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Doug Ranly

How do ANR headsets work?

“It’s magic.” At least that is what I thought the first time I turned on an Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headset. WOW! What kind of wizardry is happening in these ear cups? I was instantly convinced that ANR might be the single greatest innovation in aviation history. The noise environment of a piston airplane makes communications tough, but modern ANR headsets have revolutionized the way pilots communicate.

 

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Posted in PIREPs and Headsets

How to improve reception on your ground-based aviation radio

The first product Sporty’s ever sold was a receiver/scanner. The small radio allowed student pilots to listen to the interactions between air traffic controllers and airline pilots. By hearing these professionals speak on the radio, students could learn how to better communicate when they were flying. The radios have drastically changed since we first started in 1961, but pilots still like to listen to each other while on the ground.

 

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Posted in PIREPs

Stereo vs Mono Headsets - what's the difference?

Buying your first headset can be confusing. There are a lot of things to consider: passive noise reduction (PNR) vs. active noise reduction (ANR), plug types, Bluetooth, aux inputs, ear seals, and finally mono vs. stereo. While we won’t tackle every subject in one blog, we will attempt to answer that age old question: Do I need a mono or stereo headset?

 

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Posted in PIREPs and Headsets

Aviation Headsets and Hearing Aids

Inevitably, there will probably come a time when most of us pilots will need to have some sort of hearing aid. After all, much like losing hair, it can be a natural part of aging. So it comes as no surprise that we get a lot of questions about hearing aids and aviation headsets. Which headset is the most compatible? Does my brand “X” hearing aid work well with ANR headsets? Should I take hearing aids out before starting up?

 

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Posted in PIREPs and Headsets

Webinar: how to find the right aviation headset

Buying a headset can be confusing. Do you need ANR? How does Bluetooth music input work? Which brands are the most popular? Join Sporty's for a guided tour of the aviation headset market in this fast-paced webinar recording. From the technology behind the products to some real world advice on making the right choice, you'll get the information you need to make a good decision.

 

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Posted in PIREPs and Headsets

David Clark ONE-X Flight Test

David Clark recently introduced the ONE-X headset. At $895, it is the most expensive headset that the green dome company has ever released. We’ve been getting lots of inquiries from pilots wanting to know if this is the next big thing. So we took it up for a test flight. I know, tough gig, right?

 

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Posted in PIREPs

Enhanced Bose A20 Headset

The new features that matter

Bose announced improved features to the popular A20 headset in the summer of 2015. The new enhancements take advantage of some new technology and give pilots more options for customizations. Here's the executive summary.

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Posted in Headsets