Headsets
 

Greetings to all

After sometime of using hire sets and haivng some problems with them and the start of my PPL nav training i need to get some advice on what sorts of headset are around that are worth buying.

Hopefully my trianing will continue on to the CPL level and beyond so i am interested in knowing what works and what doesn't.

My hearing would be eternally grateful for this investment :D

Cheers
Cesna Capt
:cool:

Nothing but David Clarke!

Try the 13.4, MAGIC!!!

How many hours do you plan to do a year?

What is your budget?

Go for good quality units. David Clarke's take a lot of beating. Literally.

I have a set of H10-30s that have done thousands of hours over 15 years and still work fine. Have not replaced a thing on them. They clamp too tight when new so put them on some books to stretch the spring.

Peltor's seem good. Forget the David Clarke look alikes.

Hmm is right on the money David Clarke 13.4 But they are not cheap

Icarus2001 & others

At the moment i am planing to get my CPL by the end of next year so therefore i will be flying at least 100hrs+ in the next.

Also at the moment cost is not a factor... i want something that works and will keep on working in years to come

CC

DC 13.4's
 

I must concur with the previous posts re: the David Clark headsets. You get a 5 year warranty with them which is extremely handy.

Go to your local pilot shop and try them on, you will notice the difference. The gel ear seals are great!

If you decide against the DC's, you can always buy the gel ear seals for other headsets.

After the first time of trying the 13.4 I was hooked. For pure luxury the 13.4 with gel seals are the only way to go. For the exrtra money your head won't suffer and no more head aches from those old hire sets.

$175 Altronics set with David Clark Gel ear seals... That's the cheap and pretty good option. Then you can whack the Gel Seals on your new 13.4 when you are earning all that cash at your first job :D

Go right the first time DC 13.4 you will never look back.

DO NOT BUY ALTRONICS-NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.

Get quality from the start-David Clark 13.4.

See you later in the year Turtle.

I've been through two pairs of Altronics in 10 years. The first pair was the basic model, but I got the ANR model the second time around. The wiring is substandard to the better headsets, but if you don't mind doing a bit of souldering then you can get them to last. Not that comfy though.

I haven't tried the DC's, but have never heard a bad thing about them except the upfront cost. You get what you pay for though!

I'm just in the process of getting a pair of Peltor ANR's. Have been borrowing a pair of basic Peltor's off a mate and their noise reduction is far more superior to the Altronics with ANR and heaps more comfy too. They compact down a lot more than the DC's too. I think the $$$ are around the same as the DC's.

Best advice: Go out and try as many headsets as you can and see what's comfy for YOU. Then start to narrow the field with price/warranty/optional extras etc.

Good luck

Cannot go past the DC's for any money. Too many people fall for "technological superiority" when what you really need is dependability.

My 10-20's, purchased in 1990, have survived freezing, overheating (60degreesC in a closed cockpit), falling out of the back of Landcruisers on rutted 'roads' but most amazingly, 4,000 hrs of Arnhemland and Top End beatings. Only maintenance required has been to clean the plugs every so often. Every other piece of electrical equipment I possed in the topend died within three or four years due humidity etc.

The only thing I would change if I bought another set would be to 'downgrade' the electret mike for the cheaper round mike. I found that if I was multi-crewing with someone who had the simpler, round mike, that I would get background hash and 5/10 clarity from them, whilst they would hear me fine. Apparently something to do with the different gain properties of the mikes when running through the intercom. Pain in the butt.

A piece of professional equipment should be designed to never let you down. My DC's cost me the equivalent of 2hrs dual in a twin when I bought them. I stopped using them last year, only because my new ride includes company supplied set. Thats $40 a year, and I could sell them tomorrow for a good price if I so wished. I have no hearing loss, so my latest medical tells me, and that includes 2000+ hrs Metro. They work, and they never let me down. I have seen workmates have trouble with all the other brands.

The most important thing is whats most comfortable to you, try all of them and see which is most comfy. Incidently I had an Altronics C9070 for 12 years and my 1st 600hrs. If you look after them they should do ok, only having one minor wiring problem that needed soldering at 10 years.

