[NMERider]

I don't know about you, but most of the time I cannot safely or effectively operate a hang glider when there is needless and irrelevant radio chatter in my right ear. Sometimes I can filter it out and focus on safe and effective flight but most of the time I cannot. I usually reach back and pull the plug on my headset after announcing, "Jonathan going off radio" so that other pilots don't expect a response from me.

Recently, the radio babble at one site was so bad I disconnected my headset about 4 times. Luckily several of the noisier pilots landed while I was only mid-way through my flying and I was then able to hold a minimal conversation as needed w/ one other pilot at a time.

Later that evening, one particular pilot called me and started balling me out for going off radio because HE felt it was an inconvenience to HIM. It made no difference to this pilot when I told him I could not safely operate my hang glider with 4 pilots talking mostly sh*t at one time and that I was low over dangerous ravines trying scratch my way back up so I didn't land out or have an accident in a turbulent ravine. His response was to brag to me how HE was going to show me all these great places that HE went and that I didn't

I tried to remind him that I don't have HIS capacity to multi-task and that neurologically I generally lack the ability to filter out background conversations. His response was to yell at me and to tell me that I needed to "just deal with it" and to 'Never disconnect my headset while HE was flying, because I needed to listen to HIM and whatever HE had to tell on radio."

The biggest load of bullshit of when this douche-bag told me I needed to be on radio all the time because I need to hear when other pilots warn of approaching powered aircraft and that I need to warn others. What a load of crap! So far this year, I have had corporate jets come within 900' and 600' of me as well as a twin turboprop come with 400'. I have had commercial airliners with 2/3 mile of me on least 4 occasions this year and not once was I timely warned by any other HG who was on radio during these and another 12 or so incidents.

There's lot more to this continuing saga but I won't bore you with the rant. What I'd like to know is about other pilots ability to filter out background radio chatter while flying vs those who cannot and either fly without radio or turn the volume down or disconnect altogether as I do. There are other tactics and strategies that pilots use and I'd be interested in hearing other pilots' experiences and coping techniques.

[fakeDecoy]

Wait, you guys use radios? Has everyone been doing that this whole time?

[NMERider]

[CHassan]

I've had 45 minute conversations with guys 60 miles away. It doesn't bother me. I don't always enjoy it, and if it gets too annoying I turn it down to a murmer until I want to talk or decide I that I want to join back in.
Another local will tell us we need to keep the conversation down. He uses the radio to communicate with his driver and extra chatter makes it hard for him to fly. He will explain to other on the channel his situation and ask if they would choose anoter channel. It makes some hams mad and others wish him luck and change the channel.

I like to have the radio for retrieve, and I'll talk to anyone who is talking to me. Most of the time I don't say anything ecept "hey the top of your glider sure is white!"

[patrick halfhill]

I hate the background noise. I love the convenience of the radio when I need it. I need to install a mute button, than I would be fine.

[flyin_canuck]

The vast majority of pilots I know will strangle anyone that yaks incessantly

[jimrooney]

What?
This guy was telling you you had to have a radio on?
I really wouldn't have a problem with telling him where he can put his.

I have no need to talk to you and I certainly have no need or desire for you to talk to me. Maybe I'm just a big jerk that way... but, piss off. I couldn't give a s*** what you have to say.

I understand some people like to "team fly" (Hi Ron), and when managed well, it can be useful... however... man, that's a hard one to manage ;)

But telling me I have to?
Seriously?
f*** off man.



Jim

[red]

Campers,

Squelch is a radio-receiver function that can shut out all but the closest radio talkers, so you will only hear nearby fliers. It is an analog control (like a volume knob) although it may be set to a digital (number) setting.

Theory of "operation:" Think of a vertical wall (a dam) which is holding back a wall of water. That dam is called the Squelch. Most of that water, held back by the dam, is just radio noise. The signals that you want to hear (humans talking) are like waves and ripples on the surface of that lake, held back by the dam.

