Headset Noise

[JayMatt]

Before I go a rabbit hole here, I'd like some thoughts on this. I'm getting a ticking noise in my headset. It's a slight tick but it annoys me and I have a few long flights coming up. My IA said that it could be the spark plug leads as they are frayed pretty good where they connect to the plug. The sheathing or shielding whatever its called. When I flew the other day, I noticed it would quite down when I leaned it just right. It sounds like it ticks in rhythm with the spark, so I think that maybe it. He cautioned me to do some research first and see what comes up so I don't waste a bunch of money on leads for no reason. 

Anyone else gone through all this? 

If it is the leads, what leads would you buy? They say shielded on AS but they don't look anything like mine. If anyone knows the best ones for a 78 Mooney I'd love the recommendation. I prefer quality over price.

[N201MKTurbo]

If it is a bad spark plug lead, just do a mag check while flying and see if the ticking goes away when one of the mags is turned off.

[PT20J]

If it’s engine related, the rate of ticking should vary with rpm. Strobe lights can also make a tick. If you think it’s spark, check the resistance (5000 ohms max) of the plugs before replacing stuff. High resistance stresses the wires.

[M20F]

[EricJ]

+1 to check the easy stuff first.    Vary RPM and see if it changes, do a mag check to see which side(s) it's coming from if it is the ignition.    Does it do it on both radios?

FWIW, my #2 comm had ignition noise on it, but the comm in my IFD didn't.    I just got my mag overhauled and now they're both nice and quiet.    So in my case it was coming from the mag rather than faulty wires.

[Hank]

I get a faint tick from my beacon. Since I converted from high voltage to LED, it's quieter, but still there.

So next time you hear it, vary.the RPM and see if it also changes; if not, briefly turn off your strobe and see if it stops. Then turn the strobe back on.

Quick, easy and zero cost. 

[M20F]

Pull breakers one at a time and see what happens.  

[Utah20Gflyer]

I get a tick from my strobes but I can’t hear it when the engine is running so not an issue at this point.  

[rturbett]

working on the same issue- turned off strobes, etc with no change. Pulled the alternator breaker and it completely went away with the clearest radio communication imaginable.

Working with the mechanic to check all wiring, and likely put an inline filter.

The alternator was just rebuilt, ( new brushes and a diode) but the problem existed before.

Rob

[PT20J]

My M20J has a pi filter and a 3000 uF capacitor located behind the circuit breaker panel to filter the alternator output. The capacitor is cheap to replace and electrolytic caps can degrade with age.