aviation headphone for detecting? Anybody ever modify a set?

[SkyPirate]

I have a set of Telex Echelon 20 aviation headsets. Has anyone on here tried to modify an aviation headset to use with a metal detector?
They have a 1/4 inch plug for sound and another smaller plug for mic. I tried my set with my Tesoro but even with the volume all the way up, the sound was pretty quiet. Is there anything I can do to make them work better with a metal detector?

UPDATE 1-17-10 I have decided to buy a set of MD headphones. I found a pair of Jolly Rogers at dicks sportinggoods.com and I found a 15% off internet coupon. you can't beat $59! Thanks for the input!

[Seden]

I can't speak for Telex, but I found David Clark aviation headsets we're incredible for metal detecting. What's even better is to get some piezo speaker's and to put in a headset-wow.


Randy

[sniffer]

the resistance of the headset is probably too high for your MD to overcome
most MD headsets are 100 ohm resistance. check that headset to see if it matches

[SkyPirate]

the resistance of the headset is probably too high for your MD to overcome
most MD headsets are 100 ohm resistance. check that headset to see if it matches

Could I drop the resistance some how?

[SkyPirate]

I can't speak for Telex, but I found David Clark aviation headsets we're incredible for metal detecting. What's even better is to get some piezo speaker's and to put in a headset-wow.


Randy

I use my DC's for flying, too good to use for MDing.

[sniffer]

I'm not sure. if you did they probably wouldn't work for flying again

[SkyPirate]

I'm not sure. if you did they probably wouldn't work for flying again

Well I would'nt use them for flying again, I have some spares.

[sniffer]

pull them apart and start looking for the resistor, it should have colored stripes around it to tell you what
the resistance is

[FritoBandido]

Wow, good suggestion. I lost my medical this year so my flying days are over. I've got two David Clark headsets, as soon as it thaws out here in KY I'll give one a try.

[Atrus]

I have a set of H-157/AIC military headphones I used in Vietnam. Whenever we ran the engines in the F-100 fighters, we had to maintain radio contact with the control tower. I kept my headphones as a "souviner." It still has the attached boom mike, and a 4-wire plug which plugs into the aircraft com system. I was also able to get a female connector, which I only use the two conductors for the ear pieces. Inside the ear cavities, I wired both transducers in series, and used them very successfully with my old, antique Rayscope detector.

This past year I retired, and decided to get a "real" detector, so I bought a Minelab Etrac. The old headphones worked fine with it. (A lot better than the ones that came with it...)

I was recently in a "Ruby Tuesday" store with my wife. You never know what you find in that store, and many times exploring that store is a "treasure hunt" in itself. I stumbled onto a pair of active, noise cancelling headphones on sale for $39.95. I took a chance, and they are worth every penny! They take two AAA batteries which even CAME with the headphones! When you turn them on, everything in the background goes Q-U-I-E-T!!! They are amplified, so you can turn them up as loud as you like, and with a frequency response of 35 - 15,000 Hz, you hear every sound. I use them with the Etrac, and they also work great as just headphones for the Walkman, Ipod, or whatever else you use. You can even wear them when cutting the grass, just to lower the sound of the mower!!!

[SkyPirate]

I have a set of H-157/AIC military headphones I used in Vietnam. Whenever we ran the engines in the F-100 fighters, we had to maintain radio contact with the control tower. I kept my headphones as a "souviner." It still has the attached boom mike, and a 4-wire plug which plugs into the aircraft com system. I was also able to get a female connector, which I only use the two conductors for the ear pieces. Inside the ear cavities, I wired both transducers in series, and used them very successfully with my old, antique Rayscope detector.

This past year I retired, and decided to get a "real" detector, so I bought a Minelab Etrac. The old headphones worked fine with it. (A lot better than the ones that came with it...)

