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In ear headset - a cheap project

Flight test report

I flew my RV-7A with my new Halos and my new homemade headset for the first time. As many of you know, the RV cockpit is EXTREMELY loud--I have measured it at 95 db using a radio shack db meter. I have a Superior XP-360 engine.

Some observations:

1) My homemade headset works great! Overall noise attenuation is much better than the Bose X and my old Bose 1 headsets. Low frequency noise is attenuated quite well, perhaps a hair less than the Bose X. High frequency noise is attenuated MUCH BETTER than either Bose headset. So overall, my homemades come out way ahead.

2) XM radio sounds much clearer and richer.

3) The spruce mic seems to work just fine. I did a radio check with unicom and they said I sounded loud and clear.

4) The comfort factor is extremely high. It will be nice to wear a broad rimmed hat while flying.

5) For some reason I could not hear myself when speaking on the mic. Maybe that's a radio setting, I'm not sure.

6) The Halo headset sounds clearer and richer than my homemades. Voice is definitely clearer and xm music is fuller and clearer. Again, it's not that the Comply NR-10's don't sound good, they do. It's just that to my ears the Halos sound OUTSTANDING. Full disclosure: as with most normal adults I have some high frequency hearing loss, I have difficulty with anything above 10 kHz.

7) With the Halos, I could hear myself speaking.

8) Noise attenuation of both headsets is about the same. I cannot tell any difference.

9) The comfort of my homemades is equal to that of the Halos. No surprise there, since I fit them to my head!

So there you have it. Since the Halo headset sounds clearer to me, I will wear those. However, my homemades fit my wife perfectly, so she is very happy to wear them, rather than her Bose X.

With this homemade headset project, I will be able to sell both my Bose X and Bose 1 headset, reaping about $1000, not bad!

Paul
 
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tech question

I read all your posts and I am very greatful for all your input. I am not very good technically and also being a Bulgarian,(we work with cm and mm here not with inches) some of the terms you guys use are not compleately clear for me. I would like to ask few questions.
If I use a mike from Spurce and I want to connect it straight to the aircraft intercom standart jack, would that be possible or will I need to build a box with some kind of volume control/adapter function between the mike and the jack?
The 1/8" to 1/4" adapter from Radio Shack is and adapter that allows standart 2.5mm jack to be connected to the standart airplane intercom jack, right?
The earphones, provided they have built in volume control, can be connected to the standart intercome jack too, right?
As you can see waht bothers me most is the building and proper connection of wires in the project box, that some of you have used and described. I got lost there, reading the explanations. So if there are ways of avoiding the use of this box and simplifying all wiring it would be great if someone here can tell me how to do it.
Please list all the things I will need to buy from Spurce and Radio Shack if I start building the in ear headset without having another headset to rip for mike, wires and other stuff I may need!
I apologise if I am making you repeat yourself. And I thank you in advance for your replys to my post!
 
Ivan:

All the questions you are asking have already been answered in this post, on this page and the previous page.

Just jump in a give it a go, mate!
 
Thank you Pboyse!
In your report on the work of the headset you've made you said you could not hear yourself talking. Could this be, because you had wired the mike straight to the intercom jack, or sanded the jack to ajust it's diameter? Has anyone else experienced such problems (not hearing them-selves talking) with their self-made headsets?
And also waht kind of heat shrink tubing did you guys use - I mean what diameter?
 
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It turns out the reason I couldn't hear myself talking when I keyed the mic was because I needed to adjust the 'side-tone' level on the radio. I now hear myself just fine.

Paul
 
ANR earbuds

Has anyone tried using the active noise reduction earbuds that are out now? Philips, Sony, JVC and a couple others are shipping them. I bought a philips one for $60... no chance to fly with them yet.

Aaron
 
Hey Aaron, welcome to the VAF.

Hope all the stuff here isnt too "blah" for you:D

Humor aside, glad to have you aboard.
 
A couple of weeks ago, I finally got a chance to directly compare my "standard" headset (Pilot Avionics PA-11-60) with my homemade while sitting in the back watching my instructor going through some instrument training...

