Precise Flight Mic Mask - Weak Microphone?

[PhateX1337]

I'm having an issue with a new precise flight microphone mask - when I switch to using it and change nothing else with the plane, the mic really doesn't pick my voice up well. It's very quiet to ATC, to my passengers, and in my ear (sidetone did not change). Any suggestions on how to fix this? Just yell when using the mask? Anyone else have this issue?

I do also switch from using a LEMO 6 pin when using my Bose A20 mic to a standard mic jack when using the mask. I use an adapter to switch between the LEMO and standard mic jack.

[Rick Junkin]

For best results the mask mic should be touching your lips when you speak, is that where you have it positioned?

[PhateX1337]

Yeah it was touching - I did just try adjusting the mic location by bending the wires to it a bit so it now sits with a bit more "pressure" on my lips - will try again next time, but it was so quiet before I cant imagine that would make that much of a difference? Maybe it would...

[kortopates]

I have to very significantly change the squelch (up) when I switch between my Bose mic and the Mask microphone - until then nothing. But once done its back to normal. Maybe like mine, you're not breaking squelch till you re-adjust it.

Incidentally with my set up, I have my Bose plugged in via the Lemo plug and I then simply insert my Mask mic plug  into the microphone jack - no adapter necessary and the Bose microphone is still technically plugged in through the lemo plug and all works perfectly. If you haven't tried that, I suggest you give it try since it simplifies the transition at altitude. 

[exM20K]

30 minutes ago, kortopates said:

Incidentally with my set up, I have my Bose plugged in via the Lemo plug and I then simply insert my Mask mic plug  into the microphone jack - no adapter necessary and the Bose microphone is still technically plugged in through the lemo plug and all works perfectly. If you haven't tried that, I suggest you give it try since it simplifies the transition at altitude. 

Same.  No issues with either the factory masks nor the ones set up for O2D2.

[PhateX1337]

36 minutes ago, kortopates said:

I have to very significantly change the squelch (up) when I switch between my Bose mic and the Mask microphone - until then nothing. But once done its back to normal. Maybe like mine, you're not breaking squelch till you re-adjust it.

Incidentally with my set up, I have my Bose plugged in via the Lemo plug and I then simply insert my Mask mic plug  into the microphone jack - no adapter necessary and the Bose microphone is still technically plugged in through the lemo plug and all works perfectly. If you haven't tried that, I suggest you give it try since it simplifies the transition at altitude. 

Thanks - helpful. I’ll try messing with squelch. I was under the impression though that squelch is binary … meaning I either break it or I don’t? If I didn’t, wouldn’t ATC not be able to hear me at all? 
 

I wish my Bravo was wired the same way as yours - if I leave LEMO plugged in and then plug the mic mask in the jack, it was still using/defaulting to the LEMO Bose Mic. I’ll check it one more time if the squelch fixes it when using the adapter, maybe it was just the squelch isssue.

[dkkim73]

I think this is the most current thread on this topic. 

I was ops-checking my ALPS (Mountain High) silicone mic mask last week. I noticed a significant gain difference between the DC One-XP (my new regular headset) mic plugged into the LEMO plug and the mask mic, when plugged in in parallel on the pilot side. I ended up plugging the mask into the co-pilot side input and setting different squelch on the Garmin panel, and transmitting off the right-hand yoke switch (just recently learned I have one!). Had hoped the gains and squelch would be "about the same" as Paul K. experienced. But seemingly not. 

So... what to do? It seems that Mountain High makes a  very specific adapter for this purpose: 

https://www.mhoxygen.com/product/alps-mic-maskbose-adapter-assembly/

not inexpensive but probably better than solving the problem myself (gain experiments, soldering, finding plugs etc). 

Anyone else in this particular situation? 

David

[kortopates]

You do have to adjust the squelch because the mask mike won’t break squelch as easily as a regular headset - did you do that? But that’s all i need to do and then it works normally.


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[kortopates]

Probably has more to do with how your plugs and lemo switch are wired. i’ve seen many configurations including a switch to allow switching between them which i think is unnecessary. But my set up allows having both my Bose plugged into the Lemo plug and then my mike mask plugged into the mike jack which apparently opens the mike connection on the Bose because i’ve never had any issue communicating with ATC. Certainly don’t need the extra accessory to block the Bose mike.


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[dkkim73]

Thanks for the quick responses, Paul @kortopates! 

I'd hoped to have exactly the experience you did, but it seemed that changing the squelch caused the headset mic to break it too early (since it wasn't disconnected by plugging in the mic phono plug) vs. my talking with the mask. I actually found it difficult to open the squelch with the mask at all.  I wonder if the DC One XP has a bigger gain difference from the ALPS mic mask vs. the Bose headset. 

I was doing this in flight, which is not a bad test but I might want to try some more controlled experiments on the ground. 

On the plus side, the mask has a very positive feel for breathing, seals well even with a beard. Reminds me of the military mask though never had a beard then. With the cannula (which is great, via the boomula) I occasionally do not draw as deeply via the nose and end up under-breathing. 

David 

[jlunseth]

The mic in the mask I got was mounted so that it was vertical. The sound was terrible. The mike needs to touch your lips, yes, but you have to bend the wires so that it is oriented horizontally or touching the lips does not do much good.