---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: INTERNET:rv-list@matronics.com
DATE: 10/31/96 11:56 PM
> Just before Oshkosh this year, I saw an advertisement from a company called
> Headsets, Inc. that claimed I could "Add ANR (Active Noise Reduction) to
> your Headset for a Fraction of the Cost of a New Headset!" (The same ad is
> in the October "Sport Aviation" on page 30.) They sell the electronic
> circuitry that you install in your own headset.
>
> I had borrowed a Telex ANR headset from a friend a couple of years ago, and
> it really did cut down on the fatiguing low-frequency noise. It was a neat
> gadget, but was also about $450, and way too expensive for me.
>
> I had never heard anything (good or bad) about Headsets, Inc., but I called
> the 800 number and got a free information package. It had some good color
> photos of the kit, positive endorsements from "The Aviation Consumer",
> "Kitplanes", and "Western Flyer" magazines, and some technical specs
> including a frequency vs. attenuation chart. Most importantly, it had the
> price: $159 plus $7 shipping and handling!
>
> This sounded like a really good deal, which to my conservative mentality
> usually means LOOK OUT, YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET RIPPED OFF!!! However, I was
> feeling particularly bold one day, so I wrote them a check and crossed my
> fingers. A couple of weeks later, a box arrived at the house. Inside was a
> very good looking and complete kit with detailed instructions. It even had a
> roll of solder. So far, so good. After reading the instructions a few
> times, I took my trusty Flightcom 5DX headset to the workbench and started
> disemboweling it, wondering if I was really doing the right thing.
>
> The kit is very straightforward, but you need to be comfortable cutting,
> stripping, and soldering the very tiny wires that are in a headset. You
> will need a soldering iron with a fine point, or do like I did, and safety
> wire a piece of 1/8" steel rod to your soldering gun tip. (For $50,
> Headsets, Inc. will install the kit for you.) It took me about 3 hours to
> put everything together, but I was not in a hurry.
>
> The kit comes with a small battery box (for a 9v battery) with an on/off
> toggle switch. When I plugged the power cord in and turned it on, it
> actually worked! I had the radio on in the shop, and when I flipped the
> switch, the bass notes in the music virtually disappeared. The system is
> designed to counteract noise below 500 Hz. with a peak active attenuation of
> 15 dB at 200 Hz.
>
> OK, it works on the ground, but what about in the air, where it really
> counts? Yep, it works in real use. The Sonerai I fly has 4 short exhaust
> stacks that exit the bottom of the cowl cheeks. It is a lot noisier than an
> RV, and I usually wear earplugs under my headset, then turn the volume on
> the radio all the way up so I can hear it. Not any more! I can leave the
> earplugs out, and set the radio volume at a reasonable level.
>
> How does it compare to other (more expensive) ANR headsets? To give it the
> ultimate comparison, I borrowed a BOSE ANR headset ($1,000) from a very
> trusting friend and took both sets to our EAA chapter meeting, along with a
> tape recording of my lawn mower. Played at high volume, with your eyes
> closed, it's easy to imagine you are in my plane! We all took turns
> listening to the $1,000 BOSE headset, then to the $166 homebrew headset.
> The overall consensus was: The BOSE set is slightly quieter when turned off
> (passive attenuation only) and slightly more comfortable due to the extra
> squishy ear seals, but when powered up, both units are about the same,
> noisewise!
>
> OK, is there anything negative about the kit? Maybe. My Flightcom headset
> used to be stereo before I transmogrified it. Due to the way Flightcom
> grounds the seperate stereo channels, I had to convert it into a mono unit.
> This doesn't bother me, because I don't have a stereo in the plane. It may
> be a drawback for the more pampered pilots. Also, they claim that you must
> use gel-filled earseals. Dry or foam filled seals are not as airtight, and
> won't give good results. I bought some gel-filled seals from Acousticom
> (1-800-664-0534) for $12 a set.
>
> Sorry, this has gotten way too long, but if anyone has any questions, I'll
> be happy to ramble some more.
>
> Danny Kight
> kightdm@carol.net
Danny,
Nice piece! And not too long. Direct, to the point and enough
words to let people understand the significance of what you have
to share. I'm keeping this one on file and forwarding copies
to some of the other list-servers I participate on. Thanks for
helping us out!
Regards,
Bob . . .
AeroElectric Connection
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(o o)
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