Bose A20 problems - solved.

[Sir Morley Steven]

I am having to send my Bose A20 back again with a cable problem.
Anyone experience similar?

[pb6797]

Too poor for an A20, but I've had it happen on el-Cheapo headsets where the stress-relief socket is insufficient to prevent the wires breaking.

However, I doubt you'd be wanting to get your soldering iron out on a Bose headset so suspect you are stuck with sending it back every few months. Don't forget that after a couple of occurrences of the same fault you can just use the "not fit for purpose" type line and get a refund/replacement/extension of warranty/whatever. Sure a lawyer will be along in a minute with the exact threatening wording to use

[pilotbarry]

I just got a quote of £186 to replace this on my Bose X



Although my headset is relatively old it seems to be an absurd amount of money for a trivial repair.
I will not be replacing it with another Bose.

[Rod1]

“Anyone experience similar?”

My A20 has been 1st class with no problems – but I am guessing yours has a lot of hours?

Rod1

[Moose]

My x10s are nearly 6 years old now. The cable went at the joint with the ear cup at 4.9 years which Bose fixed under warranty in under a week. They also changed the mic cover and ear cup yokes FOC as they were looking a little worn.

Couldn't fault that sort of service!

[Staggering]

pilotbarry, I had exactly the same broken part on a Bose X. Repaired for £90 by Headset Services about 3months ago. Still expensive for a simple repair I could have done myself if Bose would only sell spares.

Like you I will not be buying Bose again.

[pilotbarry]

It was Headset Services that quoted £186. I would rather lose the value of the headset than submit to commercial blackmail.

[stevelup]

Glue?

[Sir Morley Steven]

“Anyone experience similar?”

My A20 has been 1st class with no problems – but I am guessing yours has a lot of hours?

Rod1

Around 600. But proper pilots fly that much too, innit? I just sit there in the RHS logging P1

[pilotbarry]

Stevelup, I tried various glues after finding a similar problem discussed on the Internet. Unfortunately once the plastic is contaminated with the wrong glue it is difficult to get another glue to bond. I tried superglue (ha!) then MEK (a plumber's glue which works extremely well with plumber's plastic) then araldite. The araldite would probably have worked if I had used it first.

[peterh337]

It's almost impossible to glue any component on which the break has such a small surface area compared to the leverage available from the rest of the component. The stress is far too large for any adhesive that currently exists, for any material. With metals, you can weld it, but there is no solution for rigid plastics like ABS, polycarbonate, etc...

In this case, a metal (or similar) insert, say 30mm long, should do it. It may be possible to hide it inside the plastic component. Araldite ought to do it, but I would first glue it and then, when the glue has dried, pin it with some ~1mm metal pins, also araldited in.

Avoid Rapid Araldite (rubbish); use the slow curing stuff.

If you were about, I would have a go FOC

[Colin G]

What you need to fix the broken plastic is Q-Bond. The stuff will stick anything plastic back together. We use it at work. I've yet to find any plastic that it won't stick to.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Q-BOND-ULTRA- ... 0670488778

[pilotbarry]

I'll try Q-bond, thanks! Anything is better than £186..they still want £30 to return it (plus postage, of course) for telling me something they refused to tell me over the phone.

[mick w]

Let me have a look at it Barry .

[MichaelP]

I wear my Peltors most of the time now.
After twenty years or so the ear pads split... I've just put new gel seals on them.
I'm doing a lot of aerobatics; I don't need heavy headsets plus battery pack clobber flying around the cockpit.

My Bose ear pieces fell to pieces with black granules in my ears and down my neck. I bought new ones.
Like above, one of the ear forks broke and fortunately the set was within two years and these were replaced by warranty though it cost me shipping to send the Bose to Quebec.

Some expensive headsets are not worth what you pay for them.
Some cheaper headsets are worth more; though passive, my Peltors are good... They're old though, and not to the new lower standard!

The trim new Lightspeeds are a good bet I think.
You could sell your Bose for parts and buy something better, what's in a name?