The homemade is definitely quieter.. it seems to block a wider range of frequencies... and, obviously, it is much more comfortable to wear as there are no sweaty ears or head clamp... and I can easily wear my sunnies... after all, you have to 'look the part' :rolleyes:

A pic of yours truly riding shotgun with a buddy attempting a "Solo" CPL Cross Country... unfortunately, we had to turn back due WX about 30 minutes after this pic was taken :( Note the big fat battery box on his Flightcom Denali ANR headset :p

Click on the pic for the XXXXXXXL version of my ugly mug


As I have also figured out a system for avoiding 'spaghetti' and finally solved my soldering issues, it has become a much more enjoyable experience...
 
Can you use these with Intercom's?

I just ordered a Sport 200S intercom, and was reading the install manual. On the Stereo Headset paragraph it says.." 200S systems are designed for use with general aviation Stero headsets with High impedance speakers (300-600 ohms). Headsets with low impedance (less than 100 ohms) speakers should not be used with the Sprort 200S systems without modification"

Is anyone using these headsets with the Sigtronics Sport 200S...?
The headsets I saw were in the 25-30 ohms range...

What would the modifications be..... (I called Sigtronics... they had no idea....)

I really was planning to use these on my not completed 9A

Any thoughts???

Thanks
Paulo Finateri
Finish kit/ RV9A
 
Paulo - headset impedance is quite important - low impedance will overstress the audio amplifier in the intercom. The easiest fix for this is to put a small box in-line with the headset wires and install an audio impedance matching transformer. The transformer is pretty small (can be sourced through Mouser or similar suppliers, including Radio Shack, for very little money, under $10) and can be found with a 600 ohm input to match the output of the intercom, with an output of 16 ohms to match the little Comply or similar in-ear transducers. If one of these is installed in the "homemade" headset you'll find it works quite well.
 
Thanks Canadian Joy, I have not heard much about an impedance mismatch problem with these "homemade" headsets.. I thought I was worrying about nothing!! ( I have most of the parts to start assemblying) I have not seen these transformers ... I'll have to look at Radio Shack online.....

Thanks again for the info..
Paulo
Finish Kit/ RV9A
 
impedance mismatch

Canadian_JOY said:
Paulo - headset impedance is quite important - low impedance will overstress the audio amplifier in the intercom. The easiest fix for this is to put a small box in-line with the headset wires and install an audio impedance matching transformer. The transformer is pretty small (can be sourced through Mouser or similar suppliers, including Radio Shack, for very little money, under $10) and can be found with a 600 ohm input to match the output of the intercom, with an output of 16 ohms to match the little Comply or similar in-ear transducers. If one of these is installed in the "homemade" headset you'll find it works quite well.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I was wondering about the impedance mismatch between aviation headsets and consumer headphones. Doesn't the inline volume control modify the impedance of the headphones?

Is anyone else using an audio transformer in their setup, or is everyone running a risk of damaging their intercoms?

has anyone else had success with their homemade headset and a garmin 340?

this is a great project, thanks to all who have contributed!
 
Hey guys. I am a full time flight instructor, and the old DCs hurt my head when I fly 3-5 flights a day. I wanted something lightweight, but didn't have the extra $500 laying around.

I have a couple of quick questions:

1. Bluetooth interface: Anyone try to put a bluetooth into the system for cell phone use? I have an old in ear bluetooth adapter that I plan on hacking up and throwing in the project box. Obviously, I will have to relocate the ports and buttons and solder the speaker connection to the headphones.

2. Any way something like this could be used:

audio450.jpg


http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/products/cat640035/cat1430032/audio-450

I would rather not have the behind the head wire. Could you simply put adapters on the 3.5mm plugs to interface with the standard aviation headset plugs?

Thanks!
 
I tried to find a spec sheet on the web site but couldn't. However, I did see the model 480, that looks better suited to a/c use. The earbuds are sound isolating & the mic boom is longer so you can get it in front of your lips.

Charlie
 
rv7charlie said:
I tried to find a spec sheet on the web site but couldn't. However, I did see the model 480, that looks better suited to a/c use. The earbuds are sound isolating & the mic boom is longer so you can get it in front of your lips.

Charlie
Click to expand...


Thanks! I will let you guys know how the bluetooth adapter works.
 
Plantronics 480

These look nice. I couldn't find what they calculate the noise reduction to be. I wonder if these would be good enough as is? Also, how effective the noise cancelling mic would be in a 7A.
 
