Headset Jacks

[skippydiesel]

I am very lucky, in that I have a selection of headsets (acquired over many years/aircraft changes) to choose from. 

On long trips I favour a David Clark H10-13 XL ENC (noise canceling) set . Shorter sorties, I use a set pf Peltor 7004's. 

On my last aircraft both headsets worked perfectly. New aircraft and the  DC's have transmitting issues - sometimes good other times poor. The Peltor's are still great.

I have noticed that the DC's have a slightly diffrent transmit jack (more contacts) than the Peltor's

From distant memory, I think that I must have a transmit socket incompatibility  - please comment & advise.

[coljones]

7 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

I am very lucky, in that I have a selection of headsets (acquired over many years/aircraft changes) to choose from. 

On long trips I favour a David Clark H10-13 XL ENC (noise canceling) set . Shorter sorties, I use a set pf Peltor 7004's. 

On my last aircraft both headsets worked perfectly. New aircraft and the  DC's have transmitting issues - sometimes good other times poor. The Peltor's are still great.

I have noticed that the DC's have a slightly diffrent transmit jack (more contacts) than the Peltor's

From distant memory, I think that I must have a transmit socket incompatibility  - please comment & advise.

Photos please

 

Cheers

[skippydiesel]

Not my plugs (from the net)

Note: 3 insulator rings on first transmit plug image (like mine) - Second image transmit plug has two black insulator rings.

[danny_galaga]

Is the one with three insulators for voice activated 'TALK' button maybe?

[FlyBoy1960]

Stereo versus mono on the headset plugs for listening to those tunes'

[jetboy]

Long time back I picked up a pamphlet at Oshkosh from Comm Innovations, they have a catalogue online here

https://www.comm-innovations.com/catalogs/finish/1-comm-innovations-catalogs-pdf/47-comm-catalog-2023/0.html

 

Page 39 on shows the many plugs and sockets, I dont know what DC uses the extra sleeve on the mic plug for. Telephone exchanges used to use these commercial grade plugs.

[skippydiesel]

Interesting - thanks for your input.

 

Gave up on the DC's, after the third 9V battery and cleaning of all accessible contacts, made no appreciable difference.  S sent them for a full service/repair. The Pacific Avionics  quote is just short of $700.00.

 

Not too bad when you consider this is about 1/3 of the price of new DC's, of the same type, and that mine are probably 15 years old.

[BrendAn]

random question, but i am confused why helicopter headsets have one plug and fixed wing have two. 

[Kyle Communications]

Helicopters have a "Nato" plug ...seems to be a hold over from the military copters and never changed

 

[Kyle Communications]

I bought a set of Lightspeed Zulus. and have used them for about 10 years then Lightspeed offered a $450 upgrade to the the next version with the sexy kevlar cables and updated controller. Pacific Avionics did it and returned in less than a week. I have a set of DC,,,may as well be in the bin the Lightspeeds are light years ahead in comfort and performance

[BrendAn]

18 minutes ago, Kyle Communications said:

Helicopters have a "Nato" plug ...seems to be a hold over from the military copters and never changed

 

Excellent. Thankyou 

[spacesailor]

I changed my '  Altronics ' to a ' curly cord ' . The original straight cord had the outer plastic coming apart. 

I did ask on the forum,  if it was any better to have the cord ' straight or curly ' . Also removed the 1/4" NATO plug for a 2.5 mm plug .

spacesailor

[coljones]

2 hours ago, Kyle Communications said:

Helicopters have a "Nato" plug ...seems to be a hold over from the military copters and never changed

 

Or the two plugs are a carry over from the Wright Bi-plane comms and, like imperial measurements in the US, have never been superseded.

[spacesailor]

1/4 inch NATO. But 3.5 & 2.5 millimetre plugs ? .

Were is the " Imperial " .

American & French .

spacesailor

[coljones]

2 hours ago, spacesailor said:

1/4 inch NATO. But 3.5 & 2.5 millimetre plugs ? .

Were is the " Imperial " .

American & French .

spacesailor

The 0.206" and 1/4 inch plugs/sockets are not metric - both probably American. The Inch and English are both imperial not American or French.

[Kyle Communications]

The 3.5mm and 2.5mm plugs are used for handheld hadios

 

[IBob]

On 11/09/2023 at 9:12 PM, Kyle Communications said:

I bought a set of Lightspeed Zulus. and have used them for about 10 years then Lightspeed offered a $450 upgrade to the the next version with the sexy kevlar cables and updated controller. Pacific Avionics did it and returned in less than a week. I have a set of DC,,,may as well be in the bin the Lightspeeds are light years ahead in comfort and performance

Plus one for the Lightspeeds here......)

[spacesailor]

2,5 mm ,on ALL radio receivers , as far as I have found .

 I changed my long straight cord , as with the headphones resting on my  neck the plugs were dragging on the  floor .

Curly cord reaches my knees. 

I asked the forum , if it was wise, but no answer. 

spacesailor

[facthunter]

People  think it's unwise to  answer curly questions.  Nev

[spacesailor]

I just found the hard drive in a ' tablet ' is a " NAND " .

NOW WHO , can tell me what it means .

spacesailor

[coljones]

What are NAND Hard Drives? - Easy Tech Junkie https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-are-nand-hard-drives.htm

[spacesailor]

Thanks Coljones .

It explains why the wifes Galaxy  can't be saved,  '  no hdd to repair , will have to have a new ' motherboard ' .

spacesailor

[RFguy]

actually helicopters with the single 4 contact plug, are NOT all the same  there are two variants and they look quite similar...

...

there is the U-174 / Nexus TP-120 plug.  'us nato' (diameter 7.1mm )

and a Type 671 plug 'euro nato' (diam 7.57mm)

U174 is the most common. But I have found australian registered helicopers with the 671....

 

[Marty_d]

Hey folks,

 

I need some advice on what I need for intercom & jacks etc.

 

I have a panel mounted radio, and have run 4x good quality audio cable from panel to behind the headrests.

 

My wife asked what I wanted for Xmas, and I said "an intercom" as I believe that's needed too.

 

So... guessing that I need to get a double jack set for each seat mounted behind the seats for the headsets?  And they go via the cables to the intercom which is connected to the radio?

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

Marty

[IBob]

Hi Marty, depends on the radio. Mine is XCom, which has the intercom built into it, so no additional gear required.

I would think most radios now have that for a simple 2 person setup.
 

As for position of the jacks, I had them on the floor console forward of the stick, but didn't like that, so have now shifted them to a small box at the backrest between the 2 seats. I prefer this as I can see them in case I need to check plug seating in flight, and the cables are inboard of both pilot and pax, so we're not dodging round them when getting in and out.

The only complication we then had was getting the headsets crossed up with someone else as PIC, the problem then is that you don't realise you are not transmitting (since you are pressing the wrong PTT button).

it.that.

I saw recently where the South Africans are putting their jacks at centre front of the baggage area, which is another possibility.

A lot of Savannahs have them mounted at the front outer corners of the baggage shelf, but I'm told that can be very difficult to reach or see if you need to check plug seating in flight.