QC2 Headset
 

I just bought a used QC2 from ebay along with the uflymike adapter from their website.
I would highly recommend this for anyone considering a new headset. I am currently in the CRJ-900.

Plug your ipod in yet?

Do they work well with an ipod? Would be kinda nice.

Yup! At the botton of the UFlymike unit (where the wire goes into it) is a female opening. Buy a wire with 2 male ends. They sound just like they would if you used the QC2 with the Ipod alone. The music is not muted when ATC talks so just find a nice balance. Its the only way to fly!

LOL my company's DO just sent out a memo (after pulling a cvr for an incident and discovering the FO was listening to his ipod in cruise {him and CA were talking about battery life}) and it said: this is strictly prohibited and i don't know where you learned this. we certainly did not teach you this. HAHA. just thought i'd share that. i found it funny. he talked about not reading a newspaper in flight either. cuz that hasn't been done since the beginning of aviation. :rolleyes:

They also didn't teach him what the "Erase" button was for on the CVR!

All things considered, especially price, I would get the Auri Comm Pro instead.

A used QC2 $200 + uFlyMike $225 (it went up $50!) = $425

Auri Comm Pro = $359.

In ear technology is more effective than earcups at noise reduction, so ANR is not necessary. It can have a custom earmold fitted as well. Plus it is lighter and cooler when it gets hot. Not to mention going through a AAA battery or two every trip is getting old.

BTW- I also bought my QC2 on eBay and it was in OK condition. Later it developed a rythmic humming sound in one ear cup. Bose let me exchange it for a completely new unit for $100 (one time offer).

You really think that works? Techie guys can go through multiple levels of erasure. Really, that button doesn't do anything.

250 is spot on, that button is there just to make you feel good. Not only doesn't it erase, but it will tell them how many times you tried to erase!

Another thing to think about, does your company require (like mine) that any headset used be TSO'd? I don't think the QC2 and uFly meet that requirement either.

The Clarity Aloft Pro does, and it has the input, just don't talk about it, cuz they won't hear it, it isn't on the mike circuit.

I work for part 91 corporate flight department.

Errr, incorrect young padawan. The erase button (if it functions by writing over existing audio, which I believe it does) would completely destroy the audio recording. The CVR in the CRJ is a magnetic tape sound recording format which is nothing like a computer hard drive or other digital storage devices. In the CVR's case, it records audio onto Ferric Oxide and Cobalt coated tape in an analog format. True, there is never a way to completely 100% destroy recorded audio. Theoretically every conversation ever recorded on a 30 minute CVR infiniloop is never 100% destroyed, but it is virtually unreadable. I would venture to say in the 99.99% range.

In other words, unless your company plans to send the CVR to an FBI audiologist and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of time retrieving overdubbed audio, you're probably pretty safe hitting the erase button. So really, the button does do something. Now whether it's legal or not...

I've been using the QC2 w/UflyMike adapter since I started working at Colgan, and it is wonderful!! If you want it to be a little quieter, just put in some earplugs and you're good to go. Works like a charm for listening to your iPod/iPhone as well!! Oh, and as far as the TSO issue, UflyMike is now TSO approved ... check out their website. I think it's a new development.

In short, if you want a good Bose headset without paying $1k to get one, the QC2 w/UflyMike adapter is definitely the way to go! Very light weight as well!

Sure UflyMike is TSO'ed but that doesn't mean much. You see, in order for the whole unit to be approved by the feds both Ufly Mike AND Bose QC2 would have to be certified TOGETHER - and that's never going to happen.

For one, Bose does not want to TSO a product it is not making on it's own (a mistake in my view).
However the bigger issue is that the FAA will NEVER certify a pilot headset that was designed for passengers and now with a modification can be used by the pilots as well. Their biggest gripe? You see, it’s the part when a Bose QC2 loses all ATC audio once the battery dies!!! I tiny blinking warning light will not cut it for the feds.

IF that headset was to revert to a regular headset once the battery dies (no ANR capabilities - in other words the way all ANR headsets approved for pilots are designed) it'd be be a totally different story however that's not how it works. This headset simply goes dead when the battery dies; in other words the ATC might be screaming at you and you'll have no idea. I know that those risks are very minuscule, etc, etc - does not matter - by default this headset is not a pilot approved headset.

Yes, thousands and thousands of pilots are using it every day and I did too for a while. I loved it and felt it was a great product and I still feel that way - however, once the feds came out with their warnings to the airlines and my airline sent out a Must Read Bulletin ‘reminding’ everyone that all headsets need to be TSO'ed - I stopped using it.

To say that it’s legal to use Bose QC2 headset in the cockpit simply because the UFlyMike is now TSO'ed is sort of like saying the China made Cherry pickup trucks do not need an approved from the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration simply because the sparkplugs in their engines were previously approved by the US authorities.

I know I’m offend many Ufly Mike aficionados but I am yet to see how a UflyMike + Bose QC2 combination can possibly be legal.



I correct myself, after viewing Mike's website this is what I found:

Is an earbud required with the TSO'd version?

