[Elecraft] Noise Reduction headsets (was Heil...)

[David Cutter]

I'm surprised that folks are going to the trouble and cost of noise 
reduction headsets, by this I understand they mean ANR ie active noise 
reduction.  Most of the noise reduction in the upper part of the audio band 
comes from the headphone enclosure (shell) and it's only in the lower audio 
band that ANR is effective.  For domestic/loud voice conditions passive ear 
protection (ie the headphone shell) *should* be enough.  I would like to try 
this for myself but I would like to hear from anyone who could compare a 
sturdy conventional headset with ANR types in this respect.

I tried a pair of KOSS 4AA headphones which had very high isolation as good 
as ear protectors but I couldn't wear them for more than an hour.

For me the biggest issue is comfort after several hours of operating and it 
is essential for the ear muff to sit on the skull not on the outer ear 
(pinna).  Then it is the seal to the skull that needs to be maintaned; it is 
even adversely affected by spectacle frames breaking the seal and for some 
applications thick hair and beard, would you believe? probably not an issue 
here.

Shouting into the mic might also mean the side tone could be adjusted 
differently.  The higher the attenuation of your own voice back into your 
ear becomes, the more the brain tells you to raise your voice so you can 
hear yourself.  The telephone people worked this out 100 years ago.

If everyone in a contest room used *normal* voice and could hear their own 
side tone at a good level, then their mic gains could be set to *normal* 
which would then mean their mics would not pick up their neighbour's voice, 
(compression is also a big factor in this).

The voices of the contest group need to be optimised as a system not just a 
collection of separate operators.  There are a lot of factors to consider, 
it's not as simple as it sounds.

So, I wonder if the choice of the ANR Bose headsets was more the comfort and 
improved passive protection that this new type of headset provided rather 
than the expensive ANR feature.

I agree that multi contest conditions and kids with noisey toys (including 
us?) test operators in ways not normally associated with radio.

David
G3UNA

>A big hunk of the target market for the K3 is contest stations.  Many
> contest stations are making the move to the noise reduction headsets.  I
> don't believe most hams would pay extra for it, and a couple of months
> ago I likely would not have either.  But now that my radios are sharing
> space with the kids and their XBOX, I am having to re-think this.
> -
>