Radioddity AH200 Aviation Headset Review

--By E.T. Bryant

On seeing that Radioddity was offering this General AH200 Aviation headset, it brought back memories. Many years ago, I was training to be a glider pilot, and we used headsets like this to communicate with each other, the tow plane, and the ground crew. Unfortunately, life happened, and I did not finish my training. But this headset reminded me of what it was like to soar with the birds. Now my hobby is Ham Radio, and I had to ask why would a Ham radio operator want a General Aviation Headset?

Since asking that question, I have found quite a few reasons why you should own one. As a Ham, I enjoy doing digital Ham radio with Echolink and BlueDV through the Internet. I thought this would be a really nice headset to use when I communicate using those programs. But when you get this headset, it comes with an audio cable suitable for aircraft. There is a note on the webpage that you will need to purchase a K-plug cable to use it with a handheld radio.

The above image shows the included cable to the left and the K-plug cable below the headset.

Also, if you just want to use the headset as a really cool headphone, you can use a 3.5 mm male-to-male cable to bring sound into your headset, since there is a connection.

I found that using a ¼ inch female to 3.5 mm male adapter will work as well, connected to the ¼ inch plug on the included cable.

I can imagine someone saying I don’t need a bulky headset attached to my handheld radio. This headset has excellent noise-blocking capability. If you are trying to make contact with a satellite or the International Space Station, you want to block out any background noise to hear their signal. Also, the same might be true for Fox Hunting contests. The headset has a volume control on one side and a PTT button on the other side.

Now I had some difficulty getting the headset to work with my PC. The reason is that while the aviation cable has a ¼ inch plug for the speaker, the microphone plug is 5.25 mm. It is too small for the adapter shown above. I searched to see if I could find an adapter for that which would reduce it down to 3.5 mm for the computer. So far, I have not been able to find a simple adapter. However, Pilot USA has a GA Headset to PC/Flight Simulator Adapter.

I have been told by them that this will work with programs that require microphone input and sound output. They also have a USB version. They are a bit pricy with the above version ranging about $70 and the USB about $90.

But you will be able to use it with your PC for programs like Echolink and BlueDV. If you are into gaming or use a flight simulator program, it would be fun to use. So, as you can tell, it is back to soaring for me.

Of course, if you are handy with doing an electronic project, you could make your own interface as I did.

Parts:
1 – PJ-068 5.25mm jack (3/16 inch)
1 – PJ-055 6.25mm jack (1/4 inch)
1 – 470 ohm resistor R1
1 – 7805 voltage regulator
1 – Switch
2 – Electrolytic capacitors (22 uF for C1 and C2)
2 – Electrolytic capacitors (.22uF C4 and .1uF C5)
1 – 9-volt battery
2 – 3.5mm audio plug with a wire connection
1 – USB sound adapter

You can either connect the 3.5mm plugs directly into your computer’s sound port for mic and speaker, or use a USB sound adapter like I did. Most of the parts are available on Amazon.com, but you may have to purchase the PJ-068 from eBay, as I did. I had used the 7805 voltage regulator circuit before with some projects I did involving the Raspberry Pi computer, so I happened to have several along with almost all the parts used.

The above circuit will supply approximately 4.99 volts DC.

Above is the interface circuit. This is a modified version of a circuit created by Ham OE6GUE. He used 3.5mm jacks as the output. I figured this would require having to purchase 2 male to male 3.5mm audio cables, so instead I used the two 3.5mm plugs with wires.

On the next page, you will find my notes that I made while doing this project. I apologize if the image is not that clear. I often take notes in pencil so I can erase and make changes.

In conclusion, you may want to work off my notes if you can read them clearly. I had a little difficulty with the microphone transmission when testing the unit. Other Hams said at first my transmission was low but readable. After playing around with the computer’s sound settings, I got better results. Also, unless you are an experimenter like me, who has most of the parts, you will need to purchase the parts for this project. In figuring up the cost, I found it would be just as expensive as purchasing the Flight Simulator adapter I had mentioned previously. I would recommend that option if you are not experienced with electronics or want a ready-made interface. However, if you enjoy building things and like the challenge, this is a fun project.

In my opinion, the AH200 is a great headset that you can use if you are a pilot or someone who wants to use it with a flight simulator program. For Ham Radio Operators, it will work with a handheld and the K-plug, or for a Ham who wants to use it with a digital radio program like Echolink or BlueDV.