Yeah problem is in our Dash 8s there is no squelch adjustment for the intercom. The hiss is always on - if you turn it down you can't hear the other pilot when he/she speaks. What I did learn about the Zulu (my gating switch is also still in the off position) if I turn my headset volume to about mid-range the headset will squelch out the intercom hiss and I can only hear it when one of us speaks. Initially I purposely set the headset volume all the way to its lowest setting and turned up the aircraft volume controls. This supressed the buzzers and bells a bit so they would not be so loud. But for some reason this also prevented the headset from squelching out the background noise of the intercom. So problem fixed now, but the fasten seatbelt chime and the "one to go" buzzer really scare the crap out of me now. Oh well, a small price to pay : ) Thanks guys