David Clark's strong silent type
David Clark is once again a player in the active noise-canceling field. After a difficult start with the now-discontinued DCNC headset, the company that made surgical green famous is trying its hand again with an active set — two, actually, based on the H10-13.4 and next-generation H20-10 headsets. (For a review of the H20-10, see "Pilot Products," November 1995 Pilot.) This time, rather than shooting for a top-of-the-line product, David Clark has elected to slug it out in the mid-price pack; there's a healthy selection of headsets in the under-$600 range, so the model needs to be good.
We tried the lighter, more compact H10-13X, which is mechanically identical to the popular H10-13.4. The X model carries a suggested retail price of $625, but it can be had for about $540. (The 13.4 differs from the longstanding DC designs by having thinner-wall ear cup castings and a slew of other comfort improvements.) At first glance, it seems as though David Clark slipped a pair of noise-canceling modules into the 13.4's ear cups, wired them for power, and sent them out the door. But there's more to it: A power pack, about the size of a deck of cards, is hard wired into the cord about three feet from the headset, with another five feet of cord beyond that for connecting to the aircraft. A single rocker switch controls the active circuits' power; four AA batteries provide the juice.
Other alterations to the basic 13.4 design include new gel ear seals with a fabric facing. One oft-heard criticism of the old seals was that they were uncomfortable in perspiration-inducing climes; the new seals are as comfortable as the old in cool weather, and much more so when the mercury ascends. We noticed no degradation of noise cancellation with the new seals. (As we've recommended before, these gel seals would improve any of the older Clark models remarkably; they are sold separately.) Clark's soft foam head pad has made the jump from 13.4 to 13X, and it's the most successful of the many designs to have graced the company's products over the years. Thanks in part to the set's light weight — a claimed 17 ounces — the head pad is not terribly burdened to begin with.
David Clark resisted the temptation to reinvent the wheel with regard to the H10-13X's microphone setup. Using an electret element, the mic is positioned at the end of a compound boom; it's part flexible gooseneck and part wire rail. It is among the best in the business for allowing you to put the mic where you want it and then forget about it. Mic audio quality is excellent.
The real attraction of the 13X, of course, is the electronic noise canceling, or ENC, as David Clark callsit. The company claims a noise reduction rating of 23 dB in the passive mode, with another 12 to 17 dB attenuation at low frequencies with the ENC engaged.
And while the 13X is good as a passive set, hit the switch for the ENC and it becomes delightfully quiet — as pleasurable as your neighbor's losing the keys to his unmuffled Harley. As with other active sets, the drone of the engine and the boom of prop blast fade into white noise with the electronics working. There is a fair amount of hiss left over from the noise canceling, about the same as active headsets in the lower end of the 13X's price range, but noticeably more than the high-end units.
Moreover, David Clark has wired the ENC modules so that the radio audio does not pass through them. This means two things. One, there is no way a failure of the active section can disrupt communications. Two, the ENC tries to cut out any low-frequency noise entering the headset — be it from outside the cup or through the radio speakers inside the cup. With the ENC turned on, radio transmissions take on a strong midrange bias that's abrasive at first. In time, you get used to the no- low-tones nature of the electronic cancellation, but music lovers in the crowd will be disappointed. Even high-fidelity CD players sound like cheap pocket AM radios through the 13X.
Two other miscues mark the 13X, although neither is fatal. The segment of cord between the headset and power module is too short, making it difficult to find a convenient place to stow the box in some airplanes. (There is a belt clip on the battery case, however.) In addition, the power switch is unguarded and fairly large. We can't tell you about the 13X's battery consumption because we never got to the end before the unit turned itself on in the headset case between flights. David Clark claims 25 hours on a set of batteries. A two- color LED signals power on, low battery, and external power. A jack allows for connection of a cigarette lighter adapter.
Those shortcomings taken into consideration, the H10-13X is still a good, competitive product, a remarkable improvement over the DCNC. It also comes with the stellar reputation of David Clark for customer service and product durability; a five- year warranty is part of the deal.
For more information, contact David Clark Company, Inc., 360 Franklin Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01615; telephone 508/751-5800; fax 508/753-5827; e-mail [email protected]. — Marc E. Cook
NavAire Blackout Light
Inveterate night fliers know that supplementary cockpit lighting is the key to happiness — and sometimes survival. And few night owls admit to enjoying the occasional flashlight chase — drop the torch between the seats and spend the next few minutes grasping for it like King Kong reaching for Fay Wray's hemline.
