Recording audio using Bose headset & smartphone

[Mungo Man]

I would like to record everything I hear through my own headset. I've been looking into how to record flight deck audio using my Bose A20 headset and an Android smartphone. So far, despite much searching I've been unable to work out how to do this. I hope there is an elegant solution involving the aux input on the Bose battery pack. Any suggestions gratefully received.

[Fionn101]

sorry, my solution is not elegant but it is cheap.
simply plug in a standard set of mobile phone earplugs (the type with a mic on them) to your phone, and put the microphone part of the wire in your headset ear cup.

This should capture both ATC and your voice.

Now all you need is a decent dictaphone/audio recorder app for Android.

Hope this helps until you get a better fix.
Fionn

[A_Woods]

I know Lightspeed do an app to achieve this on the zulu but not sure if bose have something similar

[davidatter708]

may not be able to work with a smart phone but you do it by the following.
Take a 1/4inch headphone splitter such as this and plug it inline with your headphone jack. Then get a 3.5mm to 3.5mm with a 1/4 inch jack on one end or 1/4 inch to 3.5mm. Then you can plug the 3.5mm jack into a recording device such as a MD recorder or audacity on a laptop. Set the input level on the recorder and start recording. Alternatively if you have a spare headphone socket such as am empty seat you can just plug the 1/4 inch to 3.5mm in it and to the recorder.

hope this makes sense to anyone else except me

David

[FlightPlanned]

any update on this?

[alex90]

I have a set of A20s (or two) - and I use David's solution to recording audio. Although I have a goPro and hence I record on the goPro rather than some sort of alternative recorder.

1/4" jack splitter + 1/4" to 1/8" (mini-jack) cable. If you wanted to record it on an Apple device you could use this: input cable (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C3KXJ8K?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=de_a_smtd&showDetailTechData=1#technical-data) to join the 1/8" to the phone.

Not sure about Android as they differ so widely between one another!

[MrAverage]

Don't forget such practice may be illegal in the UK. Someone should be along shortly with the details of what is and what isn't.....................

[John R81]

I use a cheap (it cost me £10) lapel mike. Remove the clip and then simply place the mike inside one of your headphones. The quality is superb. You can also use this with a video recorder to have excellent audio to go with your images.

[S-Works]

You are opening yourself up to all sorts of problems with the Wireless and telegraphy act by doing this.

"It is illegal under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 2006 to listen to anything other than general reception transmissions unless you are either a licensed user of the frequencies in question or have been specifically authorised to do so by a designated person."

There is another bit in there about recording as well if you want to look it up. As I understand it its designed to help prevent misuse of the recordings. I will leave it to your imagination as what can be done with sound files these days.

[horizon flyer]

I have used what is called a telephone pick up in the past. This works on headphones with dynamic speakers. This is basically a coil of wire that picks up the varying magnetic field caused by the speak coil in the headphone. Beauty is it only picks up the headphone signal and no cabin noise. mine has a suction cup and just sticks on the out side of the head phone cup, may need to be move around to find best spot. May be available from Maplins also they may have one of those vox triggered digital voice recorders used for dictation might be a better solution than an Android phone may need 3.5 to 2.5 ml adapters Maplin again. This Works on video camcorders as well. On the legal side I think in UK law as long as one party is aware OK in US law I believe both parties must know.

[S-Works]

Nope. Read the act I quoted.

[horizon flyer]

OK bose-x but I have seen inline recorders that can record clearances and play them back on demand so I guess it's what you do with the recording.

[S-Works]

I am pretty sure those inline recorders are not cleared for use over heee.

[hoodie]

Good God, aren't there enough rules without making up our own?

We can reasonably assume he is a pilot with an RT licence, so starting from there:

"It is illegal under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 2006 to listen to anything other than general reception transmissions unless you are either a licensed user of the frequencies in question or have been specifically authorised to do so by a designated person."

As a pilot+RT, he's by definition a licensed user of the frequencies in question, isn't he?

He perhaps commits an offence if he discloses the contents of the message, but that's not what is being suggested in this thread. (And as an aside, that's one reason why attempting to rebro UK ATC on the net is stamped on fast).

Regarding recording, a search of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/36/pdfs/ukpga_20060036_en.pdf) for the word "record" reveals that:

A person commits an offence if—
(a) he supplies a film or sound recording knowing, or having reasonable
cause to believe, that an unlawful broadcast is to be made of it;

So the offence is the supply and broadcasting, not the act of recording.

Therefore - unless somebody finds a reference I've missed in the WTA2006- recording RT for your own use is fine.

[Cptdjb]

I am pretty sure those inline recorders are not cleared for use over heee.

So if it's illegal anywhere in the world they shouldn't bother making the technology available for anyone.

Or if the recording for the intercom but not radio...

[360BakTrak]

https://www.nflightcam.com/collections/cables/products/smartphone-audio-cable