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Contest Headphones and glorious HF SSB

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by VK6FLAB, Dec 14, 2018.

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  1. VK6FLAB

    VK6FLAB Ham Member QRZ Page

    foundations-of-amateur-radio_300.jpg
    Foundations of Amateur Radio

    Contest Headphones and glorious HF SSB

    Foundations of Amateur Radio

    Recently I managed to get some quality on-air time when I participated in a contest. This isn't about contesting. Although I suppose tangentially it is. It was a most enjoyable experience shared with some friends and because we did it at a local radio club, Sunday morning had all manner of visitors joining us for a little social chat, just the ticket for breaking the monotony of calling CQ.

    Normally when I do a contest I wear headphones, actually it's a headset, that is something over my ears with an attached microphone to capture my contacts without me having to use my hands or move my head towards a fixed location while I'm making the contact.

    One hour in my trusty headset broke clean in half. They've been with me since 2012 so I was a little disappointed. They weren't cheap. I'm not going to tell you what brand it is, but they're very popular in the contesting community and I bought them based on those recommendations.

    Given that I now had no headset I immediately went to the nearest social media outlet to ask for recommendations on what to do next and the typical responses included different brands, ways of repairing, better models, those kinds of things. Everything you'd expect from a community which has some experience in creating a headset that actually works within the context of amateur radio.

    Don't get me wrong some of these suggestions were great but I don't particularly fancy spending $500 on a headset that is suited to listen to glorious HF SSB. If you're not familiar, think long distance AM radio playing music you can barely hear hosted by a DJ you can almost make out. Making a contact using HF SSB is really an exercise in deciphering really bad audio, often with lots of people on the same frequency at the same time, all vying for your attention. Making a contact, a QSO, in that kind of pile-up can be a challenge.

    The contest ran for 48 hours so in my down time I had to come up with a solution since making a repair within the time available seemed unrealistic, even though I happened to have spare parts somewhere in my shack. As an emergency standby I brought along my mobile phone in-ear headphones.

    They're lightweight, cheap, and they block out the audio from nearby conversations in the shack. Everything you want in a contesting headphone. I used a microphone on a boom, attached to the desk, but that wasn't ideal, moving your head, looking at the logging screen, operating the radio, from a user interface perspective, it left me wanting.

    I should add that I prefer to operate a contest using Voice Operated Control, or VOX, that is, setting up your radio in such a way that you don't need to push any buttons to talk, you open your mouth and the radio automatically starts transmitting. Very helpful when you have your hands on the keyboard and the foot-pedal is just out of reach or making your leg tired because you have to hold it up so you don't accidentally key up the transmitter.

    It occurred to me that I'd never seen this particular use of a headphone in the context of amateur radio. After the contest I went out to find a similarly spartan microphone. I'm still weighing up the options but I think I might have settled on the idea of pursuing headphones and microphones intended for use on a mobile phone, precisely because they are designed to deal with blocking out surrounding audio from both the earpiece and the microphone.

    As I'm describing this to you it occurs to me that it doesn't even need to be wired, a simple Bluetooth audio module plugged into the radio with wireless mobile phone headsets might just be the ticket.

    What has been your recipe for success in creating an environment where you can hear a HF SSB QSO in a contest environment without spending half the value of the radio?

    I'm Onno VK6FLAB

    To listen to the podcast, visit the website: http://podcasts.vk6flab.com/. You can also use your podcast tool of choice and search for my callsign, VK6FLAB. Full instructions on how to listen are here: https://podcasts.vk6flab.com/about/help

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  2. KA2K

    KA2K XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    I have experienced audio delays in some Bluetooth transmitters. Could cost points in a pileup. Test the Bluetooth device for delay using the monitor and a wired microphone. Oh and if you do have a delay in your device and like to use the monitor - it makes it nearly impossible to use.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2018
    SA1CKE likes this.
  3. SA1CKE

    SA1CKE Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

  4. VE7DQ

    VE7DQ Ham Member QRZ Page

    I concur with the observations of K2SDS.

    aptX is a newer standard for Bluetooth that apparently has reduced latency. I have no experience with an aptX headset yet so cannot add further comment. I believe that an aptX transmitter must also be used in conjunction to achieve the reduced latency.

    The Peltor headset is quite attractive... if you can live with the latency. What's the list price?

    For my own SSB operation I use VOX (along with optional PTT) and a Peavey semi-pro PV-1 wireless over-ear microphone combined with an ancient pair of Sennheiser 900MHz analogue cordless headphones. No latency in this stuff. Not terribly expensive, either.

    I'm always on the hunt for something better.
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2018
  5. VK6APZ/SK2022

    VK6APZ/SK2022 Ham Member QRZ Page

    The Peltor WS Protac XP only 972 bucks Australian, i was using Altronics C9070 only 200 bucks.
    The last 10 years i have been using Yamaha CM500, only 50 bucks American, i get good reports on my audio.
    I have used Vox from day one, they work great for me.
     

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    K4RKY, N1UB, K5JEF and 2 others like this.
  6. WN1MB

    WN1MB Ham Member QRZ Page

    Why not?
     
    W5MIL and K9GLS like this.
  7. WB2WIK

    WB2WIK Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    I've used Koss PRO-4AA's for 40+ years. They never break, although I have three sets just so I can leave them plugged into different rigs without having to unplug and swap.

    Not expensive, but sound great, are very comfortable, and you can drop them on the floor a thousand times without damaging them.:p I also like the coiled cord, which extends to ten feet so I can walk around, but once seated, retracts to occupy almost no space. I'd never want headphones that don't have a coiled cord.

    $99 everywhere.
     
