option although I accept that this is something not for scrimping on.

[Retired Redcap]

Have a look at the Beyerdynamic HS200. Light, comfortable and within budget.
I am very pleased with mine.

[HWEST]

Dave Clark is fine, but I think their designs are old now- consider Sennheiser HME 100 again- light, comfortable, new- or for ANR (preferred) - Lightspeed Zulu- or if you don't need Bluetooth, mobile phone, etc, go for the cheaper and just as good- Lightspeed Sierra.

For bits and bobs about how to choose the best for you, there's a buyers guide here (http://airsite1.com/Proviation%20Shop%20IMG/Choosing%20the%20right%20headset%20for%20you.pdf)which is useful. I haven't found much else in the way of guidance online apart from in forums

[Dan the weegie]

Build quality and serviceability (is that a word?! :)) of the Dave Clark is way better than an HME 100, it's a good PPL headset but doesn't last all that well in a pro environment (of the ones I've seen).

Genghis, you pretty repeated what I said :). It's a question of situation, 900 hrs in a Tomahawk or C152 wont do you a lot of harm but when you fly really noisy things then ANR becomes really important :). My colleague has about 2500-3000 hrs in the old crate I fly and he has a huge hearing dip in the range that the props are at. He distinctly regrets not splashing out on ANR earlier than he did for precisely that reason. The damage can happen any time and if you rely on your medical then you should be doing what you can to protect it.

I can't believe some of the integrated guys I fly with who have spent €120k on their flight training but still use the spare headset left in the aircraft - that baffles me.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I see your point, especially about the integrated chaps.

I think just about the noisiest aeroplane I've spent a lot of time in was the old CFM Shadow that I did my first PPL in, but both Lynx and Communica do superb passive headsets specifically designed for microlights. Standard GA headsets just don't cut the mustard in that sort of environment, and I wouldn't use them.

Just re-inforcing an earlier point, a really quiet and comfortable headset does a lot for your ability to concentrate whilst learning, and arguably pays for itself in that regard. The Bose I used for my CPL almost certainly did (especially as I only borrowed it!).

G

[thing]

I can't believe some of the integrated guys I fly with who have spent €120k on their flight training but still use the spare headset left in the aircraft - that baffles me.

I teach guitar amongst other things and people who spend 3k on a guitar and then leave the same set of strings on for two years when a new set is under a tenner baffle me too. I won't physically touch some guitars to tune them up they are in such a disgusting state, I wrap my hand in a cloth. You have to see to believe what two years of crud and sweat does to a set of strings.

[Obi_Wan]

Ian,

If you're looking to go to me/ir I'm assuming you're going into this for the long haul, no pun intended.
Don't skimp. Get a good, comfortable headset you can use for hours.
I've always used DC, and they will last, and last, and for the extra £ over your budget (less than an extra hour of flight) you could get a H10-20 or (my preference) H10-60.

Just my opinion

Happy landings