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Posted: 7/2/2026 5:15:38 AM EDT
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Hi everybody I want to buy some hearing protection. I have only ever owned Walker Razor Pros. They suck, but you have to give them credit for how cheap they are. I am thinking I want the headband-mounted Comtac VIIIs with the U/384/TP-105 5pin/5pole/5C connector... Model number ending in "-92", not "-47". "-92" is a single downlead multi-comm/dual comm - They do not produce dual downlead ComTac VIIIs - dual downleads are obsolete... "-47" is the ubiquitous single downlead 4pin/4pole/4C Nato U/174/TP-120 that everyone is typically used to seeing unless you are some super high speed or air controller badass or some niche with one of the more obscure options. I considered AMPs or OTTOs or Silynx, but ComTac VIIIs are already expensive - and let's be real - I'm not exactly GI joe. I am concerned that ComTac VIIIs have such bad battery life but I think I will survive. I am to understand that ComTac VIIIs are way easier and stress-free and faster to swap back and forth between headband and removing the headband. i understand ComTac IIIs are not designed to remove or install a headband; ComTac IIIs are supposed to be married to just one configuration? It's not a major motivating factor, but I also like that the ComTac VIIIs are supposed to have a loud mode for people who wear foamies inside the muff. The biggest reason I am getting ComTacs is that they can supposedly be used easily on a hard hat/safety helmet (the kind construction, dockyard, and industrial workers use that are made of plastic, not for ballistics, SAR, nor anything else). This is not officially recommended or endorsed by 3M and their vast amount of R&D testers and lawyers; they would suggest you buy 3M LiteComs or 3M CHs for hard-hat/safety helmet use to be 'covered' in terms of dB reduction rating. |
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For any other blue collar men out there - it's worth noting that allegedly you can NOT remove the headband from LiteComs or vis versa - you are supposed to be married to a configuration, and if the headband ever breaks, you are supposed to send in your LiteComs to 3M. For those of us who shoot, I'm guessing we would find LiteComs or CHs to be too bulky to be able to shoulder the stock of a long gun, but I'm no expert. I actually am super weird in that I have no intention of buying a ballistic or tactical bump helmet anytime soon (meaning I likewise of zero intention of buying Unity guide arms, nor M-LOK guides, nor picatinny guides, nor ARC rail guide arms anytime soon). But because I am buying hard-hat/safety helmet guide arms, that means I will be transitioning back and forth between headband and no-band sometimes. Do ya'll think I will regret ComTac VIIIs? Will I regret the 384/105? I am under the impression in ten or twenty years we will all be using 384/105 instead of 174/120 - unless they somehow move to wireless, which I'm not crazy about. |
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Right now, my only personally owned radio is a Baofeng. At some point, I might like to buy an Invisio control unit. It's important to me that I somehow confirm the microphone and speakers work (confirm I haven't purchased and recieved a lemon) - not sure how I can do that without buying an expensive PTT - If I buy a standalone PTT, I assume that PTT would not also be functional with an Invisio control unit - if I buy Invisio V50 or X50 at a later date, I'd have to just buy a series of cables instead. I'll see if I can find a cheap Amazon Chinese 384/105 Baofeng PTT for the initial test (even that means no dual comm capability). And then in the future, I'd buy Invisio and all the ridiculous amounts of expensive cables, including USB-C and Baofeng or Motorola or Harris or whatever - would love to be able to do the cell phone calls as well. I am under the impression that the ComTac VIII will allow me to easily set it to put one single net's audio in both ears, and then, spontaneously at my leisure, I can prompt it to put one net in left ear and one net in right ear, if I so choose. Obviously, some people run three or four nets, and who knows, someday maybe that will be me. Thanks so much for any advice and poking holes in any misconceptions I have |
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ComTac IIIs can move between headband and helmet. It's not super quick but it can be done. The side posts on 3M/Peltor ear cups are almost all the same They probably say not to because you have to cut apart the cover that the wire beteen the cups runs through. You can replace it with something like this OC tactical cover which also give you a place to store the downlead when not in use The main problem you'll run into using Comtacs with a civilian radio is the mic. The electret mic needs an amp to be heard by the radio. You'll either need a radio or a PTT that takes care of that or get get a mic made to work with civilian radios |
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Originally Posted By scottr: ComTac IIIs can move between headband and helmet. It's not super quick but it can be done. The side posts on 3M/Peltor ear cups are almost all the same They probably say not to because you have to cut apart the cover that the wire beteen the cups runs through. You can replace it with something like this OC tactical cover which also give you a place to store the downlead when not in use The main problem you'll run into using Comtacs with a civilian radio is the mic. The electret mic needs an amp to be heard by the radio. You'll either need a radio or a PTT that takes care of that or get get a mic made to work with civilian radios I am confused as to why buying a microphone is necessary. I embarrassingly didn't even realize ComTac microphones could be removed/unplugged and reinserted and swapped at the user's leisure. That actually is surprisingly convenient if all ComTacs allow that. - Can one buy hearing defenders and add a cheap aftermarket mic to hearing defenders - potentially a life hack for cost savings?? You'd have no downlead so not sure that does much good for most people I'm not sure if the savings of the ComTac IIIs justify it, but I will look into it more since you savvy gentlemen suggest it. Please feel free to tell me if you think I'm being silly. I heard that if you are not really careful when swapping, you can damage your ComTac IIIs, but maybe the HP2 Hearing Protection Cover mitigates that risk of damaging them I thought "side posts", as you called them, on all Peltors, are always the same. You said 'almost always'. Just for educational purposes, may I ask the source of the hedging/nuance? |