I was recently in a "Ruby Tuesday" store with my wife. You never know what you find in that store, and many times exploring that store is a "treasure hunt" in itself. I stumbled onto a pair of active, noise cancelling headphones on sale for $39.95. I took a chance, and they are worth every penny! They take two AAA batteries which even CAME with the headphones! When you turn them on, everything in the background goes Q-U-I-E-T!!! They are amplified, so you can turn them up as loud as you like, and with a frequency response of 35 - 15,000 Hz, you hear every sound. I use them with the Etrac, and they also work great as just headphones for the Walkman, Ipod, or whatever else you use. You can even wear them when cutting the grass, just to lower the sound of the mower!!!

What is a Ruby Tuesday store? Over in this part of NC Ruby Tuesday is a restaurant. Do you mean Tuesday Morning by chance? What brand were the headset you bought there? Thanks for the info.

[DGDancer]

Some thoughts~ you'll note I'm long winded but if ya bear with me sometimes I know what I'm talking about
My spelling can suck sometimes to so again bear with me. I run on caffiene, nicotine and adrenoline and I'm on my second cup of caffe.

Here is a link to the Owners Manual for the headset SkyPirate is currios about mod'ing.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...zdGfDN5Jp1MiNA

Thing to note is that the product requires an operating voltage of 8 to 16vdc that is to be supplied by the aircraft comm system.
Lacking that the internal circuity will not amplify the input audio properly~ however it will let audio thru in a passive manner.
The passive working is on purpose so that a pilot can still hear comm traffic in the event that there are failures in his
on aircraft communications system.
How integrated the active circuitry is I can only guess, lacking a set to tear apart or a wiring diagram of the guts, so
I'm not going to guess about changing resistors or altering the wiring~ bad ju ju and those are expensive headsets.
Besides dont need anyone upset with me. *grin* Just the facts man. JK

Now as a thought experiment~ yep It can be done. Removing the boom mic should be simple enough. Setting
up an internal 9v battery would be a bit more of a challenge. There is even the possiblity of just removing the
internal circuitry and setting the headphones up as a strait forward set of speakers. But again got to know the guts.
Also a bit of solder work. Any alteration will kill the sets as aviation worthy~ but SkyPirate is no longer flying *sorry to
read that* so that is not an issue. Just thoughts. Could I do it for you~ probly but I cant say what the turn around time
would be just now.

Have you thought about selling them and using the cash to get headsets more inline with your detecting desires?
At about 180$ a pop you might get a taker in an auction or a fellow pilot....

Best bet is to just use a set of inexpensive headsets your comfortable with or shop around for something you like.
The headsets described in Atrus's reply can be found with a little shoping if you want noise cancelling. Bose
makes some that are pretty good if pricy. Alot of pilots I run into use them *and they use to complian about the 400hz
humm from the aircraft electrical system till it was pointed out that the premuim audio quality of those headsets
will pick up any little thing oh and by the way they are not rated for aviation. My words to them, dont complain
or I'll take them away and make them use the 1960's quality headsets that come with the aircraft (747)*

[Mike95inNJ]

I have a set of Telex Echelon 20 aviation headsets. Has anyone on here tried to modify an aviation headset to use with a metal detector?
They have a 1/4 inch plug for sound and another smaller plug for mic. I tried my set with my Tesoro but even with the volume all the way up, the sound was pretty quiet. Is there anything I can do to make them work better with a metal detector?

Yes you definitely can make them better by ...

[SkyPirate]

Wow, good suggestion. I lost my medical this year so my flying days are over. I've got two David Clark headsets, as soon as it thaws out here in KY I'll give one a try.

Check out what DGDancer has to say before you go ripping your headset apart. He is an avionics tech.

[SkyPirate]

Some thoughts~ you'll note I'm long winded but if ya bear with me sometimes I know what I'm talking about
My spelling can suck sometimes to so again bear with me. I run on caffiene, nicotine and adrenoline and I'm on my second cup of caffe.

