FOG HORN
May 2018 Twobirds Flying Publication
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
Copyright 2018, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
2018
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth By: Sal Palma
There are two types of noise to be concerned about. The first is the ambient or background noise that one would encounter during an eight hour shift at an industrial facility. This is the noise type that’s addressed in the O.S.H.A. regulations. O.S.H.A. concerns itself with exposure to sound over time; their standards are documented in 29 CFR part 1910 TABLE G-16 - PERMISSIBLE NOISE EXPOSURES Duration per day, hours 8 6 4 3 2 1½ 1 ½
One of the more exciting benefits derived from writing a review is encountering that truly exceptional product, one that isn’t a mere incremental improvement but rather sets a new standard of performance. This is precisely what 3M Peltor has done with the introduction of the Peltor Sport Tactical 500. There are a number of Peltor proprietary technologies embodied in their new electronic hearing protection products, and I’ll touch on each because they merit the exposure, but before doing that, I’ll talk about noise. This is an area that people don’t fully understand yet it can have a deleterious effect on your life.
Sound level dBA 90 92 95 97 100 102 105 110
O.S.H.A. requires an employer to implement an effective hearing conservation program, whenever employee noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A scale (slow response). A second source of noise is what shooters experience, and referred to as impulse noise. Most rifle calibers fall between 150 dBA to 170 dBA, but what’s also important to know when discussing impulse noise is that it varies in duration depending on its source. For example, a 7mm Mauser has a level of 154.9 dB with duration of 3.3 milliseconds; whereas, a larger
Copyright 2018, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
caliber gun like the 300 Win Mag has a level of 158.3 dB and duration of 4 milliseconds. So, when designers develop active electronic sound suppression they need to attenuate the impulse to some acceptable value, 85dB or less, for the appropriate pulse duration. This is not a simple task. Adding to the complexity is reflected sound wave behavior; for example, shooting at an indoor range, where sound waves are reflected off the walls. Reflected sound undergoes a phase shift that can add to the intensity of source sound waves potentially changing amplitudes and impulse duration. Peltor deals with sound suppression in the Tactical 300 and Tactical 500 hearing protectors through highly effective proprietary technology that the company calls Dynamic Suppression Time or DST. Circuitry in the headset samples the impulse level to determine appropriate suppression durations, smaller caliber firearms will generally have a shorter duration than larger caliber firearms.
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protection. I can’t begin to tell you how many people I see at the range with part of the ear exposed they might as well not be wearing hearing protection at all. One of the benefits of electronic hearing protection is the ability to hear normal conversational levels while wearing your headset. Peltor goes a step beyond that basic technology in their SPORT Tactical line by implementing what the company calls Clear Voice Tracking (CVT). CVT differentiates between voice and background noise then attenuates background noise delivering excellent voice quality. I was surprised at how clear normal conversation could be heard while wearing the 500’s. An excellent feature not found in competing hearing protection.
Peltor’s active suppression circuitry also takes into consideration the shooting environment accounting for outdoor and indoor shooting, a function that Peltor calls Adaptive Suppression Time (AST). AST can be disabled through the setup menu resulting in a fixed shorter duration suppression time. The factory default is “ON.” Effective hearing protection cannot be achieved through electronics alone; it requires an enclosure that completely seals the ear. Peltor has that covered too with superb ear cups. I have larger ears and quite often I’ve found myself folding the ear lobe to ensure a complete seal around my ear. This was especially true with my MSA Sordin hearing
The Tactical 300 and Tactical 500 are powered by 2 AA batteries. Installing fresh batteries is a Copyright 2018, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
simple task requiring that you open the battery compartment located on the left side ear cup. The auto power-off feature conserves battery life. However, Peltor also offers an optional rechargeable lithium –ion battery pack sold as the3M Alpha 1100.
The battery pack replaces the 2 AA batteries and is rechargeable via a micro USB port located at the base of the right ear cup.