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Connecting Mic

I am in the process of building one of these headsets, but have a few questions. For those that used the ACS mic how did you connect the wires to the mic? Did you use some sort of pin soldered to the wire and then inserted into the mic?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Mark
 
headset hat

Taking the lead of others here....
I modified my favorite hat with a flexible boom (intubating stylet).
I bought that $20 A.Spruce mic and used a cell phone adapter that I had laying around as the junction box. Had only to add a 1/8" receptacle for the mic jack which I wired in tandem with the existing jack. Waiting for the Comply phones.

hs1.jpg

hs2.jpg


Steve
 
jaco523 said:
Interesting, I was wondering about the impedance mismatch between aviation headsets and consumer headphones. Doesn't the inline volume control modify the impedance of the headphones?

Is anyone else using an audio transformer in their setup, or is everyone running a risk of damaging their intercoms?

has anyone else had success with their homemade headset and a garmin 340?

this is a great project, thanks to all who have contributed!
Click to expand...
Did you ever get a response about people using their homemade headsets without impedance-matching transformers? Has anyone found that this damages their intercoms?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff
 
I checked ebay for the plantronics 480s & found some for $10/set (mute button doesn't work; I don't care). I haven't had a chance to fly with them yet, but they seem well made. I doubt that the noise blocking will be as good as the high-dollar ones, but I'm betting they will be at least as good as my old Lightspeed 15xl's. The mic boom design is really not bad at all; a little tab fits in your outer ear to stabilize the mic angle instead of the over-the-ear design of most others.

Charlie
 
Not what we want!

There is only one ear bud connection (the other ear just gets plugged), the PTT switch is housed in a huge box, and the connection at the "radio end" is specific to a Motorola radio (read "useless to us").

HTH,

Jeff
 
plantronics 480s

Newegg.com had these new for $12.99 with free shipping yesterday. I'll pick up a set and see how they work.
 
The Plantronics look kewl, but the mic boom seems awfully short. Many of the phone solutions put the mic at your cheek, and thus pick up a lot of ambient noise. Regardless, for that price, it would be fun to play with.
 
Are you looking at the 450...

Jeff Boatright said:
The Plantronics look kewl, but the mic boom seems awfully short. Many of the phone solutions put the mic at your cheek, and thus pick up a lot of ambient noise. Regardless, for that price, it would be fun to play with.
Click to expand...

....model that was pictured earlier, and not the 480 model?

The 480 appears to have a much longer mic boom.

http://plantronics.custhelp.com/cgi..._tbl=9&p_id=9211&p_created=1190059665&p_olh=0

480USB.gif


The 480 noise reduction specs (with the full ear plugs) seem about equal to the low end passive aviation headsets. I would be interested to hear the practical test results...
 
az_gila said:
....model that was pictured earlier, and not the 480 model?

The 480 appears to have a much longer mic boom.
...

The 480 noise reduction specs (with the full ear plugs) seem about equal to the low end passive aviation headsets. I would be interested to hear the practical test results...
Click to expand...

We'll know soon - I just bought one. Where did you see the noise reduction specs? Do you recall what dB reduction?
 
I thought I saw...

Jeff Boatright said:
We'll know soon - I just bought one. Where did you see the noise reduction specs? Do you recall what dB reduction?
Click to expand...

... a figure of 29 db - but when I went looking again for the link, I couldn't find it....:(

I might have been mixing it up with the Peltor one, which is specified at 29 dB with the foam ear plugs.

The Plantronics one should be similar.... I think...:)

The low cost LightSpeed QFR passive headsets are rated at 26 dB as a comparison.
 
Question on Mic Circuit

Hi,

I know this thread has been around for awhile. Has anyone determined whether the mic sold by Aircraft Spruce needs a chip or any additional circuitry to function correctly? I would like to build the lightweight headset and this is still a little fuzzy to me. Thanks.

Ken
 
Ken:

With my setup, the cheapo spruce mic has not required any additional circuitry. I have the Flightcom FC-403 stereo intercom from Vans.

Paul
 
Mic from Aircraft Spruce

Paul,

Thanks for your reply. I'm guessing that the small FET amp is inside the plastic housing of the microphone from Aircraft Spruce.
 
circuitry

Question does the noise reduction come soley from the earplugs or is there noise reduction circuity in the system that I am missing. Thanks
 
Nope, have not tested yet - flying too much! ;)

az_gila said:
....any results to report from the Plantronics 480?

gil A
Click to expand...


Gil - I've been focusing on flying. When I have had time to fiddle with Plantronics (and other earbuds), I have had trouble getting sound to both earpieces. Is there a trick to the adapter plugs?
 
