Wireless headphones for GPX4500?

Hi guys,
There are at least two of us in NZ who are looking for a decent wireless headphone system. We tend to work near or in flowing water, so the speaker option is not really viable.
I did email an outfit in the States called 'airheadz', who were supposed to be just the bees knees, but no reply in three weeks. (Maybe they've gone out of business!) I've also been looking at various forums to try and get a handle on what's about.

Being somewhat of a technophobe and knowing nothing of electronics, what I need is simple, rugged, hassle-free system (idiotproof!) that I can just purchase, plug in and go.

Any recommendations what to use and where to go for it?

Cheers for any help,
Rick.

Hi I don't know of any reliable wireless headphones that will work on a gpx4500 but have to ask why do you need wireless headphones ??What is wrong with the headphones supplied?
Ron

Thick New Zealand jungle, every bloody stick seems to hone in on your cables and you're forever putting the cups back over your ears, or back tracking to untangle the flippin things!!!

I've been thinking of making a set for myself....I was looking at using a wireless FM bug transmitter, and a set of industrial type headphones with an FM radio built in. It would need to be the industrial type as they are waterproof and they stay on your block real good, plus they would do a cracker job knocking out the creek noises. The only problem is, I don't know how good they'd be at filtering out the detector noise? I know AM would be too low frequency. It may not be a problem in the bush well away from commercial stations as you could alter the bug frequency so that it lies between the detectors harmonics.

I'll have a geeze before the weekend and see if this would be viable, and get back to you.

I'm pretty sure you'd need to go the radio way and not light, as a lot of the light spectrum devices performance degrades in bright sunlight, and they are usually digital, and some audio frequency loss may occur, but that's not to say that some small radio setups don't use digital conversion for transmission.

Cheers
Grey.

Hello Rick,
Plug in an external speaker, wiring tucks in close to body and doesn't snag. I actually run twin speakers. one on each shoulder.
It is the power lead that causes the grief here snagging in the abundent prickle bushes.

Cheers
Peter

Basically the idea is to get rid of as much encumbrance as possible. I wore the harness for the first three or four trips, but if you've located a target in the middle of a stream, you then wade back to the bank, doff the earphones, put down the detector, take off the harness then go back to the crevice and locate your target. Having done that (or not!) return to the bank put everything back on again and repeat. I'ts just a right royal pain in the butt!

After those first trips, I ditched the harness and strapped the battery onto the detector body. A vast improvement! However you're still attached to the headphones, so it'd be great to have a set unattached to the detector. Convenient, hassle-free, no snagging on bush or tussocks that just about reach your waist, and lastly no need to continually be altering the volume (due to varying stream noise) which would be the case if you had a speaker setup.

I appreciate your input guys, and if there are any technical gurus out there that can come up with an answer, that would be fantastic.

Cheers,
Rick.

G'day,
I fired up the 4500 today and checked to see what sort of interference it produced on my handheld radio.
As I first thought AM is hopeless, with a continual whinning noise, but FM is clear right across the band. I had to hold the receiver up to the coil to get any machine noise.

So all you need is a set of headphones similar to these
http://www.opticsplanet.net/peltor-alert-alert-headset-m2rx7a.html

and a small FM bug transmitter, maybe building one using a BA1404 chip.

I'm going to have a go at it so I'll let you know how I get on, maybe I could make a couple of transitters for you.

Cheers Grey

Hi Grey,
Thanks for that. Don't go to too much trouble, but if it's simple, let me know what you've come up with. (my brain started to glaze over when you mentioned a BA1404 chip! lol.)
Cheers,
Rick.

goldnugget, go over to Nuggethunting forum and search "grubstake" he made himself up a set of cordless head phones.

G'day,
Here's the type of phones Garry (Grubstake) uses

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/headphones/devices/212&cl=US,EN

They look a little dainty for my liking, but if you were careful....at least in Otago you've not got the bush to contend with.

Cheers
Grey

Hi Rick,
What I reckon would be good is a set of radio muffs like this;
http://www.promosafety.co.nz/PeltorWorktunesAMFMRadioEarmuffs.html

Don't get the dearer model, they will still let creek noise through, and if your working into a Nor' Wester the swishing will come through, but the cheaper ones should allow you to hear a dink while detecting a noisy run, or walking head on into a roaring 40.

