Free on-site headset and helmet repairs during Oshkosh’s AirVenture 2016 aviation fly-in with the purchase of replacement parts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oshkosh, WI, July 25, 2016 — Acousticom Corporation will be in booth 923 in the ultralight area at EAA AirVenture 2016 from July 25th to July 31st. Acousticom will provide free headset and helmet repairs on-site, which saves you the cost of labor after purchasing the required parts from them. Acousticom is set to debut their first commercial flight helmet line. Their booth will also have a Sound Egg® chair available in order to test gear in high noise environments or listen to your favorite music from any Bluetooth device. Headsets, parts, and accessories will be available for purchase at a discounted show rate.

BOOTH INFO LINK: /archive/acousticom/eaa-airventure-airshow-oshkosh/

“We come every year and offer free repairs to our customers that stop by our booth,” said Doug Cochran, the Vice President. “We usually have to take some of the repairs to our facility in Indiana, because we get so busy at the show.” Acousticom has been repairing and upgrading headsets and helmets since the 80’s. Every year, they offer free on-site headset/helmet repair services if you purchase the parts needed for the repair directly from them. They even offer a discount on all their parts at the airshow. If you cannot make it to the show this year, you can mail your repairs directly to the company during the month of July with a note that says, “Can’t make it to Oshkosh,” and they will honor the free repair offer.

REPAIRS LINK: /archive/acousticom/headset-repairs-helmet/

At AirVenture 2016, Acousticom will debut a new flight helmet design that will differ from any other flight helmet on the market. Standard features include adjustable gain microphone, multi-colored dual-visors, hundreds of color schemes, and custom designs with graphics. This helmet was designed by pilots to address field issues such as poor ventilation. Each flight helmet has an optional face shield attachment, NVG mount, and utility rails.

HELMETS LINK: /archive/acousticom-store/flight-helmets

Do you see a big egg chair? Well, you are in the right place! The Sound Egg® chair will be set up at their booth for demonstrations of their product’s noise canceling and attenuation features. The egg is a 5.1 surround sound audio chair that will play music while it is not being used for demonstrations. If you have not sat in one yet, simply make your way to their booth to experience the realistic sounds through the egg chair. Want one at home? Don’t worry; Acousticom will custom build one for you.

SOUND EGG LINK: http://www.soundegg.com/

For 35 years, Acousticom Corporation has been producing high-quality (military grade) communication equipment. Acousticom has been dedicated to the aviation industry by providing the largest selection of replacement headset and helmet parts through their online store. The Sound Egg® was designed by Acousticom in 2009 and it has been featured in publications all over the world. With their exceptional reputation for headsets, earphones, microphones and cable assemblies, they continually develop and manufacture communication technology for many leading aerospace companies and the Department of Defense.

PRESS KIT LINK: /archive/acousticom/press-room/press-kit/

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Download This Press Release (PDF)

Press Contact:
Joel Cochran
Office: 574-293-0534 ext 105
Show: 574-387-2843
press@acousticom.com

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This video shows you how to wire the TP-120 and compares this telephone plug to the TP-101 and TP-102 military versions.

Similar to the TP-101, TP-102 military grade 4 conductor connectors by Nexus marked U-174/U and U-93A/U.

• TP-120: Acousticom Part #: 5641-CO
• TP-101: Acousticom Part #: 5640-CO
• TP-102: Acousticom Part #: 5093-CO

TP-120 Plug Wiring Diagram

Civilian Helicopter Headsets
(Each terminal is marked 1-4 on the connector)

1. Positive microphone channel
2. Positive earphone channel (mono)
3. Negative microphone channel
4. Negative earphone channel (mono)

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What is an aviation headset used for?

• Military Aviation
  Military aviation headsets are typically low-impedance headsets with a non-amplified dynamic microphone. Military headsets are not compatible with civilian aviation aircraft intercoms. Some military units use dual impedance or high impedance headsets for specialty needs.
• Civilian Aviation
  Civilian aviation headsets are high-impedance headsets with an amplified dynamic or electret microphone. Civilian headsets are not compatible with military aviation aircraft intercoms. Some civilian aircraft utilize military aviation headsets but that is not the standard in civilian aviation.
• Broadcasting/Video Production/Studios (Blackmagic Studio Cameras)
  Blackmagic has a studio camera that uses civilian aviation headsets for production communication and monitoring. The idea behind this was to prevent headset input and output from being accidentally swapped. These headsets have two different size stereo plugs that measure 1/4″ and .206″ in diameter.