    WA7PRC likes this.
  8. WA7PRC

    WA7PRC Ham Member QRZ Page

    I like my Heil ProSet Plus headset. After several years of abuse, they're still in one piece. It has a LONG cord, that seems to reache nearly everywhere in my modest shack. The dual dynamic microphone elements have response suited to ragchewing or DXing/contesting. I like that, no matter which way I turn my noggin, the microphone is ALWAYS in the correct location. The earphones are also very good and, it has a phase reversal switch. Sometimes, that makes the difference between copying a weak station, and not.
     
    W5MIL, VK4SP and K5JEF like this.
  9. K8ZW

    K8ZW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Tell me about this "simple Bluetooth audio module plugged into the radio" you mention. I've been looking for something that will do it but all I've found are either one way or something designed to make standard stereo headphones bluetoothable (if that's a word).
     
  10. WN1MB

    WN1MB Ham Member QRZ Page

    Great headphones, though a little heavy for my liking. Had mine for a good many years - awesome isolation with those gel filled cups and very nice sounding. Had to fight off a few attacks by a couple of friends who were Sennheiser electro-static snobs - they were self-proclaimed golden ear boys and said the Koss weren't accurate enough for them. heh.

    Have you tried the newer triple As?
     
  11. K5JEF

    K5JEF Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have a set of ear-muff type 3M Peltor that have to be 30 years old. I think a truck could run over them.
     
    SA1CKE likes this.
  12. KB0R

    KB0R Ham Member QRZ Page

    I too tried a bluetooth headphone which worked great but had enough delay that I could not send cw with my paddles.
    It also interferred with fast QSK that often happens in contests.

    Larry KB0R
     
  13. YV6BXN

    YV6BXN Ham Member QRZ Page

    also like my Heil ProSet Plus headset is rather old but do the work fine as first day, just has both models dual dinamic element and one with IC element mod use it on every mayor SSB contest for years with good audio reports from both my IC-781 or 756 pIII and others icom radios in my shack without complains as WA7PRC says the phased reversal feature on this combo headphone makes the difference between copying a weak station, and not.
     
    WA7PRC likes this.
  14. K6LPM

    K6LPM Ham Member QRZ Page

    I visited a local verizon cellular store a couple of years ago and they had some promotional big deal going on in the parking lot with their sponsored NASCAR team showing of their race car and interactive displays that you could experience. A FM Broadcast station was there with a remote and had the local talent. Apparently it was a big race weekend coming up. The had doorprize giveaways with grand prize being an all inclusive weekend in some executive box seats at the raceway. Well I didnt win the grand prize. But I was indeed first runner up! I didnt win an all expense paid trip to Fontana,,, Instead I won some cool top shelf Verizon Merchandise. Not sure of the brand but I am sure that they would be very expensive buying them from Verizon as a aftermarket phone accessory! OK I KNOW THE SUSPENSE IS JUST KILLING YA AND YA ALL ARE PROLLY WONDERN WHATTHIS HAS TO DO WITH ANYTHING.......
    I won a pair of wired over the ear stereo headphones for use with a cellphone. It is wired similarly to those cheap in the ear buds that have the electret condensor built into a small molded plastic bud that hangs off of the actual cord about 16 or so inches down. The bud also has a button that can operate various functions on the phone like answer call or hang up call. Cue the next song on your phones music app ect.... The cord terminates into a 1/8th inch phone jack that is very similar to a common stereo 3 conductor headphone jack with the exception of the fact that this plug has an additional conductor or "Ring"
    For example a mono 1/8" plug has what is referred to a "Tip"= signal and a "Ring"= gnd
    The Stereo 1/8" headphone plug I assume to be rather universal with the Tip=left audio 1st Ring = right 2nd Ring =gnd
    The cellphone headsets in my limited experience also have followed the same with Tip is left, 1st Ring is right; 3rd Ring is gnd but the 4th additional ring is the microphone audio out. I have not found an 1/8th" jack or any type of adapter for a for a four conductor receptacle for your own DIY but I have soldered leads onto a common 8 pin icom mic plug and used clip leads to experiment and if you wire tip and 1st ring to pin 4. The 2nd ring is gnd and goes to pin 8. The third or last ring is mic out and will go to audio in pin1
    Also pin 1 of the mic also has dc voltage on it to power the electret condensor.
    This was about as far as I had ever proceeded testing this on my older Icom 735
    I used the VOX on the radio and never did try to figure out the button on the headset. It seemed to work pretty good . The three or four contacts I worked using this clipped lead mess of wires could not tell stock mike from the headset other than that one was a bit hotter than the other. I never revealed what I was using. The hot mic was the headset when I pretty much had the bead right in my lips.
    I would like to make an adapter to plug the 1/8th inch headset tip ring ring ring four conductor plug to go into a jack that was wired up nicely to the 8 pin jack. Just dont know where I would find the jack unless I destroyed a old cell phone for one. I have many times considered cutting the plug off and just wire it into the Icom 8 pin but I just cant force myself to do it. These are pretty nice stereo high fidelity set of cans that I do enjoy for music too.
    I dont know why Verizon sells these type ? Obviously you arent going to drive around in your car with a pair of muffs over both ears talking on the phone. If you are enjoying high fidelity music like flacc files from a phone app or your computer I wouldnt think you would want to be disturbed or interrupted with a phone call or talking on the phone. These verizon fit and feel nice with great sound. The only thing that resembles a name is some logo on each earpiece "NOISEHUSH" Dont know if its a brand or a feature. It would not be difficult to reverse the phase on one earpiece ala BoB Heil
    Man now I got that bug to do this!
     
  15. K8ZW

    K8ZW Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have a bunch of 'em that I'm pretty sure came from Tayda Electronics (taydaelectronics.com). I had a different project I was putting them into. If worse comes to worse, let me know and I'll send ya one.
     

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