Radio squelch is like being able to adjust the height of the dam, up and down, with the turn of a knob. Set the squelch too high, and absolutely nothing comes across the dam. The radio will be silent. Set the squelch too low, and all chatter, plus a flood of noise as well, comes roaring across the top of the dam. Set the squelch at a good level, and no noise comes flooding through. Signals (like speech) will still spill over the top of the dam, the same way that high waves would spill over the top of the dam.

So, you will hear people talking, but not a lot of noise, in between. Set the squelch slightly higher, and only the strongest signals (the highest waves) can come across the top of the dam. Depending on the quality of your radio squelch circuit, you could cut off anybody else talking, past a mile or two, and still hear those closest to you, and talk with them normally.

You will not be "off the radio," but you won't be listening to granny complaining about her arthritis in the next town, either.

Hope that helps.

[jimrooney]

Yup.
That's normal squelch.

Code squelch knocks out anyone not dialled into the code squelch number as well. So if you want to be on radio and have to be on a particular band (like having to be on the ushpa frequency) but don't want to hear people with verbal diarrhea, then you pick a code number and you will only hear those on the same code. Not all radios can do this.

Jim

[blindrodie]

With a HAM license you just change to a few of the other channels.

Call out your intentions and freq of choice and let the needy follow.

I have an A and B channel preselected on my VX150 for just this sort of issue.

[dayhead]

I won't fly with a vario, although I occasionally think that maybe having one wouldn't be too awful bad.

But a radio? I fly to get off by myself and get some peace.

I quit airplanes for HG's, one reason the damn motor the second reason the damn instruments and radios.

[remmoore]

Growing up with the Diablo Team, I got used to alot of radio talk. Team flying XC means a number of pilots conferring with each otehr regarding best lift, avoiding sink, turbulence, spotting powered aircraft, and anything else of value to stay aloft and moving forward. We always had a signal "Code Yellow" if the chatter was getting in the way of someone's ability to work lift, and "Code Red" meant shut the hell up, I'm scratching way low.

I love talking to my buddies while in the air, but I've flown a few other sites where such talk wasn't appreciated. The solution: The Diablo Team Frequency of Evil. When we fly other sites, we use our own freq that won't disturb the locals. It sometimes feels a tad unfriendly, but it's usually better than having the locals mad at us.

RM

[jjcote]

I have a volume knob on my headset that allows me to dial it down if there's too much chatter (as opposed to unplugging, which is difficult where I keep my radio), but with the flying I've done so far, I haven't had need to use it.

[HGXC]

[HGXC]

[Bondy]

Would loved to have heard that conversation Jon, what a dork (not you, Him).
I usually carry one in the harness or Velcroed to an upright where I can access it without to much trouble but not turned on or headset hooked up. It's handy to have to report a downed pilot or air conditions to those about to launch, but to be honest most of the time someone wants to contact me it's to ask for a retrieve or lift after landing. When I go XC I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to come get me so .........
For most of my first year I had the headset on but listening to the farmers and kids gets old very quick.

[Mavi Gogun]

At least you can tune-out a radio- it's those babbling on launch that push my button. I'm so keyed-up on launch, my response tends to be explosive and profane; distractions are dangerous - inconsiderate threats summon my ire. My apologies to the woefoes who are slow to cover their children's ears.

[TomGalvin]

At Ellenville I got used to narration shared over the airwaves. Stan "Rawburps" Roberts and Dave "I'm Climbing" Hopkins were quite a radio show when they used to team fly.

[Nibs]

I can, but have a tough time flying well with a lot of radio chatter. I can't hear my vario beep over the chatter. I fly without a radio, unless I'm flying with a few people who all have the same general XC goal for the day, and when I do that, I ensure we are on our own channel.

I have seen pilots who put a mini toggle switch on the side of their helmet that they can use to mute the ear piece. Easier than reaching around to plug or unplug.

[selbaer]