Aviation Headset Styles

• Lightweight
• Military Grade Large Cup
• Military Grade Deep Cup
• Behind the Head (BTH)
• Communication Earplug Protection (CEP)

Aviation Headset Parts

• Microphone
  • Military Microphone: Majority of military aviation headsets will have a M-87/AIC or M-101/AIC 5 ohm dynamic microphone. This microphone does not require voltage to operate.
  • Civilian Microphone: Civilian aviation headset are equipped with an amplified electret or dynamic microphone. These style microphones require a voltage from the intercom to function properly. This is one of the reasons that the amplified microphone is not compatible with military aircraft.
• Boom
  The microphone is attached to the headsets using a boom support system. Booms vary in lengths, materials and design depending on the manufacturer and model. The headset boom will either be permanently fixed to the headset or removable depending on the ratchet system. The two main types of booms are flexible and fixed wire booms.
• Ratchet
  The boom attaches to the headset’s ear cup by connecting to a ratchet style bracket system.
• Earphone Speakers
  
  • Military Earphones: The military use a 19 ohm earphone called a H-143/AIC. Some military headsets will have active noise reduction modules instead of regular speakers. (David Clark’s H10-76XL)
  • Civilian Earphones: Civilian aviation headsets utilize a 300 ohm earphone speaker wired in parallel.
• Head Pads / Top Pads
  One of the most important concerns in aviation headsets is the comfortably factor. Top pads help distribute the weight of the headset which is essential for longer use times. You can even get a head pad made with sheep skin.
• Cables
  • Microphone Cables
    The microphone is connected to the headset’s ear cup wiring with a microphone patch cable. Flexible booms run the patch cable through the boom to an external connector or directly into the ear cup depending on the model headset. These cables are terminated with U-173/U, U-172/U and the U-179/U connectors.
  • Communication Cables
    Aviation headsets have communication cables that connect the headset to the desired intercom/system. This cable runs into the ear cup and is terminated with the needed connector (See Connectors). Some headsets have the ability to remove this cable with the push of a button. This feature is great for switching aircraft that have different interfaces.
• Knobs
  Headset knobs are generally used to control the ear cup volume. Headsets will have dual volume, single volume or no volume controls depending on the model/brand.
• Connectors
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft: These aircraft use a dual plug intercom system. The plugs are referred to as the PJ-055 (Standard 1/4″ Stereo TRS Plug) and PJ-068 (.206″ Stereo TRS Plug) connectors. The plugs look identical except for the diameter of the plug. This prevents you from accidentally mixing up headset plugs.
  • Helicopter Aircraft: These aircraft use a single plug intercom system. The plug is generally called a U-174 but it is also referred to as a TP-120, TP-101, U-174/U, U-92A/U, US NATO plug or simply a helicopter plug. Don’t confuse the U-174 with the UK NATO plug (brass) that looks very similar in design.
  • Airbus Aircraft: These aircraft use a single plug intercom system. The plug is a standard 5-PIN XLR which also provides power to ANR from the panel.
• Ear Seals
  Ear seals help reduce the pressure points from wearing the headset while increasing the attenuation of your headset (Most important factor in safety). Ear seal designs vary on functionality and comfort. Ear seals are filled with foam, gel or a combination of both.
• Foam
  The foam helps dampen the noise inside the ear cup increasing the overall attenuation of the headset.
• Windscreens
  Windscreens help the overall performance of your aviation microphone. They reduce interference from outside elements that would normally prevent you from communicating. Wind is a major issue for pilots who fly in open cockpit situations, so more advanced windscreen designs were made to help combat the direct wind interference.