Yes. In order to provide continuous audio, independent of the battery powered QC2, an earbud must be used to meet TSO ANR headset requirements. We offer earbuds at a discounted price as part of a "package" TSO'd headset; we also offer them separately. The earbud plugs into the existing 3.5mm audio jack on any UFM adapter (except the Duo version - no longer available). The earbud(s) may be placed in the ear(s) or simply put inside the QC2 earcup. The QC2 continues to provide full audio plus ANR capability, so you actually have REDUNDANT audio, a first for aviation headsets. In this configuration, the QC2 functions as nothing more than a mechanical headband which happens to have audio and ANR capability when used in the TSO'd configuration.

After that long rant ... you were wrong ... That's a lot of typing for you not to have read the website like I said to begin with ;)

Oh, and as for the headset audio completely cutting out when the battery dies ... you know there are TWO pilots up there! hehe, jk

You can call it "rant" all you want I was simply explaining my position on the subject because I'd discussed it before since I am a former Uflymike user myself.

Either way, the TSO applies to u2Mike attachment not the headset itself. On another message board a while back someone said that only a manufacturer can apply for a TSO for his/her own product - I seriously doubt Bose will ever apply to have their headset TSO'ed.

I know Mike lurks on this message board so maybe he will give his take on it.

I do hope that both the headset AND the attachment will get approved because like I stated earlier, I did enjoy the headset when I used it in the past. However, I do not want to get in trouble if I ever get ramp checked, etc. so until I am 100% sure I won't use it...

As far as having two pilots up there - yeah tell that to the feds, I'm sure they'll approve anything you want approved right away because after all there are two of us (at least) in the cockpit... :rolleyes:

I'd like to say the Feds have more important things to do than violate me for having a non-TSO'ed headset ... but I think we all know that's a bunch of BS. You catch a Fed on a bad day he'll violate you if you sneeze incorrectly

All I have to say is that this TSO stuff is a slippery slope. Where does it stop? I mean, I'm allowed to take off my headsets above FL180. What if I then donned my unapproved Bose headset and the cockpit speakers went belly up, what then? What about my contact lenses? Are they TSO'd? God forbid my unapproved writing utensil (ballpoint pen) were to quit.

I agree and that's why I decided to err on the side of caution... Our must read bulletin said "all headsets" had to be TSO approved, it didn't mention "attachments" for those headsets...

I know I'm not the only one being cautious over this, I jump on SWA weekly and have been for years. In the past at least 40-45% of the time I'd see at least one person using that Bose +Uflymike combination in the cockpit, more often than not both of them were. In the last 12 months though I think I've only seen 4 or 5 pilots use it.

I will look into it though and trust me if I get a clear go-ahead I'll be the first one to post it here as I do think it's a good combination.

If the audio dies while using the head set have you.....um I dont know....thought about takinig it off and using the overhead speaker and mike? :rolleyes:

If a fed asked me why I had a non TSO'd headset up inthe cockpit I would just ask him if he had a better way for me to listen to my Ipod! :D

I fly with a standard Bose X.

I borrowed a buddy's QC3/UFM setup the other day and was unimpressed. In fact, it drove me nuts. It didn't reduce noise as well, the mic didn't stay in place, and was not as well built as my X.

Still a good headset, you just gotta decide if it's worth saving the money to you.

I think the uflymike setup is more for jet and not noisy turboprop. I tried it on a metroliner and it didn't cut the noise that much.

I actually asked the deputy chief instructor for Regional Aircraft at Bombardier about this once... According to him the button does work, but ONLY on the ground... so yes, while you are weight off wheels the button isn't worth the plastic its made out of, however once you are on the ground it will erase your conversation. TurboFan is correct about the recoverability of the recording... the Magnetic tape makes it nearly impossible to recover.

I was wondering how the "on ear" QC3 worked vs the "over ear" QC2. Not so good I guess. After using an ear piece like the kind you see on the guy taking your order at McD's for 9 years, the QC2 is great for us!

Can't answer this with 100% certainty, but on a 747 flight recently, one crew member was using the UFM w/ the QC2 and earbud, the other the QC3 with the hand mic (legal in a 747-200). The guy with the QC2 had the volume set 1/4 of the way up on Com. 1, the guy with the QC3 had the volume set 5/8 of the way up (more than 1/2, less than 3/4).

Now, of course I don't know if one guy liked his volume louder than another, if their ability to hear was the same, or if it was impacted at all by the way a 74 classic crew communicates - no hot mic, so you usually have to take one ear off so you can talk to the other pilot and engineer. Incidentally, the pilot with the QC2 did not take an ear off, but seemed to be able to hear the other crew members speaking without trouble. The guy with the QC3 took an ear 1/2 way off.

To me, it seemed the QC2 was quiet enough to suppress most of the flightdeck noise, allowing him to hear a slightly raised voice from the other pilot or the engineer.