Do you think...

Jeff Boatright said:
Gil - I've been focusing on flying. When I have had time to fiddle with Plantronics (and other earbuds), I have had trouble getting sound to both earpieces. Is there a trick to the adapter plugs?
Click to expand...

...you are getting a mono/stereo compatability problem?

Is the noise reduction OK?
 
az_gila said:
...the left and right audio inputs on the ear pieces together. Probably easier done in the adapter you have from the little plug to the big aviation plug.
Click to expand...

Gil, sorry to be dense, I don't understand your suggestion. Please write for a rather slow 8-year-old (not to insult 8-year-olds...)

The problem I am having is that I only hear sound from the left earpiece when I plug in a set of earbuds to a 1/8"-to-1/4" adapter and then into the radio. I have tried this with several sets of earphones (Plantronics, iPod, Sensenheiser, generics, etc.), 3 different plug adapters, and 3 different receptacles (two radios and one intercom).

Two of the adapters are from Radio Shack and the third came with the Sensenheiser headphones. These are sealed; you can't get at the internals to make wiring changes.

Any suggestions appreciated.
 
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Jeff Boatright said:
Gil, sorry to be dense, I don't understand your suggestion. Please write for a rather slow 8-year-old (not to insult 8-year-olds...)

The problem I am having is that I only hear sound from the left earpiece when I plug in a set of earbuds to a 1/8"-to-1/4" adapter and then into the radio. I have tried this with several sets of earphones (Plantronics, iPod, Sensenheiser, generics, etc.), 3 different plug adapters, and 3 different receptacles (two radios and one intercom).

Two of the adapters are from Radio Shack and the third came with the Sensenheiser headphones. These are sealed; you can't get at the internals to make wiring changes.

Any suggestions appreciated.
Click to expand...

I know nothing of your installation; but in regards to my audio panel; if I were to use additional plugs for passengers, which are wired in series; the passengers will loose a channel if a mono head set is plugged in, as it shorts out a channel. The pilot/co-pilot plugs are not effected. The passengers would have to switch to "mono" to hear both ear pieces.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Please confirm...

Jeff Boatright said:
Gil, sorry to be dense, I don't understand your suggestion. Please write for a rather slow 8-year-old (not to insult 8-year-olds...)

The problem I am having is that I only hear sound from the left earpiece when I plug in a set of earbuds to a 1/8"-to-1/4" adapter and then into the radio. I have tried this with several sets of earphones (Plantronics, iPod, Sensenheiser, generics, etc.), 3 different plug adapters, and 3 different receptacles (two radios and one intercom).

Two of the adapters are from Radio Shack and the third came with the Sensenheiser headphones. These are sealed; you can't get at the internals to make wiring changes.

Any suggestions appreciated.
Click to expand...

...that the "aviation" end of the system in your plane is a mono system.

If this is the case, and your headsets are stereo, then one channel is not being connected when you plug in the heaset through the adapter.
 
NR 10 Ear Buds and Matching xformer

After reading through this entire thread, I either missed one thing or I'M suffering from overload from the many different approaches to this cool project.

Do the NR 10 ear buds need an impedence matching transformer? How do I determine? I have a PM 40000 audio panel if that helps anyone point towards a solution.

If these work as well as so many say, how can you go wrong for <$100?? Gotta see for myself.

Carl Raichle
Lutz, FL
RV-9A N194CR
First flight in a week or so...
 
Ditto the post above me.

The question I have is: What mic works????

I am using Shure earbud earphones plugged directly into the headset jack with a plug adapter. These work spectacularly well. Better noise canceling than ANY other headset I have ever tried -- just amazing.

Dave T.
 
More on the impedance match

Checking the specs of my PS audio panel reveal an output impedance of 150 - 1000 ohms.

Input impedance of the NC 10 ear buds is 16 ohms.

Called PS Engineering. They have no information regarding setting up a matching transformer. He did point out that the audio output of the panel is protected and the low impedance won't create any operational issues that could lead to damage. He also pointed out there may be some degradation of audio quality as a result. "Try it and see"

Checking for audio transformers led me to a few dead ends too. Finding a transformer with a secondary that would match the impedance of the headphones exactly is darn near impossible (at least with a 15 minute search)

So again, to anyone using this nifty little alternative to the high dollar systems:

Is the matching transformer really necessary? It would be great to get a note on audio quality from someone that isn't using one.

