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Headset confusion

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I decided to confirm that my headsets were all hooked up and working, com radio and intercom. They didn't, and in checking I noticed this on my plugs. If you notice there is a difference in the plugs, then also notice I had once upon a time bought a Radio Shack converter plug that is on one of them. My question is, do I need converter plugs on both of them or on neither? The headsets are both Sigtronics, one an S20, one an S40. Seems like way back then there was a problem with aircraft being wired for either stereo or mono. Which is the RV12 wired for.
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Don,
Can't speak for the older versions of the wiring harness, but can say my SkyView wiring harness is wired for stereo for the GTR 200. If memory serves me correctly you used a conversion harness correct? Perhaps it is not set up for stereo or the jacks themselves.

The headset jacks on mine are ES-00147 (they are wired for stereo). Looking at the schematic for the later version of wiring, one can see the jacks are stereo because there are wires run to the tip and ring of the jacks. Following those wires back you will see they are connected to the left and right audio headset audio wires on the options connector that plugs into the AV-50000A module. Pins 24 & 25 are for co-pilot audio and pins 28 & 29 are pilot audio. You could ohm it out from the options connector to the head set jacks and at least see if that part if the wiring is correct.

The above info is based on my wiring harness which is the later version. That said, I would think even if a conversion harnesses was used, the audio would have to get from the above mentioned pins to the ES-00147 head set jacks.
 
The easiest thing you can do is to borrow a real stereo headset-neither of the ones pictured are. Plug just that stereo headset in. Can you hear in both ears? If yes, Then you have stereo wiring.
Second test, not as definitive as the first: Unplug all headsets. Plug in the mono plug (top in photo). You hear audio. Now pull the plug out slowly until the sound stops. Pull the plug out a bit more, does the sound come back? If so, you are wired for stereo.
Without seeing the schematic, I cannot say if your two headset jacks go to the same, or independent, amplifiers. The top-pictured plug will short out one of two stereo channels. The bottom pictured plug will parallel the two stereo channels. Modern panels can take this sort of electrical abuse, but some older ones cannot.
 
That Radio Shack adapter should NOT be used. Headset and microphone plugs are different sizes to make sure they connected correctly.
The Garmin SL40 is mono. The Flightcom 403 can handle both mono and stereo. Your headsets are mono.
Try putting the intercom switch in the isolate position. Pull the SL40 volume knob out to break squelch and listen for the static.
 
Concur with Joe's observation that your headsets are mono and will not work with the Flightcom. Had a similar experience with a new David Clark H20-10 mono heasdet, no audio. Both my H10-13.4 stereo headsets worked fine. The Flightcom factory User's Guide indicates you need to install a Stereo/Mono selection switch at each jack station if you want to use both types of headset. Converting the H20-10 to stereo was a far easier solution.

From Fig 6 on page 5" "You must install a switch per drawing above at each headphone station if you want both stereo AND monaural capability. If a monaural headphone is to be used, switch that station to MONO mode. If you don't, the entire system will not operate properly and a warning tone may sound."

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
 
Well I will be darned! Since I get a warning tone and have mono headsets, you might have just solved my problem.
Concur with Joe's observation that your headsets are mono and will not work with the Flightcom. Had a similar experience with a new David Clark H20-10 mono heasdet, no audio. Both my H10-13.4 stereo headsets worked fine. The Flightcom factory User's Guide indicates you need to install a Stereo/Mono selection switch at each jack station if you want to use both types of headset. Converting the H20-10 to stereo was a far easier solution.

From Fig 6 on page 5" "You must install a switch per drawing above at each headphone station if you want both stereo AND monaural capability. If a monaural headphone is to be used, switch that station to MONO mode. If you don't, the entire system will not operate properly and a warning tone may sound."

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
 
This morning I unplugged the stereo noise cancelling headsets from my D-180 version of the RV-12 and plugged in 40-year-old mono headsets. They both worked without any squeal. There was side tone when transmitting from the pilot's side on the SL40. I did not try transmitting from the copilot's side. I was alone so could not test the intercom. When speaking, I could hear myself talk on the copilot's side but not on the pilot's side. My mono headsets are not a matched pair, but are different models. So the volume was loud in one set and low in the other.
My conclusion is that the Flightcom-403 will work with either mono or stereo headsets (but maybe not one of each).
 