Here is a link to the Owners Manual for the headset SkyPirate is currios about mod'ing.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...zdGfDN5Jp1MiNA

Thing to note is that the product requires an operating voltage of 8 to 16vdc that is to be supplied by the aircraft comm system.
Lacking that the internal circuity will not amplify the input audio properly~ however it will let audio thru in a passive manner.
The passive working is on purpose so that a pilot can still hear comm traffic in the event that there are failures in his
on aircraft communications system.
How integrated the active circuitry is I can only guess, lacking a set to tear apart or a wiring diagram of the guts, so
I'm not going to guess about changing resistors or altering the wiring~ bad ju ju and those are expensive headsets.
Besides dont need anyone upset with me. *grin* Just the facts man. JK

Now as a thought experiment~ yep It can be done. Removing the boom mic should be simple enough. Setting
up an internal 9v battery would be a bit more of a challenge. There is even the possiblity of just removing the
internal circuitry and setting the headphones up as a strait forward set of speakers. But again got to know the guts.
Also a bit of solder work. Any alteration will kill the sets as aviation worthy~ but SkyPirate is no longer flying *sorry to
read that* so that is not an issue. Just thoughts. Could I do it for you~ probly but I cant say what the turn around time
would be just now.

Have you thought about selling them and using the cash to get headsets more inline with your detecting desires?
At about 180$ a pop you might get a taker in an auction or a fellow pilot....

Best bet is to just use a set of inexpensive headsets your comfortable with or shop around for something you like.
The headsets described in Atrus's reply can be found with a little shoping if you want noise cancelling. Bose
makes some that are pretty good if pricy. Alot of pilots I run into use them *and they use to complian about the 400hz
humm from the aircraft electrical system till it was pointed out that the premuim audio quality of those headsets
will pick up any little thing oh and by the way they are not rated for aviation. My words to them, dont complain
or I'll take them away and make them use the 1960's quality headsets that come with the aircraft (747)*

Just to set the record straight, I still hold a valid medical and am current for use of all my ratings. I just don't have a job flying at the moment. I have 2 pair of David Clark's so these have not been used in a long time.

[DGDancer]

And I'm set strait Good luck and fair flying then SkyPirate. Sorry I could not help much but if you feel inclined
to break a set of headphones its always worth a go tinkering. Now if I could land a gig flying with a few lay overs
in Guam~~~~ sigh.... hehh.

[FritoBandido]

OK DGDancer you convinced me, my DC headsets going to EBAY.

[DGDancer]

Good luck

OK DGDancer you convinced me, my DC headsets going to EBAY.

Be interested to know how it goes. Cheers

[Atrus]

I have a set of H-157/AIC military headphones I used in Vietnam. Whenever we ran the engines in the F-100 fighters, we had to maintain radio contact with the control tower. I kept my headphones as a "souviner." It still has the attached boom mike, and a 4-wire plug which plugs into the aircraft com system. I was also able to get a female connector, which I only use the two conductors for the ear pieces. Inside the ear cavities, I wired both transducers in series, and used them very successfully with my old, antique Rayscope detector.

This past year I retired, and decided to get a "real" detector, so I bought a Minelab Etrac. The old headphones worked fine with it. (A lot better than the ones that came with it...)

I was recently in a "Ruby Tuesday" store with my wife. You never know what you find in that store, and many times exploring that store is a "treasure hunt" in itself. I stumbled onto a pair of active, noise cancelling headphones on sale for $39.95. I took a chance, and they are worth every penny! They take two AAA batteries which even CAME with the headphones! When you turn them on, everything in the background goes Q-U-I-E-T!!! They are amplified, so you can turn them up as loud as you like, and with a frequency response of 35 - 15,000 Hz, you hear every sound. I use them with the Etrac, and they also work great as just headphones for the Walkman, Ipod, or whatever else you use. You can even wear them when cutting the grass, just to lower the sound of the mower!!!

What is a Ruby Tuesday store? Over in this part of NC Ruby Tuesday is a restaurant. Do you mean Tuesday Morning by chance? What brand were the headset you bought there? Thanks for the info.

Oops! You are right... It was Tuesday Morning. They carry the brand name of "iSymphony." The only thing I don't care for, is the cord is not coiled. It unplugs from the left ear cup, so replacing it would be easy enough. I just haven't done that yet. I still like them, and yesterday I pulled them out just to use as noise cancelling, because I was using some loud machinery. Now I'm getting hungery and think we'll head out to "Ruby Tuesday!"