2-place Intercom and 4 Headsets

[Kai Glaesner]

Hello community,

imagine you have a plane (rented) with a build in 2-place intercom
(sigtronics in this case) and want to give your passengers their own
headsets, so you can communicate with them. It is not necessary for them to
hear the radio transmissions you make, although, it would be nice (if legal
;-).

What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
extension?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Regards

Kai Glaesner

[John T]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message

>
> What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> extension?

I purchased a 4-place portable intercom for this type of scenario.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
__________

[Ron Natalie]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message ...

>
> What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> extension?

I have a 4-place sigtroncs portable that I used a lot. It seemed to work fine
cascaded into the copilots mic/phone jack.

[Zeno]

> Hello community,
>
> imagine you have a plane (rented) with a build in 2-place intercom
> (sigtronics in this case) and want to give your passengers their own
> headsets, so you can communicate with them. It is not necessary for them
to
> hear the radio transmissions you make, although, it would be nice (if
legal
> ;-).
>
> What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> extension?
>
> Thanks in advance for your answers.
>
> Regards
>
> Kai Glaesner
>
>

I've tried to daisy chain two portable intercoms together when I had this
same situation. It resulted in nobody being able to hear or speak. I don't
know why this happened. Also had bad results combining a portable intercom
with a panel mount intercom in a 4 seat airplane only equipped with headset
jacks for the front seats.

[Kai Glaesner]

Ron,

> I have a 4-place sigtroncs portable that I used a lot. It seemed to work
fine
> cascaded into the copilots mic/phone jack.

So I guess you connected your headset to the pilots jack, and copilots and
passengers to the portable?

[EDR]

In article >, Kai Glaesner
> wrote:

> What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> extension?

Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in. This is especially true if
you have the second intercom plugged into the pilots side mic jack. You
may not hear it within the airplane, but if you transmit, all anyone
will hear is a squeal.
Two Y-cords may work, or not , depending on the impedances of the
headsets.

[Ron Natalie]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message ...

> So I guess you connected your headset to the pilots jack, and copilots and
> passengers to the portable?

Nope, I plugged all the headsets into the intercom. The only reason I used
the copilots side is to keep the mess of cords out of my way. I used a
portable PTT connected to PTT in on the intercom.... you may have to investigate
whether this will work on your plane. On some planes I did this with I used
the hand mike in.

[Ron Natalie]

"EDR" > wrote in message ...
> In article >, Kai Glaesner
> > wrote:
>
> > What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> > extension?
>
> Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
> feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in.

Funny, it works just fine for me. Why would their be feedback. The intercom
looks like a headset to the the thing it's plugged into. The only real fun and
games is getting the PTT's and the squelches right if you intend to actually
use both intercoms. In my case I just plug everybody into the four place
and plug the portable into a single mic/headphone jack (just as if there was
not an intercom installed in the first place).

[John T]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message

>
> So I guess you connected your headset to the pilots jack, and
> copilots and passengers to the portable?

I've found that it's much better to have all headsets plugged into the same
intercom system. Otherwise you may find that your passengers can hear you,
but you might not hear them.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
__________

[Kai Glaesner]

John,

> I've found that it's much better to have all headsets plugged into the
same
> intercom system. Otherwise you may find that your passengers can hear
you,
> but you might not hear them.

I guess if I connect the portable to the pilot's jack and press the planes's
build in PTT you can hear the whole group chatting while transmitting?

[John T]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message

>
> I guess if I connect the portable to the pilot's jack and press the
> planes's build in PTT you can hear the whole group chatting while
> transmitting?

Haven't tried it, but to prevent it from happening, I use my own PTT. :)

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
__________

[Ron Natalie]

"Kai Glaesner" > wrote in message ...

> I guess if I connect the portable to the pilot's jack and press the planes's
> build in PTT you can hear the whole group chatting while transmitting?
>
Depends on the intercom. I believe that on some if you don't use the PTT
on the intercom itself, only the pilots mic goes thorugh (using their "fail safe" mode).

[Mike Weller]

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:33:06 -0500, "Ron Natalie" >
wrote:

>
>"EDR" > wrote in message ...

>> Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
>> feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in.
>
>Funny, it works just fine for me. Why would their be feedback. The intercom
>looks like a headset to the the thing it's plugged into. The only real fun and
>games is getting the PTT's and the squelches right if you intend to actually
>use both intercoms. In my case I just plug everybody into the four place
>and plug the portable into a single mic/headphone jack (just as if there was
>not an intercom installed in the first place).
>

That's what I do, too, with a sigtronics. I use a separate push to
talk switch, through the sigtronics, so that the other microphones are
disconnected when the pilot transmits. Works fine.

Mike Weller

[Thomas Borchert]

Kai,

no. You connect the 4-place to the pilot side connectors and switch off
the installed intercom. See www.ps-engineering.com and look for the
manual of their Aerocom III. It's all described in detail, including
use of an installed PTT switch.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Thomas Borchert]

Edr,

> Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
> feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in.
>

I wouldn't know why. Just plug the 4-place into the pilot side and
switch off the installed intercom.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[EDR]

In article >, Thomas Borchert
> wrote:

> Edr,
>
> > Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
> > feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in.
> >
>
> I wouldn't know why. Just plug the 4-place into the pilot side and
> switch off the installed intercom.

That is correct, and that is what I do.
However, the original poster asked about plugging a two place intercom
into an existing intercom so four could communicate.

[gross_arrow]

EDR > wrote in message >...
> In article >, Kai Glaesner
> > wrote:
>
> > What do you need? An additional portable 2-place intercom? A Y-cable
> > extension?
>
> Plugging a second intercom into an existing intercom will result in
> feedback if the mic plugs are plugged in. This is especially true if
> you have the second intercom plugged into the pilots side mic jack. You
> may not hear it within the airplane, but if you transmit, all anyone
> will hear is a squeal.


that's not my experience. i frequently fly a 6-place plane with a
4-place intercom. on the occassions when i put people in the back
two seats (like young eagles flights), i use _two_ 2-place portable
intercoms to expand the intercom to 6 place. they are even different
brands of portables, but i haven't had any problems with feedback,
and everyone seems to hear o.k. i do make it a point to use two
of the same model headset into each intercom. (i have 6 headsets --
2 lightspeeds, 2 peltors, and 2 pilot avionics cheapies.)


> Two Y-cords may work, or not , depending on the impedances of the
> headsets.

y-chords is something i would stay away from. they halve the impedance
seen at the jack. depending upon the design of output stage design of the
intercom, this could present a problem. in addition, i'm pretty sure
it's impossible to "y" the mike side -- losses would be too great, so
you'd be left with "receive only" at at least one of each "y'd" position.

mho,

g_a

[Teacherjh]

>>
in addition, i'm pretty sure
it's impossible to "y" the mike side -- losses would be too great, so
you'd be left with "receive only" at at least one of each "y'd" position.

<<

Actually, I found that an ordinary aircraft mike works well as an intercom
mike. You push to talk (it won't transmit if it's on the intercom side), and
pass the mike around as needed. A good solution for an occasional need.

Jose

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