How to Match a Military Headset to a Civilian Radio

Standard military aircraft headsets use a single plug and a low-impedance microphone. Civilian aircraft headsets use two plugs and a high-impediance microphone. If you'd like to use a military headset in a civilian plane, you need to solve the impedance mismatch and split the signal into two plugs. Fortunately, there are specialty plug adapters that solve both problems at once, and they only take a few seconds to install.

Things You'll Need

• Military aviation headset with single U-174/U or U-93A/U plug
• Civilian aircraft (e.g. Cessna Corvalis)
• Military-to-G.A. headset adapter (e.g. Marv Golden MG-14)

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Insert the headset plug into the U-92A/U jack on the adapter.

   • 2

     Insert the adapter's .250-inch headphone plug into the headphone jack on the aircraft's instrument panel.

   • 3

     Insert the adapter's .206-inch microphone plug into the microphone jack on the instrument panel.

   • 4

     Test the headset for clarity of reception and transmission.