Frequently
Asked
Questions
Q: How do I get a good seal in my ear canal with the ear tips?
A: Roll the foam tip between your thumb and index finger, progressively adding more pressure to compress the foam into a tight cylinder. While the foam is compressed, insert the tip into the ear. Be patient and allow the foam tip to expand so that it can create a tight seal. We have a full page dedicated to the topic of ear tips. If you’d like an expert demonstration, see the video at the bottom of our ear tip page.
Q: My frame moves around on my head or it is too tight.
A: The CQ1 frame is stiff but still formable. Sometimes, simply applying pressure to open or close the frame a bit is sufficient. If that doesn’t work, carefully unbend and then re-bend the ear drop on the side opposite the microphone to tighten or loosen as necessary. Please don’t try to bend our frame within 2″ of our mic/cable entry. There are connections and components here that could be damaged.
Q: Do I have to wear the frame over my ears?
A: Some pilots prefer to wear the frame higher over the ears or even over the band of a hat, reducing the interference with glasses as well as reducing the weight on the ears.
Scott says: I always fly with a ball cap on and sunglasses with pretty thick temples. With our longer mic boom, I usually wear the CQ1 Headset frame up off of my ears by about an inch, somewhat around the band of my ball cap, or just above. This produces a lot of stability with rapid head movements and fully separates the headset from my sunglasses.
Q: Where are the headsets manufactured?
A: The headsets are manufactured in the great state of Texas at Card Machine Works.
Q: I only hear in one ear.
A: Try switching the stereo / mono switch on the side of the volume control box If you have an airplane wired for stereo, the switch should be on the side with the S stamped on it. If you have a mono airplane, the switch should be on the opposite side.
Q: Is the headset in stereo or just mono?
A: The headset can be used in either a stereo or mono wired aircraft.
Q: Are the only ear tip options the yellow foam ones that will work with the CQ1?
A: Absolutely not. The yellow foam ear tips we supply provide a great value for their performance and price point. However, there may be other ear tips that you like better. We encourage you to try them until you find the right ones for you.
Q: What are the little things inserted into the sound tubes?
A: Those are called Acoustic Dampers. They are commonly used in a wide range of sound devices, from In Ear Monitors to hearing aids and of course headsets, to tune the transmitted frequency response in acoustic tubing. The selection of the correct acoustic damper and its placement in the sound tube is critical to the quality of sound that is delivered to your ear canal. The dampers themselves are made out of a very small screen mesh. One potential maintenance item could be the fouling of the damper with moisture from the ear. The effect would be a gradually diminished volume level, which is dealt with by simply replacing the inexpensive dampers and sound tubes.
Q: Is there a FAA Technical Standards Order for the CQ1?
A: No, the CQ1 headset is not “TSO’d” at this time.
Q: What are the side effects of having headphone jacks wired directly together in the aircraft??
A: Having headphone jacks that are wired directly together is never an ideal condition, but it has been done in some installations. When this is the case, you will hear any auxiliary audio inputs into a CQ Headset via the 3.5mm plug or Bluetooth in the other headsets that are wired directly to the same headphone jack.
Q: One of my ears is fine with a medium ear tip, but it doesn’t work in the other ear. What can I do?
A: Use a different ear tip in the other ear! Really. It is quite common for us to have very different ear canals on the same head, either due to size or shape of the ear canal. We have many customers that use two different size ear tips for the best fit. By default, we recommend first trying a smaller ear tip in a “difficult” ear. This might be an ear where you have difficulty getting a deep ear tip insertion (all the way into the ear canal), or it wants to fall out. You’ll know quickly if there is an improvement. Also different kinds of foam tips fit quite differently depending on the shape of your ear canal. Size Large foam ear tips are very rare to be the correct choice.