Racal Headsets

[papakb]

Has anyone had and luck using the RA5000/6400 Racal headsets that are coming available now on their military radios? I have friends that are using them successfully with VIC-3 intercoms but I'm not having much luck using them with either the 524 or the 1439.

 

[juanprado]

I bought 4 from epay that were "used" but really look new for a vic 3 but have not installed them yet.

My holiday inn express answer is the bail out cables are different than the vic 1 so I am thinking the older sets need the 2 connectors split than the newer ones which use one connector? Not sure how the wiring is different.

 

[IroncladGA]

I use them on a vic-3 just fine. In my experience, they don't work on vic1. Probably wouldn't work on 524 then. Not sure about 1439. Make sure you are pairing them with a cx-13479 bailout cable not a cx-8650.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[papakb]

I'm aware that they work just fine on VIC3 systems but I don't have an intercom in the HMMWV and would like to use them with other radios. We use them in a friends HMMWV all the time on his VIC3. I have a fairly large collection of military HF, VHF, and UHF transceivers some of which have the UG-329 audio connectors on them. If I can find a schematic I should be able to figure out a way to make them work.

Maybe one of our UK friends?

 

[Wire Fox]

I'm aware that they work just fine on VIC3 systems but I don't have an intercom in the HMMWV and would like to use them with other radios. We use them in a friends HMMWV all the time on his VIC3. I have a fairly large collection of military HF, VHF, and UHF transceivers some of which have the UG-329 audio connectors on them. If I can find a schematic I should be able to figure out a way to make them work.

Maybe one of our UK friends?

I'm with papakb. I really want to know if I can use VIC-3 headsets on mil radios that would normally use an H-250 handset. I have an RT-1694 that I'd love to use off of my HMMWV without carrying a boatload of handsets and headsets.

It's also worth noting that I have a VIC-3 system I'm assembling, which is why I'm wanting to buy into VIC-3 headsets.

 

[papakb]

I just found a bag of new bailout cables with the dual connector setup on them that were for the VIC-1 system that I'm going to try. I'll post the results when I do.

 

[Wire Fox]

I just found a bag of new bailout cables with the dual connector setup on them that were for the VIC-1 system that I'm going to try. I'll post the results when I do.

Have you tried the CX-13479 cable yet, since that's the one actually intended for those headsets?

 

[papakb]

Here's what I've found out about Bailout cables and some new headsets I just bought to try with the HMMWV radios:

This is the original CX 86508/GR or CX 10766/GR bailout cable, "9v battery" style connector, dual UG229 5 pin audio connectors



This was replaced with an SM-D-037478 cable with the AJ107 style bailout connector, dual UG229 5 pin audio connectors



The CX13479/VRC cable that comes with the Racal Raptor headsets that has the AJ107 connector on one end and a single UG329 6 pin audio connector on the other end. This seems to only work with the VIC 3 intercoms



I recently bought 2 headsets that each came with a David Clark 40865G-01 cable. AJ107 connector on one end and a single UG329 on the other. The nice thing here is the PTT box in the middle.



The first headset is a dual earpiece Motorola 40767G-01, mike says David Clark



And the second is a General Dynamics 40776G-01, mike also says David Clark



After I have a chance to try all the various combinations I'll post which, if any worked with the RTs I have available.

Kurt
KG6KMJ

 

[riderdan]

I'm in this same boat.

I have a VIC1 and the Racal headsets, hooked up via the newer split bailout cables. The headsets work except for the PTT. I've hooked up an audio source to the AM-1780 and can hear the audio clearly. The headsets I have have a two-way PTT/tone switch. If you push the switch towards the tone side, all the headsets hear the tone. Unfortunately, if you push the switch towards the PTT side, nothing happens. If you turn them all the way up, the headset mic will pick up the sound of the engine running, so I know the mics work.

I need to pick up a set of the older style headsets so I can mess around with this more. If anyone is aware of the pinouts for the bailout cables or the Racal headsets, I'd be very interested in seeing them.

 

[papakb]

Pin out for the Racal CX 14379:



Looking at this schematic I just realized that pin E is the mike return that may not be connected in the older radios. I need to try connecting E to A and see what happens then.

Kurt
KG6KMJ

 

[ohaniazx]

Guys,I am one of the fellows Kurt is talking about. The VIC-3 plus RACALs works well. Getting it to work with VIC-1 is going to be tricky: I am not sure which you guys are trying to do:
A- Connect the Racal headsets with CX-13479 bailout to a CX-8650? You have 5 pins used (minus the power on the 6 pin of the former) to 6 pins used on the latter with two U-229 to be used with c-2296?
B- Get them to work on VRC-12 series radios instead of the 250/350 handsets?

