I'll poke around after I post this, but someone might have already found a source for one. When we go to altitude 6000 feet will do it for sure, and maybe lower altitudes, my ears get plugged on the way down and even with my headset volume control set to max, I miss most of ATC transmissions. My ears don't hurt, I just don't hear enough. I chew gum continuously, and that makes a difference between hearing something, and nothing. A visit with an ENT might be in order, as well.
I’m confused. Are you currently using a handheld radio? I’m confused how a self powered stereo intercom is the solution to your problem.
I have a portable 4 place intercom made by Fligtcom, purchased back in the 1990's....runs on 9V batteries if I recall correctly. That would be what you are asking for but I too fail to understand how that'll help. Anyway, I'd imagine there are better and more modern equivalents available
Yes, That is what we used to do when SCUBA diving else divers would encounter ear aches at about 8 feet below surface.
Scuba methods should work (pinch nose and blow, swallow, yawn,...). If they're not working, have your ears checked for excessive wax. A bit of wax blocking your ear can make it very difficult to clear by any method. Also, begin clearing immediately upon descent. If you wait until you know your ears are plugged, they're much more difficult to clear.
Thanks all for the suggestions. I'm using a Lightspeed ANR. I have the volume about half way up before takeoff until descent. After starting to descend, I turn the volume all the way up, and I still have trouble hearing ATC. I was thinking that if I plug my i9ntercom into the headset jack, and the headset into the intercom, I could boost the volume to overcome the blocked ear hearing problem. The next flight, I will try pinching my nose and gently blowing to see if that helps.
That might overcome the problem but it won't fix it. See if you can figure out why your ears won't clear or find a technique that works to actually clear them, rather than just blasting them with higher volumes.
That is a concern. However, I would only turn the volume up as the sound I hear gets quieter. I have a sound machine at home to help me sleep. After a flight, I have to turn the volume up to be able to hear it. A day or too later, without touching the volume, it' seem louder so I turn it down. The same with my car's radio. Even turned up, the volume isn't ear blasting when my hearing gets back to normal. (And I do have hearing loss, thanks to not enough hearing protection when initially training in a Citabria (my bad)). And, turned up, the volume isn't ear shattering. I am very noise conscious now. My sister suggested ear candles so I'm going to try them, too.
I used to help a diving instructor with new students when I lived in Florida. There also seemed to be a fear/apprehension factor with new divers on their first dive and they were the ones that seemed to have the problems with equalization. The problem seemed to go away on subsequent dives.
New divers tend to wait until they feel pressure and by then it’s more difficult, plus they have to think about it. Experienced divers automatically begin clearing as soon as their ears submerge and clear continuously throughout the descent.
Ear candles don't do anything. And even if you believe in whatever voodoo nonsense they're supposed to do, if your eardrums are intact, they can't help with an inner ear issue. Save your money and use it on the copay for an ENT visit. You may need some help opening your eustachian tubes.
Thanks for the comment. I was wondering about how ear candles can help with inner ear problems. On a side note. On my most recent flight in a Citabria, I had 29 dB attenuation earplugs in, plus a Lightspeed ANR headset, and it still felt like each piston was banging on my eardrums. Nothing else in my life is anywhere close to that loud.
That should have read "can't help." ENTs aren't scary. Will test your hearing and eustachian tube function.
Thanks all for your suggestions. I've been to several ENTs. I have dramatic hearing loss in my left ear. Not so bad in my right ear. I wouldn't mind getting my Eustachian tubes opened up. I also have sinusitis. I didn't wear ear plugs and didn't chew gum today. I did do the ear clearing maneuver several times when I did a slam dunk descent from 6K to 1300 at about 1250 fpm. I didn't turn up my volume control and I could hear everything. I plan to take my ear plugs tomorrow and keep clearing my ears.
Stereo intercom? Which aviation headset has stereo input? When I was about 14 I had a bad cold that brought on ear infections. My eustachian tubes were blocked, most uncomfortably, and I discovered that if I moved my jaw a certain way they would open up. I can't describe it, but it involves tightening certain muscles and then moving the jaw forward and down a bit. Been using that for many decades now. My wife chews an apple when descending.
I'm very confused on what the specific issue is, but you've got a lot going on. You're wearing earplugs under an ANR headset, so I'm not surprised your having trouble hearing the radio. But I'm surprised the engine noise is so loud. Are you sure the ANR is working? And is the pressure on descent forcing the earplugs deeper into your ears? Why are you doing slam-dunk descents if you can't clear your ears? What happens in a normal, 500fpm, decent? How are you treating the sinusitis?
I thought most modern headsets do. My Bose X did, and my Bose A20 does, both configurable with switches in the battery area. And modern audio panel designers are taking advantage of that to put different audio sources in each ear (like Com 1 in one ear and Com 2 in the other), if you want. I had a demonstration of that a few years ago and it was pretty amazing.
