Radio for open cockpit

[Morane 317]

We need to decide very soon which headsets/microphones/radio/intercom to fit to our open cockpit Morane 317. It has a Continental W670a fitted, so just a tad noisy ( but with the shielded harness ). We are an all-volunteer group, so need to get it right first time. Can I ask for help from someone who has been down this path and is happy with the $ he has spent, please ?
No preference on manufacturer, we simply need to do it once.
Many thanks in advance, looking forward to hearing from you.

[51fixer]

PM Research has some circuitry in its PMA8000 series audio panel that allows you to select a setting for use in high noise environments. It is a VOX only setup and lacks a PTT activation of the ICS as I understand it.
It was developed for an open cockpit as told to me by the company president.
You can check into that at their website.
Good luck.

[Baldeagle]

I use a Gibson and Barnes leather helmet with built in headset

http://www.gibson-barnes.com/Communicat ... od_id/161/

It has worked well in numerous open cockpit aircraft including the replica 1911 Curtiss Pusher which is completely open.

It always irks me to see a beautiful open cockpit aircraft in an air-to-air photo and the pilot is wearing bright green David Clarks, or a baseball hat and hearing protectors. The G&B helmets look the part and provide good comms.

Is that the '317 that was on Barnstormers.com a couple of years ago? Where are you, and how about some photos?




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[JDK]

It always irks me to see a beautiful open cockpit aircraft in an air-to-air photo and the pilot is wearing bright green David Clarks, or a baseball hat and hearing protectors. The G&B helmets look the part and provide good comms.

I'm not a user, but I've talked to numerous happy warbird users of the Campbell Aero Classic helmets which tick the 'period look' box Baldeagle mentions.
http://www.campbellaeroclassics.com/

Where are you, and how about some photos?

Yup! Seconded! Show! Tell!

[flyride]

After some similar research, we put a PM1200 in our Stearman. That model has a high-noise digital signal processor and it seems quite effective. However, I strongly recommend a intercom-PTT option in your installation, because some headset mics will just not play well with VOX no matter what you do. The PM1200 has a single button switch from VOX to PTT, so the best of both worlds. Pilot intercom-PTT button should go on the throttle and the passenger intercom-PTT somewhere on the left side of the passenger cockpit.

I'm not sure the radio matters that much if you are installing a quality intercom. Panel space, authenticity requirements or other limitations would dictate the radio model for me.

The W670 ignition does create some interference but I've only noticed this on the ground with the ventral mount antenna in line with the operating engine. Moving the aircraft to get an angular bearing to the antenna always works for me.

I'm using David Clark passive headsets well with this set-up.

Tim

We need to decide very soon which headsets/microphones/radio/intercom to fit to our open cockpit Morane 317. It has a Continental W670a fitted, so just a tad noisy ( but with the shielded harness ). We are an all-volunteer group, so need to get it right first time. Can I ask for help from someone who has been down this path and is happy with the $ he has spent, please ?
No preference on manufacturer, we simply need to do it once.
Many thanks in advance, looking forward to hearing from you.

[Dan Jones]

If you successfully made a VOX intercom setup work in an open cockpit, that would probably be a first. You pretty much have to go with a PTT (not a real inconvenience anyway) to get a decent intercom.