Best way to play music in the cockpit?

[Fly2Scuba]

OK, I posted this in Aviation General, yet unfortuanetly it has slided to page 2 with no adequate responses so I was wondering if someone here can answer this perplexing quality of life question?

I have a minidisc player and would like to play it over the hot mike in the ERJ through the jumpseater plug. The specifications of the player show only 10 milliwatts of headphones output. Tried splicing a headset plug with a CD player headphone output chord, yet it sounded distorted over the airplane's audio. Very sensitive to finally achieve clear sound; had to remove the electrical tape and touch the wires just right without any secure fitting. What's the best technique to achieving ideal results as it seems I'm having significant interference problems? What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lequip]

Are you serious?? Good luck finding a captain who is going to let you do that.

 

[Mallard]

Actually, I bring an MP3 all the time and have never had a capt complain. Most welcome the music.

 

[Floyd94]

So how do you hook up the MP3 player to the intercom???

 

[mullet]

On the Dornier, you plug your MP3 player jack to wear you headset mike jack goes.(the skinny one) Hit the AUX button in on the audio panel and listen through the cockpit speaker. Not sure about ERJ?

 

[parrothead]

Anyone know where I can I get a cord that goes from the MP3 to the intercom input jack?

Thanks!

 

[PingPong]

Can anyone tell me how I can hook up my X-box to the FMS. I am tired of gameboy and the male ends just dont seem to cooperate with the female ends. Radio shack must sell an adapter.

 

[jws717]

Use a Dremel Tool/ blow torch, to split open the panel and then just connect the colors. Keep fire extingusher on hand. (to hit the captain if he mutters something about airworthyness.)

 

[T-Gates]

I've been doing the MP3 player thing for awhile....tons better than the ADF! I just stick a small earbud under my headset. I'd invest in a adapter, but I'm not sure if the F/O's will dig my taste in music.

 

[BrokeAssPilot]

Anybody know if they make a portable xm radio unit?

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Can anyone tell me how I can hook up my X-box to the FMS. I am tired of gameboy and the male ends just dont seem to cooperate with the female ends. Radio shack must sell an adapter.

LOL! Hilarious! If your on the bus you'll have to buy the adapter that allows you to use the side stick and pedals as a joystick/pedal combo!

 

[VFR on Top]

Getting the right sized adapter is only part of the problem; you're also dealing with an impedence mismatch, and probably a mono/stereo issue as well (I doubt the ERJ intercom is in stereo). A simple radio shaq adapter will probably handle the size and stereo-to-mono issues, but the impedence thing is more complicated--and why gadgets like The Muse (http://www.ps-engineering.com/muse.shtml) can sell for that kind of cash.

I'm trying to do the same thing for use in bugsmashers, my headset/cellphone adapter (similar to the SoftCell gizmo seen in aviation magazines), while great with my phone, was only marginally successful with my CD player.

 

[acaTerry]

Why don't you try READING something instead? Perhaps having 2 pilots who can hear the radio instead of taking themselves out of the safety equation would be a better idea.

You remind me of that kid on Iron Eagle. "No Chappy...I can't shoot down those MIGS without my music".

I think I'll cruise on over to the Majors boards where the grown ups are...

I can't believe this "entertain me" mentality. Can't you kids just do something without needing some sort of electric stimulation? You guys are like the Nirvana song.

If you HAVE to have music, or something, just use the ADF. At least you can hear the comms over it.

 

[vrb115]

Glad I don't Fly with U ACA TERRY

 

[Fly2Scuba]

Why don't you try READING something instead? Perhaps having 2 pilots who can hear the radio instead of taking themselves out of the safety equation would be a better idea.

You remind me of that kid on Iron Eagle. "No Chappy...I can't shoot down those MIGS without my music".

I think I'll cruise on over to the Majors boards where the grown ups are...

I can't believe this "entertain me" mentality. Can't you kids just do something without needing some sort of electric stimulation? You guys are like the Nirvana song.

If you HAVE to have music, or something, just use the ADF. At least you can hear the comms over it.

Yea, thanks Grandpa, you've set us all youngens straight for the better by enlightening us with your ancient wisdom. Must be tough for you living in the electronic age, huh? Though, I here there are quite a few Amish communities in Pennsylvania and that's not a bad potential commute to Dulles when you think about it. Anyways, thanks VFR on top. Learned from a friend that resistors may just do the trick. By the way, I've already flown with a couple seperate Captains who had music awhile back. Just haven't ran into them lately. Consider it a safety of flight issue. If I'm feeling good listening to the tunes, it might take my mind off the thousand grievances of this job. Good mood = safer flying.

 

[7B2]

you guys are soo lucky,
I need a boombox turned up to 10 to be able to hear anything in some of these piston twins.
Don't have to worry about not being to able to hear the radios; what radios...
I'm part 135.

 

[low-key]

splice a microphone size plug into your MP3's output and put into the ERJ's observer panel and put it on hot mic. works like a charm, the only bad thing is that i believe it goes onto the cockpit voice recorder.... another way to do it is to buy ear buds and a splitter and just put them in with your DC"s then all the CVR can hear is your comments, lol. I am thinking this would work with a portable DVD too......

 

[PositiveRate]

I'm going to have to side with ACATerry and Lequip on this one. No matter what your pay or what your beef with this industry, you're a professional airline pilot. Listening to music in a Part 121 cockpit is highly unprofessional.

I flew with a guy once who was an ADF'er and found that he was unreliable at best on the radio when he was into whatever game was on the radio.

If you can't maintain your focus and fly your aircraft safely for a typical 2 hr leg without some sort of "entertainment", you might want to think about how seriously your taking your job as a professional.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[ejm179]

SELCAL-The best way to fly.


P.S. How can one hear better listening to ADF than listening to MP3 or CD?

 

[boxjockey]

And I suppose you guys who are b!tching about the music never, EVER read on the flight deck? This is an equal attention diverter, and I would guess in most ops specs it is against company policy. Professional pilots, blah blah blah....

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