Headsets at the Regionals?

You can turn the volume on the radio up. I know a LOT of guys that wear earplugs with the Telex 750s. Without ear plugs, you can generally hear the radio with the volume turned up about 50%. With them, you're normally good at 75%, but the ear plugs eliminate the background noise. Sometimes it's actually EASIER to hear the radio that way. I got a pair of re-usable ones at Walgreens for about $2, and they work great.
 
It is really easier to understand the transmissions with earplugs and the Telex 750. But I personally don't really like the feel of something sticking in your ear. I even spent the $$ to get custom molded earplugs with a flat back, but it didn't really help. At the same time be aware, that they produce a strange sound of your own voice in your head when talking.
 
Kell, your airline needs to provide disposable earplugs for flight crews.

I think OSHA may even mandate that as well.
 
taseal said:
I asked this at some store here, and said 'what if you wear earplugs with the headset?' and he laughed at me and said 'how are you going to hear the radio if you got earplugs on?'

it made sense. I guess he was wrong?
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Yeah, it is easier to hear with the earplugs in actually, it filters out the background noise. Its fgunny, i can hear better than my friends who never use earplugs, even doing a pre/post flight. I cant understand how they can walk next to a running APU....
 
inside0ut said:
Yeah, it is easier to hear with the earplugs in actually, it filters out the background noise. Its fgunny, i can hear better than my friends who never use earplugs, even doing a pre/post flight. I cant understand how they can walk next to a running APU....
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I need to try that, altough I will be using it in 172s for my IFR/Comm and MEI later on.

any earplugs do the magic? (like those foam ones, or the plastic ones?)
 
Doug Taylor said:
Kell, your airline needs to provide disposable earplugs for flight crews.

I think OSHA may even mandate that as well.
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Oh, they do, but they're the cheapos, like everything else around here. I like the ones I got at Walgreens better, that's why I use them instead. I could use the disposable ones, but my ears would be hurting about halfway through the flight. They're fine to do the walkaround on the ramp, but I'd go insane leaving them in for a whole flight.
 
So do you think the DC H10-13X's will be good enough to use at the regional level? It seems everyone recommends them at the instructing level and then seem to get something else when they hit regionals. I'm just not too stoked about spending $600 on a headset for a year and a half and then buying one that is more expensive.
 
taseal said:
I need to try that, altough I will be using it in 172s for my IFR/Comm and MEI later on.

any earplugs do the magic? (like those foam ones, or the plastic ones?)
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I just use the cheapy disposable ones the rampers give me, they work fine
 
I'm going to be tempted to use my Lightspeed's for quite a while into my flying career.

Most of the Colgan guys I see use the DC's. That ring of compressed hair is in style nowadays.;)

By the time I get into a 'real' jet I'll probably buy a new headset.
 
Here's another alternative. There's a company named headsetsinc.com and you can get an ANR kit for about $169. I had a 100 dollar avcomm headset that I upgraded to ANR and it worked really well, some testimonials at their site even compare it to the BOSE.

If you can or know someone that can solder it's a very simple upgrade, about two hours, they give you good instructions and all the things that you need, to include new foams for better passive attenuation. Plus they have good customer support, my headset had a high pitch squelch and all I had to do was adjust a potentiometer.

My flight bag was stolen a couple of years back with my headset, so I checked their site and they now offer a complete set for $399 and it works really well. It's a good alternative for us that can't quite shell out the 600-1000 for the name brand headsets. THe only bad thing is that it uses a 9 volt battery and does not last as long as the bose batteries, but you can just get a couple of re-charg 9 volts.

Hope this helps.
 
I seem to remember somewhere reading that some headsets aren't "approved" for 121 ops... is this true or am I just making that up from somewhere? I have a Lightspeed Mach 1 that I intend to take with me.
 
kellwolf said:
I had an ENC DC when I was instructing, and I swear by them. You'll get the same thing as a Bose for a fraction of the price. Plus, WHEN the batteries fail in flight, the passive noise cancelling is much better than the Bose headsets. I would have kept it in the RJ is I could have fit it in my flight case along with the huge binders of charts, company manuals, etc. I've got a Telex 750 right now, and it does okay. I plan on getting the noise cancelling 850 (or something similar) when I can afford it. I picked the 750 up off of eBay for less than $100, so the price was right for a new FO. :)

Noise is realtive. Like Doug said, the guys going from a Brasilia to the RJ will think it's quiet. I think the CRJ is pretty quiet, but I don't fly a 767, which is even quieter.
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Comfort wise? I think NOT.
 
I am going to have to buy some new headsets soon. The 99 is deafening with my regular old David Clarks. I need a good set that has ANR or I will go deaf. I'm looking at Denali's and Lightspeeds right now. I'll just have to wear headsets plus earplugs until I'm able to get them.
 
Doug Taylor said:
A word of caution.

People coming out of the Brasilia are going to think that the CRJ cockpit is quiet.

But it's louder than death.

If you don't wear noise attenuating headsets, you will develop hearing loss.
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The CRJ isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is. Having flown the CRJ and the 717 (about as quiet as a jet gets), I can tell a difference, but it's not that dramatic. The ERJ is considerably noisier, but the CRJ isn't that bad. The problem that people run into is flying at really high speeds in the CRJ. The cockpit gets exponentially noisier as you start going faster than about 300 knots indicated. I've found that the guys who complain the most about the CRJ cockpit are usually the guys who feel the need to fly 320/.78 everywhere they go for no reason whatsoever. Yeah, at that speed, the airplane is dang noisy. But if you fly profile (290/.74 for most companies), the airplane isn't that bad.

I always took my headset off above FL180 in the CRJ, and I didn't use any earplugs. Flying profile, I was always comfortable. If ATC asked us for 320 knots, then I'd throw in the earplugs until we could slow down again. But wearing those dang noise-canceling headclamps all the time? No friggin' way.
 
I used a Telex 750 for awhile during IOE on the CRJ, and for a little while after that. Also tried the earplugs under them (many people do this on the line too), with the radio turned up louder to hear with them in. I wasnt a fan either of having the ear plugs in my ears for a long time. Later I found the Telex 850 ANR headset at a pretty good price, and i went with that. I've been using it for about 7 months and i'm happy with its performance. The size is great for going in the flightbag (dont have to crunch the headseat or anything in the bag), and the weight on your head after hours of flying is definitly better than the DC ANR headsets. (I had a pair of them flying Senecas, and other GA planes for a long time).
I've also tried the Lightspeed ANR headset when i was flying the Conquest Turboprop-it did well against the noise of the Garrett's-but still it was a big headset, and i didnt have to carry them around of stuff them into a bag (those were company provided).

For us, headsets are not provided by the company. The only extra one onboard is a beat up Telex 750 for the jumpseater.
 
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