I have a set of David Clarks H10-20 13.4, oh soooo comfy and have a real quality feel to them. BIG TIP......get the little cotton sox that go over the gell seals(about 12 bucks).....makes a world of difference when your skin is hot, sweaty and sticky around your ear.


If you can get someone to install the ANR kit in them for you, even better, even in a quiet office, turning on the ANR circuitry made an astounding difference, haven't tried them in the air though. I think the kit are a couple of hundred bucks.

Lastly,.....NEVER...NEVER...NEVER lend you headset to anyone else. My Altronics lasted 12 years, then I bought the David Clarks, and the 1st time someone else borrowed my spare set(the Altronics).....it came back broken.

Dave Clark's get my vote
 

That mike you are talking about is the "dynamic" mike. Not as "flash" as the electret mike but you can adjust the gain. I found that feature so useful. I was going to change the mike to an electret one but didn't. As you say, the DC's are the bee's knee's. Tough, reliable and field repairable (if you somehow manage to damage them).

I've had a headset now for about four years and never had a problem with it but the next one i will get will be a DC, just couldnt afford it first time round.

One word of warning about gel ear seals. They are great for comfort - UNTIL THEY BREAK/BURST. Then you have to contend with all that gel now oozing down your neck and shirt.

Twin

Whatever you decide to do, get the best that your budget will allow for. It might not get you the top of the range model but so long as its the best that you could afford nothing else really matters. They also only last as long as you look after them.

I concur with all of the above. I've got a set of DC's H20.10. Slightly thicker head cushion which makes them a bit more comfortable unless you're tall and the cabin isn't. The socks are great in the Northern buildup and hot summer work.
If you know someone going to the States, talk, bribe, threaten them into getting you a set at one of the flyins or airshow specials. Even with the lousy aussie peso conversion you can save in excess of a $100. I got mine nearly $200 cheaper that way.

AND, get a bag to keep them in, sun seriously degrades the poly plastics if you leave them lying around all the time in a hot cockpit.

They will probably be the best investment you will make for your carreer.

My old David Clarks are still going strong with daily and often rough use after 22+ years! In fact it was secondhand back then when I obsconded with them from an airline's avionics workshop where both my Telex's had come to die. Still have the original cord though it's slightly shorter after an incident with a door. Ear seals have been replaced once, though I use the cotton sockettes - nice on cold mornings and sweaty hot days.

At about the 10 year point the mike was replaced by an avionics shop when things went a bit scratchy, but I think that was just to get $140 out of me for a simple soldering job.

Later I tried and quickly broke (twice) a new Telex ANR when these first hit the market - back to the old DC's.

You'll read on some international forums or overseas magazines about the brilliance of a couple of other brands (eg: Bose and Sennheiser) but these are usually opinions from infrequent pilots with more $$$ than a new hire and more careful of their gear than a busy GA jock. The same mags (eg: Pro Pilot) have also had testimonies from pilots who've sent their old DC's back to David Clark for repair(!) after backing their Ford F-250 over them, or after fishing them out of an Alaskan lake along with their float plane, and scored a new pair. That's real after-sales service.

Granted you should get a set that fits your noggin, but don't be put off by a tight fit in the shop. Someone else's or brand new DC's can feel too tight. Bend the offending band till it fits your head, fly with it for a couple of hours and then make a judgement.

DC's will last for decades giving good honest service and are great value for money.

I agree with all the above. The Peltor, although not as well known in Oz is also a hell of a good unit. Another plus that the D/C has is no matter what model you have you can get just about ever single part if it should fail of be accidently broken. Even though the price is high you will do very well if you ever want to sell it in the future.

I've been using a set of Avcomms, with gel seals for about 5 years now - no problems at all. Cannot personally tell the difference between these and DC's - Perhaps I'm a bit deaf. Good for the money I would say.

My $0.02 is for the DC H10 13.4 as well. Comfortable, not too expensive, and very strong!