OK; so no Vox on Flycom, are they then a push to talk intercom, always on or what?
Its always on and it is passive but it does balance the ambient noise out.
"Design philosophy
No matter how efficient a mike or a defender/helmet combination is, inevitably some small amount of the ambient background noise will reach the wearer's ears through both the mike and the defenders/helmet.
The design of this FH-1V helmet is such that, used in conjunction with any Flycom intercom, the speaker signal and the ambient background noise tend to cancel each other. As a result of this, the volume control acts also as a "noise balance" despite being entirely passive (like ANC but without the added anti-phase signal).
A very noticeable increase in signal-to-noise ratio occurs when the volume is turned down to about half volume or less.
Putting on the Helmet
• Undo the chinstrap, raise the visor and tuck the neoprene up onto the trim under the visor
peak.
• Hold the helmet right way up between the palms of your hands so you're looking at the back
of it (as if you were going to put it on someone else who was standing in front of you with their
back to you)
• Curl your fingers round the front of the side blisters till they reach the defenders. (fingers have
more control than thumbs)
• Tilt the bottom of the defenders slightly outwards with your fingers.
• Keep your fingers thus while you lower the helmet over your head and slightly from behind.
(the backs of your fingers will brush your ears as the helmet comes down)
If you remove your fingers halfway through the operation you could give your ears a hard time and
can wind up with an ear or two folded over. Ensure that the defender seals are against the side of
your head and do not press on any part of the ear.
There is provision for vertical adjustment of the defenders carried out when the helmet is off the head.
Balaclavas, thick bushy hair, spectacles with thick side temples and caps will all allow the
ingress of ambient noise. This will cause the wearer to turn up the volume to compensate,
effectively degrading the signal to noise ratio.
Positioning the Mike
• Ensure that the mike is situated centrally on the same level as your lips and about 5mm (1/4")
away from them. (You should just be able to touch the mike foam with puckered lips)
• Ensure the mike is facing the mouth. You can feel it through the foam windsheild. There is
some torsional adjustment in the mike boom.
• Ensure the mike foam is not touching the neoprene which goes under the chin otherwise
unwanted slipstream noise may be transmitted.
• The visor should be lowered and locked just prior to departure to prevent misting in nil-wind
conditions.
• When taxiing with the visor up, tuck the neoprene up onto the top of the helmet trim.
Volume Controls
• The volume control, situated at the rear, bottom L/H side of helmet, affects the volume of what
you hear from your speakers. It does not affect the volume of what your passenger hears
(he/she has his/her own volume control) nor does it affect your voice over any radio
transmissions you make.
In other words it has no effect on the output of your mike.
• The volume can be set between off (fully anti-clockwise) to maximum (fully clockwise). Even
set to “off” your voice will still be heard by the passenger/radio (naturally, you won’t be able to
hear anything!)
Setting the Helmet Volume
• Start with the volume OFF.
• Gradually turn it up until you hear your passenger comfortably. (1/2 volume or less is usually
OK)
• Solo flyers with radio should set the volume to about 1/4.
The helmet has been designed to be quiet and you should aim for the quietest setting you can bear,
not the loudest you can bear. Think about this, they are not the same. With the volume turned too
high you could end up with more noise inside your defenders than there was outside them. (Read
Noise & Hearing at least once)
If you start at maximum volume and work down you will probably wind up at a level which is as loud
as you can bear and could be harmful to your hearing. Also, too much volume will degrade the noisecancelling
properties of the helmet. For most people with normal hearing, about 1/4 to1/2 volume on
the helmet is sufficient.
Side Tone
• Side tone is what you hear of your own voice. It does not affect what your passenger or your
radio hears of your voice. It should be subliminal. If you are conscious of your own voice then
it’s way too loud. Turn down your volume.
Setting the Radio Volume
• Set the helmet volume as above, and leave it.
• Then and only then adjust the volume on the radio to suit the received signals. If the radio
signals are too quiet, turn up the radio. If the radio signals are too loud, turn down the radio.
For most people with normal hearing, about 1/4 to 1/2 volume on the radio is sufficient.
Setting the Radio Squelch
Squelch is essentially a sensitivity control which allows you to adjust the threshold at which your radio
goes into receive mode. It has nothing at all to do with your own transmissions. It also has no effect
on the quality of the received signals, just your ability to hear them (or not, as you wish) whatever their
quality.
• Turn the squelch up (fully clockwise) The radio hisses. (receive mode) This is the most
sensitive and will enable the reception of distant weak signals, however there will be
incessant hiss between the signals and probably engine ignition interference also.
• Turn the squelch down (anticlockwise) until the hiss and noise just stops. This is the most
sensitive setting for normal use.
• Turn the squelch down further to eliminate unwanted distant transmissions. Fully
anticlockwise is least sensitive and you will only receive strong signals.
FLYING HELMET FH-1 has been tested by BSI and CE certified to the following standard:
EN 966:1996 Helmets for Airborne Sports (UL)
VISOR FV-1 has been tested by BSI and CE certified to the relevant parts of the following standards:
EN 166:2001 Personal Eye Protection
BS 4110:1979 Eye Protection for Vehicle Users
Users should be aware that flying, because of its nature, is hazardous with or without a helmet and can result in serious injury or death "