I came across this last night and couldn't stop laughing...

[midlifeflyer]

 

[Timbeck2]

I wish I hadn't listened to that. Even though I think its a farce, it has one of my controller pet peeves that maybe a lot of you wouldn't notice. Every time the controller un-keys you hear an audible click. He isn't using a foot switch and is using the transmit button on his headset. If one pushes down on the button you get the click, if you push up you don't.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

I wish I hadn't listened to that. Even though I think its a farce, it has one of my controller pet peeves that maybe a lot of you wouldn't notice. Every time the controller un-keys you hear an audible click. He isn't using a foot switch and is using the transmit button on his headset. If one pushes down on the button you get the click, if you push up you don't.

Why does it matter?

 

[Timbeck2]

Why does it matter to me or why does it matter which direction you push the button?

It matters to me because controllers that use their headsets in that way make unnecessary noise which would be like someone popping their chewing gum to those who aren't familiar with ATC headsets.

The headset has a plastic screw underneath the white button which you can barely make out in this picture.

One can turn the screw to allow the white button to lock in transmit mode or adjusted the other way to not allow lock down. So with your thumb you can pull the transmit button down towards the lanyard and it will click back up on it's own making that noise. If you push up you don't get that click.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Why does it matter to me or why does it matter which direction you push the button?

It matters to me because controllers that use their headsets in that way make unnecessary noise which would be like someone popping their chewing gum to those who aren't familiar with ATC headsets.

The headset has a plastic screw underneath the white button which you can barely make out in this picture.

One can turn the screw to allow the white button to lock in transmit mode or adjusted the other way to not allow lock down. So with your thumb you can pull the transmit button down towards the lanyard and it will click back up on it's own making that noise. If you push up you don't get that click.

Ahh yeah that would be annoying.

 

[luvflyin]

Why does it matter to me or why does it matter which direction you push the button?

It matters to me because controllers that use their headsets in that way make unnecessary noise which would be like someone popping their chewing gum to those who aren't familiar with ATC headsets.

The headset has a plastic screw underneath the white button which you can barely make out in this picture.

One can turn the screw to allow the white button to lock in transmit mode or adjusted the other way to not allow lock down. So with your thumb you can pull the transmit button down towards the lanyard and it will click back up on it's own making that noise. If you push up you don't get that click.

Got a story here. Background. The Tower, it was NZY, was wired in a way that you had to keep the ‘pickle’ in and ‘hot.’ The only way to key the transmitter was to step on the pedal. If you didn’t have the headset hot, your voice would not get through. Only place I ever worked at that was wired like that. The characters are Ron and Jack. Ron liked to reach down and unkey the pickle, step on the pedal and go into a rant, “NJ123, I told you to F’ing extend downwind and #@& and blah, blah, etc, etc.”. He would do this to enjoy the wide eyed shock of a new, young controller. Jack sees it coming one day. He was sitting in a chair right next to Ron who is standing and working Local. Ron reaches down and unpickles and steps on the pedal. Jack reaches out and pushes the button back down on Ron’s belt. Ron doesn’t catch it and gives his performance. I don’t remember what the pilot said, I was literally LMAO. I don’t remember Ron ever doing that again.

 

[denverpilot]

I wish I hadn't listened to that. Even though I think its a farce, it has one of my controller pet peeves that maybe a lot of you wouldn't notice. Every time the controller un-keys you hear an audible click. He isn't using a foot switch and is using the transmit button on his headset. If one pushes down on the button you get the click, if you push up you don't.

You’re the guy who wouldn’t like my clicky keyboards at work.

Although frankly I prefer the footswitch for radio ops if I can get one. Much better than a headset button.

Mr. Heil makes a nice hand switch that isn’t part of the headset cord though, that I like. It doesn’t click. But I doubt it would hold up to the abuse your Telex stuff would.

 

[AggieMike88]

#SquawkDirtyToMe

 

[luvflyin]

You’re the guy who wouldn’t like my clicky keyboards at work.

Although frankly I prefer the footswitch for radio ops if I can get one. Much better than a headset button.

Mr. Heil makes a nice hand switch that isn’t part of the headset cord though, that I like. It doesn’t click. But I doubt it would hold up to the abuse your Telex stuff would.

Squeeze damit, squeeze. Quit jerking the trigger

 

[luvflyin]

#SquawkDirtyToMe

 

[Timbeck2]

We don't use foot switches in the tower since we aren't sitting down watching a scope. We be mo-bile.

 

[Velocity173]

We don't use foot switches in the tower since we aren't sitting down watching a scope. We be mo-bile.

Friend in ATL TRACON had a blue tooth type setup on sup. Basically walked back and forth and monitored several positions at once. Not sure how he could override for a particular position but it was neat.

Always used foot pedal in radar as well unless I was monitoring. With 3 GCAs, arrival and approach all transmitting together, the RATCF was a symphony of clicking noises.

 

[luvflyin]

We don't use foot switches in the tower since we aren't sitting down watching a scope. We be mo-bile.

That is what made it such a pain in the azz. Worse, is the pedal was a bar fixed to the console at the floor. They eventually put a pedal on a cord so you could put it where you didn’t have to be right up to the console.