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Originally Posted By scottr: They probably say not to because you have to cut apart the cover that the wire beteen the cups runs through. You can replace it with something like this OC tactical cover which also give you a place to store the downlead when not in use The main problem you'll run into using Comtacs with a civilian radio is the mic. The electret mic needs an amp to be heard by the radio. You'll either need a radio or a PTT that takes care of that or get get a mic made to work with civilian radios I cannot recall my verbatim prior quote you are referring to, but I never asked 3M what their policy was on ComTac III headband to helmet swaps and back and forth, however I think I've heard end users allege that you are not supposed to swap ComTac IIIs, that swapping is time-consuming, inconvenient, and you have to be careful so as not to break it. I have a propensity for breaking shit I didn't intend to break, which makes me very scared I thought they make this stuff pretty plug and play as long as you know what you are buying in terms of knowing what U/TP plugs and females to select... I guess I must be wrong then. Are you saying that I could easily buy, for example, a Baofeng PTT, and upon testing it, the situation could be that I will hear incoming transmissions just fine, but the other radio-users won't be able to recieve my audio from my outgoing transmissions?; The other radio men will just hear clicks potentially, because my microphone won't adequately send an outgoing signal to my radio due to amplification and/or impedance or other technical drama? Thank you!! |
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Originally Posted By Metro6: Why do you need a dual comm capable headset? Are you running a PRC-163, MPU-5, or? Also, why an Invisio PTT- they suck… We recently upgraded from 152s to 163s. I doubt I will ever lay hands on an mpu5. I may not need dual-channel radio capability, but I suspect that it's the way the industry is going... I'm no expert Since they allegedly don't sell dual downlead ComTac VIIIs, and I have no idea, but I assume they don't sell and won't sell dual downlead ComTac IXs, I would speculate and guess that even if you have no intention of ever using a 163, mpu5, or similar radio's full extent of its 'dual-mode' capabilities, the other issue is you still maybe cannot run two separate, distinct radio units (RTs) off a single downlead U/174/TP-120 ComTac. If I'm on the money here, your only option to run two radios off a ComTac VIII or ComTac IX, or run your radio and cell phone simultaneously off a ComTac VIII or ComTac IX, is to buy the U/384/TP-105 5pole/5C/5pin single downlead variant, OR maybe the 10 or 12 or 14 pin variants, which supposedly exist. Maybe I have misconceptions. To answer your other question, I know nothing about Invisio and had never heard of them till recently. Please, if you have time, do give me some information or lead me to some product or give me suggestions - I would much appreciate it. I'll try to find time to Google 'Invisio' more - I could've sworn I'd only heard good things about Invisio. I am not thriled about having to buy a bunch of expensive special cables that are super niche and only have limited uses for specific products. |
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Originally Posted By Lord_Farquaad: I am confused as to why buying a microphone is necessary. Can one buy hearing defenders and add a cheap aftermarket mic to hearing defenders I thought "side posts", as you called them, on all Peltors, are always the same. You said 'almost always'. Just for educational purposes, may I ask the source of the hedging/nuance? I don't think the basic hearing defenders have the circuitry to just add a mic and downlead. Could be wrong though, Probably depends on which gen Comtac 3M/Peltor has made a ton of different headsets over the years. There are a random few that use a different headband connection, like the 3M 1000 and 2000 |
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Originally Posted By scottr: Comtacs come with a dynamic mic. Commercial/civilian radios use an electret mic. If you don't have an amplifier for the dynamic mic it will not be loud enough. There are several ways to deal with that. On my system the PTT has an amp I don't think the basic hearing defenders have the circuitry to just add a mic and downlead. Could be wrong though, Probably depends on which gen Comtac 3M/Peltor has made a ton of different headsets over the years. There are a random few that use a different headband connection, like the 3M 1000 and 2000 Thanks so much. Regardless of having adequate circuitry or not, I didn't realize 3M ComTac's have a two prong female slot for the microphone to be plugged/unplugged and inserted and removed at will. I had always assumed without evidence that the microphones were hard wired and soldered to the board I still feel like I haven't got a lot of feedback on what product to buy - and I'm not complaining about these two AR15.com posts I made - I also posted on lots of other platforms. Now, obviously, other than maybe potentially the 3M employees themselves, it is nobodys' job(s) to give me free advice on the internet. And no one except me can truly know the absolute best product for my use(s) - I'm under no illusions about that. Also, I made the post very long and complicated - can't expect most people to want to read a full essay. However, I am worried I will regret purchasing whatever I get, LOL. |
