Search the Community

Last Saturday when went to shoot some approaches I put on my Lightspeed 30 3G headset. It’s old, but it works (other than annoying me more than once when the batteries failed without warning inside the FAF, resulting in a huge increase in noise just when a distraction is particularly unwelcome). When I checked the sidetone, there was none. Wiggling the wires resulted in intermittent sidetone. Checking with my safety pilot confirmed that the mic was intermittent. I switched to my Peltor 7004 backup set and completed the flight uneventfully. Lightspeed has an excellent reputation for customer service, but they can’t support products forever. A quick check online confirmed they no longer support the 30 3G. So I may be in the market for a replacement, depending on one possible repair establishment (still waiting to hear). And now for the rest of the story…. The Lightspeed is my backup headset, which I was using because my Quiet Technologies Halo headset was in the shop. I bought the Halo headset at least ten years ago at OSH. The wires at both plugs had separated from the insulation, despite the strain relief fittings. When I stopped at the QT booth at OSH last July and told the proprietor, Phil McQuillen, what had occurred, he immediately told me to send them to him. QT has a refurbishment plan, explained on their website ($135 for a complete OH, other repairs billed when the headset is returned). Being in the slow season for flying here in the northwoods, I popped the headset in a USPS Flat Rate Box and mailed it, and an explanatory letter, on 2/6. It arrived at QT on 2/8 (nice work, USPS). I received the repaired headset on Monday, 2/12 (a mere six days after I shipped it off), along with a note indicating there was no charge for repair – not even for return shipping! Talk about one-upping Lightspeed for customer service. The moral of the story: Stop at the QT booth at Oshkosh next July and check out the Halo headset. It’s price is amazingly reasonable, the service is outstanding, and everyone I know who’s bought a set loves it. In fact, they often buy a second set after their SO swipes the first one. Dave

My Bose X headset died...it is the one with the Lemo plug. Worked on the prior flight...and didn't work at all yesterday. Thought it might have been the fact that the plane just came out of annual yesterday (Top Gun)...but thankfully had a second headset to use with standard plugs to get the plane home. Tested the headset on another plane today ...still dead. Any ideas how a headset can just die? Guess I need to send it to Bose but want to fish for ideas to see if others have seen this problem...and how they fixed it.

I have found a great website www.aviationessentials.net for great savings on all all types of aviaton gear and gadgets. It offers new and used items, please check it out. I am just trying to help my fellow Mooney pilots save $ and fly more. Dan Lindberg 1975 Mooney N292LG

Wondering if anyone has two child headsets that they no longer use? I've got two little ones and they want to go flying! Thanks for the help.

A couple years ago I decided to leave the world of tried-and-true David Clark behind and find an ANR headset. Being frugal I settled on refurbished Lightspeed Zulus I purchased from Aircraft Spruce at a great price. I loved them so much I bought another set from eBay, which was a risk. It turns out that just a couple weeks after the eBay purchase they started to short out. One of the reasons I chose Lightspeed over Bose was I kept reading stories about their customer service. Last week I called them up and gave them the story of my eBay headset. Very nicely a kind gent explained to me that they no longer made the Zulus but to send them in. If it was a major repair they could not make they would offer me a major trade-in discount on a new set of their latest product. First, I was amazed he even talked to me since I was not the original owner and I bought them off eBay. If they were bad, it’s not Lightspeed’s problem. Right? So I packed them up and sent them off UPS at my expense. Today I received them back. They replaced the cords and the control box, put in a new battery and put on a new windscreen. It took one hour of labor. They serviced an out-of-warranty no longer produced headset I bought off of eBay and they did it for free. Basically they made my problem their problem. Given this level of quality customer support I felt compelled to give them this glowing PIREP. Six stars out of five!

Anyone have some good quality used headsets for sale at a reasonable price?