Lightspeed Battery Box Warning

Pretty good observation of local weather phenomenon in Ohio.
Our aviation state motto could be, "Welcome to the convergence zone!
Where west meets east and north greets south. Where Bermuda High's
stall the North Plains Low's."

One of Duane Coles early books mentions the more common local
conditions he met during his years as an airshow pilot, ferrying his
Tayolorcraft across the country. The one that sticks out in my mind is
the line between snow/freezing rain/rain that exists about Fort Wayne
Indianna.

Personally, I have also learned that a low pressure system moving
northeast out of the Gulf of Mexico will either track up the east side
or the west side of the Appalachian Mountains. Depending on which side
it moves up will determine the best route to fly between the North
Coast and the South Coast.

Lake Erie presents some interesting contrasts between Lake Huron and
Lake Ontario. The Lakes make their own local weather phenomenon.

Of course the weather patterns we have been experiencing this year have
added a whole tome to how to fly anywhere east of the Mississippi.

EDR wrote in message ...
Pretty good observation of local weather phenomenon in Ohio.
Our aviation state motto could be, "Welcome to the convergence zone!

Yeah, but it all spills into PA with alarming regularity. We were
headed from Western NJ to Gettysburg last Sunday when we ran into
multi-layered hazy scud at Lancaster. Made it to Gettysburg okay,
ate breakfast and looked up to see convective stuff starting on
the boil overhead.

High-tailed it out of there and ran back into lovely weather at
Lancaster.

I've been made concerned or turned back a half-dozen times by
such stuff on a summer's day in Central PA, when the Western
1/3 of the state has been just fine.

Greg

David Rind wrote:
Sydney Hoeltzli wrote:
Lightspeed is sending replacement UPS red. But. This is
a known (though infrequent) problem. Caveat Lightspeed
User; don't leave your **** battery box lying on anything
expensive or any plastic part of the plane it would be a
PITA to replace. 'Cuz that puppy was Hot Hot Hot.

Is this just a known problem with the 30 or with other Lightspeed
ANR models as well?

All. In fact I apparently have the "honor" of being the first
reported problem with the 30.

Sydney Hoeltzli wrote:

So they definately try to make good when there's a problem.

Practice makes perfect.

George Patterson
The optimist feels that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The
pessimist is afraid that he's correct.
James Branch Cavel

Personally, I'm giving up on them. When they are fixed, I'll sell them
but I guess I'd better give an MBG

Mike

Sydney Hoeltzli wrote in message ...
Sydney Hoeltzli wrote:

Sniffer traced to 30-3G battery box, which had been left
lying across the yoke.

Batteries were almost too hot to touch. Hot enough to
have melted the plastic of the battery box. Holy S***.

Lightspeed is sending replacement UPS red. But. This is
a known (though infrequent) problem. Caveat Lightspeed
User; don't leave your **** battery box lying on anything
expensive or any plastic part of the plane it would be a
PITA to replace.

Just a follow-up: to Lightspeed's credit, having called
them after 4 pm yesterday, I already have the replacement
headset in hand before 10 am today.

So they definately try to make good when there's a problem.

I just wish they built a headset with fewer problems!!!!

Cheers,
Sydney

In rec.aviation.owning Mike Long wrote:
: Personally, I'm giving up on them. When they are fixed, I'll sell them
: but I guess I'd better give an MBG

: Mike

Slightly off topic, but I was wondering if anyone's got any
thoughts on Lightspeed's Solo and Cross-country headsets. Different form
factor, and not as active. They seem pretty flimsy by the pictures, but
the passive on the X-C (along with mild active) seems like a winner to me.
Anyone used these?

I'm not really excited about buying any of the 15/20/25/30 K,XL,G
series because they seems pretty flimsy, have extraordinarily lousy
passive attenuation (read: LOUD out of active cancellation above 300 Hz),
and artificually boost the radio's voice frequencies to an uncomfortable
level. I'm sure the boosting is for "clarify" of old ears that are
already fried from 40 years of naked flying, but I'm trying to keep mine
good.

'Nuff ranting on the popular Lightspeed models.

-Cory


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* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

wrote:
I'm not really excited about buying any of the 15/20/25/30 K,XL,G
series because they seems pretty flimsy, have extraordinarily lousy
passive attenuation (read: LOUD out of active cancellation above 300 Hz),
and artificually boost the radio's voice frequencies to an uncomfortable
level. I'm sure the boosting is for "clarify" of old ears that are
already fried from 40 years of naked flying, but I'm trying to keep mine
good.

Cory,

I'm afraid I don't follow your critique of the K/XL/G series.
The radio's voice frequencies can be adjusted to any level you
like with the volume control. I have very good ears and the
level is not uncomfortable, in fact it is too low on the
minimum volume setting in our plane. If something was uncomfortable,
and turning down the volume on the headsets didn't fix it, then
perhaps the radio volume was turned up too high? We are able
to combine most headsets in our plane and find suitable settings
of intercom/radio/headset volume, but it does take a little
tweaking when a new headset comes into the mix. I'm a little
puzzled because surely you must have tried this.

You're correct about the poorer Lightspeed passive attenuation.
It's a direct function of the attraction for Lightspeed owners,
the comfort. As you probably know, good passive attenuation in
muff-style headsets is a function of ear seal, and ear seal is
a function to some degree of clamping force.