One solution is the Blackout Light by NavAire Instrument Corporation. This tiny flashlight comes with a variety of mounting schemes intended to secure the light to your headset, where it will be useful and always at hand. Central to the Blackout's utility is the ball-and-socket mount; three ball bases are provided in the kit, each with adhesive backing. Two are curved to follow the shape of most headset shells. The range of adjustment for the mount is good, about 25 degrees horizontally and 360 degrees vertically — assuming you mount the light to the side of your headset cup.
NavAire intends the Blackout to be a standby light source, hence the AAA-battery power and modest light output. We got between two and three hours' use from a set of new batteries. As a backup the Blackout is excellent. Its mounting setup makes surethat it's there when you need it, and the unit's overall light weight means that you can leave the Blackout on your headset all the time without feeling as though you're carrying around a night watchman's flashlight. What's more, the Blackout is well built — our nine-month-old tester whacked the light mercilessly against objects hard and soft, yet inflicted no apparent harm (to the flashlight).
With the $39.95 (retail) Blackout Light, you get both a clear and a pale-green-tinted flashlight lens, three ball-and-socket mounts, a strip of hook-and-loop fastener (a row of the hook side is embedded in the light already), a set of batteries, and a snazzy carrying case. Take your pick of all- over black or David Clark-esque surgical green. Each Blackout Light comes with a small compass opposite the business end, but don't plan on making a no-gyro approach with it. One of our Blackout Light's compasses had no better inkling of direction than the aforementioned toddler. Still, it's hard to beat a light that's ready to go when you need it.
For more information, contact NavAire Instrument Corporation, Post Office Box 6141, Akron, Ohio 44312; telephone 800/603-6014. — MEC
Briefly Noted
Electronics International has introduced a combination altitude alerter and clock that replaces a conventional panel clock to save space. The ASC-5 is integrated with the airplane's Mode-C altitude encoder to display the raw altitude output from the encoder, which also allows the pilot to set a target altitude for level-off and designate a cruise altitude, deviations from which will sound an alarm. In addition, another altitude alert can be set at approach decision height or any other altitude — say, for a reminder to put the wheels down. The ASC-5 also displays outside-air temperature and computes density altitude. A programmable timer and recurring alarm round out the package. Suggested retail price for the ASC-5 is $495. For more information, contact Electronics International, 12630 S.W. 231st Place, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123; telephone 503/628-9113; fax 503/628-3215. — MEC
The Weather Channel's new CD-ROM, Everything Weather, offers an excellent review for pilots who find it hard to curl up with a good weather theory book. You'll know your cloud types by the time you've finished playing with this weather encyclopedia. It includes climate data for more than 700 cities (both United States and international), 40 video clips of spectacular weather events, 250 still photos and 95 on-screen articles, along with maps, animation, and interactive activities. It will automatically dial a database and (for 75 cents) give you the present weather and a limited forecast for any of the cities in the database. The CD-ROM, which sells for $49.95 plus $4.95 shipping, runs on Macintosh or IBM-compatible computers, and requires a color monitor with 256 colors. For more information, contact The Weather Channel, Post Office Box 2249, Livonia, Michigan 48151; telephone 800/544-6206. Also available in some software stores for about $45. — Alton K. Marsh
It's easy to think that the Cockpit Gourmet is some new tome on close-quarters cooking; like, say, heater-duct hash, reading-light rigatoni, or sunshade salmon almondine. No, the Gourmet is a collection of four tidy shirt pocket-sized pamphlets that gives the no-frills lowdown on eats at the airport. Editions cover the mid-Atlantic, southern coast, Deep South, and New York/New England areas. Listing restaurants by airport location, the Gourmet offers the eatery's name, hours of operation, average meal cost, and telephone number. Author Fran Severn-Levy has tried to avoid those establishments that take a long taxi ride to reach or depend upon the kindness of the holder of the courtesy car. Each edition costs $5.50. For more information, contact Old Dog Press, Post Office Box 266, Churchville, Maryland 21028; telephone 800/791-9660 or 410/836-0297; fax 410/836-7409; e-mail [email protected]. — MEC
Eyeglass wearers know this score all too well: Those fancy new aviator sunglasses look great in the cockpit or while you're standing on the ramp petting your airplane, but it's hard to look cool swapping them back and forth for your reading glasses. Neoptx has a solution with stick-on reading lenses called Optx 20/20. These peel-and- stick lenses attach to just about any popular set of sunglasses — or regular glasses, if you choose — and are supposed to quickly cure that near-vision dilemma. Available in nine corrective strengths, the Optx 20/20 sell for about $25 in better sporting-goods stores nationwide. They can also be ordered directly from the manufacturer. For more information, contact Neoptx, 2205 152nd Avenue NE, Redmond, Washington 98052; telephone 800/344-2020 or 206/644-2460. — MEC
Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350.
