FLYER Forums

Morning Chaps,
I'm a student pilot who has nearly complete his ppl. What headsets would you advise buying. Im consider either a hm-40 or dc-10-40/ dc-10-13.4. Apparently the hm-40 is about as good as a dc, whilst the price for a new hm-40 is less than any dc headset.
Anyone have any advice? A ANR headset is totally beyond budget ( expect replies about cost of hearing and long term costs )

Buy a used DC. You can buy bits as required to spiff them up and when the money permits get anr man to upgrade them to ANR setup.

Another vote for a used DC H10-13.4 from ebay. They are virtually indestructable. Never use it without the foam microphone sock because they don't like getting damp. The microphones on the HM-40 are very quiet compared to quality headsets.
You will definitely want you own headset when training is allowed again.

I have owned three HM40s in 20 years. Two are in use as my main and spare, and the third got lost somewhere I never worked out. I've had one fail in that time, and £50 got it completely overhauled by HM in Edinburgh.

I tried a few years ago a long trip with my HM40, and a borrowed nearly-new DC 10-13.4, swapping back and forth every half hour. The acoustics were identical, the clamping force on my head of the DC noticeably higher.

Every time I've ever seen an in-cockpit incompatibility problem with headsets, there was a DC involved.

G

PA28 wrote:Another vote for a used DC H10-13.4 from ebay. They are virtually indestructable. Never use it without the foam microphone sock because they don't like getting damp. The microphones on the HM-40 are very quiet compared to quality headsets.
You will definitely want you own headset when training is allowed again.

Really. I've heard that the hm40's are virtually indistinguishable from dc 13.4's tbh.

Genghis the Engineer wrote:I have owned three HM40s in 20 years. Two are in use as my main and spare, and the third got lost somewhere I never worked out. I've had one fail in that time, and £50 got it completely overhauled by HM in Edinburgh.

I tried a few years ago a long trip with my HM40, and a borrowed nearly-new DC 10-13.4, swapping back and forth every half hour. The acoustics were identical, the clamping force on my head of the DC noticeably higher.

Every time I've ever seen an in-cockpit incompatibility problem with headsets, there was a DC involved.

G

and no atc complaints

The one time I would prefer to have been wearing a DC is for the higher clamping force when my HM fell off in -Ve g during aerobatics.

G

I bought a second hand 10-40 when training,

I then tried another cheap make which was ANR when I got my license.

Sold that, as I didn’t like it and have settled with a few sets of 10-40’s, bought off eBay, taken apart into tiny pieces to fully clean with antibacterial stuff, and reassembled with new mic muffs.

I think I’ll ANR one of these at some point.
Doesn’t look complicated!

Do you like the ones you have been using in training? If so why not buy a similar set and you know they will be compatible with your instructor's headset.

Also, comfort on a flight over an hour is very important, particularly if you wear spectacles. I like DCs and oddly can wear them comfortably longer than my lighter BoseX set which seem more comfortable when I first put them on but then press painfully on my spectacle arms.

Cessna571 wrote:I bought a second hand 10-40 when training,

I then tried another cheap make which was ANR when I got my license.

Sold that, as I didn’t like it and have settled with a few sets of 10-40’s, bought off eBay, taken apart into tiny pieces to fully clean with antibacterial stuff, and reassembled with new mic muffs.

I think I’ll ANR one of these at some point.
Doesn’t look complicated!

There are differing version of 10-40s. Older with more of cylindrical volume know and some more rounded. Any major differences?

Buy a used DC13.4 off ebay and get anrman of this parish to ANR it.

http://anrman.co.uk/

Start how you mean to go on: Then buy a Bose when you're flush.

ANR really is the way to go for the cost of a coupla lessons.

Peter
(2 x 13.4s ANR'd by anrman over 20 years ago and still going strong-they're bomb-proof))

WaxMax45 wrote:

PA28 wrote:Another vote for a used DC H10-13.4 from ebay. They are virtually indestructable. Never use it without the foam microphone sock because they don't like getting damp. The microphones on the HM-40 are very quiet compared to quality headsets.
You will definitely want you own headset when training is allowed again.

Really. I've heard that the hm40's are virtually indistinguishable from dc 13.4's tbh.

Yes. We had five HM-40 for about five years and they were really good but started to get tatty and suffering from intermittent problems due to broken wires etc.
Decided to buy some replacements but the microphones were quiet for the instructor to hear when compared to a DC or bose. Not due to mic being too far away from mouth and they were all the same.
Buy cheap buy twice.

Two pair of Harry's finest bought twenty years ago. Still working fine, one pair converted to ANR are the passenger set now.

If I have any reservation it's that these days I wouldn't buy a non-Bluetooth set of anything
SkyDemon PAw traffic info being too valuable to me.

Rob P

WaxMax45 wrote:Anyone have any advice? A ANR headset is totally beyond budget

You say that, but one of your choices:

https://www.gps.co.uk/david-clark-h10-1 ... utm_medium

£358.80

Compare with:

https://www.seht.co.uk/product/sh30-60-active-noise-reduction-headset

£249.94.

But if you're going for a SEHT I'd recommend the better 75s.

https://www.seht.co.uk/product/sh30-75-active-noise-reduction-headset

If you're happy with passive and are looking at the HMs, also have a look at this one:

https://www.seht.co.uk/product/sh30-10g-aviation-headset-twin-plug

Cessna571 wrote:I think I’ll ANR one of these at some point.
Doesn’t look complicated!

It isn't, if you're of an electrical bent and know how to solder (I know you are!). The two headsets I built for the Bulldog, I ordered DC hardware and volume controls, the special type of microphones needed for military (unamplified dynamic, 150 ohm) and the Headsets Inc ANR kits, and basically built them from scratch. Was pointless starting with a full headset when I was going to replace the microphones and speakers!

Buying cheap, buying twice is sometimes a good thing, if it means that by buying a £100 headset, you save the other £200-£300 to put towards a Bose when the time comes!

I not sure the HM40's of today are the same quality as HM40's from 25 years ago.

Regardless of the age of the HM40's the cable is no where near as robust as that of DC's. In fact I've got a pair of HM40's fitted with a DC cable - much better.

I'd go for used DC's