Anr For Gentex

[twitch]

Just wondering if there is anymore input on an ANR system for a SPH helmet. I see Flightsuits sell one. Anyone had any luck?

 

Type loud. I'm having trouble hearing!!!!!

 

twitch

[Ryan]

I got my helmet thru Flightsuits. Though it's not a SPH I'm sure the guts of the things are the same. The ARN in my HGU-56 is great.

Only crappy thing with Flightsuits is that if you need any work that's under warrantee you have to ship the helmet back to them and only they can do the work. Doesn't matter if you have an authorized Gentex or David Clark repair facility nearby, you have to send the whole thing back to them or pay out of your pocket to have the work done locally.

Guess sending it back to Flightsuits isn't a bad option if your off for the winter or don't need the thing back for at least a month, but otherwise it's a real pain in the butt.

I've had a few issues with Flightsuits service also. When I first got my helmet with the ANR all was fine. A few months later the battery cord began to have issues and the ANR wasn't working as it should. After much arguing with Flightsuits about the above warrantee stuff I told them to send me a new cord and I'd replace it myself. Three weeks later I get the cord, but it's not the right type. While talking on the phone with a customer service rep for Flightsuits I learn the ANR battery unit I was sold was defective and had been so before I even ordered the helmet. So they gave me ARN hardwear they knew to be crap.

After some harsh words to the person I'd been dealing with about the whole issue I finally got the proper battery unit that worked, as I should have had to begin with.

 

Did I ever get a reason as to why I was sold defective gear that had been recalled by the factory long before my order was put thru? No.

Did I get an apology for being sold garbage safety gear? Barely.

 

So I will say that their ARN does work very well when it's not combined with parts that were recalled. And if you can live without your helmet for a month or so while it's getting repaired in California I would say go for it. Hopefully you have a spare helmet or a buddy who can lend you his/hers.

[Skidz]

I got mine from

 

http://www.anr-headsets.com

 

Cost $ 180 usd. Installation is a bit of a *****. If you've got big stubby fingers and aren't the patient type, get an avionics tech install it for you...

 

One nice thing about it is you can buy a 28v-9v power supply, then get one of those auxiliary power plugs and never have to worry about batteries again...

[twitch]

Thanks guys. good info

 

twitch

[deuce bigalow]

Thanks guys. good info

 

twitch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Boze makes a Killer ANR headset. Ain't cheap though. I was always too cheap to spend the money on one of these things until a buddy of mine let me try his. folks I'm here to tell you it is an amazing thing. Listening to womeone on the radio suddenly becomes a whole new experience. Like you are both standing together in a perfectly silent room. Lucky for me my company pays for half if we want to buy one.

 

www.boze.com

[alphonso]

I have a SPH 4 that uses the system from

 

http://www.headsetsinc.com/

 

I forget what it cost. It is like having the windows in the car open at highway speeds then rolling them up. All the sound is still there but is now muffled - especially the lower frequencies.

 

I also use earseals from Oregon Aero

 

http://www.oregonaero.com/p70_2001.html#softseal

 

These are not recommended by Headsets. If you wear the Tom Cruise sunglasses, the AO earseals will let in too much sound. I just use my visor and save the sunglasses for the bar.

 

I would highly recommend getting a volume control for your ANR system if your machine doesn't have individual ones for the pilot. The system works for me because I use earplugs too (I really don't like noise - but of course it's better than having no noise at all).

 

With the earplugs and the high volume from the radios over the ANR, things cancel out and the passengers have a reasonable volume level.

 

I tried a Flight Safety and a Van Isle Avionics system but neither worked and had to be ripped out (good service from both).

 

A final note is that these things use a lot of power. Get someone to wire or adapt the power from the helicopter to your system otherwise you will be buying cases of 9 volt batteries (3-5 days per battery) and learning how to change them in flight.

[Ryan]

Good point, I forgot what juice-pigs the ANR units are. During my 100 hours of training I went thru four 9v batteries.

[justfly]

...www.boze.com

that's Bose - Products for Pilots www.bose.com

[Winnie]

Some guy I know mentioned that the +ANR systems wreak havoc with the ships avionics though... Anybody else heard that?

 

[Bladestrike]

I've been using my Bose-X for a few months now and love it. Passive reduction is very poor but once you turn it on!!!!

 

Trying to decide whether to refit my very old and beat up SPH5 that I now only wear on cold, wet, windy days...or get a new one with ANR?????

 

I'd go for the do-it-yourself retrofit mentioned above, Flightsuits is quite pricey and you have to send your helmet to them to be retrofitted.