For case B i feel getting A to connect to E should do it (like Kurt indicated); Indicated by RED line,rest are there already.
Z

 

[Wire Fox]

Guys,I am one of the fellows Kurt is talking about. The VIC-3 plus RACALs works well. Getting it to work with VIC-1 is going to be tricky: I am not sure which you guys are trying to do:
A- Connect the Racal headsets with CX-13479 bailout to a CX-8650? You have 5 pins used (minus the power on the 6 pin of the former) to 6 pins used on the latter with two U-229 to be used with c-2296?
B- Get them to work on VRC-12 series radios instead of the 250/350 handsets?
View attachment 691011
For case B i feel getting A to connect to E should do it (like Kurt indicated); Indicated by RED line,rest are there already.
Z

That's great! I'm glad between you two, a pinout was known and that could be pulled together. I think I can comfortably buy a fistful of these headsets now for use with my VIC-3 and a couple for direct-wire to H-250-using radios...

 

[86humv]

Did a test today :
2ea. rt-1523's......one with ext. speaker, other with Racal hooked up direct with bailout cord.
When headset momentary switch pushed, a click tone is herd on the other radio's ext speaker, but no voice.
Tried this with 3 different Racals, and 4 different bailout cords....all same results.
If switch pushed other way on Racal [ intercom full on position ]...click tone on speaker and no voice, but radio with Racal is transmitting .
Tried this with the Bose headsets and same results, but can here voice .
Tried a green military headset....same as Racals.
Looks like best bet is to have a intercom in the loop.

 

[papakb]

After some more testing we determined that the electret microphones used in these headsets needs a small bias voltage on them before they'll work. The older military radios don't provide that voltage so we're going to have to come up with a simple circuit that will provide it. Merely rearranging the connections to the audio connector didn't change the way they were operating. As soon as I have a chance to work up a circuit I'll post it here for everyone.

 

[papakb]

Last weekend we took out a Sincgars set and a PRC-68 and tested the headsets with a small junction box that I made up to the test wiring and to be able to reconfigure it if necessary. Our tests proved the Racal Raptors will work with the older VIC-1 and earlier PRC radios by either rewiring the U229 plug or building up a simple adapter box. Here's what I came up with:

Radio U229 connect headset U329 connect

A ground and mic LO A, D

B earphone audio B

C push to talk C

D mic High E

no connection F

It also turned out that we did not need to bias or amplify the mic signal. The 1.5v battery in the headsets is only used for the talk through feature that allows you to hear normal conversation without taking the headsets off. The ANR does not work in this configuration without power applied to pin F. If you want the ANR to work you'll need to feed 24v to pin F of the headset U329 connector.

 

[Hpwr]

Kurt,

You are correct, been fooling around with a couple of these headset for the past few nights, your post fixed my issue, didn't realize till I found this thread that the mic audio was basically balanced, grounding one of the mic lines to pin a fixed it. ow have the headset working on a PRC-174 HF pack radio. Works pretty well except the mic element is very very hot (lotsa gain) The PRC-174 provides B+ on Pin E. So had to modify the connections down in the U329 accordingly. Grounding one side of the mic and the B+ line to pin E. No connection to pin F. Normally in the CX-14379 on AP107 #7 would go the U329 Pin F, moved it to U329 pin E. Also not sure because all my AP107 line came loose and had to kinda figure them out, but am using AP107 # 4 to blue wire (one side of the mic) go to U329 Pin Ground. Not sure about radios that don't have B+ available at their audio connector, will have to get another CX-14379 and modify it for audio connections only, have read that the headset can work un-powered, if so the headset just wouldn't have the ANR function.

Thanks for you post that straightened me out.
Steve
KM4V

 

[Hpwr]

To all didn't realize there was a 2nd page to the thread; where most of this had been worked out got so excited when I found the schematis of the CX14379 I quit reading.

Steve
KM4V

 

[papakb]

Steve, if the 174 is powering pin E of the U229 connector then all you'll need to do to get the ANR working is wire it to pin F of the U329 connector on the headset. The high gain issue on the mic could be fixed with a resistor inline but just moving the mic away from your mouth might also do it. I never cared for the mic being that close anyway.

 

[ohaniazx]

I am with Kurt on adding resistor to the mic to lower the gain as to not overdrive the radio; as for the cable you guys mean cx-13479; they are getting harder to find so recommend a box like Kurt made, this way you keep the cable original. Use U-229, U-228 on each end;
I am now fighting a broken mic on a harris RF-3020 ;

Z

 

[papakb]

The CX13479 bailout cords are getting a bit hard to find but here's another solution. This cable is made by Racal specifically to replace the long bailout cords with a shorter version. They can be purchased from Racal as pn#437936 but they're $200. Better to find them online if you can.