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DIY Ear Buds for your Halo....

where do i get

good heat shrink to use? the shrink i had in my toolbox is too flimmsy and folds up on itself when i try to push them in my ear..
Now the leather hole maker tool works nice for making holes in foam plugs.

jh
 
plastic tubes

kinda a older thread, but I was wondering if anyone found some plastic tubing to use instead of the heat shrink?

I tried some little straws from the bar, and they are a close fit but not perfect.
 
Not in my ear, I don't think

I tried some little straws from the bar, and they are a close fit but not perfect.

I won't want something as stiff and hard as a bar straw in my ear. The heat strink really seems to work well and is soft enough to not endanger my ear drum when I jam the bud into the ear canal. So, to answer the question directly, "no". We still use the heat shrink.
 
Last night I had an opportunity to perform side-by-side comparison of my QT Halo with custom-molded earplugs and a Bose X which I just purchased for my wife (she can't stand earplugs). I have to admit that I was surprised to find my Halo's were perceptibly quieter and offered clearer radio reception than the Bose X.

One point I should mention here is that my custom-molded earplugs may be the bees knees, BUT they are harder than foam and in cold temperatures that hardness translates to less ability to attenuate noise. This observation may not be borne out in a strict scientific analysis but after three years of operation I can say with certainty that my Halo's are quieter in the summer. Oh, I should qualify that by saying that my airplane has very little heat, so it's common to have sub-freezing temperatures in the cockpit in winter.
 
So I've had a set of Halos for about a year. Love the light weight and no clamping but I eventully realized that there was little or no noise attenuation using any of the supplied ear tips. Read up on fitting tips but still no luck.

I tried some foam plugs as described in this thread and some were not too bad.

Then I discovered Westone TRUE-Fit ear tips. I purchased an assortment and found a size I thought worked. When I tried them in the plane there was still a lot of noise. Went up a couple of sizes and finally got a great fit. The noise is gone. Just as good as the custom molded earpiece I had on my old Panter headset. Here is a link to Westone.

http://www.westoneaudio.com/index.php/products/tips/true-fit-tips.html

I purchased my tips from here

http://www.earplugstore.com/westone-truefit-tips-pair.html

Jim Butcher
 
reviving old in-ear foam insert thread

So I've had a set of Halos for about a year. Love the light weight and no clamping but I eventully realized that there was little or no noise attenuation using any of the supplied ear tips. Read up on fitting tips but still no luck.

I tried some foam plugs as described in this thread and some were not too bad.

Then I discovered Westone TRUE-Fit ear tips. I purchased an assortment and found a size I thought worked. When I tried them in the plane there was still a lot of noise. Went up a couple of sizes and finally got a great fit. The noise is gone. Just as good as the custom molded earpiece I had on my old Panter headset. Here is a link to Westone.

http://www.westoneaudio.com/index.php/products/tips/true-fit-tips.html

I purchased my tips from here

http://www.earplugstore.com/westone-truefit-tips-pair.html

Jim Butcher

This looks like THE place to start for those of us just starting out with the HALO or Clarity?
I plan to try the stock ones of course, but getting the exact size, and I understand some folks have a large and small canal, so a custom fit makes sense.
Is it correct that these, at $2.67 each, would just slide right on the HALO tubes? ( the say the are 'standard 2.5mm earphone stem.' tube size )
 
Well, I feel another thousand bucks slippin away! Gonna have to have that Halo Headset after hearin all this and my wife will need one too!
 
Not even close! You can buy a couple of headsets, fill the tanks with avgas and still have money left over.
 
Still love my Halos with the Westone ear tips. But the tips would often come off the tube and get lost in the cockpit. So I put a dab of glue on the tube and inserted the ear tip into it to solve the problem. Not only did that solve it, but the headset is even more quiet - lots more quiet. Apparently the smallest gap lets noise energy get into your ear.

Bottom line, glue the ear tip to the tubing. I just use heat shrink tubing so I replace it with the ear tips. Or you can cut off the tubing a time or two before replacing it when you change ear tips.

Jim Butcher
Europa XS
 
<SNIP> So I put a dab of glue on the tube and inserted the ear tip into it to solve the problem. <SNIP>

Jim Butcher
Europa XS

Jim, what "glue" did you use? There must be 1,000 brands of "glue" for sale. :eek:
P.S. I found your link for the Westone tips. I'm interested in trying some different plugs on my Halos.
 
Last edited:
Another option.

Another option for ear plug replacement on Halo or Clarity Alofts headsets is these things. If you remove the end plug you can fit them onto the headsets with no modification. They last a lot longer then the foam plugs. But some people may prefer the foam over the silicon. Results may vary.

ep4-bk_new.png


They cost around $12 on amazon or eBay. Called the surefire EP4
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V2SS9G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
My method

I've had a few questions on my method recently an decided to document my method. I'm a big fan of Howard Leight Max Lite ear plugs. I have small ear canals, so these may not be the best option for everyone.

What you need:
  1. ~.125" thick wall heat shrink tube or equivalent. I can't remember where I bought mine, but it's perfect. Once I found it, I bought a bunch.
  2. Ear Plugs
  3. Leather hole punch
  4. Cyanoacrylate Adhesive (aka super glue)
  5. Scissors, blade wielding LEGO ninja, or other cutting implement.

2020011220460560-6522168783488502677-IMG_0101_heic-L.jpg


2020011220384013-1455675464494190516-IMG_0105_heic-L.jpg


While you're forced to watch a movie, major sporting event, or some other colossal waste of time prep a bunch of ear plugs by removing them from the package and cutting an equal number of pieces of heat shrink to bout 1/4" longer than the ear plugs. 1.25" in this case.
2020011220384013--7915257123600189429-IMG_0102_heic-L.jpg


Set the hole punch to an appropriate size. On this unit from the Home Depot (I think), size 4 does the job.

2020011220384013-4502474005668944930-IMG_0106_heic-M.jpg


Squash an ear plug between two fingers. Don't let it buckle, don't let it fold, keep it straight. If it's not straight move to the next and let it recover while you squash its brethren.

You want THIS:
2020011220384013-9076597988589742067-IMG_0109_heic-M.jpg


Not THIS:
2020011220384013-8503652367163318151-IMG_0104_heic-M.jpg


Punch a hole in the center of the ear plug, and remove the core:

2020011220384013-6104432486685254110-IMG_0112_heic-L.jpg


Working quickly, insert the pre-cut tube from the brain end of the earplug. Not the headset end. Before fully seating it, apply a small drop of the adhesive at the end and then pull the tube flush. Give the tube a slight twist as you seat it to distribute the adhesive. The idea is to have only the brain (or eardrum if you prefer) end of the heatshrink bonded but to allow the rest of the earplug to be able to move on the tube as needed.

2020011220384013-7727600874899935342-IMG_0115_heic-L.jpg


2020011220384013--8765261850559936056-IMG_0117_heic-L.jpg


Continued next post:
 
Howard Leight Plugs continued

Be patient. Let the plugs expand around the tube. It may take an hour or so depending on the temperature and age of your ear plugs. I usually make a batch of at least 50 pairs, so the first should be great after the last are done. After an appropriate time, you can tug on the headset end to help the plugs expand.

They'll start here:
2020011220384013--7831380595510124294-IMG_0119_heic-M.jpg


And end here:
2020011220384013--4484695806249180641-IMG_0121_heic-M.jpg


You can trim the ends of the tube to final length after you're sure things have settled in.
 
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