Intercom/ Radios

[asra]

Much discussion and deliberation about Intercoms and Radios. Which is best and especilly for Gyros'.Background noise and interference seem to be the major problems in both VHF and UHF.Can we get some discussion on this.Who can suggest the best or who has experience with good or great systems, especially suitable with helmets. Does anyone know a good Radio and Intercom Technician that may be able to build or repair an inferior system [?]There are bound to be some exceptional systems out there but where are they? I certainly don't seem to be having much luck with them.[]Jeff H-S

[asra]

Jeff, because I fly in and out of a restricted air space I am required to use a radio. My set is an Icom A22E Transceiver and the head set and helmet came from Aerial Pursuits. This combination works reasonably well but when I use my David Clarke head set instead, well you have to pay the price for quality. The secret is in the wiring and where the wiring is run. Using sheilded cable in particular close to ignition kill switches and cable will assist greatly in any noise reduction, I am sure you are aware of that.Best RegardsBarry FergusonHirth DistrubutorAustralia & New ZealandPh (07)5464-4993Int +61 7 5464-4993

[asra]

Hi guys, John Renaldson (sp), who has company but works I think with Aerial Pursuits down in Melbourne, supplies helmets with full integrated comunications. He adjusts the inpedence etc for the radio that you are going to use. We have used these for a number of open and semi enclosed gyros with haqnd held UHF, car UHF and hand held airband VHF and they all work extremelly well.The price I consider to be reasonable. Unless you have spent considerable time playing with amateur radio and hobbied like that the average guy has little chance of getting it correct.The only thing worse that no communications is poorcommunications.I will bring the info home from the hanger tonight and post it.Regards, Paul.ps. Hey Jeff, you interested in selling some of you off cuts from the extruded blades?Please email me privately if you are with a price please.www.firebirdgyros.com

[Waddles]

Gentlemen,I use an Microair 760 radio/intercom in my RAF. I've had no troubles with it in 4 years. The headsets are from John Reynoldson, the cheap ones, and they perform very well.I also have a set up using an Icom A5 transceiver together with the plugs and wiring to permit it's use by students who are training in a gyro without a radio. This also works very well.John's latest helmet with integrated flip up face mask and built-in headsets is effective and comfortable, although I do not have a lot of experience with it in open framed machines yet. I bought it for my Butterfly.As Barry suggests, shielding is important, as is supporting the wiring where it enters plugs. The wire gauge used is small and the joins are soldered, so proper support is essential to prevent breakages.Hope this helps some.Regards,Allan.

[asra]

My UHF Radio is a new top of the range GME installed into the Gyro (Not a portable)and the VHF is an Icom A4E, Have tried two forms of Intercom, Airial Pursuit which works adequately as an Intercom but could be better as it is difficult to hear the Co Pilot at times mainly through wind and background noise. The Headsets and Helmets are also Airial Pursuit.The Radios' work fine on the ground even with the engine at high rev's, but once we get rolling, Radio communication starts to get difficult. once airborne hand signals become the norm.I have had the radios back to the supplier who demonstrated they were OK. Of course that was on the ground.The other system I have is a type used by Rally Drivers who operate in a noisy environment, still no luck in fact worse than than the A.P. system, can't even intercomunicate once in the air.I have had the A.P. system back and forth to John Reynoldson who informs me the problem is with the Radios, but how can that be? He supplied the the patch cords, intercom and headsets and wired them to suit the radios which are commonly used by many aviators. The wiring has been checked and rechecked several times and no problems there.Unfortunately there are no other local Pilots or Aviators that I have contact with whom I could borrow from to do further tests. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!Jeff H-S

[asra]

Each time I see an ad for the Delcom Air 960 VHF radio, I think, I should ask around for opinions from people who have used these radios.Now you guys have brought up the radio subject, I might as well put the question here."Has any reader got any advice regarding the above radio?"

[asra]

A student of mine has ordered one direct from the US. Will report as soon as he gets it and we set it up.Best I can do. Paul.www.firebirdgyros.com

[asra]

has anyone tried a throat mic ??? it will only get sound from the voice box on eitherside of the adam's apple. i use them mustering on a motobike as the bike gets to noisey for the reciever to understand me.once i got a throat mike clear as day.the best person for 2way that i know ir ray barnes in charters towers nth qld www.rbcommunications.com.au i think. just a genius on radios.hasen't had a lot to du with aircraft 2ways though.smithyinventions come frompeople who don't know anyBETTER.!!