Aviation Headset Specifications

• Impedance
  • Military: Standard military aviation headsets use a 5 ohm M-87/AIC or M-101/AIC microphone and 19 ohm H-143/AIC earphones
  • Civilian: Standard civilian aviation headsets use a 80-300 ohm amplified electret or dynamic microphone and 300 ohm earphones.
  • Variations: There are always variations to these specifications for special applications. This information is based of civilian and military aviation headset standards.
• Wiring Diagrams & Connectors
  (Wiring diagrams are based on industry standards.)
  • PJ-055 Plug Wiring / Civilian Aviation Headsets
    1. Left stereo channel or positive balanced mono phase
    2. Right stereo channel or negative balanced mono phase
    3. Ground
  • PJ-068 Plug Wiring / Civilian Aviation Headsets
    1. Push to talk (Optional)
    2. Positive microphone channel
    3. Negative microphone channel
  • TP-120 Plug Wiring / Civilian Helicopter Headsets
    (Each terminal is marked on connector.)
    1. Positive microphone channel
    2. Positive earphone channel (mono)
    3. Negative microphone channel
    4. Negative earphone channel (mono)
  • U-174/U (TP-101) Plug Wiring / Military Aviation Headsets
    (Each terminal is marked on connector.)
    1. Positive microphone channel
    2. Positive earphone channel (mono)
    3. Negative microphone channel
    4. Negative earphone channel (mono)
  • 5-PIN XLR Wiring / Airbus Aviation Headsets
    (Each terminal is marked on connector.)
    1. Positive earphone channel (mono)
    2. Negative earphone channel (mono)
    3. Positive microphone channel
    4. Negative microphone channel
    5. External Power (Optional / ANR)
• Attenuation
• Mono vs Stereo
• Standard Testing

Aviation Headset Features

• Active Noise Reduction (ANR)
• Passive Noise Reduction (PNR)
• Volume Controls
• Talk-Through
• Bluetooth
• Wireless
• 1/8″ (3.5mm) Input (Music/Auxiliary Audio)
• Dual Communications
• Dual Impedance
• Push-to-Talk (PTT)

Accessories

Conversions and Adapters

Broadcasting / Video Production / Studio Production (Blackmagic)

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Benjamin T. Cochran 1933-1981

Jean A. Cochran 1934-2005

1980-2015 // Acousticom Corporation has been in business for 35 years!

October 2015 marks a milestone for Acousticom Corporation as an advanced communication manufacturer. Benjamin & Jean Cochran opened our doors back in 1980 on a mission to produce the highest quality communication products on the market. For the last 35 years we have continued their vision and pride ourselves on our quality and engineering.

Our products are manufactured in the United States at our facility in Elkhart, Indiana. Acousticom has continually developed and made advancements in communication technology for many leading aerospace companies and the Department of Defense over the past three and a half decades.

Acousticom Corporation is family owned and operated by 2nd and 3rd generation family members.

Timeline

July 2015 // Attending EAA AirVenture 2015 in Oshkosh, WI!

May 2015 // Posted our first video to our YouTube channel.

January 2015 // We now accept Amazon Payments.

January 2015 // Monthly giveaways started. Enter here: www.acousticom.com/giveaway

January 2015 // 360+ products for sale online at /archive/acousticom-store.

December 2014 // Awarded “Top Rated” seller status on eBay.com.

December 2014 // Awarded “Bronze Powerseller” status on eBay.com.

November 2014 // Launched new Fire & Rescue Intercom Systems.

October 2014 // Purchased 3D printing technology for prototyping and low-production parts.

October 2014 // Purchased CNC milling technology for engraving, custom mold production, prototyping and low-production parts.

September 2014 // Upgraded shopping system’s SSL certificate to an EV SSL for the highest level of security.

August 2014 // Launched new universal aviation headsets.

July 2014 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2014 in Oshkosh, WI!

March 2014 // Launched new adjustable gain aviation microphones.

February 2014 // Donated (1) Sound Egg chair to Hello Gorgeous of Hope’s charity auction.

February 2014 // Launched our online ticket system for sales and support @ ticket.acousticom.com

January 2014 // Launched products on Amazon.com.

July 2013 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2013 in Oshkosh, WI!

July 2012 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2012 in Oshkosh, WI!

January 2012 // Sound Egg is on Spike TV’s LIVE CES Coverage.

January 2012 // Acousticom takes Sound Egg to CES 2012.

December 2011 // Sound Egg goes on display at The Wired Store in NYC.

July 2011 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2011 in Oshkosh, WI!

March 2011 // Sound Egg / Britney Spears Contest // Gave (10) Blue Sound Eggs away.

February 2011 // Sound Egg gets a spotlight in National Geographic Kids

January 2011 // Acousticom takes Sound Egg to CES 2011.

July 2010 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2010 in Oshkosh, WI!

June 2010 // Acousticom takes Sound Egg to E3 Expo 2010.

June 2010 // Sound Egg is on the cover of Hammacher Schlemmer’s Summer Preview 2010

March 2010 // Launched Acousticom’s Facebook Fan Page.

January 2010 // Launched Sound Egg brand at CES 2010.

August 2009 // Launched Sound Egg’s Facebook Fan Page

July 2009 // Attended EAA AirVenture 2009 in Oshkosh, WI!

June 2009 // Launched Sound Egg’s Twitter Page.