It’s available from any number of online retailers from $25 to $40, so you’ll want to shop it for the best value. I strongly recommend using the rechargeable option for your best overall performance. Another great feature of the Tactical 500 is its Bluetooth connectivity which allows the wearer
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to listen to music, receive a phone call, terminate a call or reject an incoming call. I frequently chat with a New Hampshire friend and bladesmith, Tom Bender, so I asked Tom to help me test the 500 over Bluetooth, which he kindly agreed to do. I called Tom for our usual shoot the breeze and during the course of the conversation he described the sound quality and clarity as superior to that of my smart device. I then received a call from Tom and continued our conversation. Throughout the 30 minute call there were zero drop outs and I was approximately 15 feet away from my smartphone. I could hear Tom clearly with no delays. Peltor specifications claim a 25 foot range from headset to phone so I moved away to that range again with zero dropouts or change in audio quality. Setup, Bluetooth connectivity and volume control is all handle from the right ear cup and it couldn’t be any simpler to do. Peltor even includes audible voice prompts to tell you that power is on, power is off and Bluetooth is pairing. Operation couldn’t be any simpler or friendlier. Collocated with the micro USB port is a 3.5 mm audio jack that can be connected to an external device. I tested this arrangement using a handheld ICOM VHF/UHF transceiver that I use as flight communications backup. I was able to clearly hear communications from the local airport control tower, ground control and approach control. The jack also provides Copyright 2018, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
connectivity to an external audio source like a walky-talky or mp3 device equipped with a 3.5mm jack. Peltor even supplies the cable.
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Simply remove the two fasteners on each side which allows you to separate the headset from the headband. Are the Peltor Sport Tactical 300 and 500 perfect? Some reviewers say not but I respectfully disagree. The complaints usually revolve around headband comfort, which Peltor designed to be worn over head cover. I wore the 500s continuously for a period of 4 ½ hours over thinning hair, with no hat, and was just fine but I have a round head. If you have a pointy head your experience may differ, I don’t know. But it’s not an insurmountable problem and easily address by using a wrap.
If you use a ballistic helmet or bump helmet, the headset can be helmet mounted using Peltor’s ARC Rail Adapters. This option will set you back from $60 to $80, and caution is required here to avoid cheap Chinese knockoffs. Helmet mounting requires a little effort because you need to detach the ear cups from the headband, but that too is not at all difficult. The bigger concern for me, since the ear cups are fairly large, is my ability to establish a cheek weld when firing a rifle from a prone or unsupported position. Here I’m happy to report that I did not encounter a problem with any buttstock position. This is due to the generous cut-outs at the bottom of the ear cup.
Copyright 2018, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved
3M PELTOR SPORT TACTICAL 500 – Electronic Hearing Protection with Bluetooth
2018
Manufacturer Specifications
In closing, I couldn’t give the 3M Peltor SPORT Tactical Hearing Protections a higher recommendation. They set a standard of performance that other manufacturers can only aspire to. Comfort is excellent and the advanced electronics package delivers exceptional sound suppression and voice clarity. Wear them with communications equipment or your smartphone via Bluetooth or simply standalone. Now, combine that with helmet mounting and a rechargeable lithium-ion power option and you end up with an extraordinary product. Oh, did I mention value? The Tactical 500 with Bluetooth is available online from $120 to $160. Give them a try to experience superb comfort and sound suppression performance.
26 dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
Bluetooth® Wireless Technology syncs with mobile devices
3M SMART Technologies
Dynamic Suppression Time adapts to firearm and environment for optimized shooting experience
Clear Voice Tracking seeks voice within noise for improved speech intelligibility
Auto shut-off
Intuitive buttons and voice guidance let you operate without removing headset
Low-profile cups have cut-outs for use with long guns`
Vented, adjustable headband improves comfort when worn with hats
Durable recessed microphones designed to reduce wind and fan noise
To download or review the owner’s manual click here
-SP
Copyright 2018, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved