Lightspeed Zulu headset sticky control box fix?

cruiserandmax

cruiserandmax

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I have an original Lightspeed Zulu headset that suffers from degradation of the coating on the 'control' unit resulting in a very sticky/tacky surface to the touch. Has anyone figured out a DIY solution to this? I'm guessing Lightspeed will not help out since the Zulu is very old now..

(Is this the correct area to post about flight bag/gear related topics?)
 
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cruiserandmax said:
I'm guessing Lightspeed will not help out since the Zulu is very old now.
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I'm guessing you should ask Lightspeed.

At worst, their general policy is a flat $100 for out-of-warranty repairs so long as they have compatible parts. I accidentally bought the "wrong" (military helicopter) Zulu 1 about 3 years ago and they changed it into a GA dual plug model for that price. Excellent customer service.
 
Another recommendation for rubbing alcohol. I've used it to remove that hideous ersatz rubber coating that gets sticky over time from all kinds of things...clamshell phones, mp3 players, Mercedes steering wheel buttons and dash consoles....works great, and the smooth matte finish underneath that crap looks and feels better anyway.
 
Lightspeed's customer service is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they fixed it for free if you sent it in, or went to the service "window" at their tent at an airshow. They gave me a brand new battery box for my 2005 Lightspeed Twenty 3G, for free. In 2018. :o

I've had other fantastic customer service experiences with them as well, and I'm a loyal customer because of it. My Zulu PFX has been flawless so far, and I'm finally going to retire that old Twenty 3G in favor of a Tango wireless soon.
 
I also made a fabric cover that goes over that box, keeps it in like new condition, keeps the volume from getting bumped and keeps it from making marks if it’s by a window.
 
asicer said:
+1 on a phone call to Lightspeed. They're support is really good and you really have nothing to lose.
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The reality is that 5 minutes with a cloth and some rubbing alcohol will take care of it. Or you can go back and forth via phone with light speed, pack the headsets up, drive to a shipping point, pay to ship them, then get ‘em back in a couple of weeks.

My time is worth a lot and the alcohol approach saves a lot of it.
 
kyleb said:
The reality is that 5 minutes with a cloth and some rubbing alcohol will take care of it. Or you can go back and forth via phone with light speed, pack the headsets up, drive to a shipping point, pay to ship them, then get ‘em back in a couple of weeks.

My time is worth a lot and the alcohol approach saves a lot of it.
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If my time was worth *that* much, I'd step up to a Zulu3 or switch to a Bose. :)
 
FWIW, I used denatured alcohol when I had this problem a couple of years ago. Worked very well and, like OP, I now have a nice shiny control box.

I think it is reprehensible that Lightspeed, knowing this is a defect in their product, will not stand behind it. When I called, they offered to replace the box for $150. When I squawked, they dropped the price to $100. I ended up DIYing, and am happy with the result. However, I won't purchase another Lightspeed product. Since this happened, I have purchased two Bose A20s, and tell everyone I can about Lightspeed's attitude towards its customers -- dollars over customer loyalty. They should take a page out of David Clark's attitude towards customers. Sigh...
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
...and tell everyone I can about Lightspeed's attitude towards its customers -- dollars over customer loyalty. They should take a page out of David Clark's attitude towards customers. Sigh...
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A counterpoint - I have received good service from Lightspeed over the last 20 years. Most recently, I damaged the cord on my Zulus after 10 years in service. I sent them in for repair ($100) and they replaced the cord and (IIRC) the battery box too. Prior to my first flight with the repaired Zulus, I caught the cord in the seat track and cut the sheath again. I e-mailed Lightspeed asking for a dumb customer discount on a second repair and they took care of it for free.

I thought it was reasonable for them to charge $100 for them to IRAN the Zulus in the first place and thought it was very nice that they fixed them a second time at no add'l charge.
 
kyleb said:
I thought it was reasonable for them to charge $100 for them to IRAN the Zulus in the first place and thought it was very nice that they fixed them a second time at no add'l charge.
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On both points, I agree. However, the sticky control box issue is a defect in the product. It's well known. Lightspeed should step-up and take care of those headsets that have the problem, through no fault of the owner. Hearing that they gave you a new cable after you (unintentionally) damaged the newly repaired cable reinforces my point. In your case, you messed up and they took care of you, no charge (after you had paid the $100 initially). For sticky-boxes, they owners haven't done anything wrong, and are stuck (pun intended) with a product that is known to be defective. How does it make sense the Lightspeed will cover an owner who (unintentionally) damages a headset, but won't cover owners who are stuck with a defective product?
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
How does it make sense the Lightspeed will cover an owner who (unintentionally) damages a headset, but won't cover owners who are stuck with a defective product?
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Not sure, but you made a big blanket statement about Lightspeed's customer service and that they value dollars over customer loyalty. My counterpoint was to give a personal experience that reflected well on Lightspeed. My point is, Lightspeed's customer service ain't all bad.
 
kyleb said:
Not sure, but you made a big blanket statement about Lightspeed's customer service and that they value dollars over customer loyalty. My counterpoint was to give a personal experience that reflected well on Lightspeed. My point is, Lightspeed's customer service ain't all bad.
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I suppose there's an exception to every rule, but my experience (and that of many others) is that instead of stepping-up and taking care of customers with a defective product, Lightspeed charges $100 (initially $150 IIRC) to solve a problem of their making. In my mind, that is not customer service...
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
I suppose there's an exception to every rule, but my experience (and that of many others) is that instead of stepping-up and taking care of customers with a defective product, Lightspeed charges $100 (initially $150 IIRC) to solve a problem of their making. In my mind, that is not customer service...
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I agree that it would be better if LS had a free fix for the gummy battery box, but mine went about 8 years before that issue cropped up and I solved it with 10 minutes and a dab of rubbing alcohol. It is a molehill, not a mountain.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
...to some. Others paying an AMU for a piece of equipment expect it to be defect-free and, if not, that the manufacturer will step-up.
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Have you ever had <say> the paint on your car, house, or airplane fade over time? How about a tire dry-rotting? What were your warranty expectations?
 
kyleb said:
Have you ever had <say> the paint on your car, house, or airplane fade over time? How about a tire dry-rotting? What were your warranty expectations?
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The issues you're describing are to be expected over time. I've been flying for over 25 years, and have owned headsets by DC, Lightspeed, Bose, and one other brand whose name escapes me at the moment. None of those, except Lightspeed, ever had an issue with the finish deteriorating. And when I had an issue with a DC headset that was out of warranty, I shipped it back to DC and when I got it back, it looked and functioned like new. No charge. That's customer service.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
The issues you're describing are to be expected over time. I've been flying for over 25 years, and have owned headsets by DC, Lightspeed, Bose, and one other brand whose name escapes me at the moment. None of those, except Lightspeed, ever had an issue with the finish deteriorating. And when I had an issue with a DC headset that was out of warranty, I shipped it back to DC and when I got it back, it looked and functioned like new. No charge. That's customer service.
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Which is awesome service by DC. That doesn't make LS's service bad. Your LS battery box getting sticky after several years in service is the kind of problem that is unlikely to be fixed by 95% of manufacturers - aviation (AD's anyone?), auto, or most others. My last Honda needed a new steering wheel after about 5 years because the original crumbled. There was no warranty coverage, and I didn't see paying for a new one as that big of a deal. It didn't hurt the utility of the vehicle, just made driving the car less enjoyable. Kind of the same as your battery box.
 
I have no interest - and I suspect others feel the same - in an endless debate. We'll have to agree to disagree, I guess.
 
cruiserandmax said:
I have an original Lightspeed Zulu headset that suffers from degradation of the coating on the 'control' unit resulting in a very sticky/tacky surface to the touch. Has anyone figured out a DIY solution to this? I'm guessing Lightspeed will not help out since the Zulu is very old now..

(Is this the correct area to post about flight bag/gear related topics?)
Click to expand...

Apply acetone/finger nail polish remover or alcohol and elbow grease, and enjoy. (Also a few Q tips and heavy paper towels)
 
bnt83 said:
Apply acetone/finger nail polish remover or alcohol and elbow grease, and enjoy. (Also a few Q tips and heavy paper towels)
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I'm not sure I would recommend something as harsh as acetone. It could dull the plastic finish under the goo. I think it's safer to use alcohol (I used denatured alcohol). It might take a little longer, but there's less risk of damaging the plastic as the goo is being removed.

My $.02. YMMV.
 
I am going to try peanut butter first, then clean off with alcohol as that usually works well.
 
I'd be reluctant to get peanut butter near the buttons and volume control sliders. I found denatured alcohol to work well, with a little elbow grease.
 
I, too, have been having this same problem for a long time and it has been very annoying. On dozens of flights I've thought to myself that I must have handled my headset control box with sticky fingers. I tried cleaning it with water and soap and it did not help. Then I found this thread and realized this is a known defect of the Lightspeed, which was not as disappointing as learning that Lightspeed would only help if I paid $100 or more. I bought rubbing alcohol and scrubbed and got lots of black gunk off and it seems better now. But I'm done with Lightspeed, that's for sure.
 
Burt Stanton said:
I, too, have been having this same problem for a long time and it has been very annoying. On dozens of flights I've thought to myself that I must have handled my headset control box with sticky fingers. I tried cleaning it with water and soap and it did not help. Then I found this thread and realized this is a known defect of the Lightspeed, which was not as disappointing as learning that Lightspeed would only help if I paid $100 or more. I bought rubbing alcohol and scrubbed and got lots of black gunk off and it seems better now. But I'm done with Lightspeed, that's for sure.
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Yeah, a problem that takes 5 minutes and $0.50 of rubbing alcohol to fix. THAT's why I'd walk away from a vendor. ;-)

If that's the threshold, you could be the biggest DIY'er ever...
 
kyleb said:
Yeah, a problem that takes 5 minutes and $0.50 of rubbing alcohol to fix. THAT's why I'd walk away from a vendor. ;-)

If that's the threshold, you could be the biggest DIY'er ever...
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You're missing the point - It's not the cost of the alcohol or the five minutes to fix the problem...it's the fact that this is a known defect and Lightspeed won't step-up and fix it unless people pony-up $100.
 
It wasn't a 5 minute problem. For months and months it's been annoying me. Then I tried cleaning it with soap and water. Then I spent time all over the web before eventually finding this one thread. Then I learned that it's a known problem that Lightspeed won't stand behind. Then I set up a workspace and used dozens of paper towels with rubbing alcohol while worrying that the alcohol might damage the electronics. It seems 90% better now but still sticky on the end of the wire as well. I didn't pay nearly a thousand dollars for a fancy aviation headset to become an untrained technician for Lightspeed. It's the principle of it.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Lightspeed's customer service is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they fixed it for free if you sent it in, or went to the service "window" at their tent at an airshow. They gave me a brand new battery box for my 2005 Lightspeed Twenty 3G, for free. In 2018. :eek:

I've had other fantastic customer service experiences with them as well, and I'm a loyal customer because of it. My Zulu PFX has been flawless so far, and I'm finally going to retire that old Twenty 3G in favor of a Tango wireless soon.
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They used to be good. Now, they will want money. On the other hand, they upgraded my busted Zulu.2 which I broke the plug on (my fault, I kicked it getting out of the plane while it was plugged in), to a Zulu.3 for minimal dollars.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
You're missing the point - It's not the cost of the alcohol or the five minutes to fix the problem...it's the fact that this is a known defect and Lightspeed won't step-up and fix it unless people pony-up $100.
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It is a nuisance problem that is easily solved. Almost as easy to solve as replacing the batteries.

Think about it this way... What's easier and faster: 5 minutes with rubbing alcohol and a few paper towels. OR Boxing up your headsets, driving to the UPS store or Post office, ponying up $15 in shipping costs, and waiting 10 days for your headsets to return?

Even if the factory repair was free, it wouldn't be worth taking the time to send them in.
 
kyleb said:
It is a nuisance problem that is easily solved. Almost as easy to solve as replacing the batteries.

Think about it this way... What's easier and faster: 5 minutes with rubbing alcohol and a few paper towels. OR Boxing up your headsets, driving to the UPS store or Post office, ponying up $15 in shipping costs, and waiting 10 days for your headsets to return?

Even if the factory repair was free, it wouldn't be worth taking the time to send them in.
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You're still missing the point. The issue is that Lightpeed knows they have a problem and they won't stand behind their product. You are correct, it's no big deal to fix it at home, but if Lightspeed was a stand-up company they would fix it at no charge, either by providing a DIY upgraded replacement, or offering to replace it at the factory and pay shipping both directions.
 
SoCal 182 Driver said:
You're still missing the point. The issue is that Lightpeed knows they have a problem and they won't stand behind their product. You are correct, it's no big deal to fix it at home, but if Lightspeed was a stand-up company they would fix it at no charge, either by providing a DIY upgraded replacement, or offering to replace it at the factory and pay shipping both directions.
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I'd rather fix the problem in the easiest (and least expensive) manner possible rather than go through whatever process is necessary for a factory fix. To me, that is the point...
 
I hear you about your preference being to just do it yourself. That's totally fine, of course.

For me, it would be super easy to mail them back. I have Amazon boxes everywhere and am at the UPS store every week anyway.

My point is that Lightspeed knows of this annoying problem and should give you and me both the option to pick what we prefer.
 
Meh. My original Zulu control box got sticky after about 8 years. I did the isopropanol thing and problem solved after 30 minutes. Still using it. Works great. My newer Zulu 3 does not have this issue. The stickiness was a characteristic of the rubberized coating on the original product, which degraded over time. I don't think Lightspeed accepts repairs for the original Zulu anymore anyway.
 
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