David Clarks on the cheap.
 

Hello All,

A couple of questions regarding headsets.

1) Is it possible to mix and match different David Clark headsets? E.g. to pair a H10-30 with a H10-13.4. Will this work 100% of the time?

2) I see that they have a five year warranty. Has anyone used this facility and what was the service like?

3) Are parts easy to get hold of?


I am occasionally called upon to fix audio equipment during the course of my work and I am weighing up buying secondhand against buying new. I’m fairly skint BTW.

Thanks,

Noisy

Oh, and I've just remembered that some of them have an electret type of microphone. How long between changes?

I wouldn't worry too much about the life of electret microphones. I have a pair of Harry Mendelssohn HM40 (they were the cheapest on the market when I bought them ten years ago) and have had no problems with the electret mic. As I am an instructor, they get a lot of use so I have had to re-wire the leads and plug a couple of times in ten years, but no problems with the microphone or earpieces.

OK, That is very interesting - I would have expected them to go off after a number of years.

You can mix and match them, but only the same type of mics ( I think).

I have a pair of H10-30's, and have regularly used them with people using H10-13.4's. No problems whatsoever with matching.

Excellent, that's one of the things I wanted to hear. Thanks CM.

Right, I'm back...

Courtesy of ebay I am now the proud possessor of two pairs of immaculate H10-40's.
On seeing them my instructor said "those have a reputation for being brain clamps". The newer of the two is a really fine headset and easily as good as a modern set of DC's, however, the older of the two is like something the Spanish inquisition would make you wear in order to extract a confession!** I desire the later spec headband which has more adjustment and a comfy gel filled pad.

Are there good suppliers of parts in the UK, or should I approach DC directly?

Thanks,

N

**Alright! I'm a witch! I'm a witch!! Just take them off! :{

DCs have a reputation of being incompatible with both DCs and other headsets. This is due to the difference in current required by different headsets for their amplified microphones to operate.

The problem is strictly spoken not caused by the headsets themselves, but by the way the aircraft is wired/equipped. If both microphones are supplied from the same supply line (as is normally the case if the intercom is run off one of the com boxes), the mismatch in current requirement often means that one mic either does nothing or sounds very distorted.

If on the other hand a decent panel mount intercom is used, each microphone has its own supply line and as a result the difference in current requirement is no longer an issue. Add to this the fact that you now have a squelsh as well on your intercom I'd say this is the preferred method of solving the incompatibility issue.

AFAIK, the current required by all DC microphones falls within the applicable limits set out in some FAA document. Therefore they don't regard it as their problem that this issue exists, and will always point to the aircraft installation if complaints are received.

So, the answer is to look for the panel mount intercom (sigtronics etc) and you'll be fine with any combination.

Price of spares: not cheap. For instance a lead with plugs is around 50 GBP. However, the build quality is superb and as long as you don't squash the lead in the A/C door you should never need to replace it.

What the older DCs (the ones with the brass plugs rather than the newer nickel(?) plated plugs) do occasionally need is a good clean of said plugs. Bit of steel wool to make them nice and shiny again seems to do the trick and has a positive effect on their performance.

Hope this helps.

Gerard
--------------------
There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

Noisy,

Headset Services at Shoreham EGKA service and sell spares for DC's. Very good service and not as expensive as I'd been led to believe.

Don't have a number but Google should find it!

Cheers,

JP

Thanks JP,

I have downloaded the parts diagram from the David clark website.

Regards,

N