OK Joe, I had forgot about this until I decided to go do some taxi testing today. I tried 6 different headsets, in each side, both sides, etc. In all cases I have a tone similar to a dial tone. Flipping the navcom trying for squelch, the intercom, push to talk buttons - nothing made any difference. I am wired according to plans 42D-20, rev 1, dtd 03/01/12. I am wired with the original D180 harness with the conversion harness to Skyview. I seem to recall someone finding an error in the instructions, but cannot find that now. Has anyone else had this same problem and recalls what the problem was?
 
Don ... Just a wild guess .... but perhaps what you are hearing the stall warning tone of the stall warning vane's micro switch not yet adjusted correctly or is stuck on. A quick check with the ohm meter will tell the tale if my guess is correct.
 
Don ... Just a wild guess .... but perhaps what you are hearing the stall warning tone of the stall warning vane's micro switch not yet adjusted correctly or is stuck on. A quick check with the ohm meter will tell the tale if my guess is correct.

A 12 came into the shop I work at with this noise and I quickly determined it was the stall warning. Pull the audio fuse and if it goes away, that's it.
 
Oh what a relief it is, used to be the slogan for something, Alka Selzer I think. On the way from Easter dinner I stopped by, turned on the Skyview, heard the tone, and heard it totally disappear when I lifted up on the stall warning vane. Have not had time to digest that yet, but that seems like reverse of normal, maybe I got the wires hooked up backwards?
Thanks guys, not having flown and heard the sound, the stall warning would have been the LAST place I would have looked!
 
Got another bright idea, looked back on the dozens of screenshots I have made, the stall warning light is on - always (when on the ground)! That should have triggered something in my brain cells!
 
Oh what a relief it is, used to be the slogan for something, Alka Selzer I think. On the way from Easter dinner I stopped by, turned on the Skyview, heard the tone, and heard it totally disappear when I lifted up on the stall warning vane. Have not had time to digest that yet, but that seems like reverse of normal, maybe I got the wires hooked up backwards?
Thanks guys, not having flown and heard the sound, the stall warning would have been the LAST place I would have looked!

Don ---- Easy fix, there are two terminals marked NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed) on the micro-switch. You want to move the wire from the NC terminal to the NO terminal.

You should end up with the ground wire going to the terminal that comes out of the top of the micro-switch ... the other wire that ultimately runs to the stall warning input on the SkyView needs to be connected to the upper of the two terminals coming out of the back of the micro-switch (which is the NO or normally open terminal).

Refer to figure 1 on page 16-02 of the instructions.

Happy building (and soon to be flying)
 
Well sorta cured maybe. The wire was connected to the lower spade, switched it and now the warning tone comes on when I flick up the stall vane.
Problem is though, it is now rather faint, even with the volumes all turned full, probably too faint to even hear while flying! That makes no sense to me because electrically all I did was reverse the path to ground! Could I have messed something up when changing the lug? I had the power on the whole time. Now I also get a faint air hissing noise, but still no activity like squelch from the radio,
 
Well sorta cured maybe. Problem is though, it is now rather faint, even with the volumes all turned full, probably too faint to even hear while flying! That makes no sense to me because electrically all I did was reverse the path to ground! Could I have messed something up when changing the lug? I had the power on the whole time. Now I also get a faint air hissing noise, but still no activity like squelch from the radio,

Don - I find your "new" volume issue most interesting. Lets take a step back. Remove the wire from the NO contact on the micro switch and physically touch it to the screw that secures the ground wire going to the common terminal on the micro-switch. Is the stall warning tone at the same "new" low volume or is it loud again?

Also, are the the audio sounds from the SkyView low as well? In the setup menu there is a place where you can test the SkyView audio ... when in the test mode the nice lady inside the box repeats "Dynon SkyView" over and over. You can use this as an aid for adjusting audio levels at the audio panel or GTR 200 radio whichever you have.

I'm wondering ... if in your previous efforts to get the headsets working, did you adjust the stall warning pot on the AV-5000A module or adjust audio levels? If so, you may want to place the potentiometer settings back to where it was from Van's and use that as a starting point. The stall warning tone is generated inside the AV-5000A module and the stall potentiometer on the side of the module adjusts the tone level leaving the AV-50000A module.

