use gentex sph-4b for audio purpose. which plugs/adapters recommended ?
 

hello everybody,
i recently bought a gentex helicopter helmet sph-4b.(military surplus).
now i´d like to use it:
- for audio purpose, like listening to music (cd-player,md-player, walkan)
- as a headset for LAN-partys (counterstrike etc.)
my question: which adapters do i need ?
the helmet has a nato plug ( U174/U ) , so i´ll need a "nato to general aviation adapter".
can i plug into a stereo source (mini jack) with a general aviation headset ? or do i need another adapter ?
does anybody follow ? :)

best, M

You'll likely have to make your own. The headset is not wired for stereo, so all you'll get is mono unless you completely rewire it. You should be able to make a cable with a jack for a U174 on one end and a mini plug on the other. The speakers are wired to 2 & 4, the mike to 1 & 3. If you look at the plug, with the tip on the right and the cord on your left, the mike is the tip end and the second ring in. The speakers are the first ring and the base.

The GA speaker plug is mono, & you should be able to get an adapter from Radio Shack or similar to convert the 1/4" plug to a mini stereo plug. Buying an adapter to convert the helmet to fixed-wing plugs, then another adapter to the mini plug will be more expensive - expect to pay ~$US100 for the GA adapter, & maybe $5 for the mini adapter.

These things are pretty worthless for stereo, or anything needing high fidelity. They aren't the highest-quality sound reproducers you can find. Even very cheap stereo earphones will be many times better. I have in fact used cheap stereo earphones in headsets, but civilian avionics require impedance matching. Military aircraft use low-impedance avionics, so you shouldn't have any problems there. It just won't be very high-quality sound.

got it
 

hi gls nightpilot,

thank you very much.

great!

very thorough reponse, wow.....

i got a solution that works best for me at last:

i´ll remove the old wiring and leave the ear capsules the way they are (they´re very genuine !). then i´ll take the ear capsules
of my sennheiser hd sp 25, cut them into form, and put them into the ear capsules, over the old squeekers which i leave in place.
the capsules are 5cm in diameter and the sennheiser headphones are 7mm in diameter so i have to cut them a bit.
but it seems like that will fit....

and these headphones sound awesome.
very sophisticated spectrum and a god bass.

well see if they´ll still sound good after i crunched em into the helmet :)

best regards and thnx

M

Wotta bunch of T**sers!

Go and buy a NORMAL set.

If you are going to wear/convert, then do a proper job and paint it purple.

Just leave them to their own harmless fun. It's not my cup of tea, and probably not yours. But there's no need to be so cruel...