Cordless Ear Phones. What is your experience?

[Jack D]

I've used ear phones, off and on (literally) and found them to be annoying. The cord is always in the way and the earphones must be unplugged or removed to set the metal detector down. I know some on this forum use cordless ear phones and that seemed like the way to go. Since money is tight, I didn't splurge. But my Mom-in-law, who stays with us for long periods, just purchased a set of cordless stereo ear phones at Radio Shack. I tried them for TV watching and they work great. Excellent sound quality and nice crisp clear voices.

They have a small transmitter (they call it a Dongle) that plugs into the earphone jack. Both the transmitter and earphones are recharable and a charger comes with the package. I used it yesterday, listening to stereo music and TV, for several hours without needing to recharge the batteries. How long will the recharable batteries last in a metal detector? Unknown (for now).

The transmitter (dongle) weighs just over 1 oz on my postal scale and the headphones just under 3 oz. Barely noticeable. The transmitter measures just 2.5" x 1.5" x 1/2". Both, transmitter and earphones have on/off switches and the earphones have a volume control. They operate at 2.4 Ghz and instruction sheet says they automatically shift frequencies to avoid RF interference. The charger comes with a splitter to charge both transmitter and earphones at the same time.

I tested this in my Tesoro for a few minutes this morning and it works just great, as I expected it would. Leaving that cord behind is just what the doctor ordered. I wondered about the interference factor with an RF transmitter next to the metal shaft and the electronics of the detector which is also a transmitter and the coil an antenna. Apparently, the frequencies are far enough apart so that there is no interference (at least in the Tesoro). My Tesoro has a 1/4" phone jack and needed an adaptor 1/4" phone plug to 1/8" phone jack.

Radio Shack 33-1253 Just under $60.00

[KellycoChick]

I love 'em! Do it!

[pris]

Very good to know. I have a pair of cordless headphones, but the connector is a cord, rather than a dongle. That may just be my next hobby purchase. I just bought some headphones after Christmas, but it sure would be nice to have a nice light cordless pair. Thanks for the post!

[MinelabMan]

Never tried them, plan to though. Do the ones you got have a volume control?

[Jack D]

Originally Posted by MinelabMan

Never tried them, plan to though. Do the ones you got have a volume control?

Yes, they do have a volume control.

[MinelabMan]

Sounds like what I'm looking for, thanks!

[N1TKO]

Hello Guys and Girls.... I have been thinking about the cordless headphones myself. The one's Jack mentions here from radio shack have some really poor reviews. I guess they are made really cheap and a lot of the folks have said the volume is a big problem.... From what I have read, the volume is very low and the batteries don't last long. A few folks even said the unit broke after a short time. I spent a little time looking for another model and came across the Sony MDR-IF3000. It may be something to look into.
Just like you guys, nothing "irks" me more than spending 50 bucks for something and having it break after a few uses .
I'm going to do a little more research on wireless headphones and if I find anything decent, I'll post it here.
Take care Folks!!

Jerry

[Joker]

Thanks for the info Jack! Ill have to do a net search and see what the critics are saying about the best bang for the buck.. Thanks

[MinelabMan]

Originally Posted by N1TKO

..........I'm going to do a little more research on wireless headphones and if I find anything decent, I'll post it here.
Take care Folks!!

Jerry

Originally Posted by Joker

Thanks for the info Jack! Ill have to do a net search and see what the critics are saying about the best bang for the buck.. Thanks

Thanks guys, I'll wait for your posts before I decide!

[Jack D]

I. too will be watching. Mom-in-law didn't do any research. She just bought them.....yesterday.....and they do work. Like I said, I don't know how long the batteries will last, but I did use them for about 4 hours yesterday with no problems......although I'd prefer batteries than can be changed easily and these are built-in. They can be changed, but not something you can do in the field. I disagree that the volume is bad....it is loud enough that I have to turn it down to about mid range and it is crisp and clear. Perhaps not stereo hi-fi quality...but that's not bad either. You don't need hi fidelity to hear beeps clearly.

Radio Shack has 2-3 other models that I had hoped to look at. I've not seem them anywhere else.....but I haven't looked either. I will say I don't care for the ear hooks on the earphones of this model. I wear glasses and the additional hooks over my ears are not that comfortable over time.

However, this seems like a great way to go. If you can find a set that fits your likes and dislikes. The 2.4 Ghz frequency doesn't interfere with my Tesoro and I doubt it would with any other detector, either. Don't know that for a fact, however. It also works very well with the Famous Trails detector.

I know Radio Shack sells some crappy (can I say that on here?) stuff, but I've had good luck with some of their stuff, too. Same as most places. You get what you pay for (sometimes).

I just looked at the reviews for this unit and they are from users. Personally, I don't give these reviews much weight. They are usually from those that are unhappy and the happy ones don't usually bother (although some do). One says the batteries don't last long enough...he said 12 hours then they die. I'd say 12 hours is plenty long enough.........You get the feeling most are teens and we all know their ears are blown already and they want LOUD! There are actually a few that love these units. Some didn't like the range (about 30'). In a detector, we're only concerned with about 3' or less. I would be concerned about the reports that say they don't last. But again, teens aren't known for taking care of things....at least mine weren't.

The Sony that is linked is an infrared (like your remote TV control) light beam, not RF (radio frequency) and I would wonder if it would work outside in the sun. ?????? Don't know. If you get one, let us know????