Hello and Headsets

[WhirlyWopter]

Greetings!


A little about myself: I am a current PPL(A) holder and have long aspired to a career in aviation. I decided about a year ago that I would make a go of it in Commercial Helicopter land, but haven't really done a whole lot about it since. More recently, I found a local instructor and went for a bash in his H269 and loved every moment. I've since decided to stop willy dallying and actually go for it!


Subsequently, I start my PPL(H) the weekend after next. Now, most of my equipment (charts, kneeboard, whizzwheel etc.) are all fine, however the question has been raised about Headsets. My current headset has GA fixed wing adaptors and is about 7 years old - it's not 'broken' by any stretch, but I can't help but feel it might be about time to take the plunge and get a new one. Before I do, considering that mine is still usable, has anyone any experience using adaptors to convert GA fixed wing to a Nato connection - is there any notable loss in quality? Is my excessively long and excessively straight cable likely to get in the way? If I do decide to get a new headset, has anyone any recommendations?


Ta in advance!
Whirly

[misterbonkers]

Congratulations on taking the plunge!

I frequently use adapters between fixed wing and different helos and don't notice any drop in sound quality. I haven't any problems using fixed wing cords in the past but if they are long then you obviously need to make sure the cant get wrapped around controls or door handles.

So if pennies are tight then stick with what you've got for now.

[carsickpuppy]

Years back I used my airplane headset (non-ENC) all through rotorcraft training without too much difficulty. Eventually after training went with a David Clark H10-56 ENC model and enjoyed quieter flights however. Now I use the David Clarks the company installed in the heli... If you already own a headset of quality there shouldn't be any noticeable difference in using an adapter. The longer cable you can coil up and wrap with a little black electrician's tape. It looks MacGyver-ed, you don't want to show it to your favorite date, but it'll do the job.
Good luck

[WhirlyWopter]

Thanks guys,

Quite honestly the headset I have I bought from the flying school. It's unbranded, basic and cost less than £200 if memory serves - I think a new one is justified!

Looking around, I was struck by the affordability of the Sennheiser S1 Passive for its features. Reviews are rather good, but then they're generally reviews by proper review websites that will hardly paint things in a bad light. Any opinions?

[EN48]

From a technical standpoint, an adapter should not have any effect on sound quality (provided the adapter does not contain active or attenuation circuitry, which most do not). If you anticipate flying helicopters for any length of time, a high quality ENC headset is highly recommended. If you have not had the experience of using one of these, give it a try - the difference in noise level is huge. I have had a great experience with Bose products and recommend the A20 model.

[misterbonkers]

I love my Lightspeed Zulu - it's old hat first generation now but cheaper than Bose X and has the same features - comfy with no clamping force and still ok when the batteries run out.

[FLY 7]

Well done, Hughes/Schweizer 300 is a good choice.


A really nice 'personal' headset can make a big difference to comfort, convenience and R/T quality, and the best N/R models are superb.


I'm a fan of Bose, but expensive new. S/h will be cheaper, but buy carefully, some may have had a hard life and they can get damaged easily if neglected, which could be costly to repair.

[AviGuy]

Check the Empedance of the Mic (Hi or Low) and value of the Phones (150 or 300 Ohm) with that of the aircraft you will be using. If your headset does not match the ICS system, you will have poor radio and ICS functionality.

[WhirlyWopter]

So I was just comparing the Lightspeed vs. the Bose, and note that the doesn't mention anything about impedence... Does that mean it doesn't care, or is that a dangerous trap?

[John R81]

Bose A20 is brilliant but expensive.

Plenty of Bose X available on e-bay for a fraction of new cost, and with new foam / earcups / headband you can't tell them from new. I paid £350 (in US$) for an extra set last year. Active noise cancelling is great - but carry a spare battery as without power the earcups alone are not very effective.

[WhirlyWopter]

Hmm, an earlier post seems not to have appeared...

Regarding impedance - am I to assume that any lack of information regarding impedance means that the headset in question isn't affected, or am I falling into a dangerous trap? I've been comparing the Lighspeed Zulu PFX's against the Bose A20's - the Boses mention impedance but the Zulu's do not!

[aa777888]

I fly with a fixed wing cordset and an adapter. As an electrical engineer I can assure you the only danger is mechanical ;), i.e. the extra connections can come loose.

Since I am only flying heli's right now I simply safety-wired the adapter on to prevent the headset plugs from coming loose. Or you might consider using a piece of Velcro to do the same. I also use a bit of Velcro to manage the extra length of the non-coil fixed wing cord.

The reason I went this way was because I got a very good deal on a used Clarity Aloft headset but they had the fixed wing cordset and I already had an adapter in my desk drawer. One of these days I may splurge on a replacement cordset for the Clarity Aloft, though. BTW I really like them. A lot of folks don't, but if you spend a quality 45 minutes or so bending them into the perfect shape for your head they are extremely comfortable, quiet, and fail-safe (no batteries to fail leaving you without electronic protection). The one downside is they do take a minute to put on.

Finally, no worries about impedances. Almost every civil aviation headset and aircraft out there uses a high impedance microphone configuration and you should be all set.

[Reely340]

I'm a newbie too, and I fly both (headsets).
The FTO has A20s. They work really great, as they should, at +1k € a pop.
Today I was refreshing emergency skills with a FI and enjoyed their A20.

Privately I got me a DC H10-66XL https://www.davidclark.com/HeadsetPgs/h10-66xl.htm
They cost exactly half of what Bose is asking for their A20 and they weight exactly twice as much. :ooh:
But they kind of are twice the value because I can switch Microphone impedance between S-300C and BO105. :ok:

Furthermore, should you end up with an empty battery (ANC battery that is), as I did a fortnight ago the DCs are passively attenuating much better than an A20 would, so the grapewine hisses.:E

However the mic beam of the DC is a tad shorter than the one of the A20. :ugh:

My personal reasoning went along the line of
A20 + second "cable" for the other impedance is way too much money when I can get a versatile, albeit heavy 66XL.

If I'd only fly the 300C I might have reached for the A20.

P.

[WhirlyWopter]

Ok, new question...


I bit the bullet and bought an A20. I have every intention of recording both my training, and a number of subsequent flights. Accordingly, I've also ordered a GoPro, and a Sony Digital Voice Recorder.


The question is relatively simple, but I suspect the solution is very, very complicated: how can I Y-Split a U174 jack into another U174 jack (for the aircraft) and a 3.5mm jack (for the Sony)?


Answers on a postcard!

[Reely340]

Video Recorder Audio Adapter - Helicopters - MyPilotStore.com (http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/3335)

recent GoPro Hero3 only:
GoPro HERO 3 Aircraft Audio Adapter - Helicopters - MyPilotStore.com (http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/9312)

[boffo]

Get a small mic with a 3.5mm jack for the Sony. Pop it inside one earpiece. Records what you hear. Inelegant, perhaps, but it does work.
Boffo.