Equipment ? for a Newbie...

V

vladi34

New Member
Hey guys, once again coming for help from fellow JCer's. I will be starting flight school July 7th of this year and am trying to put together everything I will need. Everything is pretty much done, but I have yet to purchase a headset... Now I have been beating around the net and have found sets as expensive as $1.5K and as cheap as $200, I do not have a lot of money to burn so I want something that is on the lower side of the $$, but at the same time I do not want something that is going to crap out on me in a few months or something that is going to give me migraines from wearing it...

So with that in mind, any suggestions out there? Looking to draw from all of your personal experiences, models to stay away from, good stores to check out. Also I have seen a few one ear headsets that almost look like cell phone ear pieces, they tend to be cheaper but are they not as good or excepted? Thanks in advance for the info.
 
I suggest the David Clark H10-13.4

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/h10-13.4.cfm

About $300. I started out wasting $150 on some AvComs, and they caused BAD headaches. Then I bought the DCs and it felt (literally) like breasts pressed against my ears the first time I put them on. No more headaches.

And I was in the same boat as you. I didn't have a lot of money starting out, but I made the decision to get the DCs and have never looked back. I've been using them now for 4 years and they are still great.

And I even bought a set of BOSE X, but in the G1000 I was flying at the time, at the EXACT point where my head was when I had the seat adjusted optimally, that exact position was some weird flux field with the aircrafts electrical system... I could hear a ticking noise in the phones, but if I moved my head the slightest bit it went away. Never did it in any other airplane though.
 
jwp_145 said:
I suggest the David Clark H10-13.4

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/h10-13.4.cfm

About $300. I started out wasting $150 on some AvComs, and they caused BAD headaches. Then I bought the DCs and it felt (literally) like breasts pressed against my ears the first time I put them on. No more headaches.

And I was in the same boat as you. I didn't have a lot of money starting out, but I made the decision to get the DCs and have never looked back. I've been using them now for 4 years and they are still great.

And I even bought a set of BOSE X, but in the G1000 I was flying at the time, at the EXACT point where my head was when I had the seat adjusted optimally, that exact position was some weird flux field with the aircrafts electrical system... I could hear a ticking noise in the phones, but if I moved my head the slightest bit it went away. Never did it in any other airplane though.
Click to expand...

I will second the call for the DC's. I was given a set of H10-40's and a set of DCNC, both are from the early 90's and are both still going strong. So much better than the rental AvComs. No more headaches, clearer transmissions and no more after concert ringing in my ears when I am done flying. Your ears will thank you.
 
I use an ANR headset by Lightspeed, that besides the passive has additional protection of 12 db when the noise reduction switch is turned on. Got these for $250, and are extremely comfortable.
I used to have AVComm, and like the others have said, they gave me terrible headaches and were very painful for XC flights.
 
Eventually, you will want to upgrade a mid-range one, so spend the money now on a good one, and it will last through all of your training and well into your career.
 
Go on Ebay and buy yourself a used set. I got a set of DCs many years ago from someone who didn't use them anymore since he was flying corporate. They're just fine.
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys, sounds like DC's are the most popular choice so far. Boy am I glad that I asked, because I was actually looking at a pair of Av's and almost bought them, sounds like I saved my self a lot of headaches (no pun intended :laff:) by double checking. Thanks again.
 
You should go to a pilot shop and try on a few different sets. Your knoggin may not like DC's. I say go with the most comfortable pair in your price range. Your head will make the choice for you:D
 
Check out craigslist, I bought a pair of David Clark H10-13.4 for $50 cash. They have worked great and are very comfortable.
 
Another enthusiastic vote for used DCs. I bought mine in 1993. 4000 hours later, they're going strong. Never had a carrying case, beer spilled all over them, rammed in to various freight-carrying ceilings, and never a failure, not one. Total cost for 15 years of off and on use...$30 for new ear seals (last year). Few things are made that way anymore. $100 cash and carry should be easy for a 13.4 or H10-30.

When they stop working, I'll start looking around for the seven horsemen.
 
Boris Badenov said:
Another enthusiastic vote for used DCs. I bought mine in 1993. 4000 hours later, they're going strong. Never had a carrying case, beer spilled all over them, rammed in to various freight-carrying ceilings, and never a failure, not one. Total cost for 15 years of off and on use...$30 for new ear seals (last year). Few things are made that way anymore. $100 cash and carry should be easy for a 13.4 or H10-30.

When they stop working, I'll start looking around for the seven horsemen.
Click to expand...

That's funny cause I got mine last May, used for 40-some hours and stored them in a case for winter. First time out flying this spring and the left side wouldn't work.
 
I would highly suggest just going out and buying the Bose. I don't know what I would do without them. However, when I started flying way back when, the Flightcom Denali was brand new. I bought one two days into my training and a second one not long after. They were about $250 for the passive variety. They might be a little bit more expensive now. Positives for the denali include it's very light weight, great customer service (I had students break them a couple times and the factory fixed them for FREE (and that was 5 years after I purchased them)), and comfort over a long period of time (the DC's just clamped so hard on my head that I would get a headache after an hour).

To summarize:

If you have the cash, go with the Bose. If not, I recommend the Flightcom Denali (passive or ANR) as an alternative.

Michael
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys! Got a pair of DC H10-60 off e-bay for $270, they are only a few months old and never used, still have the factory seals on them! Thought that was a great deal. Hope they work out as well as I expect them too. Thanks again
 
Now I'm all excited about dumping my AvCom headset and getting a DC H10-13.4! Found one on Craigslist for $75, but it only says H10....what does the 13.4 mean and are there different versions?
 
13.4 is their at-the-time-revolutionary product. We're talking late-80s-early-90s though, I think. cups are made out of a different material which makes them considerably lighter than older DC models. The 13.4 referred to the weight of the set, I think. Normal DC convention had them named H10-X where X is a multiple of ten. You're probably looking at an H10-20 or H10-30. For $75, though, that's still a great deal. If you don't buy them at that price, send me the link, cause I might.
 
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