[asra]

I've been using the Delcom 960 in two different aircraft for ten years and have never had any problems. It transmits and recieves beautifully because it was installed correctly. I'm not actually very knowledgeable about such things but I followed the advice of someone that was. My headset came from John Reynoldson. Same story,works great, never had a problem.Daryl Patterson

[Tim]

Jeff H/S It seems that you have covered most of the normal bases. My Guess would be that if you turned the engine off at 1000 ft the radio would be as clear as a bell. You may have to start isolating any possible interference generators one at a time. Possibilities include plug wires, plugs themsevles, rotor button to pole proximaty, rotor button to brush clearance, alternator, alternator power wire, fuel pump. One bloke even made a aluminium cover shield for his distributor cap. It is even possible that you have a static build up somewhere, which would necessitate using a trailing static discharge lead. Finally, how are your ears? I have heard many transmissions that I could not understand and others could. I have lost my top end frequency making it impossible for me to hear when there is a lot of background noise.Tim McClure

[NiqueNaque]

My setup comprises an Icaro helmet, Uniden UH 055 and one of those Uniden cheapies, both are connected to the head set, one for send, the other for receive, the system works well as I get feedback on my transmissions. The mike is in the helmet, has a wind sock and is behind a beard cover and hearing is via in ear plugs, a John Reynolds set up as well.At one point the transmissions were crap, I traced it down to a faulty connection on the boom mike where the wire is soldered onto the condenser mike itself, resoldered it and all was well.What I have found will marginalise it is if the radios are suffering from low battery, both the range and transmission quality suffer immensely. I am going to try it with a couple of 5 w unidens on ship power to see how well that works, will report when done.Hope this helps,Cheers,Nick.

[asra]

Jeff,For about fifteen years we were experimenting around every which way posible with VHF and getting nowhere, finally out of desperation I bit the bullet (and the great expense) and bought a Microair 760 and had John Reynolds do the cording to the helmet etc, success at last, which only proves the old saying, "you only get what you pay for"all the best Pete Barsden.Pete Barsden

[asra]

Thanks for the input Guys'.I'm surprised it took 12 months to get a response, however since then I have had some success with the intercom and radios, but still unsatisfactory from the Arial Pursuit set up. Went to a nearby communications distributor and after unsuccessful attempts to improve the reception and communication with the pursuit stuff, the technician has come up with a unique idea, i.e. he has installed and connected the VHF radio to a new Helmet and new single left side headphone speaker which I have tried in the Richmond MBZ area and it works better than anything else I have tried.The next step is to connect the UHF to a right side Headphone, if the intial test with the VHF is anything to go by, the UHF setup should work just as well.The techo reckons one of the problems with the pursuit system could be that too much amplification or power is required for the dual headphones and subsequently the loss of amplitude, this meant turning up the volume, thus picking up more background and wind noise.The single ear for each radio requires less dial up volume.It's been about six months since I have had a chance to try out the radio set up, but when I next get the opportunity, I will inform this post of the results. This may be a good way to go afterall we don't get stereo input so why bother and this way one could listen in to both frequencies together, I don't mean at the same time, as that could be confusing but a switching device can easily be installed to switch from one to the other. There are of course other variations that can be considered, the main objective is to get clear and precise reception and communication, just may be able to develop a unique and better system. [|)]Jeff H-S

[Brian]

Jeff, you can get a box made up that you can listen to UHF,VHF at the same time and a switch for whichever radio you want to transmit on and I think you can even have it so that you can listen to just one radio at a time if you wish. This box can have a C/D player or MP3 hooked in as well.I think radios are a continual irritation in that one day all can be well and the next day it doesnt work. I have a problem in my UHF with full face helmet in that its gone from being exremely clear transmitting to nearly impossible for ground crew to hear all for no reason. A new radio,aerial and a new mike as well as all wiring in the helmet resoldered so there's not much else to go wrong !! As Tim explained, plug leads noisy alternator [that he fixed],bad earth ,bad ly soldered connection, anything can be the culprit.I'm going to try a mike that you strap on your throat, its been fitted to an ultalight that was impossible for ground crew to hear to being 10/ 10 so I'm going to give it a go as soon as I can get the gyro to town !You never know how far you can go, till you get there !

[asra]

Daryl,Thanks for that advice on the Delcom, I've only been waiting for a year for it. You must be the only gyro addict who has one!Rats.