Earbud Trick

dell30rb

dell30rb

Final Approach
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
7,147
Location
Raleigh NC
Display Name
Display name:
Ren
I took two friends up to the mountains last weekend in a cherokee. One of them might be a genius.

He put a set of earbuds on under his headset, so he could listen to music on the trip. I tried it on the way back and it worked well. If you use the small, less expensive i-pod earbuds with the music turned down low, you can hear ATC just fine over the music. Don't know why I have not thought of this.

Nice trick if you don't want to spend hundreds on a Zulu or whatever
 
MP3 player plugged into the intercom works better, and is mutes the volume when there is radio traffic.
 
Dean said:
MP3 player plugged into the intercom works better, and is mutes the volume when there is radio traffic.
Click to expand...

That's great, i'll just go donate 20 grand to the flying club so we can get those in all of the cherokees.
 
Sometimes the least complicated solutions work the best. I went slightly more expensive with an adapter years ago from Sporty's that you plug your headset into. Unfortunately, with the mp3 player plugged into it and the headset plugged into it there is a spaghetti mess of wires.

Bluetooth is definitely the best way but most expensive way and I can't afford to buy another headset right now for just that use.

So, the earplug method may be the next best thing to bluetooth.

David
 
The opposite works well, too. If you want to record your radio/tower communications, just slip a tiny button microphone in one of your earcups. It could be connected to the audio input of a video camera, or just a cheap audio/dictation recorder... or even a smartphone.
 
And if you happen to be using earbuds with an integral mike to listen to music with your smartphone, and slip the mike portion up into the headset ear cup, you can easily carry on a telephone conversation over cockpit noise due to the side tone of your speaking into your aviation headset mike - which is being transmitted back to your ear in the headset - being picked up by the earbud mike resting in there also.

Theoretically speaking of course. Or so I hear.
 
Last edited:
CT4ME said:
The opposite works well, too. If you want to record your radio/tower communications, just slip a tiny button microphone in one of your earcups. It could be connected to the audio input of a video camera, or just a cheap audio/dictation recorder... or even a smartphone.
Click to expand...

I have actually experienced this and can add my endorsement. A TV crew from Honolulu was allowed to come along on a flight out to Kure for a wildlife mission and tape the release of some turtles. Their sound tech used this trick with the tiny little mics that the reporters usually clip on their clothes. When they aired the story I was amazed at how clear the intercom and radio traffic was.
 
alaskaflyer said:
And if you happen to be using earbuds with an integral mike to listen to music with your smartphone, and slip the mike portion up into the headset ear cup, you can easily carry on a telephone conversation over cockpit noise due to the side tone of your speaking into your aviation headset mike - which is being transmitted back to your ear in the headset - being picked up by the earbud mike resting in there also.

Theoretically speaking of course. Or so I hear.
Click to expand...

Interesting theory you have there. hmmm :D

David
 
Threefingeredjack said:
I have actually experienced this and can add my endorsement. A TV crew from Honolulu was allowed to come along on a flight out to Kure for a wildlife mission and tape the release of some turtles. Their sound tech used this trick with the tiny little mics that the reporters usually clip on their clothes. When they aired the story I was amazed at how clear the intercom and radio traffic was.
Click to expand...

We've done that as well. Placing a lav mic in an ear cup is a great way to get easy audio. We clean in up in post though. We've also used adapters plugged into the headset audio cable directly. Incredibly clean sound. But I digress.
 
Dean said:
MP3 player plugged into the intercom works better, and is mutes the volume when there is radio traffic.
Click to expand...

As a new pilot I don't understand how to do this. I have just used the ear buds in one ear.
How do you plug into the intercom?
:dunno:
 
DaytonaLynn said:
As a new pilot I don't understand how to do this. I have just used the ear buds in one ear.
How do you plug into the intercom?
:dunno:
Click to expand...

You have to have an intercom equipped with an audio input.
 
Could you plug the MP3 player into the audio panel's MIC input that's intended for one of the passengers, and adjust the squelch down so that the sound is always there?
 
AnthonyNalli said:
We've done that as well. Placing a lav mic in an ear cup is a great way to get easy audio. We clean in up in post though. We've also used adapters plugged into the headset audio cable directly. Incredibly clean sound. But I digress.
Click to expand...

Digression permitted. Would there ever be a behind the scene's episode?
 