May 2009 // Launched Acousticom’s Twitter Page.

February 2009 // Launched our eBay store.

January 2009 // Launched our current online sales website (/archive/acousticom-store).

August 2005 //  New President: Mark Cochran // VP: Doug Cochran.

August 2005 // In remembrance of Jean Cochran (1934-2005).

January 2005 // Launched our first basic online sales website.

August 1996 // Launched basic informational website www.acousticom.com.

April 1989 // Purchased our acoustic audio chamber for testing and R&D.

January 1987 // Awarded SBA Regional Prime Contractor of the Year 1987.

January 1986 // Moved to our brand new manufacturing facility at 28180 Clay Street, Elkhart, IN 46517.

July 1981 // New President: Jean Cochran // VP: Mark Cochran.

July 1981 // In remembrance of Benjamin Cochran.

October 1980 // Benjamin & Jean Cochran founded Acousticom Corporation at 29009 Lexington Park Dr, Elkhart, IN 46514.

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Article above transcribed:

A six-year-old company has labored nearly anonymously in its hometown while building quite a reputation with the federal government.

Acousticom Corp. is by its own president’s admission a “low-key” company, but it is being recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the finest governmental prime contractor in the Midwest.

The company at 28180 Clay St. will compete with nine other companies for selection in May as the nation’s finest governmental prime contractor.

Acousticom manufactures communications equipment, primarily for military use.

Its earphones, microphones, cables and headsets are used in helmets worn by jet fighter and helicopter pilots and operators of combat vehicles, such as tanks.

The firm grew from 10 employees and $100,000 in sales in 1981 to 57 employees and more than $2 million in sales for 1986. The company now has 66 employees, said Jean Cochran, president.

Mrs. Cochran and her husband, Ben T. Cochran, started the company in the late summer of 1980. After Ben’s untimely death in July 1981, Mrs. Cochran and son Mark chose to press on, continuing the business the family had started.

Mrs. Cochran is the president of the company, and Mark is the vice president and chief engineer.

“I manage the company and Mark takes care of the manufacturing part of it,” Mrs. Cochran said.

About two-thirds of Acousticom’s business is with the Department of Defense, with the remainder in the commercial marketplace or as a subcontractor to prime contractors.

Acousticom now is working on eight contracts with the Defense Department, valued at $3,926,083, plus other contracts totaling about $1 million.

Relying on governmental contracting may sound like too much red tape and bureaucracy for some companies, but it was the idea up which Acousticom was founded.

Mrs. Cochran said her husband had worked with the military before with other companies and “knew they needed another supplier.”

It often takes nearly a year from the time the government announces it is seeking bids for a particular product before it awards a contract, noted Terry Fisher, marketing manager for Acousticom.

“You’ve got to have patience,” Mrs. Cochran said. “There are a lot of layers of people to go through.”

If she minds the paperwork and delays involved with government contraction, it doesn’t show.

“We do quite well with the forms,” she said, and “we have no problem with the government having access to the company.”

Acousticom has testing equipment necessary for making sure the products it sells to the government can withstand various conditions that might be faced in the field, including inclement weather.

Government officials sometimes visit the company to observe the products testing before conducting tests themselves.

The government’s appreciation of Acousticom stems from the company’s philosophy that “we don’t ship anything out the door that doesn’t do what it’s suppose to do,” Fisher said.

Mrs. Cochran says the belief that waste, fraud and abuse is rampant in military contracting is “nonsense.”

It is not true that a company does not need to emphasize quality to do business with the federal government, she said.

“They check out quality very closely,” she said.

“People only hear about the $300 hammers,” she said. “The government gets a bum rap on that.”

The government’s opinion of Acousticom is clear from reading the nomination for the Small Business Prime Contractors of the Year Awards. The company was nominated by Defense Contract Adminstration Services Management Area, Indianapolis.

The nomination makes such comments as “quality is a high priority with this company” and “the delivery record of this company is outstanding. Performance on contracts is timely. No delivery problems whatsoever.”

Mrs. Cochran said Acousticom is growing, but she strives for controlled growth to ensure long-term stability.

The company moved in October from its original location on Lexington Park Drive to a new building on Clay Street, off Nappanee Street.

Mrs. Cochran said she and her husband, a South Bend native, initially planned to establish Acousticom in South Bend.

But she said the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce – its president, Keith Meade, in particular – was instrumental in convincing the Cochrans to set up the company in Elkhart by helping them find a building in which to get started.

END

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