Lightspeed Tango ANR Headset (LEMO) in non-panel power aircraft.

[PPI Zulu]

Hi Y'all,

Does anyone currently have an Lightspeed Tango with LEMO panel power (https://www.lightspeedaviation.com/product/tango-wireless-anr-headset/) that they sometimes use with an adapter in a non-panel power helicopter(s)?

I'm in the market for an ANR headset and have paired it down to three or four; the Tango being one of them. We have a fleet of aircraft where most are fitted with panel power. However, a few aren't fitted and the company, which doesn't offer an ANR solution, won't fit out the non-panel power frames due to expense. Many of my colleagues have moved over to ANR (almost exclusively Bose A20) in a desperate attempt to mitigate hearing loss and tinnitus. All Bose A20 wearing colleagues carry this adapter (https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/products/headphones/headphone_accessories/a20-headset-6-pin-to-u174-adapter.html#v=a20_adapter_u174_acc_black) to use when in a non-panel power aircraft as the battery in the A20's down-lead 'panel interface' takes over.

However......

Lightspeed themselves tell me that I would need a powered adapter like this one (https://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/lemo-to-helicopter-headset-adapter-powered.html) in order to make the Tango work in our normal U174 connected aircraft if using an adapter. Why have a battery (in this case a 3.7V rechargeable lithium ion battery) in the 'panel interface' at all if you are going to have it not 'take over' (like the Bose A20 does) in the event of a power failure or if LEMO isn't available? It would appear then that it simply becomes just a battery charger, which I guess is a good back-up for the headset battery if nothing else.

From Lightspeed...In the LEMO plug configuration, the Panel Interface unit does provide you with an additional battery that will charge inside the unit. However, it will not supply power to the panel interface should you use a difference plug style. Our headset is not designed to opt in/out of using the battery despite the change in the plug style like the Bose.Please let me know if I can assist you further.Thank you,Bethany RobertsonLightspeed Sales & Customer Support Team

[aa777888]

This very problem is one of the major reasons I opted for a David Clark DC ONE X headset. I bought the Lemo connector model of that headset and two adapters, Lemo to UG174 and Lemo to GA plugs. I can run them in any aircraft, no fuss, no muss, and they will automatically switch to panel power when plugged into a Lemo panel connector. And, unlike the Bose, the DC ONE X has sufficient passive attenuation such that a battery or power failure does not constitute an emergency, only an annoyance.

[PPI Zulu]

Hey aa777888,

Thanks for your reply. I think it's bonkers that Lightspeed have hobbled themselves in this way with the Tango: Why not make it as adaptable as possible? Surely this would lead to more sales by offering the same adaptability as the competitors?

Anyway, I see that you mention the passive attenuation if the DC headset. Does DC supply any passive figures for their headsets? When I asked Lightspeed they said that '... We do not have publicly posted passive ratings on our headsets....'. I'm guessing that they do then have in-house test results and that they are not particularly encouraging.The S92 is a very noisey beast. It's something like 80db with just the battery on and all the rack fans spinning. It rises to around 90db in the 70% cruise...and if you put the cockpit heater on over 100db!

[aa777888]

AFAIK DC does not supply passive attenuation specifications for the DC ONE X. Here is the data sheet, FWIW: https://www.flytheone.com/docs/DC-ONE-XP-Data-Sheet.pdf

DC is a great company. You might give them a call, or drop them a line, because they might have an answer for you!

As for how well the DC ONE X will work in a passive mode if the ANR fails (dead battery, etc.), I can only tell you it is an annoyance, not an emergency, in an R44. It certainly sounds like the environment is more challenging in an S92, but on the other hand the A-weighted SPL in a 44 at idle is about 80dB and over 90dB at full power. I fly a ship with air conditioning and it adds its own noise. Still not an emergency. Here is some cockpit sound measurement data that you might be able to draw upon for comparison purposes: https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/438054.in09_944.pdf

[PPI Zulu]

Thanks for your help. I think I'm going to try the ANR and I can always take advantage of the money back guarantee if I don't like it.