The impedance of the aircraft headsets are quite different than the
audio inputs of walkmans (I can't recall the numbers). You could use
an impedance matching network, but now things are starting to get
complicated.

Since I use the recorder for flight instruction, and since I fly a
dozen different aircrafts, I did not want to rely on tapping into the
intercom system. Every intercom is different, and what worked in one
airplane may not work in another. With my arrangement (condenser
microphone in the headset), it works in all airplanes equally.

If anyone wants to listen to the audio quality from my setup, I will
be happy to email you a clip.



(Glenn Westfall) wrote in message ...
After I posted this message I started thinking about it. Would this
work? Plug in a headphone adapter that goes from the big size to the
small walkman size in an unused intercom jack. Run an extension cable
from the adapter to the mic in on a recorder or video camera. That
shoud do the trick correct? The headphone jack of aviation headsets
are standard size and can be converted to the smaller size.


On 22 Jan 2004 12:26:06 -0800, (Andrew
Sarangan) wrote:

"Ben Smith" wrote in message ...
Assuming your aircraft has an intercom, you can make a direct-connect
cable
using Gene Whitt's directions found he
http://tinyurl.com/36x3c

I've made one of these cables, and they work good. I don't mess with tapes,
though. I bought an Olympus DM-1 digital recorder.. With the included 64MB
Smart Media, it will record for 10 hours on best quality. Double that if
you get a 128MB card. (Which is the max you can use). It also plays back
MP3/WMA format music files too.

Here's a small .wav clip from one of my recordings:
http://tinyurl.com/2ycds

I record all my flights with students using a tiny digital recorder. I
have a very simple system that works wonderfully. You don't have to
tap into the intercom system. It is so simple that I record every
single flight, whether it is useful or not. I have written an article
about the setup on my website.

http://www.geocities.com/asarangan/aviation (and click on Cockpit
Voice Recorders).