Headphones?

[Road Runner]

OK, fess up. How many of you guys use these dorky-looking, 1970's style noise canceling headphones when monitoring your base rig? You know, the ones with the large, padded ring around each ear, and a separate volume for right and left. I recently got a pair (yes, from Radio Shack.....), and I've gotta admit, I love 'em. I really feel like I can make out distant transmissions better than just listening with the speaker. Plus, if the kids are watching TV or something, that gets filtered out as well. AND, as an added bonus, if I wear them long enough, I get to sport these cool red rings around each side of my head.............
Seriously tho, to me, the receive in my radio is something that I'm constantly trying to improve. I've done the schottky diode mod to my Cobra 29, and with my A-99, I feel like it hears pretty well now (altho some extra antenna height is still in my future, I hope). But with these Princess Leah-lookin' things on, I think it's even better. And when the kids make fun of me, I can't even hear them.........

[26 TM 100]

LOL!...The old headphones are certainly great for amusing/scaring the kids!..and they work well for the radio too!

I've got an old 'Trio' headset, and the audio thru' them is superb....But, they're not too comfy for long periods, so I also have a lightweight 'Infra Red' remote set as well...love not having the cable, and audio is very good as well.

[209 first class]

i partially fess up. i dont use the noice cancelling ones from the 70's, i use those akg dj headphones. i monitor thru a separate cb (no antenna attached) so i can hear the actual transmitted audio. talkback only lets you hear how it sounds thru your transmitting radios electronics. its cool to never need a radio check, i already know how it sounds and that its working. i will have to try listening to the receive with headphones, to see if i can hear deeper into the static. 2zero9
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[Peanut]

I bought the racing scanner headphones from Rat Shack, I love those things, like you said, It helps me concentrate on those weaker stations also. Couldn't live without mine.

[Road Runner]

Whew!! Thanks guys................... at least now I know I'm not the only radio geek on here that's dorky enough to wear these things. The more I use 'em, the more I like 'em. One cool thing is that I can "adjust" my talkback with them, so to speak. I can turn the volume way up on the headphones, but not very high on the radio, and when I speak my talkback is REALLY loud................on the other hand, I can turn the volume way down on the headphones and way up on the radio, then my talkback is not nearly as loud, even tho the receive volume is about the same. And no need to worry about the dreaded feedback squeal from the mic being too close to the speaker either. Hey, simple things for simple minds............ :D

[KI4MSJ]

I use the Heil Pro Set Plus on my base station and the 706 single sided Traveler for portable Ops

[drdx]

Hey, I haven't used them in a while, but I have some Radio Shack Nova 10's, circa about 1982 or so. From CB to CW, they pull out the signals, even if you forget the mono adapter and only hear out of one ear. Thick pad, that institutional gray plastic, straight cord. Now that's living. Don't even think about coming over here talkin about some 80's sony walkman sponge specials. I better settle down here or I might start drinking til I pass out wearing some parachute pants, an Op sunvisor, and a Spuds McKenzie T-shirt. If it doesn't have the big pads and the huge molded plastic domes covering the ears, it's just not the real thing. If you can still hear your wife yelling about not weedeating under the doublewide or forgetting to take your 11 year old over to the drug store for her bc pills, they're not made for you, the real cb'er. -drdx

[Lost Sheep]

HEY, It's nothing to be ashamed of to sport those big ol' headphones! I have an AWESOME set of Over the Ear Pioneer Headphones that are crystal clear. You are right about being able to hear those distant stations that are normally covered up with static and the ambient noise in your radio room (TV, fans, etc..). They work exceptionally well when talking SSB also. They make it easier to tune in that distant, off frequency station that might possibly be thousands of miles away....one that you might NEVER hear otherwise. One issue I had with mine is that they were wired for stereo, not mono. I had to put the small style jack and 2 wire cable on mine so that both ears would work. Mine originally came with that HUGE 3 inch long jack and it had three wires in the cable. Basically, I had to wire the speakers in series configuration.
Yeah, you're right about them being uncomfortable after a long period of time, but in some cases, it's worth the discomfort. Ya'll have a great day

[djrebel236]

i use headphones for my portable scanner, and i tried it with my handheld cb and the noise was too much on my ears from the roger beebs/noise toys, me n a friend of mine had to use a set on the motorbike but i hated it, like i said the noisetoys/beebs are bad on the ears using it through the cb, but i still use a set on my scanner when im at a races so i can keep up on the local stuff...Dj

[rocketdeerdog]

I like using headphones also, but Im running a moble radio as me base. It doesnt have a headphone jack so I have been plugging into the ext speaker jack. It works ok but I only get audio out of one side. Anyone know a quick fix so I can hear in both ears?

[Road Runner]

I also run a mobile radio in the house and use the external speaker jack, and my headphones would only have sound in one ear if I hadn't got the little stereo-to-mono adapter at Radio Shack. Costs around $3 if I remember correctly.

[Lost Sheep]

If you'll notice my above post, I had the same problem but fixed it. The way to get sound out of both ears is to wire the speakers in series. Most headphones are wired for "stereo" sound, and CB's don't transmit sound to the speaker in "stereo", they are wired for "mono". In other words, run the wire that is connected to the "hot" side of the plug to both positive (+) terminals on each speaker inside the headphones and run the wire that is connected to the "ground" side of the plug to both negative (-) terminals inside the headphones. This does require a slight knowledge of wiring and the use of a soldering iron and dis-assembly of the headphones.
I'm sure there is some type of adapter out there that you just plug in, BUT HEY, why buy that when you can do it for practically free.
It's pretty self explanatory once you get the headphones taken apart and see how they are wired from the factory.
Good luck guys, and have fun!!

[rocketdeerdog]

Just bought the adapter from rat shak. Part # is 274-882 if anyone else is intereted. Only cost $3.99. I also run a pair of nice amplifed computer speakers off the ext speaker jack of my radio. This adapter makes both speakers work instead of just one. Makes quite a bit of difference over the speaker in the radio or a single ext speaker.

[Road Runner]

I have thought about doing the same thing Rocketdeerdog, but didn't know if the computer speakers, with their built-in amplifier, would like the already-amplified signal from the cb's speaker jack.

[fortymobile]

I use sony bluetooth...... they are nice sounding headphones