If yes, does the transformer output have to precisely match the impedance of the earphones or is there some latitude there? How much?

If you used an audio transformer for matching a PS audio panel to NR-10 ear buds, what did you use and can you kindly provide the source. hopefully a mini (tiny) transformer that will fit in a small box that will interface the small lines from the headset/mic.


That's a lot of questions and I truly appreciate any help from those that have blazed this trail.
 
OK, here goes...
Firstly, I don't have a high-end intercom, just a panel-mount SoftCom vox intercom, monaural. I rigged up the necessary adapters to use the Comply(tm) earpieces in "listen only" mode. They worked fine without any transformer installed. BUT as soon as the volume was cranked up high enough to be sufficiently loud for use with the aircraft in full song, distortion was evident. Keep in mind that if you do this test in your airplane with only one low-impedance headset installed you might be OK, but if you install two headsets you've just halved the impedance and the audio amp in your intercom may not like it.

I modified my headset to include an audio transformer. It's not a perfect match, but pretty darned good. Part number is 42TU400-RC (Xicon miniature EI-24 Audio Transformer) from Mouser.com. Cost was $2.20 each. Installed with the 500-ohm side connected to the wires going to the headset plugs and the low-impedance side going to the jack for the Comply(tm) headset. This works a charm.

Since the transformer has a centre tap you could conceivably attach the low impedance centre tap to another audio source such as an iPod or similar and avoid the usual complaint of low audio output levels from such devices.
 
I've used them in a Piper Dakota and Diamond DA-40 with the Garmin G1000for hours without any problems at all - no distortion, good volume (adjusted with the slider on the NR-10). I recommend you go out to the airport and do a radio check with the tower, listen to ATIS, etc if possible and see.

carlrai said:
After reading through this entire thread, I either missed one thing or I'M suffering from overload from the many different approaches to this cool project.

Do the NR 10 ear buds need an impedence matching transformer? How do I determine? I have a PM 40000 audio panel if that helps anyone point towards a solution.

If these work as well as so many say, how can you go wrong for <$100?? Gotta see for myself.

Carl Raichle
Lutz, FL
RV-9A N194CR
First flight in a week or so...
Click to expand...
 
Great info....

Canadian_JOY said:
OK, here goes...
Firstly, I don't have a high-end intercom, just a panel-mount SoftCom vox intercom, monaural. I rigged up the necessary adapters to use the Comply(tm) earpieces in "listen only" mode. They worked fine without any transformer installed. BUT as soon as the volume was cranked up high enough to be sufficiently loud for use with the aircraft in full song, distortion was evident. Keep in mind that if you do this test in your airplane with only one low-impedance headset installed you might be OK, but if you install two headsets you've just halved the impedance and the audio amp in your intercom may not like it.

I modified my headset to include an audio transformer. It's not a perfect match, but pretty darned good. Part number is 42TU400-RC (Xicon miniature EI-24 Audio Transformer) from Mouser.com. Cost was $2.20 each. Installed with the 500-ohm side connected to the wires going to the headset plugs and the low-impedance side going to the jack for the Comply(tm) headset. This works a charm.

Since the transformer has a centre tap you could conceivably attach the low impedance centre tap to another audio source such as an iPod or similar and avoid the usual complaint of low audio output levels from such devices.
Click to expand...


...but if you don't want to wait for mouser.com and UPS, then a trip to the Radio Shack at your local mall should find this....

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103254&tab=summary

pRS1C-2265758w345.jpg


Which should also do the job.
 
Gil - Radio Shack really doesn't exist any more up here in the Frigid North, so waiting on the UPS shipment was about my only option. But since it was an enjoyable winter project, the waiting time was spent beside a crackling fire in a comfy chair with a nice single malt and some Antoine de Saint Exupery! ;-)
 
Glad to hear it...

Canadian_JOY said:
Gil - Radio Shack really doesn't exist any more up here in the Frigid North, so waiting on the UPS shipment was about my only option. But since it was an enjoyable winter project, the waiting time was spent beside a crackling fire in a comfy chair with a nice single malt and some Antoine de Saint Exupery! ;-)
Click to expand...


...was a pleasant and comfortable wait...:)

My posting was really intended to help the more impatient folks South of the 49 N latitude mark (yes, and also the other US-Canada border latitude variations).
 
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