I once tried both the QC2 and the Bose X in the PHL airport's Bose store, back to back for comparison, and the Bose X was a touch quieter (5-10%, if I had to put a # to it). Not sure if that's better passive suppression or amped up active suppression - or maybe a bit of both.

I don't think using the QC3 is an option for any regional or corporate guys (this is the regionals forum with a corporate guy posting, right?). The requirement for a boom mic is part of the regs for aircraft certified after a certain date (I'm guessing early 80's). So, unless you fly round dials (no glass at all), you likely can't use the QC3 unless you rigged it up somehow with a TSO'd headset with a boom mic and just wore the QC3 on top of it. So, if you're a 72, 73 (not the NG), 74, L-10, Diesel 8, 9, or 10 driver, than you're fine with the QC3, b/c you're not required to use a boom mic, and can use the hand mic.

Before I was aware of the UFM adapter I went to the Bose store to buy a pair of QC2's. They had a listening booth which would play all kinds of background noises so you could hear how well the noise canceling worked. Although I went in intending to by the QC2's I left with the QC3's as I felt they had superior performance. I also switched my QC3's with a friends QC2's on a flight once and both of us agreed that the QC3's performed better. I believe the reason for this is although they both have the same noise cancelation chipset in them, the QC3's memory foam seals the ear canal by filling the outer canals with foam whereas the QC2's attempt to seal on the head can be degraded by things like hair.

This QC2 might be good for those of you wearing it, but for the guy sitting next to you it SUCKS.

I hate it when I get a captain that has this headset. The mic picks up sooo much ambient noise compared to a real headset. After a 4 day trip it gets really annoying. Don't forget to take into consideration the people on the other end of the mic. I would much rather my co-pilot no wear these non aviation headsets for this reason.

Yeah...it's kinda like someone rubbing on an inflated balloon in your ear for the whole trip. Go for the gold and get the X! If you can't afford it buy a $150 DC and save for it!

I've talked to several pilots who used the Bose X and every one of them said they had to keep one ear cup off or they couldn't hear the other guy. In fact I saw two different guys use the X when jumpseating and sure enough they both kept the right cup off (both were FOs and first ride was in a B757 and the second in a 747 classic). Sort of defeats the whole purpose of protecting your hearing if you have to take the cup of... :rolleyes:

When I still used my QC2 Uflymike combo I could keep both ear cups on and heard the other guy just fine. I never heard any complaints about any extra noise generated by my headset either but it looks like you had a different experience...

Unless I am talking with the other pilot, I leave my intercom hotmike off. I'm sure the other person doesn't want to hear me breathe, sneeze, etc. It's just common courtesy. That takes care of the issue of mic noise.

[quote=kansas;482459]I fly with a standard Bose X.

I borrowed a buddy's QC3/UFM setup the other day and was unimpressed.


Unimpressed or peaved you spent a grand for yours?

RJs have hot mikes - Boeings do not (...or some do but even then it's not a procedure to use them, not sure why?)

So a Bose X headset filters out "too much" noise - in this case it filters out the other guy/gal talking. That's why QC2 + Uflymike is so popular with SWA pilots and other Boeing drivers - it lets you protect your hearing AND you can still hear the other person.

QC2 setup and GA
 

Was thinking about getting the qc2/uflymike for general aviation purposes any one tried that out or have any feedback before i drop $400.:confused:

Looks like they have the new TSO approved headset on their website, only $300 bucks.

I use one every day in the CRJ 700 and use it in a cherokee archer on weekends. I love this headset, not because of the ANR, but because of the balance, quiet and comfortable, it isn't as beefy as the DC's etc., but I don't have head clamp during the day and feel like I have only worked half a day when it's all over.
There has been a violation against a pilot at my airline for not wearing a tso'd headset, the avionics inspector here is a real d--- and has all the inspectors checking for TSO's. Because of the brew ha ha that Bose stirred up----, I can guarantee you, I'll never buy another BOSE product.
The Bose QC2 and ufly mike is a dream to use -- always gives me warning when battery is going low -- it starts to boom, whenever the headset is shaken (my landings). Never have had it go out in 2 years. Well constructed product (ufly mike). Good luck:cool:

Thanks for the link, I'm sold! I've been wanting a Light-speed for the longest time, but they price too high. The Halo Tube-phone looks like a great value, looking forward to getting one soon. I've never been a fan of the 'over ear' sweat cups that everyone else here seems to think are all that. And just think, with in-ear, pilots can where their hats on the flight deck, just like the old Hollywood movies (LOL).

does Halo in ear head set work for cessna 172 ?

This guy looks like he's wearing one in a 172, and he seems to like it. :D

Look carefully, from what I understand the adapter is TSO'd, not the headset. If/when the batteries run out I believe you won't be able to hear any radio transmissions/intercom from what other people on this site have said. You wanna hope that doesn't happen on short final.

Actually the entire headset is TSOd. The QC2 is a headband and the adapter has an ear bud that continues to transmit. I've been told you don't even have to have the QC2 on for the headset to "work" now (I don't currently own the headset). I do know that the whole thing has been TSOd (with the TSO sticker) which includes the QC2.