Any recommendations on headsets ?

[D 129]

Would anyone out there have a tip on these ?.

Just started a syndicate and need to buy 4 headsets. Probably one decent one for P1, one OK for P2 and a couple of kiddie sets.

Amazed to find you could spend anything from £ 100 to £ 1000 per set !.

Questions -

1/ How important is weight really - Will I really notice 13 oz from 16 oz (etc).

2/ Comfort - I'm told gel earcups are a must - also they fit well around glasses ...

3/ Headband - obviously needs to be easily adjustable - any views on sheepskin etc

4/ Electronic Noise Cancellation - Very expensive and I imagine essential for helicopters - but for a quiet light aircraft is it really needed ?.

5/ Any numbers to look for - decibel reductions on earphones, sensitivity of microphone ...

6/ Is there a secondhand market for this sort of equipment (missed Cranfield !) any web sites ?.

7/ A friend has imported from the USA - prices seem better there - any comments ?.

Thanks

D 129

[Aussie Andy]

There have been many threads on this, suggest you search. For myself, I have DC13.4 and its fine. Weight is an issue on long trisp - comfort can become an issue with crappy headsets. I also have 3 x HM-40 headsets for wife, kids and other pax to use - seem fine also, but haven't had experience of wearing one for a long time myself.

[Genghis the Engineer]

1/ Depends what it is, if it's a decent tourer with long range tanks you'll start to notice, if it's a bog-standard Cessna, you won't.

2/ Probably, yes.

3/ Standard usually works fine.

4/ Can't say it's ever impressed me greatly in a spamcan.

5/ Pass.

6/ Not really, what you really want is 4 the same so they're definitely compatible through the intercom - and you're very unlikely to buy 4 identical headsets second hand.

7/ Probably, but a pain if one goes U/S


Personally, I'd recommend going for the cheap (but really very good) headsets Harry Mendelson sell as own brand. Buy 4, and you'll probably get a discount, bag, and possibly a spare intercom box as well.

G

[Keef]

I'm on my fourth headset, and I've had it for over ten years and am delighted with it. It's a DC 13.4, with the gel earseals.

Last year I had it modified to ANR, and once I got used to the ANR (took a few hours - it was strange at first) I'd never go back.

So...

1. Very important on a long trip, hardly at all for local bimbles.

2. Absolutely. They fit fine round my glasses. The foam things are *horrible*.

3. I have the standard DC one and it's fine.

4. I think YES. Paid about £150 to have my headset converted. Everyone I know who's had the conversion loves it and would never go back.

5. If you want to, but they're all much of a muchness. Solid reliability is more important, and that's where DC scores. I bought one of those "cheaper but highly recommended" jobs a year or so before the DCs. I never wear them. Cheaper, but you get what you pay for IMO.

6. Probably, but never looked. I reckoned $250 new (mail order in the USA) wasn't too bad. Works out at around $25 a year if I scrap them now. But they're as good as new (better, cos ANR) so that's not likely.

7. Check the prices carefully - if you order from the USA for postage to the UK, you'll probably pay more than buying here (after duty and VAT and massive postage). If you're in the USA anyway, get them by mail order from a different state.

DC reliability is very good. I'm not sure, but you might even find the guarantee is honoured here. Never had to try.

[Keef]

A point on compatibility: if you have four folks with their own various brand headsets in an aircraft, you can reckon on at least two folks finding the volume too high or too low.

More insidious, you'll find that one or two folks can't be heard over the intercom.

It's all down to earphone and microphone impedances. The problems can occur between almost any two models (even different DC models).

It can (in theory) be fixed - a friend and I have done it - but that involves playing with resistors and capacitors to find the right values to "balance" the various headsets. We know the values to use for some types (when fitting the ANR mod).

So choose carefully...

[BRL]

Hi there, if you are brave enough to venture off page 1 of this forum and go as far as page 2, then you will find this......

Link...Click here. (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57084)

I would also reccomend doing a search for 'Headset'. It comes back with some excellent threads. Good luck :)

[D 129]

All,

Thanks for your comments (including the references to the earlier strings) - DC looks good - I'll search around for a good price.

Looks like (UK) approx £ 259 for DCH10-13.4 but (gulp !) £ 525 for the H10-13X (with ANR).

Cheaper Peltors (used by my PPL school seem to be c. £ 165 ...).


D 129

[Keef]

You can "convert" a 13.4 to ANR for around £150. Richard Holder at Stapleford has done dozens (including mine). Well worth it.

[phantom2430uk]

you can always read Today's Pilot the June and July issues, there was a review on numerous headsets, sounds like it was good as a few people read it at West Michingan University and then went and bought DC's on the back of the info in there. :cool:

[Cruise Contrail]

I've heard good things about the Flightcom Denali. I think it's won a design award.

Flightcoms web site (http://www.flightcom.net/headsets/index.html)

You can get it imported from the US at a reasonable price. Anyone got one?

(just don't go for the yellow colour - its a bit o.t.t. :rolleyes: )

[Troy McClure]

Had no problems at all from my Peltor 8006's. More comfortable than DC's and cheaper too. Mine cost less than £130 a year or so ago, but that was from cloudtop.co.uk who I believe have folded...

TMC