Design Improvements for the Zenith 601 HDS:
Battery Pack for Bose Headsets
Battery Pack for Bose Headsets
Bose headsets have doubled the joy of flying. They reduce the noise
so drastically that it is quieter than in a commercial jet.
Conversation with copilot and radio communications
are crystal clear. We have the old Bose version requiring a 9 Volt
battery lasting maybe 20 hours. This is not long, and it is not
nice if the battery fails in flight. Instead, we have modified the
Bose battery case so that we can hook up the headset to a battery pack
with six 1.5 Volt C batteries that power both headsets for an estimated
200 hours. During the annual inspection, these C batteries are replaced.
When the master switch is turned on, a relay connects the battery
pack with the headsets. Thus, no separate switch is needed to turn
the headsets on/off. This is important since the headsets themselves
do not have an automatic turn-off feature. The newest Bose model
does have this important feature.
Of course, we could have bought the Bose headsets with plugs for
plane-supplied power. But those sets cannot be used in other airplanes
unless the unusual Bose receptacle has been installed. By our
arrangement, the headsets can be used in other airplanes by
simply inserting 9 Volt batteries and using the conventional
headset connectors.
The photo unfortunately focuses on the rudder pedal instead of on
the horizontal tube of the battery pack.
The inlet above the battery pack is for heated air. The heat is
sufficient as long as the outside air temperature
is above 32 deg. For temperatures below 32 deg, one needs to
bundle up a bit. Soundproofing of the firewall obtained from Aircraft
Spruce significantly reduces engine noise in the cockpit.
