Anyone had issues with a zulu in a SportStar?

[Guest Pop-top]

Hi Guys

 

My Lightspeed zulus seem to give me 'feedback' of my own voice during PTT and it puts me off, because I sound louder than the great Oz.

 

Any had this issue in a sporty? or now which setting will resolve it?

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Hey,

 

Just had a quick google and found a couple of emails for SportStar which you could try. One is in the US but it still can't hurt to email them I guess

 

[email protected]

 

[email protected]

 

Also, maybe try emailing LightSpeed? Or contacting the Moorabbin Pilot Shop which is the Australian repair place for LightSpeed - he might have had other people with similar issues.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

It's called sidetone, and it is a feature, not a bug! When you PTT, what you hear in your headphones is what you are transmitting, taken from way deep inside the radio so you know (most of) the circuitry is working. If you don't hear yourself when you PTT, good chance nobody else is either.

 

This happens with any headset; what is likely happening now is that your Zulus get rid of so much outside noise compared to your old headset, you do hear yourself louder.

 

Don't worry about it, you will soon get used to hearing your own voice louder than before.

 

If you were the only one flying it, you could dial down the sidetone, but that would probably make it too low for folks using a passive headset.

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

Ahh ok!

 

Makes sense (though i'm not just talking loud...I'm talk REALLY LOUD!). I'll have to mess around with the panel controls compared to my headset controls and find a good mix.

 

Cheers :big_grin:

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

The panel in my sportstar is pretty basic; the intercom volume knob controls how loud I hear the intercom. Radio volume controls how loud the radio is mixed in and that leaves the control on the headset to set total volume.

 

Nothing I could do to change the level of the sidetone without pulling apart the radio.

 

Also check this headset in other aircraft and other headsets in this one to see if there is a pattern.

 

Of course there could be an issue with the aircraft, like sidetone being set too loud or the intercom not being deactivated when you PTT so you are hearing that instead of sidetone. But that would show up regardless of which headset is being used. Testing different a/c and different headset will indentify an issue like that.

 

 

[Thx1137]

G'day Jodie,

 

Ah. When you said feedback I thought you meant the high pitched squeal! I know of some high end ANR headset that have had that problem.

 

My headset (non-zulu) varies between aircraft. On one of the older sportstars I get zero sidetone. I had to check that I was transmitting! On one of the newer ones it is really loud so I have to turn the headset volume down. others have been "just right".

 

I haven't really played with it much to work out what is going on, I did try to remix the volumes a bit but it didn't seem to help at all.

 

Steven.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I noticed the difference with sidetone between passive and active sets too - with passive sets I usually can hardly hear myself which makes me freak that other people aren't hearing me either but with the Zulu I can hear myself just fine...maybe you just need more time to get used to the complete amazingness that is ANR :big_grin:

 

 

[dazza 38]

I flew the eaglet today (conversion) it has zulus, i never used a ANR headset before, i normall use my own DC 13.4. Anyway when i first talked i though i was going to blow my ear drums. I also hear everybody else loud. All sorted by lowering the volume on headset volume control.

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

Had a good mess around with it on the weekend and my instructor used one too.

 

We've come to the conclusion that Lightspeed zulu just isn't compatible with the avionics system in the sporty's. Every time either of us transmitted we deafened the other one. All other peoples radio calls were soft and sounded normal, intercom was normal...still just the PTT.

 

Unfortunatly I can't put it down to something that I'll get used to or "the awesomness of ANR" It seems I'll have to continue to share sweaty headsets with other students until I'm learning to fly a different ACFT.

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Awww no

 

Maybe still send off a quick email to SportStar just to see if they have any suggestions though? It can't hurt and they might've had other people asking and thought of a way to at least help the problem...

 

 

[Thx1137]

The only thing, if not tried already, is turn the headset volume to low and up the radio and intercom volumes. I would have though that would help even it out.

 

If you do than then part of the shutdown procedure would be to put the volumes back to normal lest is blows someones eardrums out!

 

Do the Zulus have a stereo/mono switch? In the SportStar it should probably be set to mono. My headset didn't work well until I did that.

 

 

[lightstorm]

Turn down the Sidetone level on the Radio? usually on the side or top of the radio, and radio will need to be removed from the panel in most cases.

 

should help

 

Lightstorm