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Originally Posted By Lord_Farquaad:I still feel like I haven't got a lot of feedback on what product to buy - And no one except me can truly know the absolute best product for my use(s) - We've explained what the connector differences are. Dual downlead 4c or single 5c can be adapted one to the other. Or maybe you just get a single downlead 4c and get radio traffic in both ears equally...That's really up to you The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is ambient noise. Comtacs are great for hearing what's around you. If you're using them for construction that might not be important, at all. I've used mine when operating a crane so the crew up on the roof can direct me. I don't need to hear what's going on around me in that scenario, it's just the sound of the crane, so I turn the ambient mics down all the way. A simple set of Worktunes with bluetooth would have worked. Pair those to my phone, give the idiot on the roof my number, and Bob's your uncle If you are using all this in a professional setting you really should have a radio person to set it up. A company large enough to need complex communication isn't going to leave it to each employee to set up their own system Maybe I'm just training AI, who knows |
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Originally Posted By scottr: That's exactly it. You're also asking about potential future uses. We barely understand what you're trying to do right now let alone what might happen in the future We've explained what the connector differences are. Dual downlead 4c or single 5c can be adapted one to the other. Or maybe you just get a single downlead 4c and get radio traffic in both ears equally...That's really up to you The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is ambient noise. Comtacs are great for hearing what's around you. If you're using them for construction that might not be important, at all. I've used mine when operating a crane so the crew up on the roof can direct me. I don't need to hear what's going on around me in that scenario, it's just the sound of the crane, so I turn the ambient mics down all the way. A simple set of Worktunes with bluetooth would have worked. Pair those to my phone, give the idiot on the roof my number, and Bob's your uncle If you are using all this in a professional setting you really should have a radio person to set it up. A company large enough to need complex communication isn't going to leave it to each employee to set up their own system Maybe I'm just training AI, who knows Are you asking if I am AI? I'm genuinely offended by the question. Do I sound particularly robotic? Maybe it's because I have undiagnosed autism?? LMAO. If I am a robot, does that mean I have a shot with Jeri Ryan? From what I have heard, I do NOT believe that single 4C and single 5C are interchangeable. They can NOT be adapted one to the other, as far as I know. 5C can do everything 4C can do, but I believe 5C has more capability, not that everyone needs that capability. 3M alleged this to me directly as well, I believe. |
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You seem to at one point referenced Active Hearing Protection Technology in your crane anecdote? Yes, active hearing protection is very important to me in some of the things I do, depending on the situation. I love it. It really is a lifesaver at times. Even if I didn't need radio capability, I would still be trying to figure out what to buy, because my Walker Razor Pros are low quality and I'm ready to upgrade to something higher quality, and more importantly, something that can be swapped between headband and hard hat configurations, and the ballistic helmet configuration/capability is a future bonus for someday when I have more disposable income. As far as I know, the only way to seamlessly, comfortably integrate a ballistic helmet with muffs is to mount the muffs to the helmet. Right now I wear an ECH occasionally when I need ballistic protection. I would have to buy a personal helmet with rails, and I won't spend the money on ballistic nor bump helmet, the accoutrements and rails, etc., anytime soon. It's nice to know that if I buy ComTacs, I am potentially buying one set of muffs with the capability to be used across all three configurations/setups (headband, hard-hat/safety-helmet, tactical bump or ballistic helmet) I'm certain I am responsible for all the confusion, but I legitimately have put a lot of effort in trying to explain my unique scenarios |
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Originally Posted By Lord_Farquaad: From what I have heard, I do NOT believe that single 4C and single 5C are interchangeable. They can NOT be adapted one to the other, as far as I know. You also posted a link on TOS for this adapter |
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Good sir, Thank you for the reply. I could've sworn you were advocating for buying a single-downlead 4C headset earlier, so I'm a little confused why you just recommended those two products. Maybe I need to go back and reread your earlier posts. |
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Originally Posted By scottr: Comtacs come with a dynamic mic. Commercial/civilian radios use an electret mic. If you don't have an amplifier for the dynamic mic it will not be loud enough. There are several ways to deal with that. On my system the PTT has an amp I don't think the basic hearing defenders have the circuitry to just add a mic and downlead. Could be wrong though, Probably depends on which gen Comtac 3M/Peltor has made a ton of different headsets over the years. There are a random few that use a different headband connection, like the 3M 1000 and 2000 Disco makes amplified PTT for Baofengs. Not sure about invisio? https://disco32.com/collections/constant-able-ptt |
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Originally Posted By Lord_Farquaad: Even if I didn't need radio capability, I would still be trying to figure out what to buy, because my Walker Razor Pros are low quality and I'm ready to upgrade to something higher quality, Still get Comtac Hearing Defenders if you don’t want/need any PTT capability. |
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