Weston Ear Mold Kit - Plantronics MS50

surreal1221

surreal1221

Well-Known Member
Most likely will be a shot in the dark considering most of the JC Community utilizes Telex products, but being in the market for a new headset I just wanted to see if anyone had purchased and used the Weston Ear Mold kit that is available from Marv Golden to make customer ear pieces for this headset.
 
The captain I am flying with now uses an ear mold headset...

and licks the earpiece each time before putting it in his ear.

:barf:
 
I have to look away when he does it now. Plus, he keeps the mouthpiece in his mouth so when he talks over the intercom its garbled and loud :mad:

One more day with him.....



If you are ok with keeping those things in your ear all day, then I say go for it. It's something different and no one is going to want to steal your headset
:pirate:
 
I use an ear mold with these in the Dash. Took me about a day to get used to them. I had the mold done in MSP downstairs in the Stop Over Store.
As far as comfort goes, they sure beat the heck out of that little ear penis that normally goes along with it. Defintatly worth the 60 bucks.
 
I have a Lightspeed in ear headset. I took the molds at an audiologist office. I was able to pay using my flexible spending medical account tax free! They work great. I use those little alcohol wipes to clean them every so often....
 
Surreal,

I started out with the exact package your looking at (MS50 with custom molds), and I was extremely disappointed by the setup.

The problems:

The problem I had with the MS50's is that they don't have any threshold control on the mic so they continually picked up cockpit noise and amplified it through the headset. This was extremely annoying for both of us.

I did the custom molds myself using the kit provided, so maybe I made a mistake, however I doubt it. They fit like a glove, but I was unable to get them to make a perfect seal on my ear, so they let most of the sound in. This resulted in very little noise reduction for me.

The solution:

I switched out the MS50 for the Telex 5x5. The only difference is the noise cancelling mic and about $50. It's worth the extra cost.

I switched out the custom molds for the clarity aloft ear plugs. All I needed was a small plastic adaptor (about $0.50 from grainger). When they get dirty I switch them out for a new one. I go through about a pack a year which is $20.

Hope this helps and good luck.
 
Thanks, I appreciate that insight.

What equipment were you using them on? The Dash or Saab? You guys have a hot mic set up in the equipment you were flying?
 
Hmm...does the Dash have a hot mic set-up? On the RJ we have an I/C, OFF, and R/T switch on the yoke. So long as it's in the OFF position nothing is transmitted.

Would you think the MS50 could still be a good headset - regarding picking up outside noise - if utilized on this equipment?
 
surreal1221 said:
Hmm...does the Dash have a hot mic set-up? On the RJ we have an I/C, OFF, and R/T switch on the yoke. So long as it's in the OFF position nothing is transmitted.

Would you think the MS50 could still be a good headset - regarding picking up outside noise - if utilized on this equipment?
Click to expand...

We have a similar setup on the Dash. Every crew I know leaves it in hot mic all the time and would find it pretty annoying if you had to click the intercom switch every time you wanted to talk. This is just our equipment with our crews though, yours may be different.

Maybe you could find one with a good return policy to try out for a trip or two?
 
honestly, they weren't as quiet as my Bose, but they are more comfortable and pretty quiet. We had a hot mic on the Bro and we have an open mic on the Orion so there is ambient noise that comes in, but that was the case with the Bose as well. They are in for repair right now, so I am using my Bose....they are ultra quiet. I think I would switch after a long day at some point in the tanker.
 
Yeah, I'm really trying to get a good quiet set - considering the airframe and standard practices with the I/C usage, cost, size, and mobility; nothing like having a huge can headset taking up 15% of your kit bag's space.

At ASA most of us keep it in OFF unless we are having a conversation, or obviously transmitting. Which really helps keep the background noise down. It's one of those unwritten - don't be an idiot when you fly with me - type of rules. Common courtesy at least. It can be pretty annoying when you're flying with the one guy who constantly forgets to knock it back down to OFF and you hear him breathing, snorting, or whatever strange noise. Sometimes just have to hit yours up and down a few times to remind them.

But anyway - yeah I will likely end up with the MS50 and a custom ear mold. Nice lightweight set, and good sound protection - at least for one ear. Will end up just using some foam ear buds on the other side.
 
surreal1221 said:
Yeah, I'm really trying to get a good quiet set - considering the airframe and standard practices with the I/C usage, cost, size, and mobility; nothing like having a huge can headset taking up 15% of your kit bag's space.

At ASA most of us keep it in OFF unless we are having a conversation, or obviously transmitting. Which really helps keep the background noise down. It's one of those unwritten - don't be an idiot when you fly with me - type of rules. Common courtesy at least. It can be pretty annoying when you're flying with the one guy who constantly forgets to knock it back down to OFF and you hear him breathing, snorting, or whatever strange noise. Sometimes just have to hit yours up and down a few times to remind them.

But anyway - yeah I will likely end up with the MS50 and a custom ear mold. Nice lightweight set, and good sound protection - at least for one ear. Will end up just using some foam ear buds on the other side.
Click to expand...

I'm sure keeping it in the "Off" position will make a lot of difference. I wish you the best of luck.
 
Bumblebee said:
I have a Lightspeed in ear headset. I took the molds at an audiologist office. I was able to pay using my flexible spending medical account tax free! They work great. I use those little alcohol wipes to clean them every so often....
Click to expand...

Just curios, how quiet is it? I currently use the bose, however I am tired of carrying it around and it takes up a lot of room. They look comfortable, but I don't want to sacrifice the quietness of the bose.
 
aevfo said:
Just curios, how quiet is it? I currently use the bose, however I am tired of carrying it around and it takes up a lot of room. They look comfortable, but I don't want to sacrifice the quietness of the bose.
Click to expand...

They are not as quiet as the Bose, but they were enough more convenient at the airline to make it worth it. Even here I will wear them most the time, but when we have a long day I will switch to the Bose, just from fatigue.
 
You really think so Dale? I find the LS Mach 1 to be just as quiet if not moreso than the Bose. I don't have custom molds, I just use the blue plugs that come with it.
 
I do hear fewer frequencies with the Bose, and I can hear the props more, but it is more comfortable to me, and plenty quiet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top