AggieMike88 said:
Digression permitted. Would there ever be a behind the scene's episode?
Click to expand...

While we do have a lot of fun, I don't know that a behind the scenes episode would be all that exciting! :) We'll try to keep rolling on bloopers this season though... plenty of those!
 
dell30rb said:
He put a set of earbuds on under his headset, so he could listen to music on the trip. I tried it on the way back and it worked well. If you use the small, less expensive i-pod earbuds with the music turned down low, you can hear ATC just fine over the music. Don't know why I have not thought of this.
Click to expand...

Similarly, I do this when I'm mowing grass on the ZTR, grading the drive or bushhogging with tractor, or using the skid steer...I just slip the earbuds under the hearing protection headset. Works great.
 
dell30rb said:
...One of them might be a genius...
Click to expand...

Okay, I have to call you on this. Wearing earbuds under a headset or muffs hardly qualifies as "genius" status or honorary induction into the Mensa Society.

But, along the same thought process, when we started doing in-flight videos years ago we used to clamp the video mic in a spare headset. The result was an audio track that was just as you would hear it in the airplane. The engine sounds would be muffled and you could clearly hear all intercom and radio talk.
 
AnthonyNalli said:
While we do have a lot of fun, I don't know that a behind the scenes episode would be all that exciting! :) We'll try to keep rolling on bloopers this season though... plenty of those!
Click to expand...


I keep looking for the new show in Houston, has it not been released to PBS in my market.
I enjoy the show.
Do one on people that barnstorm across the midwest. I am so fascinated by this, I cant wait to have the time to do it.
Really enjoy the shows I have seen, (all of them so far)
My favorite was the interview sitting on top of the military plane, that was awesome.
 
Silvaire said:
Okay, I have to call you on this. Wearing earbuds under a headset or muffs hardly qualifies as "genius" status or honorary induction into the Mensa Society.

But, along the same thought process, when we started doing in-flight videos years ago we used to clamp the video mic in a spare headset. The result was an audio track that was just as you would hear it in the airplane. The engine sounds would be muffled and you could clearly hear all intercom and radio talk.
Click to expand...

It might qualify for a Nobel prize though
 
This has been done for years and years. Or you can just buy a headset that has an audio in jack. Or buy a Lightspeed Zulu so you can listen to music with bluetooth.
 
dell30rb said:
That's great, i'll just go donate 20 grand to the flying club so we can get those in all of the cherokees.
Click to expand...

No need to spend $20K, if they have panel mounted intercoms most likely they have a wire tucked away for the audio input. Just find it and put the jack in. Almost all intercoms have it.
 
No need to buy a lapel or button mic for recording, either... the same earbuds you use to LISTEN to sound can also record sound just fine. Just plug the earbuds into the LINE-IN of your recording device.
 
dell30rb said:
I took two friends up to the mountains last weekend in a cherokee. One of them might be a genius.

He put a set of earbuds on under his headset, so he could listen to music on the trip. I tried it on the way back and it worked well. If you use the small, less expensive i-pod earbuds with the music turned down low, you can hear ATC just fine over the music. Don't know why I have not thought of this.

Nice trick if you don't want to spend hundreds on a Zulu or whatever
Click to expand...

Been doing that for 10 years when I run heavy equipment, and in my helmet riding motor cycles.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
No need to buy a lapel or button mic for recording, either... the same earbuds you use to LISTEN to sound can also record sound just fine. Just plug the earbuds into the LINE-IN of your recording device.
Click to expand...

Might need a stereo-to-mono adapter depending on the input config...
 
Inverted said:
This has been done for years and years. Or you can just buy a headset that has an audio in jack. Or buy a Lightspeed Zulu so you can listen to music with bluetooth.
Click to expand...

I'm just not following.

What's wrong with just plugging your iPhone or whatever into a passenger mic jack with a $2 passive adapter from Radio Shack? There is nothing special about those.

You already have poor sound quality just from MP3 encoding anyway. No need to gold plate it.
 
MAKG1 said:
I'm just not following.

What's wrong with just plugging your iPhone or whatever into a passenger mic jack with a $2 passive adapter from Radio Shack? There is nothing special about those.

You already have poor sound quality just from MP3 encoding anyway. No need to gold plate it.
Click to expand...

Mic bias voltage. Hope your audio output device has the output amp isolated for such things.

(Many do. Not sure I'd test it out with a $500 iPhone.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top