How long are helmets good for?

[FlyingOnFumes]

Historically, ANR stuff doesn't survive very long at the boat due to the guts getting fried w/ all the 'trons floating around.

Even with shielded earcups? (The diagram of the Gentex ones, if I remember correctly, looked quite hefty... not sure if they were shielded or not). Although it would still probably only add more unwanted weight to the -68/P helmets for TACAIR folks...

 

[tk628]

If you have ever had custom molded ear plugs for shooting, the CEP's are the same process. They inject some expanding foam type crap into your ear and when it dries they pull it out. These "molds" are then sent in and your actual rubber CEP tips are made based on these. They have a hollow sound channel going through and screw onto the speakers just like the foam CEP tips that they replace.

Do you send them in to CEP? or is it someone else? Just send the molds, and the CEP cord?

 

[FlyingOnFumes]

Do you send them in to CEP? or is it someone else? Just send the molds, and the CEP cord?

CEP stands for Communications Ear Plugs. I've never done it... so i'll defer to someone else to chime in.

 

[tk628]

Negative, you are correct that CEP stands for communications earplugs, but they are made by Communication and Ear Protection, Inc, out of Alabama. http://cep-usa.com/

I'm still unsure where to get the custom inserts made, as they don't offer that on their website.

 

[FlyingOnFumes]

Negative, you are correct that CEP stands for communications earplugs, but they are made by Communication and Ear Protection, Inc, out of Alabama. http://cep-usa.com/

I'm still unsure where to get the custom inserts made, as they don't offer that on their website.

My bad! Thanks for the correcting the mistake... for some reason I thought Gentex made them, but not surprising since many of their components are made by 3rd parties (Racal supposedly for ANR, Gibson & Barnes for some of their cables, etc..).... I should have paid closer attention to the picture on the earlier instruction site I had posted, I missed the "CEP, Inc.": www.wbreeze.com/TechTips/cepKitHelmet/images/P1010001.JPG

 

[Clux4]

US Army helo and US Airforce helo guys use similar helmets. Has any Navy/USMC helo driver used one of those. Is there anything unique about them?

 

[Gatordev]

US Army helo and US Airforce helo guys use similar helmets. Has any Navy/USMC helo driver used one of those. Is there anything unique about them?

Used what? CEPs?

Yes, I know a couple guys who wear them. The PRs wire the helmet up so it pulls audio from the helmet via a little plug on the back next to the NVG mount, pig-tail, lip-light power pack (if there), etc. Guys who have them, love 'em, but they usually are the ones that have a hard time hearing the radios (for whatever reason).

 

[cisforsmasher]

I already have some bad hearing loss in my left ear so I thought getting CEP's would help protect what's left. I did four flights before I had to pull them out. I tried the different sizes of foam but all with the same results. I did not notice an appreciable difference in clarity of sound but I did notice that they did not isolate the outside noise as well as a set of normal foamies. The foam was not very comfortable either. Maybe if they were actually custom molded (which I did not know they could do) it might have made a difference. The cords are what really convinced me it was not worth the effort. There was no good way to route them out of my helmet where it did not press against my ears or temples. I also got a little bit of stethoscope effect when i accidentally hit one of the cords. I have trouble describing the unpleasant noise that would occur but basically it felt like an amplified version of scratching the inside of your ear.

Basically, they were not the cure-all that I thought they were going to be. It doesn't hurt to try them and they could be great for you but they did not work out for me.

 

[MasterBates]

I think the guys who really benefit are the ones who don't wear earplugs to start with.

 

[highside7r]

US Army helo and US Airforce helo guys use similar helmets. Has any Navy/USMC helo driver used one of those. Is there anything unique about them?

Noticed that as well the USCG and USAF are wearing the HGU-56/Ps that we have in the Army. CEPs are a must and most units will supply them. My Navy HGU fit better, but don't miss always changing out visors due to wear/tear in the -60's "huge" cabin.