I don't find the K/XL/G series flimsy except at the poorly-
designed plug/battery box configuration. However, if you do,
I believe you would find the same to be true of the QFR series.
My previous headset was a Flightcom Eclipse, regarded by many
as flimsy, and it served me well so I think there's an issue
of how gentle one is on equipment.

If you want good passive attenuation and sturdiness, perhaps
you would prefer a set of Dave Clamps?

Best,
Sydney

In rec.aviation.owning Sydney Hoeltzli wrote:
: wrote:
: I'm not really excited about buying any of the 15/20/25/30 K,XL,G
: series because they seems pretty flimsy, have extraordinarily lousy
: passive attenuation (read: LOUD out of active cancellation above 300 Hz),
: and artificually boost the radio's voice frequencies to an uncomfortable
: level. I'm sure the boosting is for "clarify" of old ears that are
: already fried from 40 years of naked flying, but I'm trying to keep mine
: good.

: Cory,

: I'm afraid I don't follow your critique of the K/XL/G series.
: The radio's voice frequencies can be adjusted to any level you
: like with the volume control. I have very good ears and the
: level is not uncomfortable, in fact it is too low on the
: minimum volume setting in our plane. If something was uncomfortable,
: and turning down the volume on the headsets didn't fix it, then
: perhaps the radio volume was turned up too high? We are able
: to combine most headsets in our plane and find suitable settings
: of intercom/radio/headset volume, but it does take a little
: tweaking when a new headset comes into the mix. I'm a little
: puzzled because surely you must have tried this.

What I meant was that it has an active filter in the mix that
boosts the voice frequencies from the radio/intercom. That range
(1kHz-3kHz or so) is what makes speech inteligible, and so they boosted it
to make the radios sound "clearer" and "easier to hear." For me, this
yields a harsher sound in those voice than a plain headset. I don't find
it necessary to artificially boost those frequencies for the radio to be
heard over the intercom. The level on the batt box simply adjusts the
gain, but doesn't adjust these boosted frequencies. While a bit
confusing, that's what I meant. It's not just a level thing.


: You're correct about the poorer Lightspeed passive attenuation.
: It's a direct function of the attraction for Lightspeed owners,
: the comfort. As you probably know, good passive attenuation in
: muff-style headsets is a function of ear seal, and ear seal is
: a function to some degree of clamping force.

Sure. That's why they're touted as very comforable (which they
are). Most GA planes are fairly well sound insulated at the frequencies
that are easy to insulate (1kHz). My plane with minimal internal sound
damping has lots of rattle inside, which makes it unusually noisy in the
1kHz-5kHz range... again the same frequencies that the LS-15/20/25/30
boosts. In fact, I saw a review that showed appreciable spill-over from
the LS headsets in that range. It's a side-effect of attenuating the
100Hz-300Hz range that it actually *boosts* the noise in the 1kHz range or
so. Not pleasant at full-power climbout.

: I don't find the K/XL/G series flimsy except at the poorly-
: designed plug/battery box configuration.

The telescoping action of each side has broken on two separate
friends' headsets. One 25XL, the other 15K.

However, if you do,
: I believe you would find the same to be true of the QFR series.
: My previous headset was a Flightcom Eclipse, regarded by many
: as flimsy, and it served me well so I think there's an issue
: of how gentle one is on equipment.

The battery box doesn't bother me all that much. In fact, I like
the XC-2 and 30G ability to plumb music right in to the headset. If it
truely is 28 dB passive without a vice-grip, then the 10 dB of active it
provides will help cut down the engine even a bit more.

: If you want good passive attenuation and sturdiness, perhaps
: you would prefer a set of Dave Clamps?

Kinda like buying a Sony VCR. It's still built by the lowest
Korean/Japanese/Philpines/Chinese bidder, but stick a name on it and
charge 2x the price. It's rather ridiculous that aviation headsets cost
so much. Even if DC or Bose is slightly better, it certainly isn't worth
the shameless gouging in price.

FWIW
-Cory


--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

wrote:

Slightly off topic, but I was wondering if anyone's got any
thoughts on Lightspeed's Solo and Cross-country headsets. Different form
factor, and not as active. They seem pretty flimsy by the pictures, but
the passive on the X-C (along with mild active) seems like a winner to me.
Anyone used these?

I currently have the Cross Country. I had an original 20K, then the
25XL. The Cross Country is better in all respects except one. It does
not have the auto shutoff feature. It is much more comfortable, it is
quieter and best of all it is not bulky like the ones with that god
awful big foam ear seal and head band pad. The big foam ones always
felt a little flimsy to me, the Cross Country is put together a lot
better.

: I currently have the Cross Country. I had an original 20K, then the
: 25XL. The Cross Country is better in all respects except one. It does
: not have the auto shutoff feature. It is much more comfortable, it is

The XC-2 does have that, I believe. If I try to get a new one,
that's probably what I'd do.

: quieter and best of all it is not bulky like the ones with that god
: awful big foam ear seal and head band pad. The big foam ones always
: felt a little flimsy to me, the Cross Country is put together a lot
: better.

It looks (from the pictures) that the little wires that hold the
earpieces to the headband seem flimsy. Not true?

Thanks,
-Cory

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************