In addition:
I have the GTR 200 radio so this may not be helpful to you but on my setup the stall tone goes from the AV-50000A module to Input 1 on the radio (this is from memory and may not be correct) and the audio warnings from the SkyView go to Input 2. (The point being they are separate inputs to the radio's audio inputs).

Regardless .... Inside the GTR200 radio's settings in addition to the main volume control there is a separate setup menu for Input 1 and Input 2 and the volume can also be adjusted there as well. In my case I backed down the gain for Input 1 which made the stall warning much less ear piercing.

If you have the older style audio panel I would guess there are similar adjustments that can be made ... perhaps one of the guys more familiar with that setup can chime in to lend assistance.

This is a head scratcher ... good luck
 
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Spent a few hours and found some new things, not sure what to do next.
The NO contact wire was removed and grounded, no difference noted in volume. Might have been I recalled the volume wrong, but I still think it was louder before I corrected that.
Went into setup, everything is set to the loudest possible - but I never heard a squawk! In the first "test" position, I sensed I was hearing something,
sounded like two words, repeated over and over, but too low volume to understand or to be certain it was voice. It did not seem to do that in any of the other settings, just a lot of nothing!
I have never adjusted the pots on the AV5000, I would assume they came correctly adjusted. I have an SL30 radio, nothing coming out of it either.
Any new ideas?

Don - I find your "new" volume issue most interesting. Lets take a step back. Remove the wire from the NO contact on the micro switch and physically touch it to the screw that secures the ground wire going to the common terminal on the micro-switch. Is the stall warning tone at the same "new" low volume or is it loud again?

Also, are the the audio sounds from the SkyView low as well? In the setup menu there is a place where you can test the SkyView audio ... when in the test mode the nice lady inside the box repeats "WARNING" over and over. You can use this as an aid for adjusting audio levels at the audio panel or GTR 200 radio whichever you have.

I'm wondering ... if in your previous efforts to get the headsets working, did you adjust the stall warning pot on the AV-5000A module or adjust audio levels? If so, you may want to place the potentiometer settings back to where it was from Van's and use that as a starting point. The stall warning tone is generated inside the AV-5000A module and the stall potentiometer on the side of the module adjusts the tone level leaving the AV-50000A module.

In addition:
I have the GTR 200 radio so this may not be helpful to you but on my setup the stall tone goes from the AV-50000A module to Input 1 on the radio (this is from memory and may not be correct) and the audio warnings from the SkyView go to Input 2. (The point being they are separate inputs to the radio's audio inputs).

Regardless .... Inside the GTR200 radio's settings in addition to the main volume control there is a separate setup menu for Input 1 and Input 2 and the volume can also be adjusted there as well. In my case I backed down the gain for Input 1 which made the stall warning much less ear piercing.

If you have the older style audio panel I would guess there are similar adjustments that can be made ... perhaps one of the guys more familiar with that setup can chime in to lend assistance.

This is a head scratcher ... good luck
 
Don … Now that the steady tone issue has been resolved and you now know it was the stall warning tone, I think you may want to begin working on verifying the audio circuits.

Would suggest you start a new thread for this so others will see you are having audio problems and not “headset confusion” and mention your complete configuration conversion wiring harness, audio panel, SL30, ect. so others will be able to chime in to help with the current issue.

At this point I would fall back and use Van's electrical prints to go through the audio wiring with an ohm meter (with the power off) to verify all the audio connections between various devices are being made correctly. As a side note, I had a blueprint shop print out the wiring drawing on five or six 4’ x 3’ blueprint sheets ... printed the four quadrants and one centered on the AV-50000 module wiring interconnects. I have found these very useful.

To aid in the testing, I would also suggest you make a couple of long test wires with male and female pins on the ends that you can use to slip into the connectors for the pins being tested so you don’t have to try manually holding the ohm meter leads on the pins being tested. Using an ohm meter that has an alligator clip or hook on one probe makes things lot easier.

My suggestion would be to trace the continuity of all the audio circuits one circuit at a time from the source to the audio panel and from the audio panel to the headset jacks. Do all of this with the power off.

After knowing all the audio wiring is for sure correct, you could then move on to powering up the hardware and begin looking into making level adjustments. Others will have to help with that since your hardware is very different than mine.
 
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Is the green LED on the PM3000 intercom on ?
I once spent an hour or so to find it was accidentally switched off.
Left knob is push on/off
 
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