I'm going to build a transmitter to fit inside my Coiltek Pocket Rocket housing, but one of the standard FM transmitters should be OK with the radio muffs such as this one;
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Electronics-photography/iPod-MP3-accessories/FM-transmitters-iTrips/auction-235270571.htm

This one only has a 5 metre range though, but the good thing is that it has 200 or so stations, so you can always find a quiet spot no matter what part of the country you're in, some only have a choice of 4 stations which could be an issue. All you'd need to do is change the plug to a larger size, real easy stuff.

Bilsom also make Radio muffs.

Happy Hunting, and let me know how you get on....small world so may run into some day.
Cheers
Grey

Hi Grey

Grat info as I have been thinking abut this for general detecting as well.

Would you mind checking out where you can get the equipment in Aus preferably Vic for me.

Thanks
Jeff

Hi Jeff,
Wouldn't it be a bit hot in Oz detecting in ear muffs?

I know the Peltor ones breathe but might get a tad sweaty, still if you're a bit like me and starting to lose quite a bit bit of high frequency hearing, speakers on the shoulders just don't cut the mustard.

I'll see what I can find anyway.
Cheers
Grey.

GP shaft speaker is an option for such. Put a speaker attached on your shaft. I have seen a picture of one with a battery mounted on the control box then from it a short charger lead attached to a speaker put on the shaft about 3" down further towards the coil than the handle on the shaft.

Hi Grey

Looking at that link, there doesnt seem to be much difference bw the current ear phones we use and the Peltor ones. It just seems like a name change - phones vs muffs

Have thought about the speakers but they are noisy things. If thats your scene - fine but I prefer the quietness of the bush and like to see the wildlife not being chased away by noise.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,
It's a bit hard from this side of the ditch but I'll give it a go.

Safetyquip, or most safety equipment shops should have the Peltor radio muffs, which by the way are much closer fitting than the Koss headphones that come with Minelabs, that's why I mentioned the heat build up....because they are safety types they fit snugly around the ears.

I reckon you should check out your local safety shop and see if they've got a pair to try and see if they are going to work for you.

Check out the lower one of the two for $152.10
http://www.safetyquip.com.au/grouplist-033P5~hearing-protection~ear-muffs-radiocommunications~peltor~index.html#Anchor1

There are a couple of Safetyquip outlets in Vic i.e.
http://www.safetyquip.com.au/state-7~safety-equipment~victoria~index.html


Once you try them and decide they are good for you, then you could save a bit getting them from e-bay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110422314736&ih=001&category=20798&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

For the transmitter you should look for something like this
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4a81f1d5160c0ac8273fc0a87e0106c8/Product/View/XH8217

Dick's a bit pricey here though, if you shop around you'll find these cheaper, and you may find one that's a bit more user friendly, the main thing is getting a good shop assistant to show you how to use it. You'll also need to replace the plug or get an adaptor. Your local electronics shop may have a cheaper version with a few less whistles, Harvey Norman maybe.

It's a bit of fluffing around I know, but you can use the system for other things too, like listening to the cricket while mowing the lawns etc,

Cheers
Grey.

Gday

I saw some wireless headphones on one of the British relic hunting sites once, perfect for what you want but I do recall that they were very expensive, at the time they were about $200+ aust dollars so I didnt bother with them, as far as I can recall they used the fm band.

You might even see some on ebay uk.

cheers

stayyerAU

Thanks Grey

I didn't know where you were located, couldn't recognise the accent through the writing.

I'll have a look at those links and see how I go

Jeff

Hi Grey

The thought of the wireless headphones is ok but have a think about getting rid of the cord bw the detector and the box. Now that is a challenge!

Jeff

good

hi australia, good morning from france

i did want wire anymore on my GPX 4500. from the battery to the unit and from the battery to the headphone.

so i've bought a light weight battery (pocket rocket)
and this

Plantronics - BackBeat 906.

it's run very very well on the 45 . just a limit the "running life battery's" . of the pocket and of the headphone (maximum 7 hours).
So i've bought 2 batterys and headphones.

cheers

Madtuna is using wireless at the moment. He might be able to help you.

Dicko..